Mental preparation during the off season

Some of you lucky souls can metal detect all year around, and I envy you. As for me, it's cold and dark this time of year, and everything is frozen solid. I do use this time to keep my mind in the detecting game though. Besides reading my monthly copy of Western & Eastern Treasures and scouring the various detecting boards to see what others are finding, I try to stay productive for the Spring and Summer to come.
Evaluating and recording my last year's finds. I keep a detecting journal with addresses and notes along with the finds found. I like to review those notes and store the finds. I usually store my coin finds in a binder note book with coin holders. My unusual and unique finds like rings, pendents, etc I keep in a little chest. I also like to document those finds with a photograph so I can look up where I found them if I'm revisiting a detecting site.
Research. Well this should be pretty obvious. Throughout the previous year, I've found prospective places to hunt either by driving by or getting leads from friends and family. I gather my notes and try to get additional information. If the land had a house near by etc. Possibly finding a phone number or two to call when the conditions are right. I always like to start the season with the quality 'virgin' hunts to get me super excited for the year. Along with hot leads, I'll hit the library to see if I can gather any information from the old newspapers. I like to focus on July - August and search for gatherings. Usually picnics, fund raisers, etc that are not in the typical places. Usually sites that are long gone and forgotten now.
Gear inspection and upgrades. This is the fun stuff, but the part my wife doesn't enjoy. I like to look over my gear which would include my detector, trowels, collection pouches, etc. Make sure they're all working good. I also evaluate if I need to upgrade anything. This is where I start strategizing with the ideas of new coils, pinpointers, etc. Or completely ugrade a detector!
I usually don't do any bench testing or test gardens, which I know a few off-season hunters do. My personal experience has led me to not trust those tones and signals, since they are rarely accurate in the real-world environment. This is just my opinion and can be based off of my soil conditions and detector.
What does everyone else do during the off season?
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Detection of technical research part II - village of metal

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In the first part of metal detecting research techniques, we discussed the "things" that we should all be using. Historical maps, photos and books need to be a part of our research arsenal to give us the cutting-edge advantage and provide an abundance of new metal detecting sites. In this section of research, we are going to talk about the people who can make a huge difference in our metal detecting success and enrich our lives as well. Here is where POP comes in. Not your dad or other father figures, but PATIENCE, OBSERVATION, and PERSISTENCE.

Research is work but can be fun too. The value of establishing relationships with people who have lived in a community for many years takes patience. I have spent many hours in developing friendships with the men and women of Tarpon Springs, FL. This beautiful community was settled around 1860, and became a city in 1888. Observing the habits, traits and customs of the various subcultures in Tarpon Springs has made it much easier to make friends. You have heard it said that when in Rome do as the Romans. The largest subculture here is Greek. I love this populace. Strong central families, proud of their heritage and faith, fun-loving and adventuresome are a few traits that stand out with our Greeks.

They came here in 1905 and brought the sponge-diving industry with them. They had to make adjustments like all subcultures and this sometimes leads to distrust of those outside their culture. In making friends in most subcultures, patience and observation must be accompanied by persistence. Keep on keeping on to establish trust and build a relationship with the elders of the various subcultures. POP is essential! I use it in many ways in my metal detecting research. When working with a potential good metal detecting site, patience, observation and persistence in checking out changes that are taking place there can open up a better window of opportunity. An elementary school site closed and a high school is going to build a culinary arts facility there. I have permission from a school administrator to hunt the site now and, then also. I go by there a few times every week, just to see what is happening. I did this with another school site and reaped a large number of deeply buried silver coins that would not have been found without POP. Take the time to get to know the "historical" people of your city or town.

Many metal detector hobbyist waste a lot of time and money driving around to other communities looking for new sites to treasure hunt. I am convinced that this "grass is greener" philosophy is counter productive. There are many senior adults in your community who have a great deal of information about how things were back in the "good old days" and they are happy to share this info. They are the people of history who can provide you with with an understanding of how things happened in your town or city 40 to 90 years ago. Making friends with these individuals pays great metal detecting dividends. This led me to develop what I have termed as the "Home Town Advantage". Get to know the senior citizens who are native to your community and you will have the home town advantage and should never need to roam around looking for detecting sites.

The first of these historical figures is the writers in your community. Robert wrote the first history of Tarpon Springs in 1948. It is a colorful dialog of people and places during the early 1900's. I got so much from his book and so much more from this dimunitve five-feet tall giant. He made me love the history of the sponge-diving capital of the world. I found thousands of coins from what he shared in person and in writing. He lived to be 99 and at 92 took me into a wilderness area and showed me where a ghost town was really located, when all attempts to locate it from the directions in a renowned Florida ghost town book failed. In recent years two very comprehensive books on the history of Tarpon Springs have been published. Great well written books, but as my grandson BJ would say, not the same as the "old-timer".

A second important historical group is the retired business owners. Their involvement in the day to day commerce and business affairs will assist you in numerous ways. Knowing the location and types of businesses that were prominent years ago can provide site locations, traffic patterns and knowledge of events that significantly impacted the community's economic development. John was an officer of the Bank of Commerce of Tarpon Springs from its inception in 1918, to its collapse in the Great Depression in 1929. Our friendship led to my first significant cache find, consisting of 45 very rare uncirculated tokens given to potential customers in 1918. This token today is worth about $400 in pristine condition. John told me where he buried them, gave permission to go on his property and locate them, and let me keep all 45. Nick Kavouklis, renowned Greek businessman, shared stories that gave me many new sites to check out. Some of my oldest and best pre 1900 silver finds came from our friendship.

The third historical group that can benefit your research is the athletes. Outside of schoolyards, my biggest volume and value sites have been stadiums and ball fields. Getting to know the proud athletes of past decades provides locations of sports training, practice and playing areas that no longer exist. It is easy to get to know them. Go to high school and college games in your community and they standout. Most are very proud of their accomplishments in sports and will open up many sites to hunt. I learned from a retired baseball coach that he played professional ball back in the 30's and he described an area where this team came and practiced in Tarpon in the late winter and early spring. The site has huge foundation stones lining the street entrance and they were the bleacher foundations for that practice facility. I made some super depression era coin finds there including several low mintage key coins of the early 30's. One stadium that I have permission to hunt on an on-going basis has led to over 30,000 coins and 30 gold rings. I love those athletic connects.

There are several other older-generation retirees that can make your research profitable and fun. Here are a few more historical people groups and the type of sites they deliver. Retired educators/school sites, real estates agents/all types, construction workers/commercial and residential sites, service club members (Rotary, Kiwanis, etc.)/many types, and newspaper editors & writers/wide variety.

You can make history or just be history! Living in the same community for more than forty years gives me a great privilege. A privilege of sharing what I have learned from the important "historical figures" and yes becoming one of them. This is why I have written this small blurb on metal detecting research. Having found over 150,000 coins with metal detectors and 85% of them coming from Tarpon Springs makes me an expert in this my "hometown". It delights me to share info that can apply to your research in your community.

Here's to "diggin it!" Larry

http://MetalDetectorForCoinCollecting.com/free-report

Larry Smith is an avid coin collector and metal detector enthusiast. He's been collecting coins for over 50 years. Larry is giving away his ebook, "Coin Collecting With The Home Town Advantage" FREE for a limited time. You can get your copy and start building (or expanding) your own collection right now.

Get the ebook (and TONS of other great FREE content) by visiting his blog now:

http://MetalDetectorForCoinCollecting.com/free-report

Metal Detecting for the Older Coins

Consequently you decided to buy your inexpensive metal detector, so at this point you think, putting it into action? , a lot of people in general taken up metal detector searching each year - and a great deal of them pitch in the towel  within months. Why do you believe it's that treasure hunters give up metal detector hunting so rapidly?


The basis is  easy, treasure hunters that start treasure hunting being a past time think all they need do is acquire a satisfactory low-cost machine, obtain the metal detector, start the detector, detect the parks, ball diamonds otherwise older grounds and you will be amazed by finding  all sorts of metals, older coins, clad change, as well as relics from the preceding years.


The thing is, unfortunately, it doesn't happen that way. Dirt fishing is a impressive past time on the contrary it is actually a tricky one to perform effectively. It can take days of misery, experimenting along with error.


Owning a proper detector undoubtedly helps. However, I've talked to treasure hunters with some top of the range detectors who all too soon given up. Which means  that gear isn't the single reason that you are triumphant. You need to get decent equipment, however you also require a few extra tools to be unbeaten in metal detecting.


One thing you ought to carry out before you make it successfully, is achieve your due thoroughness. Which means  knowing further roughly where you are going to hunt assists. For persons that quit furstrated, if just they had completed a modest bit of research before departing out in the area. Doing the appropriate preparation will make all the difference around the planet. There is no bigger pleasure than pulling a shiny gold ring out of the hole or maybe a old Barber quarter!


First, obtain an old map from 50, a hundred, or more years ago . You can buy them on the web. Now old maps or historic maps, to refine include your location," into your favorite search engine for a listing of suppliers. Afterward get yourself a map of the exact same locale. One which is recent plus reveals all of the new aspect and maturity. Then check out both side-by-side. When after cross examining your map, try to choose places of possible historical significance, or those that would had a reason to have traffic from old days.


Look for areas in the maps that coincide or have not changed much over the past 10 years. You'll find plenty of like places. This is astounding how tracks, or shortcuts from one spot to another, which often look like temporary and current, have actually been nearly for 100 years. If they have been around 100 years (because they appear in in cooperation the old map and the new), odds are they've been at hand for 200 years or 300 years. This really is the sort of spot you're looking for.


Ground borders are an extra section to look at. They may vary a little since property is purchased and bought over time. Although mainly they continue to be the same. I have recovered a few of the oldest coins and relics in such type of spots. These regions may not be within immensely residential areas, on the contrary points of intrest on the East Coast from the United states of america present true opportunity.


when you have identified the locations which might be similar, or virtually the same, in  the old and new map, denote each spot with pencil.
This can be your goal places to search. In half a shake proceed and mentally confirm each. Spend a quantity of of your time doing this. Study the place, the ownership, and ensure you aren't illegally ivading  the land. If you don't get hold of the right okay, you possibly can be stealing. The owner for this land may be the title-holder of the items on that land.


As well, keep your eye lids ajar  for places that seem to have changed but actually contain small sections which have escaped advance through the years - perhaps as well small to identify in the maps. These patches, tiny patches will ordinarily display up as small locations that perhaps could not be developed, and tend to be areas including foliage, and shrubs.


Subsequently do not quit metal detecting If you only  go by the guidelines above, great finds will draw closer your way. Work that low-cost metal detector that you simply obtained a deal on, be sure you possess decent map and a strategy set out, and go have some fun!

Metal Detecting Tips and Advice

Do you want to find buried treasure faster and easier than you ever thought possible. Metal detecting is the doorway to modern treasure hunting. Get the resources you need to be an excellent treasure hunter. Learn about the different types of metal detecting and metal detector features. Also, learn about the tools you'll need to get that buried treasure, like coils,diggers and scoops. Learn how to use your metal detector with tips that will allow you to find treasures while passing over trash. Learn to find treasure at the beach, in walls, structures and in roadways. Guides to help you understand the law so that you can keep what you find. Also included are tips to finding amazing treasure inside America's national parks and to other search site ideas.

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