90% of the Treasure is found by 10% of the Hunters

[Dancer]

I believe it. Same holds true for fishing, stock picking, stamps, you name it.
In any sport, hobby, pass time, that's generally how it works. Someone could make the 10% this year, and fall out the next. Metal Detecting has a lot of categories. Silver/ Relic. Clad/ Jewelry. Raw gold hunting.
I only dabbled in Clad/ Jewelry. And I only compeated with myself. I like to compare one year against the past. Kinda funny, my first full year of hunting (2002) I found just shy of 10,000 coins. Checking back, not one gold ring.
Their are guys outthere that have broke the 100,000 coin mark.(lifetime) And guys who have broke the 100 gold ring year. Now that's got to put you in the 10% wouldn't you think?

 

[kt]

Location plus time plus effort equals success. If you are in an area with a high degree of coin and jewelry drops, and if you have the time to devote to research and travel and permissions and hunting, you are going to have more success than someone in a poorer area, or someone with less time .

My two cents anyway.

 

[After-1-]

Dancer--Wow, for the 2002, How many Hrs would you say of time swinging the coil? Time and permission for the location #1--------------after1-------------

 

[Elton]

You can be incredibly "LUCKY" or Incredibly successful.... Maybe even both.

Research, Hours and hours of detecting different locations can be successful.

Hitting a lucky find, and area, is just that "Lucky"...

We hardly ever hear about the guys who detect hours and hours, days, and days who find little..Or a few new drops.
This happens more often than we know.. Yet their happy doing the hobby.... Sometimes the desire to find the most hinders the joy of detecting for the pleasure and hobby...

I dropped out of detecting clubs for that very reason. It was all competition, and in reality was taking the fun out of detecting.

My take ...........enjoy metal detecting for the fun, and pleasure...If you hit well..That makes it even better.

 

[still looking 52]

The treasure is in the hunt, so I find treasure in every hunt. I even enjoy McDonald's breakfast before the hunt. If I find a piece of silver that's just a bonus.

 

[Dancer]

That year I had in 2002. I was finding all my sites from city, county maps. Public parks, school yards. The schools were still taking change for lunches. Plus back then clad hunting was sorta looked as a last resort. Compared to hunting old coins. That year was my first full year. I thought it would never stop. Then the end of the coin rush fell. Schools quit taking cash for lunches. Vendor's at fairs started to charge to the dollar. People using credit/debit cards. Even lost a couple of sites to hole diggers. But things arnt so bad. There are still pockets of Treasure here and there. Got to have a eye and a feeling to root it out now. Like most I'm just in competition with myself. Trying to hit the high notes.

 

[Goldstrike]

It really depends on what you consider 'Treasure'. Some detectorist's love to hunt Civil War areas/camp-sites with the result that they will sooner or later discover civil war items. They set up their detectors specifically for C.W. items/relics and such and some of them get a real high or thrill to discover a buckle, button or bullet! As for me, I get the same high or thrill in finding a gold ring.....the heavier and the more diamond studded, the better!
Some would consider detecting an old tin car which may be really rusty as a treasure to them. There again, some just go for the scenery because seeing a beautiful sunset on a warm evening on a California beach can be a memorable treasure and can make up for no good targets being found that day. So I think it's all relative. Having said that, most of us are looking for that tin can full of gold Double Eagles from the 1800's or a stash of gold and silver bars in a cave somewhere from the 1600-1700's Spanish mining exploits.
One thing is for sure, generally you can say that that kind of treasure is found by the few (maybe the 10%) of hunters and detectorists because they are the one's first of all that desire it and they are the one's that do the necessary homework and have the needed grit and determination (and the money)! to fund their treasure expeditions. Definitely if I had my time over again, I would be a full time treasure hunter so I'm waiting to discover the fountain of youth! NOW....THAT would be a real TREASURE!!!

 

[BarryL]

It really depends on what you consider 'Treasure'. Some detectorist's love to hunt Civil War areas/camp-sites with the result that they will sooner or later discover civil war items. They set up their detectors specifically for C.W. items/relics and such and some of them get a real high or thrill to discover a buckle, button or bullet! As for me, I get the same high or thrill in finding a gold ring.....the heavier and the more diamond studded, the better!
Some would consider detecting an old tin car which may be really rusty as a treasure to them. There again, some just go for the scenery because seeing a beautiful sunset on a warm evening on a California beach can be a memorable treasure and can make up for no good targets being found that day. So I think it's all relative. Having said that, most of us are looking for that tin can full of gold Double Eagles from the 1800's or a stash of gold and silver bars in a cave somewhere from the 1600-1700's Spanish mining exploits.
One thing is for sure, generally you can say that that kind of treasure is found by the few (maybe the 10%) of hunters and detectorists because they are the one's first of all that desire it and they are the one's that do the necessary homework and have the needed grit and determination (and the money)! to fund their treasure expeditions. Definitely if I had my time over again, I would be a full time treasure hunter so I'm waiting to discover the fountain of youth! NOW....THAT would be a real TREASURE!!!

I agree I know I will probably never get a chance to hunt the civil war fields so I settle for the small things like hunting old farms and woods and local old sites where houses use to be and find my share of treasures . coins old toy cars ,tokens and such , more or less I guess its just the time out doing what I enjoy never expecting to get rich but then again who knows what is in the next hole that sounds sweet