Recommended Resources
These are the resources we actually use and point people to. No detector dealers, no filler: research tools that find the old sites, communities worth joining, services we trust, and the publications we read. Every link opens in a new tab, so this page stays put while you explore.
Jump to: Research & Old Maps · Clubs & Online Groups · Events, Shows & Appearances · Coin, Relic & Artifact ID / Grading · Gold Prospecting · Publications
Looking for our own guides instead? See the Search Coil Buying Guide and the Gold Recovery Equipment Guide.
Research & Old Maps
Finds come from research. These are the archives that tell you where the old houses, fairgrounds, and crossroads used to be.
- USGS topoView - every historical USGS topographic map, free. Overlay an 1890s topo on today's terrain and the vanished schoolhouses and homesteads show themselves.
- Library of Congress: Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps - building-by-building town maps from the 1860s onward. The best record of exactly what stood on a lot a century ago.
- BLM General Land Office Records - original federal land patents. Find out who first settled a parcel and when, straight from the government's own ledgers.
- Historic Aerials - aerial photography by decade. Watch a farm field swallow a home place between 1950 and 1970, then go find it.
- David Rumsey Map Collection - over 100,000 digitized historical maps, beautifully scanned and free to browse.
Clubs & Online Groups
Detecting is better with people who know the ground. A local club gets you invited hunts, land access, and friends who dig. And if there is no club near you, an online group can be every bit as good a fit: the advice, the find IDs, and the encouragement all travel fine over the internet.
Local clubs (in person)
- We are building this list now. In a club we should know about? Tell us and we will check it out.
Online groups we recommend
- History Seekers Metal Detecting for Beginners and Beyond - our own group. All skill levels welcome, everyone learning from each other. If you are new and do not know where to start, start here.
- Adventure Archaeology Discussion Group - finds, questions, and honest discussion for detectorists who dig history.
- Michigan Freedom Diggers - an active Michigan detecting community.
- Detecting the Heartland - based in the Iowa and Illinois area, but open to detectorists everywhere.
Events, Shows & Appearances
Upcoming metal detecting events, organized hunts, relic shows, and where to find the History Seekers crew in person.
Where to find us next
Our next confirmed appearance is listed below, and new ones are announced on our Facebook and YouTube channels. Come say hello when you see us.
Upcoming events
- American Digger Relic Show - East Ridge, TN - Camp Jordan Arena, held EVERY JULY. The 2026 show runs July 25-26, and History Seekers will be there selling detectors and meeting the public. Dates for future years are always on the show page.
- American Digger Palmetto Show (formerly the Charleston Show) - South Carolina - held EVERY JANUARY. The next show is January 2027; exact dates are always on the show page.
- Organizing a hunt or relic show detectorists should know about? Tell us the date, place, and a link.
Coin, Relic & Artifact ID / Grading
You dug it; now find out what it is and what it is worth.
- ArtifactSearch - research dug relics and artifacts by type, and browse a marketplace of authenticated pieces if you want to add to a collection. Run by a longtime friend of History Seekers.
- Numista - a free catalog of world coins. Type what you can read on the coin and it usually gets you there, even on worn finds.
- NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Company) - professional coin grading and certification, plus free price guides and a coin lookup.
- PCGS - the other major grading service. CoinFacts is a deep free reference for US coinage.
Gold Prospecting
Organizations and land records for chasing color. Pair with our Gold Recovery Equipment Guide.
- Gold Prospectors Association of America (GPAA) - claims access for members, local chapters, and organized outings. The established on-ramp to legal prospecting ground.
- Lost Dutchman's Mining Association (LDMA) - member-owned mining camps and properties across the country, with organized outings and 50 years of history. The step up when you want dedicated ground to work.
- AKAU Alaska Gold Camp - a working gold camp near Nome, Alaska where you mine real ground. Our own team has prospected there, and one of us found her first gold at AKAU.
- BLM Land Records - check land status before you dig or pan. Knowing whose ground you are on is rule one.
Publications
The magazines and journals of the hobby.
- American Digger Magazine - the relic hunter's magazine, published in BOTH a printed edition and a digital edition, plus articles online. We are proud partners: qualifying detector purchases over $1,400 at History Seekers include a free 1-year subscription.
Know a resource that belongs here? Tell us. We list what genuinely helps detectorists; we do not list detector dealers, and nobody pays for placement unless clearly marked.