I am new to the hobby and was curious what some of the more experienced guys thought of Backpage. Is it worth it or better to save time and stick to more mainstream reviewed sites like TER. Are there giveaways for a bad post like ** or letters in the phonenumber or no email? Curious to hear anyone's feelings with any experience.

For a more definitive answer you might want to post this on the Newbie Board.  I have no direct experience with BP girls but here's what hobbyists have said in earlier posts:
1) There is a higher percentage of Bait & Switch with BP girls than ones reviewed on TER and who also have web sites.
2) Having said that, there are legitimate girls on BP and their rates tend to be more affordable.
3) Many touring providers will advertise on BP when they come to an area.  So, to be safe, stick to BP girls who have links to web sites or reviews.
4) Using BP is a legitimate option, just be careful.  I don't really look there any more but did see a lot of obviously fake pix.  To sniff those out use tineye.com.
Good luck!

Backpage has its fair share of scams and bait and switch, but you do find the ocassional keeper.

I like to google the providors phone number to see where else they are providing and to see if any reviews come up. Tineye is a great resource. My golden rule is that if I do see someone on BP that I am interested in, I always check on TER as well to see if they have a review, and will only see the providor after checking out the review.

would echo the above 2 answers- I don't use it b/c there are too many bait and switch- but if you check there first and then google the phone number or look for reviews on this or other boards you will find some legit providers