Confessions of a Compulsive Digger

Making Friends with Metal Detectors

  • April 6, 2016

Last week, my cousin wrote about the bond she shares with her digging partner (husband). After reading her post, I started thinking about the bonds I've made with both digging partners and property owners alike. If you're a regular follower of this blog or happen to watch my videos, you've probably realized that I have a lot of digging partners. There's Roman, Bill, Mike, Duane, Ed, Ciara, Don, Brandon, and Aaron... to name a few. For a few weeks last year, I even dragged my husband and kids along on my adventures. In all honesty, I'm not all that picky about who I'm digging with as long...

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Friends, Goats, and Dimes in Shamokin, PA

  • March 23, 2016

Since I started metal detecting, I've met fellow diggers from all reaches of the country and even the world. On occasion, I'll get a private message from someone jabbering at me in Arabic... to which I respond with a confused ice-cream emoticon. They'll reciprocate with photos of ancient coins... to which I respond with another more surprised, but equally confused ice-cream emoticon. I've mastered the art of carrying on entire conversations through the use of emoticons. Admittedly, I'll sometimes pass the phone off to my two-year-old and let her correspond with whatever stickers she deems...

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Leveraging Facebook for Permissions…

  • January 28, 2016

I'm sure most of you are familiar with the term cold-calling. Back before cellphones and social media, the sales tactic was a lot more prevalent. I remember my parents leaving the phone off the hook during supper time, because those quick-talking life insurance salesmen would call at the exact moment we sat down to the dinner table. (Did I mention this was before caller id? Wait, is caller id still a thing? Let me clarify for the younger millennials.... because apparently, I'm still considered a millennial. Back in the day, there was no way of knowing who was calling--which is why the cold-calling...

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Crawlspace Caper

  • November 24, 2015

Last month, I took you on a journey through a schoolhouse crawlspace. If you read that post, you probably realized that I'm not all that particular in my pursuit for treasure. I'll explore a dusty crawlspace, pick through a bottle dump, wade through a creek for antique china fragments, or pace across a manicured yard with my Makro Racer. I consider myself a metal detecting hobbyist, though I suppose I'm a little bit of everything--thrift-shop picker, bottle digger, crawlspace explorer, and history hunter extraordinaire. I'm woman of many hats... as long as those hats don't flatten my hair...

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Metal Detecting Basics

  • April 22, 2015

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...

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Either You’ve Got It or You Don’t.

  • April 6, 2015

On Saturday, I had the privilege of introducing a friend and her teenage daughter to the hobby of metal detecting. Their passion was so refreshing. Not many people get excited for digging iron, but these two special ladies were over the moon when they dug up a square nail at eight inches--with screwdrivers nonetheless. In my experience, digging eight inches with a screwdriver to recover an iron something-or-other is commitment. Allow me to back up... this escapade was prompted when Liz requested a retreat from a personal hardship. And in my experience, there is no better distraction from an emotionally-draining...

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Digging: A “Man’s Hobby”

  • March 21, 2015

Believe it our not, but I am a girly girl. I freak out at the sight of bugs, I hate dirt under my nails, and I never leave the house without slathering on my makeup and teasing my hair like it was still 1965. Admittedly, I'm not your typical metal detecting hobbyist but I'm slowly learning to navigate this hobby--with a little feminine flare I might add. As you could probably imagine, being a woman in this hobby does have its advantages... but is certainly not without its disadvantages. This morning I posed a question in Women Diggers--a female diggers group on Facebook. I asked the ladies...

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