Its not all Great Finds

Experienced detectorists will know this, but for someone thinking about taking up the hobby of metal detecting or have just bought a metal detector remember, its not all Gold, Silver and Interesting finds. Visit any forum on the net and you will see recent finds made by members, gold, silver, interesting artifacts, etc, but you don't see many posts about all the rubbish that's found. Every time news of a hoard is found and is published in the newspapers metal detector sales soar. People think I want to find a hoard too, but a few weeks, months down the line auction sites on the net are abound with people selling metal detectors. Why, because these people never did any homework.before their purchase. They thought it was easy, just buy a metal detector, get out there and get rich. Its not a bit like that.

A hoard is extremely rare, just once in a blue moon do you read about one. Gold coins are also very rare tho you do hear about them turning up. I've had one myself. Silver coins and artifacts do turn up more often but don't expect a silver find every trip out. I know of a few fellow detecting buddies who are yet to find silver. Mind you, now and again you will read about someone who had just bought a metal detector and on their first trip out with it they find silver, golld,an interesting artifact, even hoards have been found like this. What can you say about that, beginners luck maybe, it don't happen very often I can tell you. Sometimes detectorists can go weeks, months even before making a good find. Mainly its down to sites. A field known to have been populated in the past should give up more goodies than a field that's had no population, but again, this is not always the case. Basically, you have to walk over it to find it. I'd say 80% of good finds are down to pure luck.
Above is a photo of rubbish a fellow detecting buddy and I found in one days detecting on a local beach. Bottle tops, ring pulls, all manor of metal rubbish. Its the same on land, loads of rubbish will be found.

A few tips to think about before starting this hobby. One of the mistakes some people make are they think when they have bought a metal detector they can just go out and detect anywhere they like. (I'm just talking about the UK here as other countries have different laws). All land is owned by someone and you need the owners permission. Farm land, parks, footpaths, common land, waste land, they are all owned by someone and as I say, you must obtain the owners permission to detect on it or risk prosecution. Even detecting on beaches need permissions. Beaches are Crown Estate or privately owned. Privately owned beaches need the owners permission and they need to be approached. The Crown Estate beaches have made it easy to apply for a permit online, and its instant. The email address to apply for a Crown estate permit is on the right hand side under 'Useful Links'.

Anyway, enough of the negative side. The positive side of this hobby has many benefits. Good exercise, plenty of fresh air with nice views and of course the possibility of some good finds. Nothing beats holding a piece of real history in your hands that nobody has touched since the day it was lost.

Happy Hunting,
janner53.