We dont do that kinda stuff in MY town!!!!!!!!

[Gold Digger]

We don't do that kinda stuff in MY town!!!!!!!!

That's right folks. In MY town, they don't do like they do in every other town/city in this great country of ours. The folks, kids and even the dadburn animals don't do that kind of stuff in MY town!!!

To tell the truth, I don't see how you folks put up with it?? It must just drive you all CRazY!!! And I KNOW they do it in YOUR towns, but not MINE!!!

I've been detecting for oh about 15 years +/-... I started out with an OLD, OLD BFO Garrett. I found it in my Dad's closet and curiosity got the best of me, then the belt got the rest of me. But it peaked my interest then, when I was about 8 or so and I didn't get bit by the TH'ers mosquito again until I was about 25 yrs old. Thats when I was a self proclaimed Garage Sale Entrepenuer!! I'd drive by garage sales and with hardly a rolling stop could see the treausres from the road. If they didn't have anything that peaked my interest beyond the curb, then I wouldn't even stop.

Everything was going FINE!!! That is until I did my "drive-by shopping" at one garage sale... There it was, an old BFO Garrett. It drew me in with it's spell and I bought it!! A whopping $5, as is where is. So I took my chances. And it actually worked.

Suddenly memories from my childhood flooded my mind. I even snapped my head around as if to dodge the belt... But this time there was no punishment for snooping in Dad's closet... Wow!!

I hit the local parks and my finds were minimal, to naught... I hit yards of family, and then yards of friends... Still, nothing interesting enough to mention. So, I kind of lost interest in the hobby for a few weeks... That is UNTIL I was doing another drive-by on a local yard sale... AGAIN, I was drawn as if by magic. A "newer and obviously improved" detector. This time it was a Fisher 1210X. It was a bit more expensive too. It carried the proud price of $40. I was SHOCKED!!!

But the magic had its effect embedded in me... I HAD to buy it!!! It called out to me... "Buy me" "BUY ME, NOW!!" Then I turned and asked my wife to stop saying that, and I went and gave the nice lady my money and swooped up my prize.

I was soon back in the parks and yards... To my DISAPPOINTMENT I still had found nothing of value. A very few clads... Aren't these detector things supposed to make you rich?? Like Mel Fisher, Charles Garrett, Roy Lagal and all the other GREATS of our hobby I reckon not.. At least not at the local parks, common sense had finally set in.... This is when I discovered the TRUTH!! That the PEOPLE IN MY TOWN DO NOT DO "IT"...

The people in my town simply do not lose valuable stuff. Nor do their kids, or dogs... They don't throw it away either. I'm a seasoned dumpster miner in my own right... But the pickings are slim, unfortunately...

Then I think, what if I found a BUNCH of coins? It would drive me crazy to have to spend time pinpointing, then bending over and then scratching around and then plunging my digger into the hard sunbaked earth, only to find a pulltab!!! (If I had a nickel for every pulltab I've dug....)

When White's first came out with the XLT, I bought one. Knowing it would lead me to riches... I've now owned it for 12 years, and it's currently at the Whites factory getting doctored up and back in order. It had a bad LCD. I don't know if it was a virus or what, but I was lost without it. It should be back home next Friday. Then I'll be back out in the fields looking for stuff that people in my town didn't lose.

Now the truth about my detecting... I've found enough clad to completely pay for all my used detectors, (Garrett and Fisher) and I paid for a 4 day vacation, including all my gambling, the hotel room, gas to drive there and back and food for the whole trip... And I found enough jewelry to more than pay for my XLT, several times. My best find to date was the relaxation of being able to go on such an adventure as treasure hunting and escape the everyday stresses of life!!!


My most expensive though, was a mens diamond ring that appraised at $5,000!!!

Yeah, I love this hobby. As expensive as it can be, it returns many times what you invest into it. Riches are not only the money or jewelry we find. But the enjoyment of doing what we like to do!!!

And the last thing I'll say about it... Metal detecting is one of the few hobbies that you will know almost immediately if your going to like it or not... LOL

 

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[Floater]

Re: We don't do that kinda stuff in MY town!!!!!!!!

Great Post Gold Digger. Its a shame your town doesnt lose anything but if you need help let me know and I'll swing my not so Garage sale detector with ya. LOL HH

 

[stoney56]

Re: We don't do that kinda stuff in MY town!!!!!!!!

Wow! A town newspaper with no Lost and Found ads. What is this world coming to? LOL

 

[chrisjets]

Re: We don't do that kinda stuff in MY town!!!!!!!!

That's a great piece of writing I totaly enjoyed it! HH and god bless!

 

[lonewolfe]

Re: We don't do that kinda stuff in MY town!!!!!!!!

Nice story!

HH

Lonewolfe

 

[dave-enc]

Re: We don't do that kinda stuff in MY town!!!!!!!!

Great story gold digger and the last 2 paragraphs are the truest. For with metal detecting there is always the unrelenting question of what will we find next. Be it valuable or not kust being able to get out is what it really is all about
hh
dave+bobbie

 

[wmas1960]

Re: We don't do that kinda stuff in MY town!!!!!!!!

I, too, have an XLT and enjoyed reading your post.? Am having a lot of fun with it.? Bought it about 5 years ago before going with my parents down to Florida (Gulf Side).? They were starting to have some health and mobility problems and I was going to be down there with them for a month.? Thought it might be a good opportunity to get back into MDing.? ?I had a simple detector when I was in High School.? I think it was called Jetco or something.? Jetsonic maybe.? Anyways, after seeing a Whites ad on Travel Channel or somewhere, I tried to find it and see if I could get it working.? Couldn't find the thing.? Figure it got thrown in a dumpster, over the years, when cleaning the garage.? Not being able to find the old machine, I ordered the White's catalog and did some reading.?

I think my town sounds a lot like yours.? People don't seem to loose much except for a quarter or couple dimes when they pull their keys out of their pocket.? But, being on Lake Michigan, a lot of junk seems to wash ashore from time to time.? Some of that can be interesting in itself.? Then there is the JUNK that people leave out on the beaches or the stuff that is used as fill to build up dunes or other areas of our beaches when they try to improve them.? ?I don't let it get me though.? The getting out in the sun and doing something, getting some fresh air and exercise is worth far more than the stuff that I find.? ?Then there is the thrill and excitement of not knowing what you will find or the finding of "Mystery Items" that you need to try and figure out.? ? I haven't had the success that you mentioned, but then, I haven't done as much looking as you have.? Even though I had the detector for a while, I am really, just getting started.? ? ?

Since getting the detector about 5 years ago, I had only used it about 4 times.? It sat in a condo in a Pelican Case for almost 2 of those years when I didn't get back down to Florida as planned.? Then I shipped it back home where it sat for another year till, this spring, when I was determined to get it out again.? Now, I carry my detector in the back of my car, in case I find a little time to do some hunting.?

I carry the detector and a 5 gal bucket to put my finds and tools in.? Keeps the sand down in the back of the car.? I keep a trowel, my sand scoop and Just got a Lesche Preditor that I keep in the bucket.

I have been out about 5 times for extensive periods, till Memorial Day when our parks and beaches have gotten too crowded and busy to get out there.? ?Also, this has been my busy time for work, shooting video of High School Sports,? (April to June).? ?I am now hoping to finish up a couple editing projects and when I get back from VEGAS in a couple weeks, I am itching to get back out.? ?

I have been playing with some of the different preset programs like Coin and Jewelry and recently Relic.? I don't really care what I find,? I dig anything that beeps.? ?While not usually of much value, I find some interesting things here and there.? I find a little coin every time out to make it interesting. Some of the stuff causes me to think of certain things.? Like why do I find more pull tabs here, that date to the 70s but don't find, hardly any, from the 90s or 2k years?? Grant it, newer tabs usually stay attached to the cans but these old tabs are right near the surface and not burried much.? With all the grooming of the beaches with tractors and machines, you would think that stuff would be down there a ways.? Has me thinking that they might have dredged up sand from out in the lake and spread it over the beaches to renourish or revitalize them.? Maybe the older stuff was brought back in.? Then, there is the dramatic difference between the beaches up here and those down in FLA.? The shells and all down there but, up here, I am finding a lot of old glass that has been worn and rounded by the sand and waves and some really nice rocks come up in my scoop when going for my targets.

I have found a few things that have been of some interest.? Either unique or unusual or maybe valuable.? ? ?

I found this ring, 14k White w/ channel set diamonds(?) some are missing.

This stamping.? Don't know what it is from or what it is made of.? I think it looks cool though
It is broken off from something.

I like to post some of my finds here.? This mystery items was identified by one reader as the
plug from a drain on a boat.? People here can be very helpful.

I found this piece of concrete.? Seems to have been cut or drilled out of somewhere.? The
Rebar through it, would be why I found it.

Then, even when things aren't particularly valuable,? With the photographer in me, I like to lay my daily finds out on a board and photograph them.? ?Here are a couple photos of some of the recent search finds.

This photo and the one above are items that I had found using Jewelry Beach or Coin
and Jewelry

On my last trip out, I decided to see what I could find set at Relic.? The beach I searched
was more trashy to begin with.? Also between a couple brakewaters, more rocks came up in
my scoop.? Then there are always the non metalic items that come up or are stumbled
accross by chance.?

 

[Gold Digger]

Re: We don't do that kinda stuff in MY town!!!!!!!!

Thank all of you very muchl... I enjoyed writing it... I was smiling the whole time, reminiscing is a wonderful thing. I thank God for giving us the wonderful gift of memory... lol...

wmas... You've got some cool finds too. It really is just about getting out. The things I find are literally just an added value for me. I have 3 daughters and have tried everything I can to get them interested, but they would just give me weird looks and tell me they couldn't possibly be seen with a detector, their friends would think we'd gone bankrupt... Go figure... LOL Two of them are grown now and one has her own child. I will start trying to get her interested when she is old enough too... My youngest is 6 and lives in Galveston, the perfect place to detect, and I live in Dallas. So I don't get to take her with me as much as I'd like to... There's still hope though...

If any of you are ever in the Dallas area let me know, and we'll go swing the detectors in some of these barren playgrounds that don't produce anything of value...

 

[wmas1960]

Re: We don't do that kinda stuff in MY town!!!!!!!!

You are right, The value of stuff that you find is just the added bonus to detecting. Heck, the money I find, usually, would barely pay for a bottle of soda at the 7-11 on the way home. Definately not enough to buy me out of any debt or bankruptcy . Certainly comes nowhere near the amount I paid for the detector. In fact, it is so insignificant that I don't even spend it. I take everything and photograph it. Then I just dump it all in a plastic jar that I have. That jar, to me, is the real treasure. All of the stuff that I have found. From the foil cover from some Pringles to the pull tabs and bottle caps, wire, nails, barbed wire... Except for the ring and the stamping that I found. I have those separated. I am trying to look into the stamping some and the ring is a bit more valuable. To be honest though, I think the chunk of concrete or the boat drain plug, or some of the rocks and glass that I have found have more value to me than all the coins.

I am still a little aprehensive when I go out detecting. For some of the same reasons that you mention. What people might think. But, after getting out a little, I have gotten to a point where I realize it as a normal liesurely activity in the outdoors. People pass me all the time and nobody seems to care. A few will ask if I have been finding anything. Usually I have to say no and just go on enjoying the time out on the beach. I will add, that I do dress and present myself like anyone else taking an evening stroll in the park or on the beach. Don't want to stand out any more than I do with the detector. Besides, I don't think someone in serious financial troubles would be roaming around with a fancy $800 detector and such. I am not trying to find the coins as much as the history of the area (beaches). The signs that others have been there. Finding a set of keys that had been lost, probably, 10 years ago or the concrete core or other items have some interest there. The bottle caps clustered in an area with the container from some pringles showing that some kids probably were sitting out on the beach one night or watching the sun rise over the lake.... I find total junk, totally out of cheracter with the surroundings. Rusted barbed wire or nails or bolts on the beach? Tells me that sand and fill were probably trucked in from somewhere else or that the stuff is just stuff that has washed ashore from the days when garbage may have been dumped off barges off the beaches. I have been followed by kids who are intrigued and will start digging when the detector beeps. While their parents watch in horror over their intrusion. I don't care though. I am not that serious. I am having fun and if they have fun..... That is what the beaches are for. The kids will think it is cool and have a little memory for a while. Maybe they will want to get into detecting some day. And, as long as it isn't some huge honking ring that they dig up, they can keep the bottle cap or penny or quarter.... As long as the find isn't something dangerous or unsafe.

The other day, I found a nice rock that had been, somewhat smoothed over by the water. I had been carrying it around in my scoop as it was too big for my pocket. I had a thought of keeping nicer rocks and glass and, maybe, using them in the bottom of an aquarium with some of my other unique finds. Make the tank look like a little piece of Lake Michigan with the concrete chunk, the boat plug, some sand and rocks... and other items that I find. Don't know how safe some of that stuff would be for the water in a tropical tank though. Anyways, Some kids came along while I found something. I dumped the rock out of my scoop to dig and one kid grabbed it. Didn't want to give it up. I didn't care but the Nanny kept telling him to leave it. He didn't want to. Oh Well. On the way out of the park, I found 2 more just like it.

 

[MUD(S.W.A.T)]

Re: We don't do that kinda stuff in MY town!!!!!!!!

Brilliant! Genius! **** (4 stars) An adventure and treasure in it's self!

Gold Digger, that was the most entertaining story I have ever read on this forum.

WTG, Keep it up and HH!!

 

[GunFarce]

Re: We don't do that kinda stuff in MY town!!!!!!!!

Interesting read wmas.. Just one question?
You use the bowling ball for?

 

[wmas1960]

Re: We don't do that kinda stuff in MY town!!!!!!!!

It had been sitting back there for the last few weeks waiting for a chance for me to get it drilled. Got it back yesterday, in fact, bowled tonight with it for the first time in a league. All I can say is, I don't seem to be using it for bowling.

 

[GunFarce]

Re: We don't do that kinda stuff in MY town!!!!!!!!

Well, ya can't fault a guy for having balls.. Growing up, I discovered the back of a car was the best place to use them anyway

 

[Charles]

Re: We don't do that kinda stuff in MY town!!!!!!!!

Great post Golddigger!! Could be you live to close to Charles Garrett. . Several years ago I wanted to take my Whites detector to the park nearest Garrett Detectors in Garland just to see what I could find.

 

[lostlugnut]

Re: We don't do that kinda stuff in MY town!!!!!!!!

You guys really hit the point on the reason why I and most of us get out and do this wonderful activity. When I went out the other day all dug worth keeping was 6 pennies, in 3 hours. I dug so much trash I got a blister, when I noticed it all I said was "well looky there". It is often not the destination thats the reward, but the trip getting there. I myself detect late at night on the beaches around Ft Walton Bch, it is nice to get out and smell the salty night air with only the birds and the friendly mosquito's giving you those long lasting kisses .

 

[Gold Digger]

Re: We don't do that kinda stuff in MY town!!!!!!!!

Great post Golddigger!! Could be you live to close to Charles Garrett.? . Several years ago I wanted to take my Whites detector to the park nearest Garrett Detectors in Garland just to see what I could find.

I've cleaned out that park Charles...

Actually the manufacturing plant is only about 1 - 2 miles from me now. They have an area in front of the building that's marked "NO DETECTING" I don't know if he uses it for a test spot or what? Their facility isn't nearly as big as you'd think it would be for all the stuff they manufacture there. He has an AWESOME mini-museum there though. It'd be worth a trip just to see the stuff in the displays. I couldn't begin to imagine the stuff he'd have if he used a White's... (LMAO)

Mr. Garrett actually lives in a Dallas subdivision called Lake Highlands, if I'm not mistaken... Could be wrong though... It's a pretty nice part of Dallas and almost borders Garland on the extreme Southwest side. Garland itself isn't all that great. I worked for the city here for 15 years, so I could be just a little biased... LOL

But with Garrett detectors right here in the city, you can imagine the competition I have...

 

[Charles]

Re: We don't do that kinda stuff in MY town!!!!!!!!

I don't think I got around to answering where I am in another post. I am about 12 miles south east of Denison, TX. I have been down Garrett 2-3 times but it has been about 7-8 years since I was there. I guess they still have all the Detectors in the Museum so you can try them. At that time all you could do is air test them inside. I will get a GTI 2500 someday to test it out. I really tried to support Garett since they feel like the hometown team, but The Whites Spectrum won out the 1st time and the Explorer II this time. Really nice to be able to drive to the Garrett and get it fixed if you have a problem thought. I wish they would build a VLF underwater detector that I liked. I had a friend that used a Treasure Ace III(or something like that). It had no meter, just a dual discriminator to notch out unwanted items. He invited me to a few of his sites after he was about through with them and he sure didn't miss much.

 

[Einstein]

Re: We don't do that kinda stuff in MY town!!!!!!!!

I had an old cus ask me to find all his property markers which i promptly did for $20 and permission to hunt. He said go for it but ive lived here for almost 100 years and never lost a thing, dont believe my pappy did either. Being that they were always farmers and slightly poor I believed him and boy was he right... I spent about 40 hours out there last week and didnt turn up a dang thing of value. Just 20 feet of barbed wire fence some nails and the property markers but man was it fun and on a farm you can dig like theres no tommorow! I even used his massive steel spade, they dont make em like they used to, that sucker could flip over 16" of hard dry soil like it was nothing. I am up so early because I am going to the richest oldest part of town to do a turn of the century swimmin hole so wish me luck...