I'm an only child, and grew up in the south - way too much time on my hands and an overactive curiosity/imagination.
I was always hunting for things - insects,snakes, fossils, rocks...
I had a crappy radio shack metal detector that I never found anything with...
looking back I think it was broken...heh.
I can remember one of my first instances of that feeling of magic was actually bass fishing on my Dads boat -
he had a fish detector - that showed little icons of fishes under the boat when they were near...
Anyway fast forward to now 30 years later and it hit me that technology had probably finally gotten to where its improved.
Every time I go out I feel like a kid again.
Had been thinking about trying it for years. Finally pulled the trigger this past fall, now I'm completely addicted!
I did a bit of prospecting in the late 80's in Central NM. Bought a detector ( White's Eagle) after driving myself nuts trying to use a Gold Bug in the rapidly changing mineralized dirt around there. First time out with the Eagle found a 135 grain (480gr./oz.) sponge gold nugget surrounding a garnet chrystal in all metal with a 4" coil and was hooked. Never found much of anything else gold wise when I was trying but I'd always check my prospect when I was done for the day and one time
I ran it over a bush on the edge of my site and plucked a football size rock out with about 6 ounces of gold in it.
Life got in the way of detecting for a couple decades and I only used my machine for rare events ,out of necessity more than anything else, until a couple years ago when I got a friend interested in it and created a monster. We're finding someplace to hunt most everyday for at least a couple hours. The old White's Eagle got upgraded to a Spectrum along the way then went unprotected through some 35 below Winters which messed up the LCD display so I eventually moved to an E-trac.
Look for gold in the form of rings these days and have found 6 or 8 nice ones. I bought a 75ltd in case I ever get back into the gold country and for general agravation
Brought my first detector at Montgomery Ward, in 1969 for $29.00, then a compass detector, and so on . Over the years I have had 11 detectors. Been detecting for over
44 years. Found alot of junk and good stuff also. But one thing I found best is alot of new freinds doing the same thing, out detecting.
spring of 1977
saw a guy (around 50 yrs old) in an old park using a detector - I was 14 at the time
he was making his way in my direction and when he got close - I stopped him to ask what he was doing
he pulled out a pocket full of old coins and stuff to show me
this place was/is huge (a mile + in circumference) and the history of it goes way back before civil war era
he had silver coins galore (and I'm talking a hand FULL) of barbers, mercs, and even a walking lib as well as some injuns, wheats, etc
that was it for me - I was always the paleo scientist / adventurer / archaeologist and collector type from the time I could walk and by mid summer I took ALL of the $$ I made from my paper route, and nightcrawler sales over a 2 month period and bought my 1st piece O crap Garrett machine for $49.95 and the rest is history!
Been living, sleeping, eating, breathing detecting ever since then --- this hobby O mine has out lasted 2 ex wives, several girlfriends, and a whole lotta other things as well!!
When My dad retired he bought a bounty hunter, he used it only for a little while then when I wanted to barrow it he had already let my brother have it, so I bought my own. I liked it so much I upgraded to the DFX I have now and go as much as life allows me to.
Mid 70`s following the dad while he detected.
watched him dig up plenty of old coins while in Italy, Spain, and England .
picked up a detector myself about 20+ years ago, detecting ever since .