When people talk about metal detectors, they usually have great expectations of finding large nuggets of gold or extremely valuable coins.
What they often do not tell you is the amount of work that needs to be done in order to extract the treasures from the ground and to clean them up so that they are actually worth something. The items that are encountered with a metal detector are known as “finds”, and they will certainly vary depending on where you are in the world.
What Are Metal Detector Finds?
A metal detector find is any item that you encounter as a result of using your metal detector. These include coins, jewelry, precious metals such as silver or gold, war relics, misplaced or lost items, or just about anything imaginable. There is almost no limit to what people can find with a metal detector assuming that they have the time, the persistence, and a nose for going to the right place.
It is rare that you come across a find with your metal detector that is squeaky clean as soon as you take it out of the ground. Chances are very good that you will need to do some work to clean it up and really determine just what it is that you have. But, before you start using a scrub brush and cleanser, it is important to learn about metal detector finds, how to clean up properly, and what to be careful of. By learning how to take care of metal detector finds properly, you may avoid making some very costly mistakes down the line.
Where Can You Learn About Real Finds?
One thing that most metal detector hobbyists enjoy doing is telling other people about their finds. When you go online to any metal detector forum or bulletin board, you will see people sharing stories about what they are found, where they found it, and the effort it took to extract it and clean it up. They will also usually mention what the value of the item is worth if they were willing and able to sell it.
What is interesting is that many people find items in very strange places, where they might not have imagined there would be any kind of treasure at all. There are certainly many stories about metal detector finds that have taken place in the backyards of owners who were just trying out a metal detector for the first time. Most new hobbyists will scan their entire property before heading out into the real world, as a way to get a feel for the device and to see what it is capable of fighting.
What Is The Best Way To Clean The Finds?
When it comes to cleaning the finds, going online is certainly a good idea because you will see what methods have been used by other metal detector hobbyists in the past. For instance, it is particularly important that you take great care when it comes to gold coins, silver coins, and anything that is extremely old. In some cases, you do not want to clean the item at all since that could reduce its value.
If you believe you found something that is fairly recent, such as a ring, a watch, or a recognizable piece of jewelry, then you should use the appropriate cleaner when you get home rather than trying to clean it on location. Many metal detector finds are ruined by people who are overeager to clean up an item and see what it is. Instead, take the time and do your research at home before trying to strip away debris from your find.
What Kind Of Beach Finds Should You Expect?
Going to the beach with a metal detector is an awful lot of fun for many people, and it is very surprising to see what kinds of items turn out. Of course, many of these are items that were left by other people who had been to the beach before you, but there are also many stories of metal detector finds that tell of items that had obviously been brought into the beach by the tide. For example, on the West Coast of the United States, it is fairly common to find items buried in the shallow water of the beach, or simply in the sand that have made their way from Asia.
Will Your Finds Make Your Purchase Worthwhile?
You should never purchase a metal detector is a way to create an income for yourself, and you probably should not have expectations that you are going to find items that have a greater value than your metal detector. But, there are certainly cases of people who have used a metal detector just a few times and found extremely valuable items. This is what most metal detector hobbyists hope for, and it may happen to you.