Hobby dying

[Kj Upton]

Well the consensus seems to be the veterans have their permissions and are happy in their own areas. It looks like other venues parks and beaches are going to the dogs or pulltabs / bottlecap hunters. As some say people still loose stuff but with constant pounding these places now have diminishing returns. Most people who begin in the hobby start in local parks and school grounds which had fueled there excitement but now they either move on to other areas or give up due to frustration which is what is happening. If they remain they move onto relic hunting and become the increasing competition on permissions to others which will also eventually be worked over. The old saying was that no place is ever cleaned out but with all the newer technologies over the past few years I would disagree especially in cities where new people are out there trying out their new YouTube recommend/influenced machine.
I guess the turn has started and hopefully there will still be enough out there to keep the diehards happy : )))

we can only hope that all those tubers will realize that they are only creating there own competition for the few pennies they make by hoeing themselves out to the world.

 

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[ticndig]

It just dawned on me that "52+ years" should read 55+ years. Senility is setting in!

 

[Winchester416]

Am I wrong it seems the hobby is dying off. Too many newbies from YouTube videos, too many great machines and nobody carrying cash anymore. What’s your feelings on this?

I don’t think so... Just the yuppies are giving up... Not all of the new generation are yuppies....

 

[LostinGeorgia]

Am I wrong it seems the hobby is dying off. Too many newbies from YouTube videos, too many great machines and nobody carrying cash anymore. What’s your feelings on this?

I am new to the hobby and love it. Don’t know why I didn’t start years earlier. My wife and bought storage units for about ten years so I guess that’s what ate up any free time. Oh well we did pretty good with that but got out when most of the auctions went online. When I started to get interested in detecting looked around on internet. Was irritated by some of the articles I read that said metal detecting was destroying the archeological record. My feeling is that thousands of years from now if they want an archeological record go to the landfills. There will be plenty there. Don’t think that taking mostly half rusted away metal out of the ground that won’t be there in a reasonably short period of time is destroying any record. I could go on but I think it’s time to stop ranting

 

[Winchester416]

Well............
I think the hobby has been severely "tarnished"... and the hobby has been wounded and walks with a limp.
The do what they want crowd...
The dig crap and toss back crowd...
The trespass crowd...
The dig right next to sunbather crowd...
The leave holes crowd...
Shall i continue ?
Has left very few places where a detectorist is greeted with a smile and allowed to detect that has not already been pounded.
BUT... just remember...
People loose stuff everyday... and some things allude those who the sprits of yester years don't want to have it.

If you love to detect... Keep on truckin.

Agreed, and it wasn’t this new generation that’s responsible for that!

It has been poorly managed by the boomer generation, just as hunting animals has been. You can’t blame the kids, it’s the people whom raised the kids, and raised the parents... The first ME generation is the boomers... They get mad as heck when you tell em that, they are also the first to shift the blame...

I’ve observed boomer posts on here celebrating ripping people off, digging where they aren’t allowed, etc...

I would love to dig on State land, dig in all these great forgotten areas...

But the boomer generation saw to it via practices to have these areas turned off limits... Its a respect problem, and it doesn’t start getting fixed until we can agree upon the source... I’m also not talking about all boomers... Just a majority... In my State I think hunting with dogs will soon be outlawed, boomers, and their kids are the reason...

 

[UnderMiner]

Outdoor adventure in general is on the decline. We saw a spike in people going on outdoor adventures during 2020-2022 simply because the lockdowns forced people to explore places outdoors far from other people, some even fomo'ed into rural living without even knowing how to chop wood or owning a 4 wheel drive vehicle. Now many people are realizing the outdoors isn't as comfortable as being inside watching tv and playing video games, and they're the kind of people who would prefer the latter.

 

[Winchester416]

Outdoor adventure in general is on the decline. We saw a spike in people going on outdoor adventures during 2020-2022 simply because the lockdowns forced people to explore places outdoors far from other people, some even fomo'ed into rural living without even knowing how to chop wood or owning a 4 wheel drive vehicle. Now many people are realizing the outdoors isn't as comfortable as being inside watching tv and playing video games, and they're the kind of people who would prefer the latter.

As you said all outdoor activity’s are falling...

Who’s responsible for not handing off the torch correctly?

 

[Kj Upton]

Yeah and it was the great great great grand Millenniums that started all this with the Industrial Revolution, it’s all there fault. Really it’s the fault of all generations who are greedy looking to have everything which includes the most recent spawn. How’s your new iPhone running LOL

 

[DizzyDigger]

Who’s responsible for not handing off the torch correctly?

Why are you looking so hard for who is to blame? There's a whole bunch of us "Boomers" that are very active on the site, and also very active in promoting our hobby.

Keep in mind it was the Boomer generation that invented all this stuff. Like what? Computers, cell phones, the silicon chip, microwave ovens..we even put men on the Moon in 1969.

Respectfully, let's quit trying to fix the blame and instead fix the problem...if indeed there is one.

 

[Whynotnow?]

I think worrying about stuff like this is a complete waste of time. If its too difficult for you to find stuff, then quit, I really don't care if there's less, or more, people out detecting. I don't metal detect for social reasons. The challenge of research and exploring new areas is half the fun for me. Even if I dont find anything I learned some history and had a great day outside. If I could go to any church, school, or public park and pop out 50 silver coins in 2 hours I don't think I would enjoy the hobby nearly as much.

 

[Johnnybravo300]

Having less competition out there is a good thing so I won't complain. Hopefully no one gets Into it!

 

[LostinGeorgia]

Another reas

Agreed, and it wasn’t this new generation that’s responsible for that!

It has been poorly managed by the boomer generation, just as hunting animals has been. You can’t blame the kids, it’s the people whom raised the kids, and raised the parents... The first ME generation is the boomers... They get mad as heck when you tell em that, they are also the first to shift the blame...

I’ve observed boomer posts on here celebrating ripping people off, digging where they aren’t allowed, etc...

I would love to dig on State land, dig in all these great forgotten areas...

But the boomer generation saw to it via practices to have these areas turned off limits... Its a respect problem, and it doesn’t start getting fixed until we can agree upon the source... I’m also not talking about all boomers... Just a majority... In my State I think hunting with dogs will soon be outlawed, boomers, and their kids are the reason..

 

[ARC]

Having less competition out there is a good thing so I won't complain. Hopefully no one gets Into it!

I knew it !!!
I have been under the influence all these years that we were all just part of a hobby...
And now come to find out...
I am just part of the competition !

:P

 

[LostinGeorgia]

Another reason for the hobby’s decline is most likely the lack of instant gratification. It takes patience and preserverence to enjoy the hobby. Something a lot of the younger generations aren’t into.

 

[Mackaydon]

In 1955 a school opened in West LA. I first hit the site in either '81 or '82. Based on what I found, I assumed I was the first on these grounds with a MD. The site was so loaded that each morning, before school started, I would grid out a strip and work it; then return the next day until the site was totally searched. Literally, hundreds of coins were found. I even had the story and tally published in a 'treasure magazine' . No fences surrounded the school, no guards were on staff to monitor the grounds, and I was never bothered by any of the students--who had no knowledge of what I was doing. Those grounds are now occupied by more buildings.

I believe those days of finding a bountiful virgin site are gone unless research is done to find vacant sites where masses of people once gathered--like where wooden bleachers once stood.
Don.......

 

[LostinGeorgia]

I think worrying about stuff like this is a complete waste of time. If its too difficult for you to find stuff, then quit, I really don't care if there's less, or more, people out detecting. I don't metal detect for social reasons. The challenge of research and exploring new areas is half the fun for me. Even if I dont find anything I learned some history and had a great day outside. If I could go to any church, school, or public park and pop out 50 silver coins in 2 hours I don't think I would enjoy the hobby nearly as much.

Am in my 60’s. Wife and I bought storage lockers for ten years and did well. Online auctions ruined that for us. Back then opening a box to see what was in it was the thrill. Now digging a hole to see what’s there is the thrill. We call it Christmas presents for old people😁

 

[pepperj]

I think worrying about stuff like this is a complete waste of time. If its too difficult for you to find stuff, then quit, I really don't care if there's less, or more, people out detecting. I don't metal detect for social reasons. The challenge of research and exploring new areas is half the fun for me. Even if I dont find anything I learned some history and had a great day outside. If I could go to any church, school, or public park and pop out 50 silver coins in 2 hours I don't think I would enjoy the hobby nearly as much.

Well popping that many silvers is a short wetter. The best ever did in the early 70's was maybe a couple of dozen between 3 or 4 of us.
Though the 12 silvers by ourselves in a day wasn't a one time occurrence.
Now I get a keeper every few hours I'm smiling.

 

[Blak bart]

I do plenty good enough.....im not quitting.....and I don't care if the new generation picks the hobby up or not.

 

[DizzyDigger]

If I could go to any church, school, or public park and pop out 50 silver coins in 2 hours I don't think I would enjoy the hobby nearly as much.

When you do find that park giving up 50 silvers in a couple hours, and you cease to enjoy yourself, please, give me a call so I can go there and not enjoy myself also.

 

[Winchester416]

Why are you looking so hard for who is to blame? There's a whole bunch of us "Boomers" that are very active on the site, and also very active in promoting our hobby. View attachment 2102371

Respectfully, quit trying to fix the blame and let's fix the problem...if indeed there is one.

It’s harder to fix now, it must start with the parents, If you are lucky you can mentor some younger kid...

My dad was a boomer, I’m a millennial. I was raised right, and included in his hobbies and activity, but most kids I knew weren’t...

Why are you looking so hard for who is to blame? There's a whole bunch of us "Boomers" that are very active on the site, and also very active in promoting our hobby. View attachment 2102371

Keep in mind it was the Boomer generation that invented all this stuff. Like what? Computers, cell phones, the silicon chip, microwave ovens..we even put men on the Moon in 1969.

Respectfully, let's quit trying to fix the blame and instead fix the problem...if indeed there is one.

inorder to fix a problem, one must first fully understand the problem.

Unfortunately it’s much harder to fix from the outside, needs to be a father, or at most a grandfather thing... Rare exceptions to mentor from the outside take, but they are of course there...

I would like to amend my last, you can blame to kids when they are old enough; everyone is their own person, and must be held accountable for themselves! It’s only the parents to a certain age, thus why the foundation is so important for young minds of mush! but let’s never forget to be mindful and empathetic with what they were left to deal with...

The high trust, high standard of living society the baby boomers grew up in is gone, along with a huge chunk of freedoms once enjoyed. The generation in power over this decline (not everyone ) owns this responsibility... The GenX and early GenY are now tasked with fixing this for their children... Will they be successful? Probably not, but we got to the good times with each generation seeking to make things just a little nicer for there kids, so if that much is accomplished then all is well!