Metal Detectors

There's definitely a danger to getting into metal detecting.  What can be dangerous about wandering around looking for metal, you ask?  The answer: addiction.  Start reading about some of the great places to search, or about what other metal detector users have found, and you'll soon be chomping at the bit to get out there and find treasures of your own.

Canfield's is proud to stock both White's and Bounty Hunter metal detectors. 

Canfield's rents metal detectors!  Canfield's rents the Bounty Hunter TK4 (Tracker 4) metal detector!  Just put the rental fee on a credit card and the unit is yours for 7 days.  When you return the unit, the amount you paid will be returned to your card minus a $50 rental fee.  The $50 rental fee may be applied to the purchase of any of Canfield's metal detectors if purchased within 30 days of the return of the rental detector.  A $10 per day fee will be charged for each day the metal detector is not returned after the 7-day rental period. 

Give us a call at 402-393-3363 or 800-333-2263 to talk to any of our knowledgeable employees in the metal detector area.  They'll be glad to answer your questions, and will help you decide what detector or accessories will best meet your needs.

The Midwest Historical Metal Detecting Club meets the second Wednesday of every month!  Join them at the W. Dale Clark library in downtown Omaha, 215 S 15th, at 6:30 p.m.  The library phone number is 444-4800.  Share treasure hunting techniques, display items you've found, and meet people who share your passion for treasure hunting!

25 Best-Kept Secrets to Finding Treasure

Paraphrased.  Information used with permission of White's Electronics, Inc.

1.  Your backyard is the best place to start!  Wherever people have been, there are items to be found.  Branch out into your neighborhood after you search your own yard.

2.  Targets can move in the ground.  "A hard winter freeze can actually bring deeper coins into detection range." 

3.  People collect everything - buttons, badges, tokens, sewing items, keys, horseshoes, bells, and other old "junk."  It may seem worthless to you, but it might be a valuable find to a collector.

4.  Join a club.  You'll meet people with a ton of information on everything from how your detector works to where to search in your area.  You'll also be inspired by seeing what others have found nearby!

5.  Check the sidewalk strip.  That strip of grass between the sidewalk and the curb can be lucrative.  Think how many people have walked past there over the years!

6.  Winter's rough seas can yield excellent beach hunting, if you're able to visit the ocean with your detector.

7.  Use your local library to find areas to hunt.  Check old newspapers to see where events were held.  Where did people gather in your community around the turn of the century?

8.  Moist ground means extra detection depth because the conductivity of targets in the ground is increased through corrosion.  Wet ground also makes digging much easier.  

9.  Carry a small container, like a film container, lined with cotton to protect fragile treasures like rings from damage or loss after you find them.

10.  Fact: There's more money lost than in circulation today.  Some hobbyists find several dollars-worth of money in one day, and one old coin could bring you enough money to pay for your metal detector! 

11.  Myth: All the good spots are all hunted out.  Metal detector users find valuable coins in parks that have been "hunted to death" all the time.

12.  Check the beach, ocean or lake, daily.  Where there are swimmers and sunbathers, there's treasure to be found.  Suntan lotion makes wrists and fingers slippery.  If a piece of jewelry or a coin hits the sand, it's usually out of sight and goes unfound - until you come along with your metal detector.

13.  Old maps are a great tool.  Use them to find out where churches, farmhouses, schools and grandstands once were.

14.  Always re-check the hole after recovering a target.  There's often more than one coin or relic in a hole.  Check the plug of dirt your removed from the hole, too.

15.  Learn your metal detector.  Take the time to learn to maximize the performance of your metal detector.  You'll get optimum depth and sensitivity in various hunting situations.

16.  Put a small ad in the local penny saver paper.  Your offering to look for lost items may result in a grateful owner allowing you to hunt his land.  And the fun of returning a lost ring to its owner is its own reward!

17.  Hunting with a buddy is more than just fun.  You'll double your chances of hunting a site thoroughly and proving that site worthwhile.

18.  Keep a log of your finds.  Tracking your progress and finds from year to year is not only fun, but can yield good information about where to hunt.

19.  Iron doesn't mean "junk."  Old horseshoes, square nails, farm implements, railroad spikes - all are collectible.  They can even let you find out valuable information about the area where you're collecting.

20.  Construction means new hunting opportunities.  Construction means moving dirt, removing sidewalks and streets, and tearing down old houses and buildings.  Ask for permission to hunt these areas before the new buildings or roads are built.

21.  Use the internet as a research tool.  Research equipment, learn detecting techniques, find out about legends of lost treasure, view old maps of your community... the list is never-ending.

22.  Smaller search coils are handy for junky areas.  If you're hunting an area with lots of nails, pull tabs, foil and other debris, a smaller search coil on your metal detector allows you to isolate the good targets mixed in with the junk. 

23.  Farmers' fields are exceptional opportunities.  Ask permission to hunt while the crops are off.  There may be less to find in quantity, but the quality can be excellent.  You may find an old Civil War and other old soldier encampments. 

24.  Find a cache of coins!  After banks closed their doors during the Depression, many people, distrustful of financial institutions, buried their money and valuables. 

25.  Local dealers are local experts.  Utilize the product-knowledge of your metal detector dealer (like Canfield's).   They'll be able to help you decide on the best detector and accessories to meet your unique needs, not just try to get you to buy the most expensive unit on the sales floor.