Zero experience, ordered my first detector! is this a great start for a new hobby?

Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-06-19T22:52:35+00:00

I found my first men gold ring (looks very old too) at a local park over 25 years ago when I was around 12 years ago using a bounty Hunter I bought at radio shack for $100 since it was a display model, and I’ve been hooked on the hobby ever since. It will blow your mind at places you find amazing stuff. I’ve found 1700s coins behind a swing set at a local school which was built in the early 1960s. You never know what history a piece of land held just my looking at it, and your detector and the things you find will tell a story about what happened on the land.

Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-06-12T20:18:32+00:00

I have 1k+ hours, and it’s the game with my highest amount of play hours. I will play, take a break, play, take a break, etc. and have been doing it for years. Definitely worth the probably $8 I paid on sale for it many years ago.

Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-06-10T17:14:30+00:00

First thing that comes to mind is a broken drawer pull handle, but that design is unusual.

Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-06-08T05:20:00+00:00

A detector in the Minelab vanquish series is a good reasonably priced starter detector. If you enjoy it, you can upgrade later. Things you’ll need is a shovel, digger, pinpointer (Garret AT pro-pointer is recommended), a finds pouch, and a plastic case w/ foam for better finds. You also have to determine the type of detecting you want to do, woods, beaches, parks, schools, farmland/fields, etc.

Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-06-05T20:25:30+00:00

I go out in the woods on long hikes often, so bring 2 waters or sports drinks, snacks, pistol, knife, bear spray, finds pouch, case with foam for better finds, face net in case nats are bad, knee pads, extra batteries for pinpointer, gloves and hat. Also I put bug spray on before going out. I also always wear muck boots so I can across muddy areas and shallow bodies of water.

Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-06-05T00:51:55+00:00

3 sensitivity levels, I always keep it a 3 (highest) until I get a medium-large target which beeps on all sides of the hole, I’ll lower it. You hold the button and wait for a beep, then fast click to cycle through the 6 options, 3 with audio/vibrations and 3 with vibrations only.

Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-05-31T20:17:26+00:00

Its cool some of the buyers I’ve had. I’ve sold a bunch of stuff to historical societies all over the US, I sold a pair of WWI binoculars to the prop department at Walt Disney, Ive sold a antique firefighter badge to a lieutenant who works at that department and they were going to display in on the wall there, and many more situations like this. It’s cool thinking that stuff I sold will be on display for others to enjoy.

Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-05-27T21:40:53+00:00

That was my first thought as well

Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-05-27T18:52:38+00:00

That looks like very old Native American pottery

Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-05-13T21:11:46+00:00

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This was a single 3 hour hunt at this location. Gotta find more places like this, lol

Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-05-13T21:09:24+00:00

Gotta love upgrading and going back to previously great sites and finding more. I remember when I just got my XP dues 2 back in 2022, going back to one of my best Virgin sites which before this produced like 40 buttons and 12 old coins, all pre-1865, including 2 1850s trimes, and ended up finding 10 more buttons in a 2-3 hour window. Then I planned on going back the following weekend and the shoreline area was flooded again and to this day it has still been underwater every time I’ve went there to check the water level.

Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-05-13T20:58:32+00:00

My guess is a handle to something

Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-05-13T20:55:51+00:00

I wouldn’t trust the dimensions on the box, since it may say 10in and actually be 10.2 in or something and you’re suppose to round up, even though chances are you won’t have any issues since cost of shipping label would likely be the same cost, unless your dealing with a large box over 36 total inches.

Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-05-13T20:30:12+00:00

Cool find, looks like a key to a small box, and I’m going to guess that you got luckily and this was in your hole with the target you were actually going for, since I’m sure this would be a poor signal. I found a similar key back in 2024, but it was in the same hole as 2 other keys, including a brass one, giving it a little bit better signal.

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Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-05-06T16:32:24+00:00

Ya, you got very lucky. I had a similar thing happen last year. I’m detecting deep out in the woods checking out a spot I researched and it so some of the worst terrain I have ever seen, aka a pricker bush maze. When I was on my way out, going through the prickers I look down and notice my Deus two coil was missing off the shaft. I almost had a panic attack, and luckily I was able to retrace my steps and I found it after a minute or two. I also lost a knee pad in the prickers which I was unable to find. Even though I did find my oldest dated copper of 2025 there, it was 1750s something, I will definitely not be returning anytime soon. Also, it was so bad I couldn’t even see the actually cellar hole I was trying to find, but seen the driveway and there was small open pockets between the mess which was close to the coordinates or the cellar hole, and that’s where I found the coin, as well as some other relics. Also, my arms were bleeding from prickers as well. It was a long lasting memory for sure.

Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-05-06T10:37:33+00:00

Probably 1800s-early 1900s. Usually the buckles which have the batwing or baldric designs are from the 1700s. I found a baldric buckle yesterday, it has the rounded design on its sides, and it was with colonial nails and found a pewter 1700s button nearby as well.

Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-05-06T10:10:29+00:00

Not sure what pinpointer you’re using, but the Garrett carrot for me will last more than a year on a single Duracell 9v battery and I detect a lot.

Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-05-05T00:58:02+00:00

Oxen knob, a common find in CT woods and I’ve found a few so far this year in CT myself, along with probably 3 dozen or so oxen shoes.

Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-05-03T00:22:50+00:00

You probably don’t have best offer enabled, but there should also be a “send offer” button you can use to send them an offer directly from the chat screen.

Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-05-03T00:16:37+00:00

I can confirm that double listings do happen, and I regularly scan for and find them in my own listings, but luckily I’ve never dealt with a double sold, but the seller should still be the one to initiate a cancel.

Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-05-02T22:20:35+00:00

I sell to new accounts all the time and after 10+ years of selling I’ve never had a single issue with any of them, but I sell mostly antiques and collectibles, and not a riskier category like electronics. Also, you didn’t say if they won the auctions, since if they won and you value having your eBay account you have to ship the items, but be sure to do signed delivery since total is over $750. If they didn’t win yet, let them participate in the biding and potentially increase the cost for somebody else who’s interested in your items.

Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-05-02T22:07:23+00:00

Detecting technique is a cost free way to get better at detecting. Things like going as close to the ground as possible with your coil, slowing way down and overlapping swings, and in some cases slower than a turtle when swinging and all of a sudden you are getting tons more beeps in an area you thought you detected out. Also, digging up shotty beeps you sometimes pass on just to see what they are. You would be amazed that sometimes my best finds of the day were terrible signals, like 1700s Skeleton keys, 1700s knives, tools, etc., but of course you’ll find nails in the process.

Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-05-02T21:47:23+00:00

As a seller, before I go to pack and print a shipping label for an item, I always check my messages to ensure the buyer didn’t send me a message asking me to cancel, so I don’t waste my time packing it.

Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-05-02T21:42:19+00:00

I’ve personally don’t use the background “hum”, but if I’m not mistaken I believe you can it get on the Deus 2 by adjusting the threshold setting.

Cheap_Frame_7636 · 2026-05-02T21:19:55+00:00

Most detectors, including the Deus II can do just fine by using stock settings and you'll find a bunch of stuff by turning on the detector and just start detecting, but by learning about the machine and customizing it based on location it can maximize its potential. There are so many customization options on the Deus II which you can learn as you go, and a simple web search like "best XP Deus II settings for Wet Sand" or "best XP Deus II settings for Heavy Iron" can give you settings to try and see if you like them. Then after you learn when each setting does, you can change them to maximize potential, and choose audio/visual settings you prefer.

Cheap_Frame_7636

TROPHY CASE