Redding Relic Hunter - Metal Detectorist

09/05/2026

Today I was able to use my metal detector to help my sister-in law who lost an earring in the bushes on the side of her deck while cleaning out a bag.

08/30/2026

08/30/2026

Other recent finds: An old saw blade, part of an Ox shoe, a small chunk of metal, a horseshoe, and an interesting mystery metal part.

08/30/2026

Found this unusual ring at my sister-in-law's beach community. I was not even using a metal detector. Sitting at the beach, I just looked down at my feet, and there it was! LOL! I gave it to my sister-in-law. She is going to try to find the owner by posting on the online community bulletin board.

08/23/2026

After one of my posts in a community Facebook group asking for property permissions, a woman commented wanting to know if I had knocked on her door and peeked through her window last year. Someone doing exactly that had been caught on her home security cameras, and he told neighbors he was looking for permission to metal detect. The incident really freaked this woman out (it wasn’t me), and it left her with a negative impression of metal detectorists in general. She commented on her feelings about this, and this triggered a couple of other negative comments. It seems people are very suspicious and don't like strangers coming to their door. I started wondering how other detectorists navigate that challenge.

I’m not really comfortable knocking on doors, but I’m starting to think I may eventually need to. Up to now, I’ve been getting permissions through other approaches: posting AI‑created “TV commercials” on social media to get attention, having a local newspaper write an article about me and my hobby, putting up flyers around the area, talking with people at historical society meetings while wearing my logo shirt and cap, asking for referrals, and emailing owners of promising properties directly instead of showing up unannounced. I’ve gotten a couple dozen permissions this way, but the downside of this shotgun approach is that the properties I’m offered aren’t always the most desirable. If I do decide to start knocking on doors, I’m trying to figure out what the best, most respectful approach would be to avoid situations like the one described above. Any suggestions?

In the meantime, below are links to some of the “TV commercials” I’ve posted over time. I’d really appreciate any feedback; if anyone wants to critique or rank them, I’d love to hear your thoughts. I know a few of them run a bit long, and I’ve reused certain themes and visuals, so I’m curious what stands out, what works, and what doesn’t.

1 - https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CPpGSVKrJ/
2 - https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1GERYQGfrg/
3 - https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1EqgcCBft6/
4 - https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1C1hCFEjwk/
5 - https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1JkhrqXiQR/
6 - https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1EvhoVEPRG/
7 - https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Ltz1uHZK5/

08/22/2026

I’ve been dealing with some health issues over the past couple of weeks, so I haven’t been out metal detecting. Instead, I’ve been experimenting with AI and video editing. The result is a new ad video, my latest effort to attract fresh property permissions. Admittedly, it is too long and I have recycled some old content and added new.

08/18/2026

I took a quick trip to the store and when I got back out to my car, the battery was completely dead. I think it is the alternator. I managed to get a jump-start and get the car to an auto shop. Since I didn’t have anything pressing to do, I decided to walk home instead of calling an Uber. The walk gave me a chance to take a closer look at a couple of spots I usually drive past that might be good candidates for metal detecting. I’d still need permission from the property owners, but getting a better look helped me decide if these sites were worth pursuing. It ended up being about a three‑mile uphill walk in brutal heat and humidity, so it felt a lot longer than it sounds. Here is a short video of one of the more interesting sites.

08/05/2026

I tried to put all my 2026 finds into one post (see Featured), but Facebook caps photo uploads at 80 per post. So from here on, each day's finds will have to go into its own post. I did about an hour of beach detecting yesterday, and these were the only finds worth sharing: a ring (my first one this year), a 1997 dime, and a 1970 quarter. The ring appears to be missing one of its stones. It was buried quite deep, so it had probably been there a while.