In an endeavour to cool the issue (as I'm keen the core one doesn't get lost) I confess to occasional trollish tendencies when discussing this stuff, or at least, unforum-like behaviour. The reason is, what's been going on here is a continuation of a two-year long argument between people who have heard each others opinions ad nauseam and haven't ever agreed any common ground. I think of it as a dispute over over land, the bitterest variety, and I'm not in it to lose it.

Until now it was impossible to make progress as it was all smoke and mirrors and platitudes. The counter and HA's change of tack has changed things. "It's the progressive erosion of a finite commmon resource for personal gratification, stupid" is not only true but obvious and demonstrable and most of all cannot be defended against. Our friends hadn't quite twigged the significance of the change but they probably have now. Detectorworld in general has, there's no public chat about it - talking about it points at it so the word has gone out.

Anhow, loved the Flushing and Kerrr-ching! idea Dimjim. It could even have the flush every time followed by the occasional Kerching in some cases in the correct proportion shown by Ebay. Any more ideas? Music? The sound of two palms being rubbed together? The sound of one hero slapping the other's back? An animated David Lammy doing a little heritage dance? ;)