THing

This is almost certainly my first post on the subject, but for the past 10 or so years, I have been an avid THer. This is a big hobby for me; metal detecting, or "treasure hunting." For the most part, this takes place on the beach (using the above model, which is waterproof to over 200 feet), but from time to time also in soil and fresh water locations.

Beach hunting in my area turns up a pretty reliable (if probably low by THing standards) $2 an hour in coins. Almost without fail. A good hour might return $4 in coin, a poor hour... maybe 50 cents. This is an interesting hobby because it offers at least three levels of return: The small but steady income that pays for batteries (or if you are dedicated, a new detector every year). The fairly rare finds that, one a year, may bring you hundreds of dollars in an instant. And then the final level; the once in a lifetime (or several) find that is worth thousands.

To date, my best find was a Tag Huer watch that sold for $150. I also find gold once or twice a year, and silver rings every dozen trips out (usually 1 hour at a time). I have more than paid off the initial cost of the metal detector, but not much more. The dream is a gold Rolex, a large diamond ring, or a rare gold coin.

Above and beyond the financial concerns, which are always a big factor, there is also the fun of the hobby. My personal favorites are the old coins. Very few coins found on a saltwater beach have any value anymore. However, they are fun to collect. The idea that a coin has been buried for over a century, dropped by someone enjoying the very same beach, is pretty exciting. My personal favorites would be the buffalo nickel, indian head penny, and mercury dime.


Rather than show pictures of the coins from the past year, here are some more interesting items from this past weekend. Most of these are, lets be honest, basically junk. But they are still interesting. Even a 20 year old bottle cap is fascinating to me because of the highly tactile, accessible history contained within it. When you dig up any metal item, you can really appreciate what 20 or 30 years means because you can feel the weight and density of the soil above it. Most of these were quite deep, suggesting ground ages over a decade:

A fake gun (from 1 foot depth, up to 50 years ground age)
A real bullet shell (magnum rifle)
Tacky earrings (some kind of cast iron or aluminum)
Part of a beer can? (probably more than 20 years ground age)
Bottle cap (probably more than 10 years ground age)

And some lump of metal that is too hard to identify.

I have decided to throw most of these away, keeping just the earrings and bullet case.

If you are interested in getting started in this hobby, here are some good links:

Treasurenet.com
Whites
Fisher Lab
Garrett