Written by the treasureguide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.BlogSpot.com.
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| First Gold Ring Found By Dan B. Photo by Dan B. |
Concerning this Masonic gold ring, here is what Dan B. said. As soon as I did my tests and started pulling tabs out of the ground, I found my first gold ring. Masonic at that! Funny thing was, the back is separated like a kids you ring, due to a previous repair. So I was thrilled to feel some weight.
Did you notice that he said he was digging tabs?
That is a unique ring for a Mason's ring - not one of the standard off-the-shelf varieties.
Great find Dan! Congratulations on your first!
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The most recent blog poll has concluded and the results are in. Nearly half of the respondents (47%) indicated that the primary reason they detect is simply because it is fun. They enjoy it. What more can you say? I won't try to break it down to all of the elements that make it fun, but you never know what you might find. There is always the element of possible surprise and discovery. And it is nice just being out there on the beach or wherever.
Nearly as many (42%) indicated that uncovering or touching a piece of the past is their biggest reason for detecting. I suspect that that number is so high because this blog is very much about the Treasure Coast where we have a lot of interesting history and that is what a lot of people shoot for here.
The third biggest reason selected by this blog's readers is financial. It was the third highest response but still only 5% selected improving their financial situation as the "biggest" reason for detecting. Again, that number would probably be higher if the focus of this blog was not the Treasure Coast.
Something valuable can always pop up and some people make that their primary objective and become quite good at it. Beach detecting on the Treasure Coast is not the easiest place to be successful if you want to make a living from metal detecting even though it is one of the better places if you have a salvage lease, but it is still not easy.
There was a time when I hunted to maximize financial gain. I lived down South then and kept track of how I was doing. I was between jobs for six months one time and during that time proved to myself that I could make a living at detecting if I had to. It is not easy, and for me trying to maximize the dollar value took a lot of the fun out of detecting. I like detecting more for fun rather than doing it as a profession, but if you need or want to and are willing to work really hard, it is possible if you are good at it. Now I do it more as a hobby and have the freedom to do it at leisure. I don't have to go for the maximum value in finds and can hunt the things and way that I like, even if it isn't the most profitable.
The next most frequently selected response (selected by 2% of the sample) was "intellectual curiosity." Some people like to figure things out, solve problems and learn. Of course that can be coupled with some of the other objectives, but it is the primary motivation for some.
Both "social enjoyment" and "helping others" was each selected by one person as the biggest reason they like detecting. I'd bet that the person who selected "helping others" has enjoyed returning some nice finds to those that lost them.
Well, maybe you found it hard to select one answer out of all the alternatives, but over a hundred people managed to do so. Here is what Robert H. said is his biggest motivation. The next best or rare find. I'm really driven to find Spanish treasure. Big catches would be amazing also. So I guess there's lots to it and hard to just name one thing.
I'm sure a lot of us are out there hoping for that rare or big find and never know when it might happen. I'm sure the suspense of it all is something that adds a lot to the hobby for all of us. You never know what exciting thing might pop up or when it might happen. Maybe it will be today or tomorrow, but if you keep at it long enough I'm sure you'll hit something that surprises and excites you.
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I hurt my back yesterday morning trying to recover a big heavy item. I could barely move at all yesterday but am quickly getting better. I wanted to remind you to be careful. Various kinds of injuries can occur while detecting. I've had a variety myself over the years.
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On the Treasure Coast we're not expecting around a two-foot surf for a few days yet. We are finally getting some negative tides though.
Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
