Hey I'm Mike, and to be honest I haven't started at all yet. It's something that has interested me for a long time and hope to go out soon. But being as new as I am I don't know where to go here in central Illinois. Hope to get to know folks and learn something in the process.
Welcome to the forum.
you sure pick a great hobby to get into, theres nothing quite as exciting as digging up a nice piece of history,
happy hunting, ... Bones ...
Welcome Mike! Glad to hear that you are interested in the hobby!
We all had to start somewhere so it's good you decided to start here. Do you already have a detector or are you still deciding? I'm sure there are plenty of places to detect once you are ready to get out. Checking out old maps online or at your library is a good start. Heck, if you are in an older part of your town, maybe your neighbors houses would be good places. And as Bones was saying, everyone is helpful so if you have questions, just ask!
Thanks for the warm welcome! I had been browsing through the sales pages, and I've been looking at local second hand shops here to decide what I should pick up.
Welcome aboard, Mike
When starting out, buy an inexpensive detector. That way you can see if you like the hobby before going broke, lol. Check the classifieds on here, and craigslist is good too, but, be careful on there. That's if you want used. If you go new, an Ace 150, 250 or 350 is good, although, I prefer the Fisher F2 & F5...more fine tuning available
Any Bounty Hunter is more than acceptable, also.
The stuff is out there, you just gotta be tenacious
We look forward to seeing your future treasure!
Joe
Mike, WELCOME Aboard from NE Ohio!!! Getting into this hobby can be a little confusing at first. Pick a good low end machine as Joe suggests, so you can get your feet wet. As far a resources go, or where to hunt, pick up the phone and start dialing the city you live in and the towns and cities nearby. Ask them if they allow metal detecting in their local parks and sports fields. Most of them will allow it, but it's always a safer bet to make sure. There's a website that has historic maps of your area and another that has historic aerial photos, some going back to the 1930's. And then there's Google Earth. These are all good reference and research tools.
http://www.historicmapworks.com/
http://www.historicaerials.com/
Then start watching YouTube videos on detecting. You get a lot of insight and technique from some of those guys on that site. Also watch explanatory videos on how to dig a proper plug, what tools you really need in the field etc.....
And if all that doesn't scare you, and you can get a good used detector from a reputable source and use it for a few months to get to know it, then you are off to the races.
When the bug bites, you'll know it. And we'll be here to help you grow into the hobby!
Ed
Mike, welcome aboard! If you want to get to know people and learn about detecting you are in the right spot. There are plenty of knowledgeable people here willing to help with anything you need help with!
Welcome to the forum from Pittsburgh PA. The other guys all give good advice. I'll add one thing that helped when I first started. I found a book at the local library called The Urban Treasure Hunter. It has a good chapter on detecting for beginners.
Welcome aboard Mike! Get that detector and start digging, those relics are slowly deteriorating and need your help in preserving them.