Metal Detecting reality show?

[justanotherpulltab]

Just wondering since there is a reality show for everything now, why not metal detecting?

 

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[gemee]

Is it really to our benefit to stir up interest about this hobby? I am thinking it is not.

 

[mfitzy111]

yeah - sadly what will happen is people will get interested, idiots will flood places we already go dig at, they will dig holes and not fill them- and cause everyone that detects to get banned from parks -so we will lose ground...

it's bad enough when people don't fill holes in now - after a 'detecting show' that shows regular guys pulling gold and silver out of every hole you can bet people will be digging every place, making everyone else unhappy. That is going to totally annoy me too- do you think they will show it's work? or that it's easy money? I don't think it would be good for the hobby, but maybe if it's done showing how much garbage and tetanus producing objects we actually remove from places bare foot people go, it might shine a good light on our hobby- but it's still going to attract people that are going to think it's easy money, main stream sheeple wouldn't be good getting that kind of attention -they aren't responsible enough to vote let alone fill their own messy holes.

good note: is after they rush out to buy a good detector and then decide it's just too much hard WORK, digging and getting dirty, (over playing x-box and watching tv) they will flood the market with hardly used detectors for cheaper then retail prices. hopefully even the big players like Kellyco see this post and side on what will happen if our hobby goes more main stream, and how bad that will be in the longer term. They might sell a few detectors from having a show like that, but in the long run it will not be good for them either.

 

[creskol]

Unfortunately, there is already one in the making.

 

[Chocadog]

One of the biggest disappointments for me since starting this great hobby is the attitude of so many detectorist's, even on this web site. It appears that a selfish attitude is attached to many of the people making comment on the subject. We need to share the fun, we need to build our local clubs, we need to introduce the hobby to a much younger group of enthusiasts. If we don't all we will have is a bunch of crabby old selfish people to share the hobby with. I for one am not interested in being around a bunch of selfish, greedy old hermits! there is power in numbers and many of our state problems will be helped by younger, enthusiastice detectorist's. One of our problems now is this same selfish attitude that does not endear us to property owners or government entities. Its time to get over the poor, poor, pitiful me days and get excited about our hobby, get involved and share the joy.

 

[creskol]

One of the biggest disappointments for me since starting this great hobby is the attitude of so many detectorist's, even on this web site. It appears that a selfish attitude is attached to many of the people making comment on the subject. We need to share the fun, we need to build our local clubs, we need to introduce the hobby to a much younger group of enthusiasts. If we don't all we will have is a bunch of crabby old selfish people to share the hobby with. I for one am not interested in being around a bunch of selfish, greedy old hermits! there is power in numbers and many of our state problems will be helped by younger, enthusiastice detectorist's. One of our problems now is this same selfish attitude that does not endear us to property owners or government entities. Its time to get over the poor, poor, pitiful me days and get excited about our hobby, get involved and share the joy.

Who is being selfish? It's fine to live in a bubble, but the reality is that the hobby is under fire from all directions. I can't see that a reality show will be anything but detrimental to the hobby.

 

[Chocadog]

I rest my case!

 

[pastorals]

I agree, Chocadog, but I'm not ready to believe that a made for TV "reality" (oxymoron) show is the way to go. Promotion is necessary but I think it would be better accomplished at the local level. JMHO

 

[Chocadog]

If the show is done with the help of genuine detectorist's it might prove to be helpful. Just two weeks ago I encountered a so called Metal detector supplier, blatantly breaking the law in a State Park. When I confronted him about his conduct being a detriment to our hobby he made the following statement "people come in here in the night and hunt in the water, I'm not doing anything different!" this attitude is the same as so many of our number and yet they do not want to bring in a new law abiding well instructed enthusiast!

 

[savant365]

They would just show the good finds and not all the iffy ones...kinda like they do with storage wars lol.

 

[deano]

yeah - sadly what will happen is people will get interested, idiots will flood places we already go dig at, they will dig holes and not fill them- and cause everyone that detects to get banned from parks -so we will lose ground...

it's bad enough when people don't fill holes in now - after a 'detecting show' that shows regular guys pulling gold and silver out of every hole you can bet people will be digging every place, making everyone else unhappy. That is going to totally annoy me too- do you think they will show it's work? or that it's easy money? I don't think it would be good for the hobby, but maybe if it's done showing how much garbage and tetanus producing objects we actually remove from places bare foot people go, it might shine a good light on our hobby- but it's still going to attract people that are going to think it's easy money, main stream sheeple wouldn't be good getting that kind of attention -they aren't responsible enough to vote let alone fill their own messy holes.

good note: is after they rush out to buy a good detector and then decide it's just too much hard WORK, digging and getting dirty, (over playing x-box and watching tv) they will flood the market with hardly used detectors for cheaper then retail prices. hopefully even the big players like Kellyco see this post and side on what will happen if our hobby goes more main stream, and how bad that will be in the longer term. They might sell a few detectors from having a show like that, but in the long run it will not be good for them either.

I have to agree, a one time special might be o.k.

 

[Chocadog]

WOW! what a bunch of negative Nellies!

 

[mts]

WOW! what a bunch of negative Nellies!

I agree with you. I see a lot of people in here who don't want anyone else to know anything about metal detecting. Instead, they hunker down and sneak around looking suspicious. If instead they put together a local group with 100 members who showed that they had a passion for keeping the parks clean, helping young folks find a rewarding hobby, and sharing history they could do a lot of good toward promoting this hobby and getting restrictions taken off of the table.

It's awfully hard for people, parks, and politicians to say no to 100 genuinely nice folks who are known more for helping others than for helping themselves. One guy sneaking around in a park looking for coins is creepy. 100 people organizing an advertised group hunt with banners, refreshments, and extra detectors that people/kids can try out is a community service that won't go unnoticed.

Sure, I'm giving "pie in the sky" scenarios here. And I've specifically portrayed both ends of the spectrum. But why can't reality be closer to one side than the other?

 

[savant365]

WOW! what a bunch of negative Nellies!

I agree with you. I see a lot of people in here who don't want anyone else to know anything about metal detecting. Instead, they hunker down and sneak around looking suspicious. If instead they put together a local group with 100 members who showed that they had a passion for keeping the parks clean, helping young folks find a rewarding hobby, and sharing history they could do a lot of good toward promoting this hobby and getting restrictions taken off of the table.

It's awfully hard for people, parks, and politicians to say no to 100 genuinely nice folks who are known more for helping others than for helping themselves. One guy sneaking around in a park looking for coins is creepy. 100 people organizing an advertised group hunt with banners, refreshments, and extra detectors that people/kids can try out is a community service that won't go unnoticed.

Sure, I'm giving "pie in the sky" scenarios here. And I've specifically portrayed both ends of the spectrum. But why can't reality be closer to one side than the other?

OK, where are you gonna find 100 detectorist? It would be great if everyone thought this was the hobby for them. Unfortunately the numbers you are talking about don't exist. I would love to hear from one metal detecting club that has 100 members. Are there any out there? Chicago, L.A. New York? If I'm wrong let me know...

The truth is that we are treasure hunters and that while everyone wants to find a treasure nobody wants to be labeled as a treasure hunter. It goes against everything society says we should be, hard working, realistic and grounded. We shouldn't try to get rich quick...we should just conform and work our 40 hours a week and be happy with that.

Forming a group of 100 people is not going to make it any better...it's just going to make that much less that we find. I don't look suspicious or sneaky when I'm out detecting, I just have to listen to the stupid comments.

 

[justanotherpulltab]

I tell you what, I am on the fence about it. You all make great points on why or why not. Honestly I didnt think this poll would be so in depth as it has turned out to be. A reality show might not be a good thing after all since reading some views on here. Since I have been filming my hunts, I have noticed more and more to the hobby since I have started ( and that wasnt long ago). I think alot of people see "easy" money and think their going to get rich but that usually is not the case, that is why you see so many detectors on ebay. So, yeah I dont know, a show with "good" detectorist that show proper ways of detecting may not be bad, or it might be

 

[NOLA_Ken]

The question of the poll is would I watch it? Yes, I'm sure I would. I have mixed feeling as to if it would be a good thing or not. It could certainly help open up more private land to detecting if people saw it and started wondering what might be in their yard, and happened to see a detectorist in town..... It could also do a lot of damage too with people going out with dollar signs in their eyes trashing parks and other areas.

I think it would be ok if they showed it for what it really is.....A lot of work for very little real gain most times. Not a way to get rich quick. I don't hunt to get rich, (although I wouldn't complain if I did) I hunt because I enjoy it, I like the interesting bits of history I find, and many of my favorite finds have no real monetary value. If someone put on a tv show, and all they showed was diamond rings and silver coins coming out of the ground, people would get the idea that that's how it really is. And while it might bring a few good people to the hobby, I think that for every good one, we'd have ten bad ones too.

 

[EagleDown]

I consider myself a caring person, for both the environment and others. I have been a "detectorist" for over 40 years and a professional "gold dredger" for almost the same amount of time. But, I will only go into the gold dredging here.

My first experience of dredging was in early 1960. At that time, it was fairly new and the only other "gold dredger" I ever saw for about 5 years or so, was my friend who told me about it and was showing me the ropes.

Then, when the restrictions on ownership of gold were lifted, the rivers started becoming more and more crowded. By 1978, I had 3 dredgers (and dredges) less than 50 yards up river from me, who were "mudding me out" with their silt. BUT, THE WORSE PART WAS: they were on a claim that joined mine and had no permission to be dredging there!!

Over the years, I've watched the "hobbyists" grow in population to the point that approximately 5 years ago, I counted 11 dredges on the river in a stretch of only about 600 ft.

And of course, you can only imagine the trash left by a lot of these week-end warriors and the many campers that are drawn to the river for recreational panning, etc.

And this brings me to the present. For any of you who are aware of the plight of the gold dredgers of California, You'll know what I'm talking about, but for the uninformed; our "hobby" became so popular that the environmentalists saw us as a way to promote their environment protection aims. In other words; we had too much exposure. Now, we're the bad guys and are not allowed to dredge ANYWHERE in the state of CA.

So my advise is to take heed of the possible ramifications of a "reality show" and too much exposure. For every detectorist that is conscientious about neatly back-filling their digs and removing trash, there will be many, many who haven't a clue, and could care less.

Thanks for reading,

Love and Respect,

Eagle

 

[EagleDown]

P.S. Why do think so many towns have laws against metal-detecting on city property??

Eagle

 

[mts]

WOW! what a bunch of negative Nellies!

I agree with you. I see a lot of people in here who don't want anyone else to know anything about metal detecting. Instead, they hunker down and sneak around looking suspicious. If instead they put together a local group with 100 members who showed that they had a passion for keeping the parks clean, helping young folks find a rewarding hobby, and sharing history they could do a lot of good toward promoting this hobby and getting restrictions taken off of the table.

It's awfully hard for people, parks, and politicians to say no to 100 genuinely nice folks who are known more for helping others than for helping themselves. One guy sneaking around in a park looking for coins is creepy. 100 people organizing an advertised group hunt with banners, refreshments, and extra detectors that people/kids can try out is a community service that won't go unnoticed.

Sure, I'm giving "pie in the sky" scenarios here. And I've specifically portrayed both ends of the spectrum. But why can't reality be closer to one side than the other?

OK, where are you gonna find 100 detectorist? It would be great if everyone thought this was the hobby for them. Unfortunately the numbers you are talking about don't exist. I would love to hear from one metal detecting club that has 100 members. Are there any out there? Chicago, L.A. New York? If I'm wrong let me know...

The truth is that we are treasure hunters and that while everyone wants to find a treasure nobody wants to be labeled as a treasure hunter. It goes against everything society says we should be, hard working, realistic and grounded. We shouldn't try to get rich quick...we should just conform and work our 40 hours a week and be happy with that.

Forming a group of 100 people is not going to make it any better...it's just going to make that much less that we find. I don't look suspicious or sneaky when I'm out detecting, I just have to listen to the stupid comments.

Sheesh! Ok, substitute 10 for 100. You people want to argue semantics rather than listening to the actual message. But perhaps if you were part of a club that actually cared about its image and helping others over helping themselves, you might actually grow to be 100 people strong.

But I think you summed up your stance in your last two sentences. You think that forming a group of 100 peoplle will just make it harder for you to find anything. Sounds like greed rearing its ugly head again. But hey, do what you want to do.

 

[thrillathahunt]

If a "real" reality show was done with no editing, for a half hour at a local park, showing everything that was dug in real time, people would get so bored looking at pulltabs, bottle caps, canslaw, and crusty zinc pennies there would be nobody watching after a few episodes.