This is not my typical post. This is a compilation of tips and tricks I've learned about metal detecting... with a lot of help from my readers and my detecting family along the way. My goal in writing this post is to hep beginners and perhaps teach others a thing or two as well. - The Right Machine -  The right machine is important. Whether you're just starting out or looking to upgrade, you need a metal detector with the right features. I purchased my first (ACE 250)... and second (AT Pro) metal detector through Robert Wyatt at Quality Metal Detectors. Robert goes above and beyond. I encourage...

I may have jumped the gun a little on Spring. The forecast is calling for another coating of snow on Friday--and I use the term 'coating' in the hopes that the suggestion will manifest and we'll only see a coating of the white stuff. Fortunately, Saturday is expected to bring temperatures in the sixties... so maybe I'll still be able to hit my permissions by Sunday. My chosen topic for this post is Respecting the Fellow Digger--something that has really been weighing on me recently. As you know, I write a lot about respecting and appreciating the property owners who grant us permission, but I've...

As I left my house this morning--without my winter coat--I couldn't help but delight in the sound of birds singing in the trees. The snow is finally melting. The sun is finally shining. Spring is here, my friends. Spring is FINALLY here. One of the greatest signs of the changing season--in a my opinion, anyway--is to see people emerging from their homes. Everyone is so eager to finally shake those winter blues and taste the fresh air--this is the perfect opportunity for hobbyists to seek permissions without knocking on doors and catching people at an inopportune time. I witnessed this...

Despite what you would gather from reading my blog posts, I have only been metal detecting for a short while. Before that, you could find me scrounging around in old bottle dumps and hunting yard-sales for cheap treasures that struck my fancy. I am a treasure hunter at heart and I suppose that taking up a metal detector was just the next logical step. I look at metal detecting as my way of connecting with the past. I think everyone has a different motive for metal detecting. Some metal detect to keep busy, others to stay active, a handful to get rich, and the rest to discover something that...

Today, I told my son a story today about the good guys and the bad guys. The bad guys chased the good guys to a house where they hid in the walls and the attic and the basement. When the bad guys came, they looked everywhere for the good guys, but they played hide-and-seek so well that the bad guys couldn't find them anywhere. So the bad guys left and the good guys went to hide in another house and one day lived happily ever after. I introduce you to the Wright House--this picture is from six years ago but I think you get the gist. This sad looking stack of bricks may not look like much,...

I am at the local hole-in-the-wall testing a theory on permissions. I was kind of hoping that if I struck up a conversation about metal detecting that it would blossom into this epic discussion and earn me some permissions. Not so much. I am sitting at an empty bar with my laptop writing this post. My chosen topic of the day is 'mentors in metal detecting'. I can not stress my appreciation for my mentors. Everything I've learned and written about here in my blog has been courtesy of my mentors. A lot of people are under the impression that this is an independent and antisocial hobby....

I have been tossing around this idea of developing a one-pager to leave with potential permissions. Do any of you have something that you have developed? I thought of creating a business card, but what can a business card really tell you about a person who wants permission to dig up your property? (Because--essentially--that is what we are all asking for.) I was doing some research on the metal detecting code of ethics--which I preach about on a regular basis. I happened upon this version by White's Electronics: Be a good ambassador for other detectorists by following this code of ethics for respecting...

I love old homes. I love everything about them. I love the stone-work, the wood-work, the brick-work, the shutters, the doors, the door-knobs, the windows, the window-panes, the fancy molding, the spindles on the porches. What more can I say? I absolutely love old homes. Not to mention, I have this horrible habit of purchasing architectural elements from old homes. It must be some sort of compulsion, because I just can't help myself. In my garage at this very moment, I have four old doors, three old chandeliers, a handful of glass doorknobs, some swirly-pane windows... As a matter of fact,...

Since starting in this wonderful hobby, I have become familiar with terms like pocket spill and coin shooting. The terms puzzled me at first, but eventually I caught on. Now, before you read on, I will warn you that I am writing this post from the perspective of newbie and in the interest of a newbie. (Please feel free to chime in on the comments if you have anything to add.) In the first month that I took up the hobby, I was fortunate enough to be invited to detect with someone whose skill level far outmatched mine--Micheal Sheesley. (Well, let's face it... I had only been detecting once...

I have inserted myself into quite a few Facebook groups focused on metal detecting in an effort to gain some perspective on the hobby. One of these groups is Metal Detecting for Beginners. I prefer to lurk in the shadows of this group, because I feel as though my mentors and common sense have given me a step above the rest. Call me arrogant, but this conception was proven today in the following interactions: Someone posted about finally having a court date to possibly retrieve their metal detector after it was confiscated. Granted, there was a bit of mystery surrounding the post and everyone...