Could letterboxing be the next political victim?
Please folks.... don't get so obsessed that you forget to feed the kids!!!! ;o)

http://www.breakingnews365.net/59668f76eda93/new-laws-in-va-to-ban-hiding-painted-rocks-in-public-spaces.html

Hopefully a case of "fake news" !

is this a joke?

Please don't tell anyone I forgot to feed my husband, do the laundry and clean the house because I was obsessed in carving and finding letterboxes. I can stop!!!!!!

Yeah, I'm betting that's fake. In fact, it was probably drummed up to generate interest in rock painting! We need to come up with something as devious to generate interest in letterboxing.

Geocaching did something to generate lots of interest. Now look at them!

LOL

Hi......my name is **** and I am a rock hider.

Hi ****!!

Keep coming back.

Yikes!!! That reminds me I found one in Hudson, NY last weekend. put it in my backpack and forgot about it. Seriously. I think it's one you're supposed to pass on, something about Kindness.

I get so involved in 'boxing that I forget to eat, but my kids are always taken care of. Plus they know where the fridge is! ;)

I called the 800# and it's Hoveround XD

And then I found this.

I put them in potted plants to keep the cats from peeing in them.

In fact, it was probably drummed up to generate interest in rock painting!

Yeah, and I still remember when everyone thought rock stashing was an April Fool's joke. ;o)

-- Ryan

I had never heard of this until Homerdoodle last weekend in Illinois. I saw a bunch of painted rocks on the table, but never found out what it was all about. Are you supposed to take it if you find one?

I recently found a few along the shores of Lake Huron.

~Aurora

Back in the 70's those Rocks were pets, beloved members if the family! Now they just paint them up and put them on street corners! Shame!

In the story they called themselves 'rockers'. Wait until they start rolling these painted rocks. We'll have rockers and rollers.

But it won't stop there, oh no. Soon people will paint bigger rocks. We'll end up with people Rolling Stones. At that point someone will be hurt. Their bruises will be a Deep Purple. They'll have to KISS and make up.

That won't even be all. People will carry Guns N' Roses, to defend themselves, and seek protection in an Iron Maiden. Soon people won't even feel safe on the ground so they'll Rush on their Journey in their own Led Zeppelin, them and their Motley Crue.

This will happen to everyone, even royalty.

"The Who?", you ask.

"Royalty!", I say.

"Even the Queen?", you ask.

And I'll reply, "Yes."

look at the bottom of the page

And alas, they ALL fell..... Grateful Dead!!! ;o)

Yes folks, it's a humorous post. Even the Police are stashing painted rocks in VA!

Pete

Should have guessed, considering your trailname :) Rock painting looks like a fun, crafty hobby to do with the kids!

What a weird joke, I live on the NC/VA border. I paint rocks in Rocking Roxboro, had a painted rock in my hand when I read the post. 😂 I was so shocked I dropped it on my toe. Hard to rock with busted toe.

Geocaching did something to generate lots of interest. Now look at them!

They may have, but I am at a loss to remember what specifically that was. Maybe someone else remembers. I do remember a writeup on geocaching in National Geographic, and a writeup on letterboxing in Time. That seems like a wash to me, BWDIK? (BTW, I was actually interviewed for the Time piece, but I don't think my comments made the cut. No surprise, but you can't blame me :) They did however, make it into one of those magazines you find in airplanes. Maybe that was the problem ...)

In any case, I think Occam's Razor gets us to a simpler answer. They had a better product at the time. Better web site, more features, lower barriers to entry, no stamp carving snobbery, more interest in interesting clues, more interest in hiking. And, for most people, it is actually a more fun activity to play hide and seek with a gps device than "follow the trail 50 feet to an oak tree and look under a rock behind it". (BTW, even the Brits I've talked to feel the Yank emphasis on stamp art above all other aspects of the game seems silly and self-limiting. Many are fine with bespoke stamps, which allows for a larger market and participation pool, and those interested in other aspects of the hobby; anything less than hand-carved here, you are booted off to Geocaching Island).

Of course, any MBA 101 student would have predicted this, so that is what you have. Stamp artists hiding stamp art for stamp collectors to find, with mostly straightforward directions. That is not a good or bad thing, just a "niche market", so don't expect growth, as such a niche definition of the market excludes so many other aspects of the hide and seek hobbies that others, such as geocaching, offer, which is why I think we have what we have.

If you want growth, you need to appeal to a broader market, such as more interesting clues, hikes, hiding places (the geocachers are really good at this one), and tolerance of bespoke and store-bought stamps. If these things are anathema, be content with a niche market and little growth.

JHMO anyway.

PS, I personally don't care about growth one way or another. Its a hobby, so I do what I enjoy doing, and so be it. That is the attitude to take IMHO.

Hear, hear!

Though clue writers collaborating with master carvers is a win win win for carver, planter & finder!

I can't think of a better prize to find after a good clue and search, unless someone were to really hide actual treasure somewhere out there!

Hear, hear!

Though clue writers collaborating with master carvers is a win win win for carver, planter & finder!

I can't think of a better prize to find after a good clue and search, unless someone were to really hide actual treasure somewhere out there!

Hear, hear, here, there and everywhere - What Dingus said!!!

I'm looking forward to finding his next mystery box behind the waterfall, made of painted rock and filled with Spanish Doubloons!!!! ;o)

Pete

I be but a barnacle , there be real treasure here

They had a better product at the time. Better web site, more features, lower barriers to entry, no stamp carving snobbery, more interest in interesting clues, more interest in hiking. And, for most people, it is actually a more fun activity to play hide and seek with a gps device

The week after geocaching.com celebrated their 3,000,000^th geocache placed (listed on their site), munzee.com started their countdown to their 6,000,000^th munzee placement. Geocaching (the game not web site) started 2 May 2000.
Munzee started 1 July 2011. Lower barrier to entry have faster growth. However, I don't know how many participants in each.

If you want growth, you need to appeal to a broader market, such as more interesting clues, hikes, hiding places (the geocachers are really good at this one), and tolerance of bespoke and store-bought stamps.

As a geocacher myself, I think that the greater number of of excellent caches and puzzles is because of the greater number of players. I'd estimate (from personal experience) that the average letterbox is easily more interesting than the average geocache. Nevertheless, when comparing the top ¹/₂% then geocaching comes out a little ahead. Your mileage may vary.

"Release the hounds on him!"

I personally don't care about growth one way or another.

But something is either growing or fading. I don't want letterboxing to fade away.