Is it really worth it anymore?

[hadite81]

Just getting back into the hobby after an eight year absence.
all of the negativity I have seen or read about lately regarding MD'ing, I have to ask myself if it is really worth the investment again.

I looked into canned hunts, and see they are from $100 to $160 for entry fees... my how times have changed.

I still have my detectors from years ago, but was looking to upgrade to newer gear ( wireless etc..)

Is it really worth it anymore?

my .02

 

[Shakakka]

Sounds honestly like you've got mood problems outside of detecting. No offense.

This forum is plenty positive, and I've had nothing but fun detecting. Is it hard to get good permissions? Sure. But that's what makes the payoff so sweet in the end.

Good luck, and try to stay positive. Don't run around with high expectations and be happy with what you get. In the end I think you get out of MD it what you put in.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I agree with Shakakka. Ie.: "What negativity" ? And a quick look at the forum show & tell sections show oodles of good stuff being found daily, friendly hunts with peers, etc....

 

[dirtdigginfool]

Sounds honestly like you've got mood problems outside of detecting. No offense.

This forum is plenty positive, and I've had nothing but fun detecting. Is it hard to get good permissions? Sure. But that's what makes the payoff so sweet in the end.

Good luck, and try to stay positive. Don't run around with high expectations and be happy with what you get. In the end I think you get out of MD it what you put in.

Boom! Couldn't have said it better myself...we all get frustrated, whether it's the weather, finding nothing but junk/clad etc...when I get frustrated, it's usually of my own doing. I work on new permissions, which isn't easy...but hey- if it were easy EVERYBODY would be doing it. Like Shak said, you get out what you put in. Maybe upgrade with a decent, mid-grade rig and you just might surprise yourself. Good luck! Hope things work out..Ddf

 

[Blak bart]

YES !!!! It is worth it !!! Swing away my friend, and youll soon have that feeling that youve been looking for. You just have to rekindle the fire.

 

[Mackaydon]

"Is it worth it any more? " is a question of priorities as to what IT is.
My priorities are (1) enjoying the research, (2) hunting the researched sites, (3) being outdoors--preferrably with friends; and (4) finding something--the 'icing on the cake'.
My answer is 'yes' since I can enjoy the first three priorities without the need for the fourth.
Don......

 

[smokeythecat]

Yes, it's worth it. My best bets are private properties. A breeze once you get a permission, and lots of good stuff to be had in a stress free environment.

 

[Peyton Manning]

there is always something good waiting for you

if you don't think so, give it up and watch TV ( if you start caring what people think you are done)

 

[fuzzy535]

if you enjoy it then its always worth it. I find its better to go out and do then to sit and wonder. If you have the means then id go after it. i personally have no other hobbies, i dont smoke and i dont drink. really only other thing i do is lottery. so i need something other than bills to spend my money on. Ive seen a few post on here of people selling their equipment cause they physically cant do it anymore. i hope that day is far off for me, but if you can than you should. its only money and you cant take it with you. live now.

 

[Peyton Manning]

fuzzy if you have no costly habits please send me the money you would have spent

 

[releventchair]

Worth it for what?
I like poking around layers of history. With or without a detector.
One nagging negative I don't ignore are poor recovery site repairs others leave in some public places. I risk looking suspect trying to repair them on the rare public hunts ,but that does not take away the worth of detecting to me.

Then there are those special ( to my interest anyway) leads I peck away at that are of special interest. The detector part is a small part of.....but an important part.
Worth it? Maybe. It holds my attention as a different recreation. Would not know what doing it for a living would be like, as far as worth.

 

[dts52]

I don't look at MDing as any different from the many obsessions I've had over the many years I've been on this earth... waterfowling, deer hunting, fishing, golf (and those are just the good ones). If it's not enjoyable, then don't do it. I never expected to get rich MDing or even to pay for my equipment. I enjoy finding older stuff, even if it's just an ox shoe or a square nail and wondering how it got there and who held it last before me. I am not in competition with anyone so I am happy when site members post great finds. I just wish I had started long ago and had gotten my Dad and my Uncle involved before they moved on to a happier place. If you decide to dive back in, I hope you make some great finds and some great friends.
HH
dts

 

[Terry Soloman]

Just getting back into the hobby after an eight year absence.
all of the negativity I have seen or read about lately regarding MD'ing, I have to ask myself if it is really worth the investment again.

I looked into canned hunts, and see they are from $100 to $160 for entry fees... my how times have changed.

I still have my detectors from years ago, but was looking to upgrade to newer gear ( wireless etc..)

Is it really worth it anymore?

my .02

NO, it is NOT worth it. Please, take a hard look at canoe building, or Peruvian Beaver Conservation - Anything but metal detecting! Move along, nothing to see here..

 

[Normsel]

It's worth the fun and exercise. Those that give detecting a bad name will always be there. Anyway just jump back into it and enjoy. I have been accepted by asking permission more than I have been rejected.

 

[fuzzy535]

fuzzy if you have no costly habits please send me the money you would have spent

I have teenagers...

 

[Keppy]

Like any thing if you like it... it is worth it if you do not like it ...it is not worth it ..

 

[Geobound]

I don't really know about the negativity in which you speak, but I would say grab your detector and get back at it!

The only real negative I see about metal detecting, is the snow that surrounds me 6 months of the year!!

The equipment has certainly changed a fair amount over the last few years, but lucky for you the trash is still the same........perhaps just a little more of it.

Good luck and happy hunting.

 

[against the wind]

Just getting back into the hobby after an eight year absence.

I think the answer is in your opening statement.
I love this HOBBY. If you're not enjoying the swinging of the coil, being outdoors, the retrieval of a target, the excitement of a great find,, well maybe this HOBBY, ain't for you.

 

[cactusman]

If you look for negativity you will always find it. Choose to look for the positive -- it is abundant in this forum!

Fresh air, exercise , the excitement of never knowing what you will find next and the thought that goes into it -- YES it is worth it!

If you're not certain -- take your old gear out again and give it a try -- as soon as those headphones go on and you start getting signals you will wonder what negativity you were originally thinking about, and you'll certainly realize why it's worth it...

 

[relic nut]

If you have too look for confirmation then it may not be worth it for you. This hobby is not for everyone, no hobby is. You need to ask yourself why you stopped 8 years ago and why you are reconsidering now?
Like the old saying goes, " If it feels good, do it" if not find something else.