Is treasure hunting dead?

[coinshooter]

It appears that nobody is interested in buying anything anymore. Not just my stuff, but lots of other folks appear to be lowering prices with no response. What is going on? Is the economy so good people are just not buying used stuff? Have people just lost interest? Is the weather a factor? Is there a new generation that wants just new stuff? What are your thoughts?? Classifieds is stagnant.

 

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[Sandscoopdan]

Keep listing stuff for sale. I buy stuff from here when I have money. Other than the classifieds on Tnet, I buy local- from our local treasure hunting store. I am working on a new web show that I am launching soon that I hope will inspire people to get into this hobby. If we all help boost moral and image of this sport / hobby to the general public then we will see things start to take a turn and not for the worst. When I am at a salt water beach and fresh water beach I will put fish hooks and often broken glass that gets in the scoop and put this stuff in a plastic bag in the water pouch so when some kids walk up and ask what I am doing, I don’t ignore them anymore. I show them that I am helping clean up old rusted fishhooks, nails etc. so they don’t cut ther feet while playing on the beach and in the water and also find some other interesting finds in the process. I always hear them run to ther parents and tell them so hopefully they will see we help out as well. I am told by the local police they appreciate me cleaning up - I said yea, all the can slaw and get that deer in the headlights look. I am going to do what I can to bring what energy I can muster into this web show. I got to finish this proposal for the company I work for then read the manual for this action cam. Then I have to get another camera with an external mic and then get a old used boat that I can work on. Which has me thinking, why not have a section where people can list boats or let people know they can list them under the non treasure related except a boat for me would be like my lifted 4 wheel drive truck. I bought an older lifted truck just for this hobby so I need a boat since all I do is water hunt. Oh yea, I want to get a preowned excal for my next machine. Having a membership to GPAA has helped as well! Gives me more places to use my detector when I drive up to Colorado.

 

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[DeepseekerADS]

I've 7 detectors, what am I = Stupid or something like that? Give me back that 3 or 4 thousand bucks! Or more.....

Our hobby is an obsession, and I have the obsession = but do not get out enough to make it pay out.....

I guess I'm stupid or something like that....

 

[Oldpirate]

I seen a durcell battery commercial today man hunting on beach with a garrett ace only caught the end of it. A lot of people have no clue the forums or out there

 

[CASPER-2]

lot of my friend are waiting to see the new Fisher - many have told me they were gonna buy other machines
but are now waiting cause they cant afford both

 

[Sandscoopdan]

My wife doesn’t know it yet but I am going to have detectors hanging on a wall like I hang the guitars up

 

[Relichunter1]

Nah..people are into it..when I started detecting in the 1970's I was in 6 th grade....today it's gone mainstream. More people use detectors today than ever especially globally...I used to travel to eastern europe...no one had detectors except the military. Today you cannot find one major city around the globe that doesn't have a detector shop, and some of the best detectors today are built in other countries. I can see saturation point...I mean who needs so many detectors...I still use the Minelab I had 10 years ago and will not upgrade until I truly see something different that makes my Minelab 4500 obsolete.

 

[smokeythecat]

The economy around here is rocking! There are job begging for people to fill them. My old boss almost cried when I retired!

95% of the stuff I want to sell, gets sold. I suppose I have broken even over the years, but that doesn't count the gas money or hotel money to chase stuff I don't really need.

 

[tektin]

A lot of people want detectors that are unused for a ridiculous low price. When I sold one of my E-tracs with 3 coils and shafts I had a guy insist on giving me $500 and wanted to return it if there was scuffs on the coil cover. I just put my stuff on ebay now... Saves the hassle.

 

[coinshooter]

Not with ebay's 100% return policy. Seller pays all return shipping as well, but ebay discounts that to about half.
Trust me, ebay is a losing proposition if there is anything the slightest wrong that the buyer does not like. Just had to accept back a detector because the buyer claimed damage that was not there when I sent it. On Ebay, as the seller, you are guilty till you can prove your innocense. Take lots of pics of your packaging and item before you send. Document everything. They lock up your $ until they are finished investigating. I had a buyer who complained after the 30 day limit. Ebay would not help him because they give them 30 days to make a claim and he was at 32 days. So he went to Paypal and started all over again. When I wrote PP about what he had done, they denied his claim, but I had to prove everything to keep my $. Sad the way people on line lie and cheat to get their way.

 

[Quake]

Not with ebay's 100% return policy. Seller pays all return shipping as well, but ebay discounts that to about half.
Trust me, ebay is a losing proposition if there is anything the slightest wrong that the buyer does not like. Just had to accept back a detector because the buyer claimed damage that was not there when I sent it. On Ebay, as the seller, you are guilty till you can prove your innocense. Take lots of pics of your packaging and item before you send. Document everything. They lock up your $ until they are finished investigating. I had a buyer who complained after the 30 day limit. Ebay would not help him because they give them 30 days to make a claim and he was at 32 days. So he went to Paypal and started all over again. When I wrote PP about what he had done, they denied his claim, but I had to prove everything to keep my $. Sad the way people on line lie and cheat to get their way.

I know the feeling. Like you said take allot of pictures of the items at different views/angles on them.

 

[HighVDI]

Thats why I love this classified section. Very rarely are there slippery sellers here.

 

[Pointman]

I think everyone has mentioned very valid points concerning the reasons why selling detectors and equipment isn’t as lucrative and even being tough to do now. I noticed the decline in prices and ability to sell in the past two years. A dealer friend of mine is selling very, very little this past year. He attributes it to dealers going below MAP pricing across the board, and Fisher now going direct retail and dropping their prices. I’ve sold 40+ used and new detectors myself in the past 6-7 years and I’ve simply been trying to liquidate what I can. Very recently sold a nice, used Fisher and lost $150. Year earlier I could have broke even. I listed it 3 different times on different forums. I was offered $300 on EBay for it but turned it down due to the 13% fees but wished I sold it because I then sold it for slightly less and covered shipping on it. I also agree that buyers can be unscrupulous on EBay. The same dealer friend of mine got burned twice selling on EBay.

Last detector he sold the buyer received a refund and never returned the detector. He also had a new one that he tested and the buyer complained that there was a scratch on the coil cover and he then had to reimburse and pay return shipping. I had one that I listed dirt cheap on EBay and listed that there were issues and I wouldn’t standby it. I was very specific 6-8 weeks later the buyer wanted his money back but couldn’t file a return so he contacted me directly to “do the right thing” and give him his money back. This was after Whites gave him a repair estimate. I disclosed everything wrong on the front end.

 

[Mackaydon]

You ask is TH dead. Well, at least one aspect of TH seems dead: Stamp Collecting. I offered Mystic Stamp Company, the largest buyer and seller of stamps in the country, over 200 First Day of Issue covers with cachets, going back over 70 years.
They said "No thanks" to all of it.
Don.....

 

[Marchas45]

I'm buying, I'm waiting for a good buy on a XP Dues but haven't seen one yet that I'll jump on. Getting back into Detecting after a 5 year hiatus from illness. Sold all my Detectors and now starting from scratch again so looking for deals.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I've purchased on here several times, and sold here several times as well = never a problem. But I do prefer seeing the buyer/sellers history on this site = checking out the profile and postings.

 

[Greybear]

One of the problems is that people think their items are worth more than they are. I have seen used items with an asking price close to what I can buy a new one for MSRP is not a good gauge of value as many detector shops are required to advertise detectors at MSRP but will discount sales in house. Garrett and Minelab are two that require the MSRP on all new detector sales. I’m sure others do as well.

 

[Metal Detecting Stuff]

As a sponsoring dealer, I can tell you that the used detector market is very soft right now. Lots of trade ins in the market right now and manufacturers are offering nice bundles on new equipment. Unfortunately, these bundles reduce the value of the used detectors. The new products (Equinox, reduced XP prices, Simplex +, Vanquish) all tend to drive the used market lower due to the supply.

Wayne

www.metaldetectingstuff.com

 

[coinshooter]

Yes, I believe this trend is happening beyond detectors as well Wayne (at least in CA). I have been trying to clean out excess stuff in my garage that has alot of value (over $1000) and generally people will pay less than half for what I pd. retail. Guess that is the status of the market these days. I have found though that if you keep pounding away at it you will eventually find a buyer and a price that will work. Detecting has been the worst I have seen it in 20+ years. Perhaps too many high end machines on the beach, (ie: competition is fierce), you tube is making it worse, no change because people are using debit cards for everything, bans on alcohol (no drunks to lose things), people have liquidated most gold and silver bling because it is just not as popular as it was in the 90's to flash your bling, and a whole new generation of kids who only want to spend $20 on a titanium or carbide wedding band. Might be time to start researching some old spots, or go for a walk without the detector. :>)

 

[Rob in (ca)]

First Texas dropped there prices on The new F75 & T2 month's ago, some Dealers sell below whats all over the Internet........which devastated used Resell value ......You Practically must give them away.

Now add in The Nox Hype.

 

[ZR2guy]

New minelab has hurt the used market bad....New ones coming out are going to hurt it even worse....I am in my mid 40 s and I dont want no old detector ….unless its all I can get hence the Excal I bought. Let a new improved version come out and I will be on it. Knob job analog detectors are done in my mind with the younger generation...

Agreed, the Equinox may not have made all VLF detectors obsolete as proclaimed by Minelab but it really put a damper on the used market for those that are selling; great for potential buyers though. The younger generation is only interested in something if there is an app on their smart phone(=dumb/numb human race) to use it. Now if someone can invent a metal detecting app.....