UK Detectorists are Not in it for the Munny, Unless they are

Nick Smith (Facebook groups AFUDGE):

"I met the guys who found the Crosby Garret mask and they both metal detect full time, lots and lots of research, lots of door knocking and absolutely no random land digging, they just target known or suspected hot spots based on historical research and have made some fantastic finds, including hoards, swords, etc, enough to make a living."

'Lots and lots of research' translated does not mean 'citizen archaeology' as Bloomsbury would have people believe, it really means locate known and suspected sites and target them to fill their pockets.  Those hoards and swords are 'enough to make a living'.