I always wanted to do this when I was younger for some reason.

Now I just spent over $200 on a detector.

Anyone do this on here...or is this just a super loser thing to do?

all you're going to find is broken headphones.

FYP.

I went through that phase as a teenager and had a decent metal detector. All I ever found was other peoples junk.

FWIW we did have one huge success story with it. While at a family picnic someone lost their wedding ring while f'ing around on the grass. We were able to find it pretty quickly with the detector. However I suspect we would've found it without the help of the MD as well.

Did it with a Whites for a few months.

It's one of those things that is very exciting on the front end... then, you do it for a while without any success and at that moment, it either 'takes' and you keep going for the thrill of it all, or it doesn't take and you just can't stand getting excited over a penny anymore. Of course, if you make some awesome hit early on, expect to be hooked. The key is not being a retard about the places where you look. Old/abandoned/demolished houses are about the best.

I met a guy who actually assembled a complete set of Mercury Dimes- including the 1916-D- using a metal detector in NJ.
It is fun when you're finding stuff, tho... For me, I'm waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more interested in indian artifact hunting but it's getting harder and harder to find places to look that aren't state owned and the span between decent finds can be measured in years.

** Edit- As to whether or not it's a "super loser thing", by the standards of many, yes, it probably is. It isn't like it will ever get you laid, and, if a woman sees you doing it at noon and you happen to bump into her at a bar later that night, she will probably avoid you. But it's fun. Who cares what other people think.

Mmmm...Mercury dimes...<drool>

I've always wanted to do this. Just haven't had the time. Maybe next year.