What got you started?

[bleeohio]

I had just gotten my license in the late 70s and had moved up to the big time with a beat to death whites that I thought I'd mastered for a few years.
One day I was hunting an old church that I'd pretty much cleaned out, so I thought. These two old dudes pull up and ask me if I minded them hunting, sure knock yourself out. While I'm whipping that whites like a nine iron, had to swing em fast, I noticed their machine didn't even have a meter, phht, amateurs. Sure looks like they're digging alot though.
They had brand spanking new fisher 1260s and they took me to the woodshed with handfuls of Indians, wheats, silver. That I couldn't hear. Long story short, next day i was on my way to delphis Ohio as he was a dealer, auto parts store, place's parts I believe.
Still have that 1260, even though it doesn't work, I musta put a million miles on it. Got to know a few of the small dealers in the area. Now long gone, stupid internet anyways. If I knew then what I know now, I'd have a truck load of silver but I sold it off as I went, stupid girls anyways. So what machine got you started?

 

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[Phishfarmer]

"Got me started" is a relative term. My dad had a WW2 or maybe Korean War detector in the early 60's he bought at Bowman's Surplus in Manassas, Virginia. He later got a Metrotech and we went on a boat trip somewhere and my father and uncle found a lot of grapeshot from War of 1812. I wish I could remember where that was; all I can remember is that we put the boat in at Occoquan. One day (I was skipping school I think) I eyeballed a 3 ringer in a clay bank (Manassas is a town of red clay so the white bullet stood out nicely) told my dad about the spot and he found quite a lot of stuff. All of this interested me for a time but none of this hooked me.

After 40 odd years and several moves I ended up in Petersburg, Va. with an AT PRo and found some bullets in my postage stamp sized yard. I read a bit about what went on there and THEN... 3 years ago I was hooked. After finding 100 or so CW items I upgraded to a Deus. There have been (and still are) plenty of diggers around here but I'm amazed at what is still there to be found. A good machine and perseverance has helped and folks on TNet to help me ID finds. Very nice community.

 

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[bleeohio]

Great stories, most in these parts don't believe me when I tell the tales of 10 or more pieces of silver and handfuls of Indians and wheats on a good day. Glad I got to see those times. Really now though everyone is so secretive about what and where they find anything you'd have a better chance of finding their secret fishing hole.
I know I've changed the way I hunt compared to years ago.

 

[El_Cid_2000]

I was adopted when I was about a year old; I’m almost 45 now and know absolutely nothing about my birth family.

My mom’s side of the family always treated me like a regular member of the family but my dad’s family didn’t. I’m not really sure what the problem was, but like any normal person, I always tried my best to get that side of my family to like me.

Then there was my paternal grandfather.

He was always the best to me, even at the expense of his blood grandchildren. If he was going hunting or fishing, he took me. Making a quick trip to the store? I was going too. We’d spend weeks together in the summer camping and hiking. But my favorite thing to do with him was to go metal detecting. The earliest detector I can remember is a White’s something or other (I’d give almost anything to locate that detector). The next detector was a Garrett GTA 1000.

We spent untold hours searching with that machine; beach sand, lake shore, Civil War sites, old farmhouses, etc., etc. It didn’t occur to me at the time but I did most of the digging and he did most of the swinging but that was OK, I was hanging out with my Poppa Lee.

I got older, he got older, things happened and without knowing it, we had our last hunt together. I can still remember where we were and pretty much what we found (Myrtle Beach, SC and we got lots of clad).
After he died, two of his sons who’d never been out detecting with us fought over the Garrett. I had to burglarize a relative’s house to get what I felt was rightfully mine.
Right or wrong, the Garrett is mine.

I only found out after he died that he too was adopted and had a horrible family life; I like to believe that he took it upon himself to not let that happen to me.

My Poppa Lee was one of the greatest men I’ve ever known and followed his footsteps into law enforcement and Freemasonry so I could hopefully turn out a little bit like him.

That’s what got me into metal detecting.

 

[Aycothdad]

My chickens!! They started digging up old pottery and medicine bottles. Then I started digging along with them!

 

[Rookster]

I found a MXT PRO on Craigs list. It was listed as having a broken selector switch. My ole buddy told me the price was a heck of a deal. Bought it, sent it back to White . They fixed it free and the rest is to be continued. But my hunting buddy Marty got me into this crazy sport. Haven't regretted a second of it.