Is Metal Detecting Worth It?
When someone chooses to start a hobby, they usually don’t weigh their options when it comes to the total investment needed to begin the hobby versus the monetary return they’ll get from doing it, if any at all. That is because after all, it is just a hobby: an activity done in one’s leisure time for pleasure, not professionally or for pay.
But metal detecting is an exception when it comes to hobbies and that is because the items you find literally can and do pay you! However, that payoff can be very minimum at times and that may not be the main reason you decide to start metal detecting in the first place.
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Is Metal Detecting Worth It?
12 factory settings allow you to have so much flexibility while you are looking for treasure underground including waterproof up to 20m.
Whether you hunt at the beach for gold chains or prefer hunting for old coins and relics around homesteads, there is a setting that can help you with the XP Deus II.
Yes - Metal Detecting Is Worth It And Here’s Why…
There are so many positives when it comes to trying to decide whether or not metal detecting is worth investing in as a hobby, because first and foremost, YOU TRULY CAN FIND TREASURE!! With that statement, it goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyways), metal detecting is worth it!
Loads of coins and treasure found in Toronto, Canada.
Not many other hobbies exist where you have a chance at finding something worth thousands of dollars while simply just walking around, enjoying a day outside. If the possibility of finding things worth thousands of dollars doesn’t sound good, here are several other reasons to help convince you why metal detecting is a worthwhile hobby.
Does Metal Detecting Take Time Away From Your Other Hobbies?
Photo Credit: Andrik Langfield - Unsplash
I would be lying to you if I told you that your other hobbies won’t be affected should you decided to pick up metal detecting as a new hobby. I was an avid golfer, playing 3-4 times per week and even enjoyed competing in a few amateur tournaments, but then I decided to get a metal detector because I wanted to go on an “adventure” and with adventure meant finding treasure.
In order to find treasure, I either needed a map with an “X” on it or I needed a metal detector to locate that treasure buried in the ground. Well, since I had no maps with an “X” on it, I opted for the latter and the rest is history.
Seeing sites like this gets my heart racing when driving thru old parts of town.
Playing golf began to take a backseat when it came time to choose what I was going to do with my free time as the treasure bug had hit me hard.
The more I dug, the more I fell in love with the hobby which meant less time for activities like golf. It didn’t matter if I was digging zinc pennies, pull tabs, tin foil, or silver coins, I just loved the “thrill of the hunt” feeling.
Preparing to go out detecting after reading up on an a recent article that will give you places to go metal detecting, another blog post I wrote, could help kickstart the treasure hunting motor inside you and may create excitement as you begin to think about the treasure you could unearth all around you.
Within a year, I found myself not even thinking about going golfing during those summer weekends because the lure of metal detecting, exploring, and having the thrill of the hunt had overtaken me. Let’s be honest for a moment, it may be borderline addicting! But I’d venture to say it’s the healthiest addiction I’ve ever had, so I kept at it and look at me now… I write a blog about metal detecting!
Metal Detecting Compared To Other Hobbies
Is it an apples to apples comparison? Photo Credit: Raquel Martinez - Unsplash
Golf
Like metal detecting, but a different kind of stick and swing. Photo Credit: Courtney Cook - Unsplash
Golf is an activity that the majority of people enjoy doing as a hobby (usually because they’re hackers and not good enough to play professionally) during their leisure time and the payoff for them is strictly the enjoyment they get out of playing a round on the weekends.
This could be because it allows them to get outside and enjoy the weather and nature, much like people who go metal detecting do.
Golf is also a social activity that can be done with friends and the companionship is what they are looking for from the hobby. If there is no one available to play a round with, it can be done solo as well so you do not need to rely on others to participate in it when yo feel like going out and playing.
Metal detecting is often viewed as a “hermit” hobby that is great for people who are very reclusive and like to keep to themselves.
While this is true, I know many metal detectorists who try to organize group hunts and enjoy going to the local park together to see what they can find. Often times, these same groups, some being metal detecting clubs (blog post on joining a club), will naturally create a competition out of it to then see who can find the most coins or perhaps the most valuable find which then turns metal detecting in to a sport!
Golf can drive even the most sane person to the edge of looney. Photo Credit: Lily Farr - Unsplash
Perhaps someone took up golf because it is simply that that person is looking for a challenge and golf is a very challenging sport in and of itself, not to mention the varying degrees of difficulty each golf course and each new hole presents.
Likewise, metal detecting offers its own degrees of difficulties including hunting in highly mineralized soil conditions, learning the ever changing technology and understanding what the metal detector is telling you, and of course the challenge to find virgin soil to hunt that hasn’t already be scoured by other treasure hunters.
Like a high end metal detector, you’ll end up spending a pretty penny on a good set of golf clubs. Photo Credit: Sydney Rae - Unsplash
While the initial cost of purchasing my recommended metal detectors or equipment, some of which can be expensive for a quality machine, the entry price points are meager when compared to the cost of golf as a hobby, especially in the long term.
If you are just starting out in either hobby, for the price of a brand new and power Nakro Simplex metal detector at Kellyco, you can purchase an equally decent set of golf clubs like these from Amazon. But then begin to factor in the cost of paying greens fees, renting a golf cart, buying extra golf balls because you lose 12 of them every round, etc. every single time you want to go play and you soon realize golf just got expensive!
Even if you just want to go to the driving range to practice hitting a few balls can be costly. Attending a venue such as Top Golf will set you back even more, although it is a fun time and is worth it for those looking to really enjoy the social aspect of golf with friends. With all of that in mind, golf becomes an expensive hobby!
Fishing
Fishing vs Dirt Fishin’. Photo Credit: James Wheeler - Unsplash
Like golf, fishing is the perfect activity to get you in to the great out and explore the great outdoors to the various lakes, rivers, and streams as you adventure and seek out the next great catch. But what about compared to metal detecting?
Fishing can be extremely inexpensive with the purchase of an Amazon basic pole and reel setup, along with a few accessories to round it off, you could be wetting your line in no time. Bait is always plentiful and easy to come by if you’re up for searching for earthworms under leaves, rocks, and logs. In that regard, it’s like metal detecting as you’re searching for your next target whether it’s a worm for bait or a fish to catch.
To play with the best, you’ve got to invest. Photo Credit: Richard R - Unsplash
However, fishing can also be an even more expensive hobby than golf for those anglers who truly embrace fishing as a sport.
Those fishermen who purchase a bass boat, multiple rods, pounds of lures, extra tech gear such as fish finders like these from Amazon, trolling motors, etc. can all add up quickly!
Once again, most of these hobbyists are just that, a hobbyist, and often don’t compete in professional tournaments alongside Bassmaster, Kevin VanDam, that will actually pay them back in prize money. So why do it?
Fishing for a hobby can actually provide a livelihood for some as it is a great source of cheap food, assuming you’re good at actually catching fish. Thus goes the famous saying, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” For some, fishing is not a hobby, but a “way of life.” Those people and their families depend on it daily. So while metal detecting may not constitute as a “means to live” feeling, there are many metal detectorists out there that will tell you it is their “way of life.”
Crafts, Painting, Wood Working, Etc.
Photo Credit: Buse Doga Ay- Unsplash
Many people feel the need to have a creative outlet when introducing a new hobby in to their lives. Crafting, painting, wood working, crocheting, etc. all foot the bill when it comes to having a hobby that provides a creative outlet.
Many of these have a relatively low cost to start dabbling in and even with that small investment, you can get great results depending on your skill level. You can even find a lot of the material needed for these types of hobbies at garage sales, thrift stores, or even for free if you’re willing to repurpose something.
I use to make handmade necklaces and bracelets from hemp rope, beads, and pendants to give as gifts to family members, friends at school or camp, and even a lucky girl I had a crush on but couldn’t afford the real deal. I enjoyed making them because I got to see the entire process from start to finish and once done, I felt great knowing that I had created something for a greater purpose.
Got milk? A cute crocheted product made in an afternoon.
My wife’s Instagram @mitinytreasures, recently picked up crocheting as a hobby to help keep her mind active and also to stay busy, especially during those cold Michigan winter months when outside is just no fun. She has completely taken the self taught method to learn this new hobby and I must say (biased opinion) she is quite good at it already!
Growing your skills as you become rooted in your hobby.
I know this to be true because when I go to garage sales and buy bundles of yarn from the little sweet old ladies, I show them these pictures and they just swoon over them, telling me “she really should do farmer’s markets and trade shows. Those are just so darling!”
Hearing this, I’m sure it’s possible to recoup some of her investment in her hobby if she wished, but for now, she simply does it for cake and coffee payouts (to each their own) from her friends, family, and co-workers.
When it comes to needing a creative outlet, metal detecting still helps achieve this need because it is a hobby that forces you to think. Even with all of the research someone can put in to finding and detecting a location, things can change out in the field or water and that forces you to get creative about how you hunt a site.
Get creative how you hunt a site or you might get blindsided by Poseidon! Photo Credit: Jeremy Bishop - Unsplash
Perhaps the waves are knocking you around as you detect the shoreline from shallow to the drop off because your body has more surface area for the waves to impact as they crash towards the shoreline.
You get creative with your problem solving by changing your hunting direction because now your body is parallel to the shoreline and it slices through the waves because your sides have less surface area for the waves to contact.
I have implemented this strategy before and I began chuckling and taunting the waves once I figured it out as I felt invincible against Poseidon and I knew I’d be able to hunt much longer this way.
Final Thoughts
Metal detecting is a great hobby that the whole family can enjoy!
Everyone has their own reasons when it comes to starting a hobby. Metal detecting is no different. Regardless your reasons whether it be metal detecting for profit, for exercise, to explore the outdoors, or to just make some new friends, metal detecting is most certainly a hobby that is worth it.
Why do you metal detect? Has it replaced any of your hobbies and if so, what ones? Leave a beep below and let me know. Until then, remember to Swing4TheRing!
