I think metal detecting is becoming a dying hobby ....

[Donna(NJ]

It's so ironic as we have some great machines right now and the good old days are in the rearview mirror!!
I'm sure most beach detectorist will agree gold finds are waaay down. Coins are on the vast decline. Plastic and cell phones rule financial transactions.
Here a 'wedding ring' I eyeballed.
Years ago we thought stainless steel and titanium was going to be the end. Now we have have silicone....
Many years ago i found a local carnival. Morning after was like fishing in a barrel. I had to go back and empty my pouch, it was so heavy. My favorite spot was the ride, The Zipper It flung the kids and the spot was loaded with coins.
yesterday it was pretty pitiful. Just a handful of bright shiny coins. The field is a shared baseball & soccer park thus the brown coins. I remember way back when I had over 75 quarters. i never counted anything but quarters. That was my barometer. At least I found a silver necklace. Times they are a changing

 

[fwcrawford]

I have to agree with you that coin losses are decreasing.
I have never found lots of gold jewelry, but have found a few items over the years.
I started detecting lakes in 2012 and was doing pretty good for a few years, but that has gotten very slow the last few years in my area.
I figured others are detecting there too, and in some cases they are, but targets are just getting lost to start with now.
I even decided to do some river hunting and did good for a couple years, but that is slowing down too.
I will say when I started detecting in 2006, and got to know what I was doing, I could not believe the amount of quarters that had been lost in local parks and schools.
30-40 per hunt was the norm back then…..many times even more….i still get into a few now and again, but I am spending more time driving to new areas now.

 

[sprchng]

Coins have taken a back seat to credit cards and jewelry has passed the torch to tattoos. Access has fallen victim to fear of trespass and antiquity to pavement and concrete. In my case ambition has been tempered by age and heat but the general hobby is in a definite decline. Published tales of magnificent finds will keep a steady flow of neophytes falling down the rabbit hole but the zenith of detecting has come and gone.

 

[Donna(NJ]

I have to agree with you that coin losses are decreasing.
I have never found lots of gold jewelry, but have found a few items over the years.
I started detecting lakes in 2012 and was doing pretty good for a few years, but that has gotten very slow the last few years in my area.
I figured others are detecting there too, and in some cases they are, but targets are just getting lost to start with now.
I even decided to do some river hunting and did good for a couple years, but that is slowing down too.
I will say when I started detecting in 2006, and got to know what I was doing, I could not believe the amount of quarters that had been lost in local parks and schools.
30-40 per hunt was the norm back then…..many times even more….i still get into a few now and again, but I am spending more time driving to new areas now.

I cant even cover gas and Im only a few miles from the beach !!! Im lucky to come home with $1-2 !!!
Back in the day, easily $10 in change, several silver rings and at leat 1 gold.
Now I pick up beach chairs and umbrella's to repair and resell. Evens out the time/gas ratio !!!!

Just seeing the sunrise every morning sure smooths out the lack of finds !!!

HH
Donna

Coins have taken a back seat to credit cards and jewelry has passed the torch to tattoos. Access has fallen victim to fear of trespass and antiquity to pavement and concrete. In my case ambition has been tempered by age and heat but the general hobby is in a definite decline. Published tales of magnificent finds will keep a steady flow of neophytes falling down the rabbit hole but the zenith of detecting has come and gone.

Very eloquently said !!! I love the jewelry to tatoos.... I never thought of that one... Great !!!! Thanks to social media hyping these spectacular finds tht in reality is like hitting the lottery.
Us old timers know better. Glad I got in when it was great fun and there were tresures to be found.

But the tug is always there to find that one great find !!!

HH
Donna

 

[Ted S]

You will note my lack of finds this year! I have like 23.00 in clad and a seated quarter and a Franklin half. The fields will open up this fall and I will still get a couple of good coins!

 

[sprchng]

I never had a slew of old sites to detect so hit the public parks and the occasional derelict abode and in this area the silver coinage was easy pickings back in the 70s because it was shallow and most of the population growth came after that. Regardless , a few silver rings and 5 or 6 bucks was a normal day and I used to see about a $1000 for the year in clad. Summers are too hot except early and those days were short morning hunts but I could swing through the majority of the Winter. In the absence of an occasional spill , less than a buck is today's normal take and most rings are junk. In contrast , the need to dig more suspect targets out of boredom has actually led to more gold and at today's prices it takes only a dollop to add up fast. Media reports of fantastic stashes are the manufacturers salvation but the last decade of reality is undeniable for the detecting world.

 

[coinspader]

It might be time to take up real fishing instead of dirt fishing, at least the targets get replenished every year, not much money in it unless you fish in bass tournaments, but maybe some good eating : ) ( just kidding, I don't think I will ever totally stop metal detecting until I can't physically do it any more)

 

[still looking 52]

The only big area still left for metal detecting is the woods and that can be really tough hunting in some areas especially in the summer time

 

[TC-NM]

I've been detecting since 1974 and the finds were plentiful and soooo many detectorist's.... things have sure changed. I'll be detecting as long as my health is good and the good Lord sez so.

 

[sprchng]

Case in point,,,,, we had a wonderful fair grounds in the center of town that saw wide usage for different activities that was always a good go to that would occasionally yield a silver coin and some good jewelry as well as a pocket full of change. Just drive in and get swinging until some dumb bunny dudley do right decided he had to get permission. I grew up with the fair manager and knew that he could care less but of course his underling , who had no real authority , nixed detecting and the large area including an equine race track became off limits. Then we were bestowed with a blue state governor and new appointed fair manager and now it even costs to drive in and park. To make things even more interesting , while arguing with the new manager , he lets slip that he himself enjoys detecting so you just have to connect the dots.

 

[Donna(NJ]

Franklin

You will note my lack of finds this year! I have like 23.00 in clad and a seated quarter and a Franklin half. The fields will open up this fall and I will still get a couple of good coins!

FRanklin half and a seated quarter aint too shabby !!!!
Sometimes quality out shine quantity !!!

Both are winners for me !!!

WTG !!!
Donna(NJ

 

[Donna(NJ]

The only big area still left for metal detecting is the woods and that can be really tough hunting in some areas especially in the summer time

I dont even go in my own backyard during the summer time. The chance of getting Lime disease is too great.

PLUS bugs see me and say 'FREE MEAL' I cant go outside at night, either.

So the woods are totally off.

Been hitting some school yards which are loaded with clad. Im trying to figure out how to find gold class rings or any gold in dirt.
When you are finding tons of quarters, which I am, the place has not been hit. Chances are, there's got to be a gold ring out there, somewhere.

Im enjoying my new Nox 900 with 6" coil. Excellent separation and dead on TID. Just trying to hear the right tone and the right numbers.

Nowadays , you need to get into older dirt cause the new sand doesnt have much to offer anymore.

HH
Donna

 

[Donna(NJ]

Case in point,,,,, we had a wonderful fair grounds in the center of town that saw wide usage for different activities that was always a good go to that would occasionally yield a silver coin and some good jewelry as well as a pocket full of change. Just drive in and get swinging until some dumb bunny dudley do right decided he had to get permission. I grew up with the fair manager and knew that he could care less but of course his underling , who had no real authority , nixed detecting and the large area including an equine race track became off limits. Then we were bestowed with a blue state governor and new appointed fair manager and now it even costs to drive in and park. To make things even more interesting , while arguing with the new manager , he lets slip that he himself enjoys detecting so you just have to connect the dots.

I have a friend who use to be a cop. He got into all kinds of off limit place because people knew he was a cop. Its who ya know.....

When I first started detecting, I always asked permission. All I got was NO. So I just stuck to public locations, schools and parks.
Guess what... I was also told to leave. The beach is one place no one really cares except there are some that say they OWN the beach..
I dont argue any more. You just cant win. Just leave and be dont with it

Best of luck,
Donna

 

[coinspader]

I've never beach hunted because I live to far inland in western PA but I watch a few of the beach hunters on youtube and it looks like fun, I watch them a lot because they are after gold jewelry mostly and you get a clue on how that stuff hits and what the tid's are which seems to be along most of the scale, anyway hunting for gold instead of deep silver gives you a reason to dig a lot of targets you wouldn't normally dig and gives you a reason to get out and hunt in a hunted out park even though gold targets are few and far between in parks where I usually hunt, with gold at around $4000 an ounce a nice size ring would put some bucks in your pocket.

 

[fwcrawford]

I dont even go in my own backyard during the summer time. The chance of getting Lime disease is too great.

PLUS bugs see me and say 'FREE MEAL' I cant go outside at night, either.

So the woods are totally off.

Been hitting some school yards which are loaded with clad. Im trying to figure out how to find gold class rings or any gold in dirt.
When you are finding tons of quarters, which I am, the place has not been hit. Chances are, there's got to be a gold ring out there, somewhere.

Im enjoying my new Nox 900 with 6" coil. Excellent separation and dead on TID. Just trying to hear the right tone and the right numbers.

Nowadays , you need to get into older dirt cause the new sand doesnt have much to offer anymore.

HH
Donna

When I started detecting in 2006, parks and schoolyards were loaded with quarters.
My thoughts were at the older schools, once silver coin finds decreased, folks moved on or quit, then all the clad built up years afterwards.
My buddy digs quite a few zinc penny signals along with low numbers which could be a gold ring and he has found 9 class rings over the years, but in the 20 years I have been detecting with him, I think he has only found two class rings and I have only found one.
We both have found other gold rings, but not very often…..it takes much more patience when detecting inland.
Using the 800 a couple years ago, I dug all nickel signals that year and found 423 nickels and not one piece of gold.
Like you, I am concerned with Lyme disease along with other diseases you can catch from ticks, so I only venture into the woods when it is cold.
Have you ever thought of trying some rivers up your way that have alot of activity during the summer?
I decided to try one down my way a couple years ago and have done quite well there finding over 200 quarters and even an old 1700’s large cent.
It has gotten to the point that I look for areas where others have overlooked or figure nothing is there in public places and have done quite well at times.
While you are out scouting for places to detect, keep an eye out for gravel parking lots…..I found one down my way a few years ago and it was loaded with coins and mostly quarters surprisingly….some were just laying on top of the gravel, but not easy to see.

 

[Ism]

Been hitting some school yards which are loaded with clad. Im trying to figure out how to find gold class rings or any gold in dirt.
When you are finding tons of quarters, which I am, the place has not been hit. Chances are, there's got to be a gold ring out there, somewhere.

HH
Donna

Funny you mentioned old school yard giving up a class ring. A local school built in the 20's has been pounded over the years. I occasionally stop there cause up to last year, I would find a merc or rosie that someone missed.
I decided to wade through a section I've hunted in the past (used to be football bleachers) that is full of the old beavertail pulls. I figured I would start removing them and hope for deep silver under the blanket of trash.
The first "pull tab" I uncovered was a 10k class ring from the 40's. The rest of my hunt was uneventful, but that first target really motivated me!
I also found that silver nickels from the 40's had been completely ignored by the previous coin shooters, they fall in a different TID range from the standard Jefferson nickel.
Best wishes to you on your quest.

 

[fwcrawford]

Funny you mentioned old school yard giving up a class ring. A local school built in the 20's has been pounded over the years. I occasionally stop there cause up to last year, I would find a merc or rosie that someone missed.
I decided to wade through a section I've hunted in the past (used to be football bleachers) that is full of the old beavertail pulls. I figured I would start removing them and hope for deep silver under the blanket of trash.
The first "pull tab" I uncovered was a 10k class ring from the 40's. The rest of my hunt was uneventful, but that first target really motivated me!
I also found that silver nickels from the 40's had been completely ignored by the previous coin shooters, they fall in a different TID range from the standard Jefferson nickel.
Best wishes to you on your quest.

Funny you mention the War nickels.
I have found a few of them and they certainly give varied readings… on my Equinox 800, I have had them read just like an ordinary nickel which for me is 12/13, but have also found some that have read much higher…. 14, 18, and even as high as 22!