Newbie 101: Where to look for Treasure

[Terry Soloman]

One of the important factors for beginning hobbyists is where you detect - location. If you are just looking in local playgrounds and parks, you are looking in the same place as everybody else since 1980.

You need to research places people gathered in the PAST (1870 - 1950). You need to start thinking outside the box, and be prepared to do a little work with your head, not just your detector.

Here is a great list of 70-places to find treasure from http://metaldetectingworld.com that should get your juices flowing and your metal detector beeping. Get out there and get you some!

A Few Land Sites to Get You Started:

1) Old Schools
2) City/Town Parks
3) Circus/Fair Sites
4) Old Churches (DO NOT DETECT GRAVE SITES!!!!)
5) Old Homestead Sites
6) Swimming Holes and Areas
7) Picnic Groves
8) Athletic Fields
9) Scout Camps
10) Rodeo Arenas
11) Campgrounds
12) Ghost Towns
13) Beaches
14) Old Taverns
15) Roadside Rest Stops
16) Sidewalk Grassy Strips
17) Amusement Parks
18) Rural Mailboxes
19) Reunion Areas
20) Revival sites
21) Fort Sites
22) Winter Sledding Areas
23) Lookout/Overlook Sites
24) Church Supper Groves
25) Fishing Spots
26) Fishing Camps
27) Resorts
28) Old Barns and Outbuildings
29) Battle Sites
30) Band Shells
31) Racetracks
32) Rural Boundary Walls
33) Roadside Fruit and Vegetable Stands
34) Under Seaside Boardwalks
35) Flea Market Areas
36) Ski Slopes
37) Drive Ins
38) Canal Paths
39) Vacant Lots
40) Motels
41) College Campuses
42) Farmer Market Areas
43) Town Squares
44) Urban Yards and Backyards
45) Disaster Sites
46) Areas Around Skating Ponds
47) Hunting Lodges and Camps
48) Mining Camps
49) Railroad Grades, Stations and Junctions
50) Hiking Trails
51) Waterfalls
52) Rural Dance Sites
53) Lover's Lanes
54) Areas Adjacent to Historical Markers
55) Old Gas Stations and General Stores
56) Fence Posts
57) Chicken Houses
58) Bridges and Fords
59) Flower Beds
60) Playgrounds
61) Old Garbage Dumps
62) Cloth Lines
63) Military Camp and Cantonment Sites
64) Wells and Outhouses
65) Abandoned Houses and Structures
66) Areas where Old Trails Cross County or State Boundaries
67) Piles of Scraped Soil at Construction Sites
68) Old Stone Quarries
69) Areas Around Old Abandoned Cemeteries in the Forest
70) Junctions of Abandoned Roads (crossroads)

[sgtwilks]

Thanks for posting Terry. How do you find out where picnic groves were?What are the clues or buildings that would lead you to believe that a grove was there in the past? Great info copied and put in my truck.

[OZARKS]

Originally Posted by sgtwilks

Thanks for posting Terry. How do you find out where picnic groves were?What are the clues or buildings that would lead you to believe that a grove was there in the past? Great info copied and put in my truck.

http://ozarksdetector.wordpress.com/...-metal-detect/

I talk about picnic groves in that blog post

[Adirondack AL]

Thanks for all the great info! This would be a great thread to be able to refer back to when we just can't think of where to go, or want to try someplace different.

[sgtwilks]

Originally Posted by OZARKS

http://ozarksdetector.wordpress.com/...-metal-detect/

I talk about picnic groves in that blog post

Outstanding!!Copied and put in my truck. Thank you very much.
Cliff

[Terry Soloman]

Originally Posted by OZARKS

http://ozarksdetector.wordpress.com/...-metal-detect/

I talk about picnic groves in that blog post

Great info Ozarks, and a super Blog!

[OZARKS]

Unfortunately I get to write more than I do detect this time of year So Hot down here it's inbearable most days. I did get out last night to a foundation in the woods, but just trash as usual. Maybe hit a park later today

[Lightningjack]

Thats a great list of sites but for me & many others its not finding the sites thats the problem its finding the people that own them for permission..

For example: I've been trying to track down the owner of a field where a 1800's home site set for over 3 months now & I'm no closer now then when I started 3 months ago, I've talked to neighbors, city hall.. etc & no one will give me any good info that I can use & this site is just 2 miles down the road from where I live.... This is just one out of dozens of sites that I'm seeking permission but cannot find who owns them..
Any help on this would be greatly appreciated...

[cactusrat]

Originally Posted by Lightningjack

Thats a great list of sites but for me & many others its not finding the sites thats the problem its finding the people that own them for permission..

For example: I've been trying to track down the owner of a field where a 1800's home site set for over 3 months now & I'm no closer now then when I started 3 months ago, I've talked to neighbors, city hall.. etc & no one will give me any good info that I can use & this site is just 2 miles down the road from where I live.... This is just one out of dozens of sites that I'm seeking permission but cannot find who owns them..
Any help on this would be greatly appreciated...

Someone is paying taxes on it. So try the county tax office.

[Mama2Twins]

Thanks for sharing Terry, very good info!

[0351usmc]

The county I live in has it's tax records online. If you know the address you could possibly find the owner.

[KingTotsalot]

Terry,

KT appreciates your post VERY MUCH for if newbies will just follow your first direction they will NEVER hunt HIS ROYAL DOMAIN!

As a matter of point, KT started on totlots and playgrounds and found that NOBODY had hunted them where He was ....Me thinks because they were too into finding silver, old relics and such and could not be SERIOUS MDers if they hunted Totlots!

Good-O says The King! KT can use all the coins He can find for the Royal Treasury....all that tossed Tax money!

[TwistedTig3r]

A few places I hadn't thought on the list. Some great links with interesting reading. Thanks for the post very informative.

[Lightningjack]

Good news I just contacted my local county clerk & found out for 25 dollars I can buy a up to date plat book of my entire county showing all the current land owners...

[Brittany-Guy]

Nice job Terry!

This post, as a sticky, would sure help the Newbie members.