Why are there so many people with metal detectors at crowded beaches?

[connemara_crocodile]

Chances are that if you're at a very touristy beach, you'll find at least one person with an expensive metal detector kit spending their day scanning the ground.

What are they expecting to find?

A few coins or earrings, probably a couple dollars worth?
The whole thing is probably way more expensive to bring in the plane than the money they'll make.

An historical artifact? Really? In a super crowded touristy beach where thousands came before you?

Seriously, I cannot understand this hobby, can someone enlighten me?

Updates

+1 y

It calles my attention mainly in places I've been to like yhe Caribbean or the Mediterranean, where bringing that sort of equipment costs a fortune

[NamerOfStars]

How on Earth did you reach the age of 31 without having read Treasure Island? Fix that, posthaste!

Here's the text: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/120/pg120.txt

And if you prefer to listen, rather than read, here's the Librivox audiobook: https://librivox.org/treasure-island-by-robert-louis-stevenson-2/

[gorydetails]

let people enjoy things. If people are wearing jewelry at the beach, they're losing jewelry on the beach.

[connemara_crocodile]

No problem with them doing that, I just don't get it.

But to the point, how much can you find at the beach? People don't wear fancy jewelry at the beach, on a very successful day, you can probably make 5 dollars of findings... Transporting those things on the plane is at least 20 or 30 dollars

[gorydetails]

Maybe they're not flying to the beach. Maybe they're driving or are locals.

[connemara_crocodile]

No, I'm talking places I've been too like Caribbean or Santorini... Definitely paying a good price for bringing equipment... I feel like I'm missing something cause it doesn't add up

[gorydetails]

Maybe ask one of them.

[connemara_crocodile]

You know last time I saw one I regretted not asking 🤣 I'll have to wait for my next holidays 😅

[CrimsonAngel09]

I agree, plus I myself would find it boring.

Figuratively speaking, one person's trash is another person's treasure. We may find it boring or pointless, but some people just genuinely enjoy it.

Even if they may not find anything.

[MORPHEUS_12]

A lot of people who do this make every effort to return lost items to the original owners. Also it is illegal to metal detect in National Battlefields so that is why everyone is at the beach.

[HoraceB]

I think this website will answer all your questions: https://metaldetectingintheusa.com/metal-detecting/ the main points they list are:

• Love of history (finding rare things)
• Love of the outdoors
• Coin collecting
• Finding valuable objects they can sell

[docster]

I don't have a detector, but I imagine it's the thrill of the hunt. Kind of like fishing. It also gives them exercise and gets them out and around people.

[purplepoppy]

You get them on uk beaches too, I saw too last night. I can understand them working around suspected historical sites but not tourist beaches.