Poor neglected detectors languishing unused in closets

[3Jacks]

I've noticed when out hunting public spaces that it seems like everyone I talk to mentions that they have a detector sitting in their closet that they have never used / used once or twice.

It really makes me wonder how many detectors are sold, used once, and gather dust until they have pass away or decide to get rid of it in a yard sale.

Last public park I talked to three folks:

1. A 92 year old gentleman who talked about the history of the park & town and mentioned he has an old Garret from the 70's he's had since it was new.

2. A late 60's gentleman who mentioned he had the same detector my son has (Ace 250) but had never opened the box.

3. A mid 50's gentleman who got one from an anniversary rewards program at his work, but had never opened it.

I suppose it means there's less folks out there for competition, but still makes me a bit sad that so many try the hobby once or twice then throw their hands up in frustration and quit.

Just an observation that struck me as funny and was wondering if you folks have encountered the same.

 

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[pepperj]

Over the decades I lost count of the heard statement of having-but never using it.
The best one of the past few years was the Mrs bought the husband a retirement gift-never used it-their home is sitting on the site of the old (early 1800's)fair grounds-the 3 acre field in front of the house.
Nope the machine sits unused-even the offer of showing him the ways hasn't been taken up.
I guess the good natured thoughts of one isn't another persons passion.
Many are just self-conscience, that has withered the confidence to the point where they feel unease at the prospect of being seen out and about.
If the park setting bothers a person-go to a field-oh that involves knocking on the door-ah screw it-leave it in the closet and forget about it.

 

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[FenderBass]

I know several people with detectors they never use. And also tons of people with fishing poles they never use, Skis they never use, bikes they never ride, bats they never swing. It seems any more, a good majority of people don't want to do anything that involves getting off the couch.

 

[ArfieBoy]

My first detector was finding good things from the very first! It was a cheap BFO in the early 1970's. The first two coins found with it were an 1800's Indian Head Penny and a 1939 Lincoln cent, in that order.  Then I started moving up into more sophisticated and complex detectors. Every one of them was broken, wouldn't find anything but junk! But I liked getting out with them and just kept using them. Somehow, magically, over time they fixed themselves! I stared finding good things with them! Every single one of those detectors did that! Now I bought a new detector... and it is STILL broken! When Spring gets here and I get out some more, my curiosity will make me take it out some more to see if it, somehow, fixes itself, too! <img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/images/smilies/occasion14.gif" border="0" alt="" title="occasion14" smilieid="303" class="inlineimg">

 

[nuggetdog]

This time of year my poor neglected detectors sit idle waiting for spring to thaw the frozen ground

 

[McKinney_5900]

I never had an interest to detect at all, but my older brother went nuts with his beep and dig detector over decades. Our mother gave him a Whites 5900 that she bought at a garage sale, and Mike just put it in the garage to collect dust, he didn't like a complicated machine.

Mike offered it to me on a visit, so I took a free gift. It sat in my own garage for years, until a friend asked if I had a detector, because his brother lost his wedding ring in a sand volleyball court. I ordered a battery charger for that old Whites, but then they found the ring by another detector. SO, I began playing with the 5900 here at home in my country acres.

I found out fast that this hobby was WORK, and I fround no real treasure at all for weeks. Then, I actually found a single coin, and the rest became history for me. I metal detected here at home, sometimes after midnight, it became an actual addiction. It took me nearly a year to go to actual public parks and such though.

I suspect that very many newbies in metal detecting stalled out fast, and mothballed a decent machine. In my case, my brother "past forwarded" a gift from our mother, and I now own 7 machines and more accessories than any sensible person should.

This...is...a...work-required hobby, and spots to hunt are slimmer by the day. Add to that the fact it hardly takes but one looky-lou to b!tch and call the cops...I can understand the closet queens.

 

[ecmo]

Probably half a dozen times have people spotted me detecting or my machines in my truck and told me they had a detector languishing away in a closet.

The one I have that does that is a Whites classic SL ll. Bought it new about 24 years ago, used it infrequently for 6 months, I retired in '13, used it to some good that fall and again in the spring of '14. Bought a new Whites m6 that summer and 3 other detectors since.....the old classic SL ll has been sleeping again ever since after 2 very short stints.

 

[Rusty_L_Shackleford]

That's how I got my ace 250. I started out with a tracker iv and a friend gave me his old 250 that was sitting in his closet. Around here the worst time to hunt is between Christmas and march...people get new machines and the beach gets pretty hunted out (at least in the dry sand I can't speak to the water).By march they get tired of it after not immediately getting rich and stick it in the closet or sell it on craigslist.

 

[IDXMonster]

There was a mania, about 10 years ago, in our country; searching for the welth of precestors. Tipycali, the individuals new exactely their precestors had stached hudge amounth of welth somewhere, but they didn't know exactly where. They usually bought the metal detector and used it few thimes on their property, giving up shortly. Few optimistic ones came back for deeper and deeper detector but it did not help. This is how i ended with makeing ala-carte PI with polarization power of about 800W (compare that with microwawe oven), and a hudge pile of lead acid batteries powering it - for a short thime. It was able to find larger target at about 8 - 9m, i do not belive anyone actually dug that deep.

And THIS^^^^,boys and girls, is what is known as “taking a meat cleaver to the English language”. My apologies to the OP if you are from Neptune...

 

[Eastender]

I bought a new White's Spectra V3i almost two years back and used it quite a bit for one year. Had a lot of success, but moved on to a new Nox 800 because I wanted something lighter and weatherproof. I'm not happy White's went out of business. I'm also unhappy this fine V3i unit is sitting in my closet. Rather than go through the hassle of selling it, I was searching locally for the right person to give it to, maybe a youngster or retiree, who was very interested in getting into the hobby but short on cash or suffering from the pandemic. Was thinking of someone who had a bad Christmas but I didn't find the right person. So I'm still hoping to find that right person, someone I can lend the manual to and ask them if it something they are interesting in learning.

 

[detectorcowboy]

I hope everyone put their detector in the closet
More treasure for me

 

[detectorcowboy]

I bought a new White's Spectra V3i almost two years back and used it quite a bit for one year. Had a lot of success, but moved on to a new Nox 800 because I wanted something lighter and weatherproof. I'm not happy White's went out of business. I'm also unhappy this fine V3i unit is sitting in my closet. Rather than go through the hassle of selling it, I was searching locally for the right person to give it to, maybe a youngster or retiree, who was very interested in getting into the hobby but short on cash or suffering from the pandemic. Was thinking of someone who had a bad Christmas but I didn't find the right person. So I'm still hoping to find that right person, someone I can lend the manual to and ask them if it something they are interesting in learning.

I will use it.