Here's another post I'd made:
Being a "newbie" to this hobby, I'm going to relay some of my own recent experiences which will hopefully help-out others just getting started.
My 1st spots to MD were the "usuals", schools, parks, etc. And, there's nothing at all wrong with them, I'd made a few finds worthwhile, above the usual batch of clad coins. However, there are only so many local schools, parks, churches, etc. Depending upon your area, and the age of these sites, you may be limited in your finds. Besides, anyone else in your area with a MD has/is also hitting them.
If you just got into MDing, by all means try these sites, but try your own yard 1st. Practice your digging & retrieval methods in your yard, and you'll leave less of your "mark" when you venture out to other spots. And always try to be as neat as you can. You're just about guaranteed to find something in the above mentioned areas, so it will give you time to familarize yourself with your machine.
After you've hit a few of the local areas, learned alot more about your machine and learned how to recover coins & other items with minimal damage to the sod, it's time to "move-on" to bigger & better things
I grew-up in the same town I currently live in, and I'm 50 so I already know of alittle of the history of some of my surrounding areas. However, I have learned alot more in the past few weeks. I was rather intimidated about how to go about finding some new areas to MD, and hopefully finding something from the "early days" in the 1800's.
Simply searching the internet can provide alot of info. Just google your hometown or county & add the word "history" behind it. That will bring-up loads of information, which will get you started. After that, you'll start seeing places & dates mentioned, so jot them down & refine your research to them. Stop & think about any keyword you can use to bring-up additional information about your area.
The local library is another place, many having a section for their own "local" history. Begin with the internet search, and if you find limited available info on a local site in your area, take what you have to the library, and you may very well be able to further your search here. If you have or know kids in school, sometimes they're required to do reports....lol, maybe you can kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Give them the topic you're wanting researched & let them do a report on it......just be sure you get a copy
There's alot of other sources for info, parents, grandparents, even great grandparents if they're still living. Alot of folks keep photo albums, postcards, newspaper clippings, and all sorts of things from their parents & grandparents when they pass-away. So ask your parents or relatives if they might have any of these things you might be able to look at for leads.
Go out to a "greasy-sthingy" sometime in a local rural area. Many of these folks are farmers, and repeat customers. Ask a waitress to point-out one of the "older" customers who might fit this description. Offer to buy them breakfast for letting you talk with them during it. Granted, this takes some "people skills", and just remember to be polite, and don't smoke (if allowed) if they don't, and remember to keep your language "in check".
Some of the (few remaining) smalltown hardware stores & lumber companys have the usual group of "regulars" who always manage to be in the area about time a fresh pot of coffee is put on, stop-in & see if there's a "seasoned" (lol, older) gent who wants to "chew the fat" for a few minutes. Remember, most are there because they're bored. Alot of folks in their 60-70 & 80's have lost a spouse, so many are always looking for someone to carry-on a conversation with.
Metal detecting is an interesting topic to discuss because it involves history. Not everyone will find swinging an MD actually interesting, but talking about history will usually revolve around their earlier years, and few seldom pass-up a chance to speak of those. Here's just a few topics you might run past them (lol, if they aren't already talking your ear off):
Old Churches & Schools
Swimming-holes
Circuses
Dances
Nightclubs
Speakeasys
Gangsters
Any "myths" or "legends" they may have heard of
Lovers-Lanes
That's just a few. Sit down sometime with a paper & pencil, jot things down as they come to you, it's actually alot easier to come up with ideas that you might think. I've only mentioned a few of the methods you can use to get started doing research, there's a whole lot more than those here, but trying some of these will get you started.
By all means, if anyone has any to add, please do.
Smitty
(Hope this helps....Smitty)
