Addicted to detecting...

I've been metal detecting for about 10 years now. Over this past year though, metal detecting has become this crazy addiction for me personally. It seems the more I dig the more I totally fall in love with the hobby. Metal detecting gives me such a rich sense of joy. It consumes my thoughts. These days it seems I devote almost all my free time to detecting. And when I’m not out detecting, I frequently find myself bringing up the topic in the conversations I have with friends, family members, co-workers, and even strangers. As far as obsessions go it seems like a pretty healthy one to have. In fact, I think most people who metal detect would agree that this hobby is quite addicting.

I found myself discussing the topic of metal detecting with someone just the other day. I had just finished explaining to them that I had spent the weekend metal detecting. She asked me what I had found. Generally speaking, it seems that is always the first question I get asked. After explaining what my finds from the hunt were, she asked me aren’t those machines quite expensive. I responded that they can get up there in price but that you could get a good machine for a few hundred dollars. Her next question stopped me in my tracks for a half a second. She asked me why I would invest all that time and money to collect metal trash that I found in the ground. I was completely dumbfounded by the question. No one had ever asked me a question such as that before. Most of the people I discuss metal detecting with are intrigued by the topic. I did respond to her that I didn't feel like it was a waste of either my time or money because it's a hobby that I greatly enjoy and I ended the conversation. Some people just don't get it I guess.

Now, I will be the first to admit that most of the items I have found detecting aren’t more valuable than a five-dollar bill. And yet they still bring me such great happiness. I'm sure we all have slightly different reasons for why we enjoy metal detecting so much. I love the intense thrill of the hunt. Digging a good signal is super exciting. Anyone who's ever dug a really good signal knows there's rush of anticipation that comes with not knowing what the item is going to be. And as you pull it from the hole you're the first person to look at the item in decades, sometimes if your lucky centuries. The first person to hold it in their hand since the day it was lost. And every item that I find makes me wonder. Who was the previous owner? What did the item mean to them? Were they heartbroken over losing it? Did they search for it for days? Sometimes, quite often actually, I find something that I have no idea what it is and that makes me wonder even more.

I just can't help but wonder what the story behind each item is. With a little research and help from other people in the hobby you can often learn more about the items you find. I'm still often left with unanswered questions but I guess that's just part of the appeal. I also believe that part of my love for this great hobby stems from my love for learning. Every time I go out detecting I seem to learn something new. Sometimes I find an item and learn about a part of history that I didn't even know existed. Now if that's not cool I guess I don't know what is.

For me personally, another huge draw towards this hobby stems from my love of collecting. There's pride in building a collection. The value of the collection is not necessarily always monetary, but emotional. Adding a new find to the collection brings great happiness. It allows the past to continue to exist in the present. It becomes a lifelong pursuit that can never be completed because there is always something else out there for you to find and add to your collection. I've included a few photos of some of my own collection of metal detecting finds for your viewing pleasure.

I would love to see pictures of your collection of metal detecting finds as well! You can post them in the comments section below. To add an image simply scroll to the bottom of this post and click on the plus sign to the left of the "write a comment" section. You will see a camera icon and the option to add an image. You must be signed into the site to leave a comment.

I truly hope this new-found obsession I have for metal detecting never disappears. And I hope that you all have the opportunity to experience this same joy that I have discovered. Happy Hunting!