The Internet is a great resource, but two problems with the internet are; 1) There's so much information available that it will take time and effort to narrow down your search, and  2) It is available for everyone so what you find online could have already been seen by others in your area. Use the internet to get ideas, or to help confirm leads you have already gotten.

The key researching tools you have on the 'net are all the search engines available to you. Don't limit your search to just one search engine, often the same key words entered for a search on one search engine will turn up different results on another. Make a list of key search words you plan to use, a few examples are: Treasure Hunting, Metal Detecting, Buried Treasure, Maps (both old and current), and Ghost Towns. If you know the name of a ghost town in your area, try a search with the name as well. Also try a search on Ebay using your city, or the name of an old time business as a key word. Old postcards exist with pictures of towns, tourist attractions and businesses. You may be able to locate one.

Metal Detecting Web Sites: Each of the hundreds of metal detecting and treasure hunting websites available on the 'net, can give you ideas and potential leads as well. Visit forums for tips on a particular model of metal detector.                      Chat Programs: If you have a chat program (ICQ, AIM, Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger or others), run a search using your locality, or some key words such as metal detecting, treasure hunting etc. Who knows, you may come across someone that lives in an older home, or knows of someone that does!