Skip to Content
Register · Login
About Theme

A Letterboxing Community

Atlas Quest
Search Edit Search

Read Thread: Stickers

Stickers
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Jan 15, 2007 8:50am
Thread (disabled) Board
I managed to squeeze in time to find one letterbox yesterday and noticed a spread of recent phenomenon, namely using stickers rather than stamps or signatures in the logbook. I didn’t count precisely how many there were but I would estimate that of about 20 entries 5 were stickers. They had all been beautifully prepared, presumably on home PCs, some with special seasonal messages (this was a Christmas box).

Some time ago there was a discussion about having stickers rather than stamps in a letterbox when it was generally thought this was not a “good thing”.

Is this sort of thing happening in other areas or only in Britain? I know that to many boxers one of the interesting parts of the hobby is looking at other peoples’ stamps when they find a box. But to a boxer of limited carving abilities, such as myself, preparing a sheet of stickers is much simpler option.

DM
(who uses a store bought stamp because his own efforts are so abysmal)
Re: Stickers
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #63362 by Dilton Martian
Jan 15, 2007 9:01am
Thread (disabled) Board
I found a box here in upstate NY that instead of a stamp in the box, there were a bunch of stickers. They were in line with the theme of the box and beautifully done.

crazyolis
Re: Stickers
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #63362 by Dilton Martian
Jan 15, 2007 9:19am
Thread (disabled) Board
Reference stickers: I've seen lots of stickers put in geocache logs but only a few in letterbox logs here in the US. I've also seen a couple of signature stamp 'stickers' folks used as exchanges at recent gatherings here in the Midatlantic/Northeastern US. Otherwise it hasn't seemed to be a trend on this side of the pond.

daelphinus
Re: Stickers
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #63362 by Dilton Martian
Jan 15, 2007 9:50am
Thread (disabled) Board
We have stamped our signature stamp on those blank white labeling stickers. We use those as they don't take as long to stamp in while trying to be discrete....but we haven't come across any other stickers in boxes.


LUNA crew
Re: Stickers
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #63362 by Dilton Martian
Jan 15, 2007 10:24am
Thread (disabled) Board
We found a box yesterday where somone had logged in using a punch. Thankfully the box itself had a stamp. The biggest downside I can see is moisture (which can also be a problem if you stamp with a water soluable ink) - the ink in my printer runs like a river when it gets the slightest bit wet (I rendered something I had printed illegible with the condensation from a water bottle) So if the stickers are home printed on a printer like mine (an inkjet) they might not last too long.

Galaxy 4
Re: Stickers
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #63362 by Dilton Martian
Jan 15, 2007 10:24am
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote Is this sort of thing happening in other areas or only in Britain?


I haven't come across it up this end of Britian. As you say there was a discussion a while back about using stickers so someone must have come across it before.

I like seeing people's signature stamps myself, and don't mind what type of stamp they have. Look forward to seeing yours in the postal soon :-)

I have always carried a few sticky blank labels with my signature stamp on them to use for wet days. I hadn't thought of constructing a sheet of stickers totally on a computer, but would rather stick with a sig stamp.

YT
Re: Stickers
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #63362 by Dilton Martian
Jan 15, 2007 1:53pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I'm just used to rubber stamps, so I cringe at the thought of stickers. If others want to use them, I suppose they can, but it doesn't seem in keeping with the spirit of the hobby.

One thing I'd fight tooth-'n'-nail against is boxes that have stickers instead of a rubber stamp. If someone wants to use a signature sticker instead of a signature stamps, that's one thing. But stickers in place of a stamp in a box is a terrible idea. What if they get wet and ruined? What if the box runs out of stickers? Rubber stamps do go missing at times, but even if they get wet, then can still be dried off and used. Even if a troop of Boy Scouts finds the box, the stamps won't run out like stickers would. Not to mention that many people will not enjoy finding a letterbox unless it has an actual rubber stamp in it.

If someone does decide to go with signature stickers, the same rules apply as with stamps. People will prefer the "hand-made" or "custom-made" stickers much more than a "store-bought" sticker.

-- Ryan
Re: Stickers
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #63425 by Green Tortuga
Jan 15, 2007 2:43pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I've been coming across more & more stickers lately- usually it appears someone stamped their signature stamp onto a sticker- when they had the time- colored it in or wrote a message & then put the sticker into the logbook quickly. On the surface it seems to be a real problem-solver. BUT, I've also seen a number of these stickers peeling out of the logbooks, perhaps due to humidity or just poor sticker quality- who knows? But I guess you can't ever really solve all the problems at once. As long as the image is in the book & hopefully there to stay, & the finder enjoyed the plant, I'd rather get a sticker than nothing at all. :)
Re: Stickers
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #63425 by Green Tortuga
Jan 15, 2007 2:58pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I with you on that. I want to find a rubber stamp in a box, not stickers. It is the reason for the sport. I enjoy seeing the carves, from beginers to great carves. I think that a carved stamp shows a lot of thought and energy has gone into creating the box.

offf to carving I go..............

LtW
Re: Stickers
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #63437 by Lighting the Way
Jan 15, 2007 3:12pm
Thread (disabled) Board
There is a box in PA, and it's part of a somewhat notorious series. They used Stickers instead of a rubber stamp for the box. I found the box, put the sticker in my logbook and....

Now I cringe everytime I see it. When you're flippin through my logbook, which has some GREAT stamps, your attention is always drawn to this sticker, because it doesn't match anything else.

This is just my opinion, and there may be a lot of people that don't mind or even love the stickers. But if I find a box again that uses stickers, I will log the find, but I will not take the sticker.

IMHO,
Mr. Yuk of Team KPI
Re: Stickers
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #63362 by Dilton Martian
Jan 15, 2007 3:52pm
Thread (disabled) Board
The only time I've seen stickers so far...is as a First Finder type prize. I've also seen stickers that decorate the logbooks...front...and other random pages. I thought it was a cute idea...and started to include a little sticker as a FF prize. All the stickers I've seen have been purely decorational...and not in place of someone's actual signature stamp. I would DEFINITELY prefer to find a stamp. I hope the people leaving just stickers in their letterboxes are making a note of that on their clues so that those who would prefer stamps...could avoid the box all together!

D5 Mama
Re: Stickers
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #63455 by Smimle
Jan 15, 2007 4:10pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I can see leaving a sticker in the box's logbook that you have stamped with your signature stamp (saves time during bad weather or muggle invasions)but leaving just stickers to find? Even if they were hand stamped what if the box is empty? That's a box that is going to need way more maintenance than normal. It basically becomes useless if someone isn't constantly refilling it, which sounds like more work than carving in the first place.

If you can't, won't, or hate to carve then buy a stamp. Even the dollar store has some decent ones! That way it's still a letterbox and not a stickerbox!

Red Soup
Re: Stickers
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #63362 by Dilton Martian
Jan 15, 2007 4:23pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote namely using stickers rather than stamps or signatures in the logbook.


I haven't found any in log books, but I have found two boxes that instead of a stamp were filled with the foam stickers to take and put in your log book instead of a stamp. My kids liked them, but I think I still like a stamp:)

Trish:)
Re: Stickers
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #63457 by JennieGee
Jan 15, 2007 4:23pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I recall seeing one box (don't recall where and at the time it didn't "phase" me, as it didn't distract from the box) in this area that had a signature stamp that was on a sticker (by a Lb who had found the box). That is fine with me. I can understand the ability to do the box quickly and avoid muggles/etc. But Please, let the box be a carved stamp!

LtW
Re: Stickers
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #63362 by Dilton Martian
Jan 15, 2007 4:55pm
Thread (disabled) Board
The only time I ever use stickers are on either very rainy or very cold days. In either case I would want a fast login to keep the book dry or my hands warm. I would also not use a computer printout either I would stamp my personal stamp onto a blank envelope label type sticker so that it is still my stamp just on a sticker.

Fish or man