Meet the VIP Test Team

Introducing the Kellyco VIP Test Team Members

Kellyco is proud to work alongside the finest treasure hunters in the sport of metal detecting. From magnet fishing to finding gold nuggets, civil war hunts to coin shooting - our Kellyco VIP test team members are hand-selected to provide the very best in education, entertainment and downright fun all while keeping up with the Metal Detector's Code of Ethics. Treasure awaits, what will they discover next? Read more about our test team members and click to view their content and channels.

Tennessee Adventures Matt Ryan Holding Fisher Metal Detector with Trees and A Car in the Background all in Black and White

Matt Ryan
Tennessee Adventures

Hello my name is Matt Ryan and I've been metal detecting for almost 3 years. I started metal detecting because I watched different channels and it got me motivated to get out and try to find history. I have many machines that I use but my favorite gear is the Minelab Equi nox 800, Garrett Carrot, Whites Digmaster, Whites Ground Hawg Shovel and the Garrett finds bag. My favorite types of hunting are parks and relics- woods- old homesites. My channel is unique because I am always out finding new areas to detect and I'm also really good at finding rings, I'm almost at 100 rings, I've been on the news 4 times and had many ring returns for people who lost their valuables. I also really love history and preserving it.

Black and White Image of Gary Penta of My Detecting Standing in Front of Van Filled with Detecting Gear Including Minelab CTX-3030 Shovel and Wearing Headphones

Gary Penta
MyDetecting.com

My name is Gary J. Penta and I am a 23-year retired military veteran enjoying life in beautiful central Florida. I'm an avid metal detectorist, certified diver, and a RingFinder. I currently use the Minelab Equinox 800 as my primary machine and an Equinox 600 as my backup. Besides detecting and diving I also enjoy building miniature metal detectors and treasure hunting/detecting themed dioramas. I find it very rewarding and I genuinely appreciate the positive feedback from our community. You can learn more about me by visiting my website: www.mydetecting.com

Silhouette of She Detector Water Hunting for Treasures at the beach with Garrett Metal Detector in Front of her and Sand Scoop Behind with Cloudy Sky in Background all in Black and White

She Detector
Florida Detectorist

Hey guys, I'm She Detector! I've been detecting since September 2015. Being one of a small number of females in the hobby, when I first started posting videos online, I wanted it to truly be about the detecting and nothing else, i.e. the fact that I'm a chick. So, for the first year I never showed my whole body or my face. All you could ever really see were my legs. After a few months someone stated a theory that I was waiting until I found my first ring to finally show my face. I liked the idea so that's exactly what I did! I found my first ring (a men's platinum wedding band) in August of 2016.

My channel is all about trying out new or different gear that's on the market for detecting. I try it first to help people decide if they like what they see before they go buy it. I've tried out several different brands and models of detectors, digging tools, pin pointers, and accessories. I don't work with just one brand which means I can try ALL brands!

While I'm able to try different brands and models of machines, I will say my personal favorite is the Minelab Excalibur II. My Excal, whose pet name is Ringer, is my go to machine when hunting at the beaches in Florida (where I live).

Not being brand exclusive really comes in handy and I think what sets my channel apart from others is that I'm able to try all kinds of different gear. And lastly, my number one tip to everyone is to dig EVERYTHING! You never know what you will find unless you dig it up! So let's get to doing some metal detecting!

Black and White Image of Emily Copeland of Little Dirt Diggers Holding Up Civil War Bullet Casing in One Hand and Garrett AT Max Metal Detector in the Other with Field and Trees Out of Focus in Background

Emily Copeland
Little Dirt Digger

My name is Emily Copeland, A.K.A Little Dirt Digger. I started metal detecting when I was 4 years old and now I'm 8. My Daddy taught me to detect and we go all the time. We started my Facebook, Instagram and YouTube channel to get more kids involved and get them excited about detecting.

I love to detect Civil War encampments and old home sites. I also enjoy magnet fishing, bottle digging, and fishing.

I use the Garrett AT Pro, AT Max and I love my Grave Digger Tools. I get my luck from putting worms on my nose!

Black and White Image of Greg Pickens of Finding America Metal Detecting In Front of Old Rustic House with Bare Trees Around It and in the Background

Greg Pickens
Finding America

Hello everyone! I'm Greg Pickens from Finding America and I've been metal detecting since December of 1979. I began detecting while living on an old Indian Wars cavalry post in Arizona called Fort Huachuca. It was an amazing place to be a 12 year old and to be there digging up relics and coins from the days of the US Cavalry, Cowboys and Indians. I became addicted to detecting right off the bat and soon afterwards moved to Germany where I hunted for the next 6 years digging up Roman, Medieval and World War II artifacts and coins. It was there, during my high school days that I actually got a Garrett Freedom II metal detector from Kellyco! Since then, I have been detecting nonstop for 40 years all over the United States. After having been a customer of Kellyco going way back, I am very excited to now be part of the Kellyco Team.

I have used many different Whites, Garrett, Fisher, and Minelab detectors through the years. My favorite machines to use right now are the Minelab E-Trac and the Minelab Equinox 800. I also currently use a Garrett Pro-Pointer AT, White Signature Series Finds Pouch, Lesche hand digger, White Digmaster, Root Slayer Nomad shovel and Quest Wireless headphones. And a good set of knee pads! LOL

Where ever I can put my coil to the soil is where I like to metal detect. I hunt any location I can get permission to including fields, woods, front yards, empty city lots, court houses, sidewalks, schools, etc. From coins to relics, I like to find everything! If it is old and unusual, I love finding it.

What sets my YouTube channel apart is that making the find is just the beginning. I enjoy showing the find cleaned and restored and also when possible showing the viewer photos of the item in use when it was new. I also love to delve into the history and share the stories the finds have to tell with the viewers. Many times, the unassuming find turns out to be the greatest treasure. I also like to show people what they can find by digging it all and finding so many amazing treasures that many passed over because the numbers told them it was “trash”. So many amazing items that fall into the “trash” VDI numbers are out there just waiting to be dug! My motto on the channel is “History makes that find a treasure!”

Black and White Image of Man Plus River Reaching Out Scuba Diving with Metal Detecting Gear and Foggy Water Filled with Bubbles Around Him

Dallas Rowley
Man + River

My obsession for treasure hunting started when I was about 12 years old. Some cousins and I were floating down the river, when I spotted something shiny underwater. Without any diving gear, I jumped in and came up with my first piece of treasure: a set of car keys! To me, it was equally as cool as finding pirates treasure! I had caught the bug.

Only in the past few years have I started to take the hobby more seriously. In dives that require a hike, I like taking my Treasure Products Vibratector, because it's so compact and can get into the really tight spaces between rocks etc. For ocean diving and easy access dives, I love my Minelab Excalibur II. What really gets me excited is searching for more modern treasure, and seeing the reaction of the owner when I can return it to them. Getting to share that whole experience with my YouTube and Facebook audience is really cool to me.

Black and White Image of Quarter Hoarder wearing MS-2 Headphones Holding Garrett AT Pro Metal Detector in One Hand and Grave Digger Tools Shovel in Other Hand in Snowy Field with Trees in Background

Jason Bozzuffi
Quarter Hoarder

What's up guys, Quarter Hoarder here - that's the starting phrase of each and every video on my YouTube channel "Quarter Hoarder". I've been metal detecting for about 7 years and when I say it's on my mind 24/7 that just might be an understatement. My crew and I research, get permission, and then metal detect different old places each and every week all year round.

From 1700's colonial mansions to a 1940's Bungalo, farms and fields, to pastures and woods; I try to bring new places and fun faces to each and every video; and of course show lots of cool treasures and forgotten artifacts along the way. You'll see coins from before we were a country to objects your grandmother would have used every day. That's the beauty of this hobby, you just never know what you'll dig up next! I currently use the Garrett AT Pro and the Garrett AT (carrot) pinpointer. I also use a Lesche hand digger right now but hope to pickup a Grave Digger Tools shovel soon.

Black and White Image of The Hoover Boys' Kurt Franz Holding Coin Find Between Thumb and Forefinger with Garrett AT Max Metal Detector on His Shoulder

Kurt Franz
The Hoover Boys

My name is Kurt and I've been Treasure Hunting most of my life. As a kid I always had my eyes on the ground for lost valuables. In early 1990's I saved enough money to buy my first metal detector. I've been hooked ever since. I detect with a lot of different friends all over the east cost. We love early American History. Our focus is Pre-Colonial through the American Civil War. It's amazing finding something our forefathers lost while building this country. We also enjoy Bottle Digging, Digging Trash Pits, Native American Artifact Hunting, and Searching for fossils like Petrified Sharks Teeth. My main detectors are the Garrett AT Max, Garret ATX, and Minelab Equinox. I prefer a Waterproof machine because we hunt in all conditions and detect underwater in the summer. We hunt anywhere and everywhere from Yards, Parks, Farms, Farm Fields, Creeks, Streams, and Rivers. Come check us out on YouTube.

Black and White Image of Eric Reed of Reawakening History Holding Two Metal Detectors Standing in Grassy Area with Leaves and Trees in the Background

Eric Reed
Reawakening History

Greetings all! My name is Eric Reed from Reawakening History. I started metal detecting as a teenager in the early 1980's with a "click & go" classic blaze orange Radio Shack Treasure Hunter...an inauspicious beginning! Even with such a rudimentary machine, it wasn't long until I found my first bit of history, a 1918 Standing Liberty quarter...and I was bitten by the "bug"!

Pressing fast-forward through 36+ years of military service around the world, today I am blessed to enjoy my passion for metal detecting and history in the heart of America's past, near Williamsburg, Virginia. I enjoy researching and exploring a diverse selection of detecting sites and soil types across the state, as well as some ocean surf/beach hunting. I love sharing the history I reawaken through writing (several articles posted on Kellyco's site), pictures, and video.

My current weapon of choice is the Garrett AT Max, accompanied by a Garrett Propointer AT, Predator Piranha shovel, and a wide variety of other gear that's dependent on the environment I'm exploring. In the end, it's all about Reawakening History, and Saving Relics from the Tyranny of Time!