I'm a new hobbiest and I'm finding many providers ask for references. What type of references are needed, personal or another provider. I'm trying to be discreet and do not want anyone to know what I'm doing.

verify you're not a cop, or a freak, or a nut case. This can be problematic for newbies because if you're "new", you obviously have no references. You'll need to start with a provider that doesn't require references.