Metal detecting...any advice?

[Frugal Father (tm)]

I am interested in this hobby for excercise and because of the low cost once you purchase the equipment. Do any of you engage in metal detecting/treasure hunting?? I am leaning towards a whites detector.

Thank you.

[Armywife]

Originally Posted by Frugal Father (tm)

I am interested in this hobby for excercise and because of the low cost once you purchase the equipment. Do any of you engage in metal detecting/treasure hunting?? I am leaning towards a whites detector.

Thank you.

Hubby and I tried metal detecting here in Staten Island but didn't give it enough of a chance. A word of advice: If/when you do get into detecting, make sure you get the proper permits if you plan to look around the island... people (esp. parks dept.) live for giving tickets around here (I speak from experience).

A good forum for Metal detecting is treasurenet.com.. their forums are packed with info.. check it out and good luck

[rob62521]

I am equally curious about metal detecting. My dh would like to know what is a good, reasonable detector. He thinks that would be fun when he retires.

[PRICEPLUS]

I thought it looked like a lot of fun. The Whites Detectors are nice but I don't have the money to drop on one! Sure sounds like fun!

[tener]

does metal detecting ever pay off or is it just a hobby as you say?

[tinapbeana]

DH found a gold ring metal detecting in a public park....

[PRICEPLUS]

I would handle it as a fun hobby and not as a way of making extra money! Justy my .02 cents!

[Snoopy2645]

I would say just for fun I have seen these alot at garage sales cheap so maybe you could try that I dont know how to tell a good one from a bad one or whatever though

[Frugal Father (tm)]

Originally Posted by Armywife

Hubby and I tried metal detecting here in Staten Island but didn't give it enough of a chance. A word of advice: If/when you do get into detecting, make sure you get the proper permits if you plan to look around the island... people (esp. parks dept.) live for giving tickets around here (I speak from experience).

A good forum for Metal detecting is treasurenet.com.. their forums are packed with info.. check it out and good luck

With all the money coming inbto Staten Island they ticket something like metal detecting...wow...I guess I'll pass then. With housing etc pricing poeple out here its a shame that a hobby that bothers no one would get negative attention.

thanks for your staten Island reply.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I bought my kids a cheapo metal detector from the toy department at Target. Just $10. They enjoyed it and still have it now that they are pretty much grown. We lent it to a friend to use it as a stud nailer finder once! The time I was happiest with it was when it found our table knife out in the garden that someone had jabbed vertically down into the lawn, below the surface. We live by a big park and see the same man come repeatedly with his metal detector. He says he has never even found a coin in our park.

Sure wish we had one when my sister-in-law got mad at my brother and threw her engagement ring out the car window into a weedy vacant lot. We all looked, but never did find that ring.

A metal detector is definitely something I'd look for used. I don't think it turns out to be nearly as profitable or interesting a hobby as people hope, so it gets abandoned.