JUST FOR FUN: What is the best deal/buy/trade you ever got on a metal detector ??

[Elton]

Outstanding price ?
Worked better than you ever imagined ?
Looked better than expected ?
What made it a great buy/trade ??

 

[slingshot]

I was a machine vendor filling coke and chip machines when a guy found out about my hobby. He was in need of money and at the time I was living paycheck to paycheck. He had a Minelab for $200 and a Tesoro Royal Sabre for $100. I managed $75 after a few weeks struggle and finally gave in and told him that's all I could manage. I still use the Royal Sabre to this day. He had no manual and what impressed me is I intuitively figured out the machine. For a notch machine, in this setting it found nickels clearer and deeper than the competition at that time. I used the notch accept feature and found a silver half in a park laden with tabs and screwcaps. In regular discriminate at the lowest setting, I could adjust the notch control knob and have a dual tone setting and most tabs would cause the tones to mix. It also PASSED Monte's nail board test!

 

[Tom Slick]

Picked up a Fisher Gold Bug for $5.00 at a yard sale. Took it home, cleaned it up and sold it on fleebay for $320. Sure wish I could find more like that.

 

[still looking 52]

Bought my f5 from my brother WV62 two years ago for 350$, came with two coils and then he sold my old bounty hunter for me and got 100$ for it, then I sold one of the coils for 60$. This machine still looks like it just came out of the box. That's a net price of 190$!

 

[slingshot]

OK. Can"t resist sharing this one. A really sweet neighbor's husband passed away several years ago. She had known my wife and her family many years before we married. One day she noticed my metal detector and told me her husband had one and told me about it and the times he had it. About a week later, it was sitting beside my back door. She wanted to leave it to someone who would "put it to good use!" Now that's an humbling story in itself. But as Paul Harvey would say, "And now the rest of the story."
Approximately 20 years prior, I bought a detector at the Garrett factory from a guy named Dorian Cook. (Any old timers out there?) I came home to test it against my fairly new Garrett BFO. I had done so for about an hour and decided to leave. I absently minded left it on the park table, but had only gone a couple of blocks before I realized my error and whipped the car around and sped to the park. To my horror, it was gone and no one to be seen! Now can you guess what EXACT model bfo this sweet lady left on my doorstep. I could feel the chills down my spine as I examined it!

 

[GeorgeinSC]

When I was looking to purchase my X-Cal II I sent emails to four of the sponsors of this forum. Sent an email to another dealer also. Out of the five dealers that I Sent an E-Mail I got three replies. The non sponsors first comment when I called him was where did you get my information. I did not care for his attitude or his price. Two of the dealers did not respond to my inquiry

I has sent the E-Mails on a Saturday Night and had a Response from one of the dealers on Sunday afternoon. I was impressed that I got a Response on Sunday. I wound up purchasing the detector from the Man who was working on Sunday afternoon after Church.

Called all three dealers on Monday afternoon. The dealer that I purchased the machine from gave me an outstanding price. Not a whole lot more that what the machine was selling for used on E-Bay and there was a second Rechargeable battery in the box.

I had the machine before the week was out.

Since then I had an opportunity to visit his area and spent about an hour talking to him and his wife. Not only did he give great price and service it was a pleasure to visit with them.

Needless to say that Dealer has earned my future business and is the first dealer I contact when I need anything associated with the hobby.


Of course my best deal was a Compass Relic Magnum 7 with two coils that a friend gave me.

 

[silverseeker 2]

I picked up a Whites XLT-E Series brand new, hardly used at all
off the "OL Craigslist" adds for $200.00 bucks with digger and
Whites detector bag.SUCH A DEAL!!! Great machine too...
I figured when I went to look her over she'd have some issues
but Nope. She's in Pristine shape and is a full pledged member
of my detector arsenal which I need to thin out soon!!!
silverseeker 2

 

[bootyhoundpa]

Moving sale, man had whites 5900 di pro in like new condition... was asking either 75 or 100 bucks for it but it didnt power up when turned on..his chin dropped ,he swore he had it powered up the night before and never had any problems with it..i believed him but asked him to knock off 25 dollars as i was taking a chance. .long story short it was just a matter of re positioning batteries... still have it too...

 

[After-1-]

At a auction 6yrs ago to buy a party tent, Ace 350 comes up on the auction block, I win the Ace for a total of $135.00. Bought it to sell, put it on CL and get a call to trade a Moss 500 and if I deliver it, throw in a single 12. ---70 mile trip one way -- I no longer own a Ace 350-------Didn't get a tent,bidding was crazy nuts amounts-----------------after1---------------

 

[Elton]

n/t

 

[DonM]

Earlier this year I went to a garage sale and picked up a mint Ace 250 for $5.00 - sold it later for $135.00

 

[Old California]

When we factor in expenses such as milage, replacement parts, postage, some time, giving parts to friends, etc. In the long run, We are lucky to break even as least I am.

I've picked up a lot of super deals, but after averaging out everything from good deals to not so good pretty much averages out.

But I'm ok with this, along the way picked up much needed parts for future projects. Recently, This past year picked up two XLT units $150 apiece from CL. Several months ago, One busted XLT and a busted DFX from CL for $50 bucks for the two broken units, A CL closet Queen Whites 5900SL Pro for $85, Tesoro Lobo for $40 bucks, all of these within a hundred mile radius.

As good as deals these were, I'll be lucky to recoup what I lost on the other good deals. But that's ok, It's a hobby not an investment opportunity.

Yes it's fun to find good deals, but prepare for bad deals as well

Paul

 

[HaroldILL.]

My XL-PRO I bought practically new as never hit the dirt with a NOS 8'' coil extra decals and a 5.3 coil NOS for 375.00 shipped. It wasn't practically free like some claim but a heck of a deal for Me anyways as I us ally fall in love with a unit and over pay.

 

[HanoverDigger]

Can't speak for myself, but my brother was given a barely used Xterra70 with an extra coil still in an unopened bag. Headphones included.

 

[drittless]

I bought a brand new, used once in back yard, F70 with an extra 5" Sniper Coil and lower shaft for $350 from a retired gentleman who's City (a large City) just banned metal detecting on all public property. I think he was just tired of the politics of the entire issue, he worked hard to convince City politicians that it was a healthy hobby and lost the war.
He was also on his second knee replacement. A nice man who I won't forget. He knew the machine was special and he was right.

 

[MarkCZ]

I can't think of any SUPER buys or trades, but I have a neighbor who will drive by sometimes and see me out in my front yard trying out or testing a metal detector, on occasion he would stop and talk about detecting. Over the years we have both helped each other out when we can. Anyway one day I'm standing at my front door just looking out and I see him coming with something across his shoulder, so I go outside and he walks up and says "do you have a use for this"? and hands me a metal detector while he continues talking about where and how he got it. So, at first I was paying more attention to him than actually checking out the detector, then I noticed it was Fisher, and a closer look revealed it was a 1266! My neighbor doesn't metal detect and he had gotten it from a doctor friend of his that he did lawn work and odd jobs for. I still have the detector and it still works.

Mark

 

[E.V.]

One day relic hunting on a Virginia battlefield I found a Whites 2000 detector in a woods..Another time I got a Bounty Hunter 1100 at Goodwill for $2.97

 

[88junior]

I bought a Tesoro Bandido II Umax at a local pawn shop back a few years ago for 75.00 dollars it was in mint condition. I had my fun with it and threw it up on Ebay and sold it for a whopping 350.00.

 

[hawgdawg]

OK. Can"t resist sharing this one. A really sweet neighbor's husband passed away several years ago. She had known my wife and her family many years before we married. One day she noticed my metal detector and told me her husband had one and told me about it and the times he had it. About a week later, it was sitting beside my back door. She wanted to leave it to someone who would "put it to good use!" Now that's an humbling story in itself. But as Paul Harvey would say, "And now the rest of the story."
Approximately 20 years prior, I bought a detector at the Garrett factory from a guy named Dorian Cook. (Any old timers out there?) I came home to test it against my fairly new Garrett BFO. I had done so for about an hour and decided to leave. I absently minded left it on the park table, but had only gone a couple of blocks before I realized my error and whipped the car around and sped to the park. To my horror, it was gone and no one to be seen! Now can you guess what EXACT model bfo this sweet lady left on my doorstep. I could feel the chills down my spine as I examined it!

This is an amazing story in itself . Awesome , and it just about sent chills down my spine as well .

 

[bigtim1973]

OK. Can"t resist sharing this one. A really sweet neighbor's husband passed away several years ago. She had known my wife and her family many years before we married. One day she noticed my metal detector and told me her husband had one and told me about it and the times he had it. About a week later, it was sitting beside my back door. She wanted to leave it to someone who would "put it to good use!" Now that's an humbling story in itself. But as Paul Harvey would say, "And now the rest of the story."
Approximately 20 years prior, I bought a detector at the Garrett factory from a guy named Dorian Cook. (Any old timers out there?) I came home to test it against my fairly new Garrett BFO. I had done so for about an hour and decided to leave. I absently minded left it on the park table, but had only gone a couple of blocks before I realized my error and whipped the car around and sped to the park. To my horror, it was gone and no one to be seen! Now can you guess what EXACT model bfo this sweet lady left on my doorstep. I could feel the chills down my spine as I examined it!

Now that is a cool story!!