I'm going to be planting a series of tiny boxes. How tiny? About the diameter of your pinkie finger. Don't worry, I'm planning on making the stamps worthwhile to seek, somewhere in a coastal city.

But, I want to hide one in a camouflaged pill bottle so that I can have a log "book". It will likely be a roll of paper. The pill bottle will probably be hidden in a small tree. I'm worried though because the tree looks like it is manicured within an inch of its life.

I'm looking for suggestions from others who have planted in shopping centers.

under the loose part of light poles--safe from rain and snow

It will likely be a roll of paper.

You can buy cash register paper in 1.5" or 2.25" widths.

I recommend cutting the paper into strips 11" long and stapling them all together at one end. Rolls up to the same size, but it's easier to deal with and easier to scan later if you want to send a copy back to the planter or something. It also means you can skip the cash register paper and simply cut strips out of typewriter paper.

I'm looking for suggestions from others who have planted in shopping centers.

Are you talking about *inside* a shopping mall? You never said if you meant outside or inside.

If it's obvious the tree is manicured to that extent then don't hide the box there. Chances are it will go missing. There are plenty of series that have no logbook at all. Though of course this will launch the "Is it a letterbox if it has no logbook discussion?"

If it's a choice between having a logbook and the box going missing I'd chose having no logbook.

I suppose there have been boxes planted inside shopping centers but I've never seen one listed. Maybe someone else has? Maybe they can tell us if they lasted?

About the diameter of your pinkie finger. Don't worry, I'm planning on making the stamps worthwhile to seek, somewhere in a coastal city.

There's certainly no problem with the size of the stamp making it not worthwhile to find. I've found whole series of teeny stamps that were great fun to find. Like the old saying goes, "It's not size that matters". LOL

But I would question how long they will last if they *are* inside a shopping center. It would be a shame to do all that work and have them not last.

I suppose there have been boxes planted inside shopping centers but I've never seen one listed. Maybe someone else has? Maybe they can tell us if they lasted?

Box #196764. Been there over 5 years. Last attempt, 2 years ago, was a no-find, but it was verified still there shortly after, having survived even a change of store front. There have been other boxes in this mall, but I don't know if any have survived; I know at least 2 are gone.

Oh, adding some details here. Stamp size is about 1 inch. Hidden in a 1 1/2 x 2 inch pouch made of black duct tape with a magnet attached - in plain sight against a black background down near the floor.

I'm looking for suggestions from others who have planted in shopping centers.

Check out the brand or style of sprinkler head they use and buy a similar one. Seal up the plumbing connection with a cap and/or caulking and push it into the ground near the tree. The top screws off to access the space inside for the pill bottle.

geocache much?? bahahahahahaaaa

sorry, it was just too easy

Being of a curious mind I looked at your profile. I see you are one of the grand total of two people who found one of my first plants in 2004. I still remember that *huge* container I leaned up against the outside of that old stone wall *totally without concealing it*. bahahahahaaa ah the memories. lol

For your entertainment while you read this thread.

tiny boxes

Filled with wine
Make me happy
Make me feel fine

tiny boxes

Make me warm all over
With a feeling that I'm gonna
forget about the stamp I came to find.

I still remember that *huge* container I leaned up against the outside of that old stone wall *totally without concealing it*.

I remember that box. It always sucks when you find out that you were the last person to report a find on a box. Makes you wonder if you put it back and concealed it good enough. Probably not in this case!

Though of course this will launch the "Is it a letterbox if it has no logbook discussion?"

Or, more insidiously, the "Is the unplanted box better than the planted box?" discussion. (See how I did that with the punctuation, as opposed to the poster I'm replying to? That, folks, is how it is done.)

Of course, most everyone feels the unplanted box is superior to the planted box, so don't even think of doing something adventurous, novel, or creative if it strays outside the lines or if there is a chance it will go missing in the next 10 years. The hate mail will make you wish you never joined the hobby, and rather put your talents into different games where people actually appreciate what you are attempting to do.

Do pill bottles stay dry? I've been saving them, and I'd love to use one as a letterbox. I guess if I didn't add a logbook it would be okay? I've never found a pill bottle instead of a box or duck tape pouch.

Do pill bottles stay dry?

If you add a thin "gasket" between the top rim and the lid, I have found these can be dry for a long, long time. Kirbert uses a liner material for car engines that works well for larger mayonnaise and peanut butter jars. For pill bottles you need something thinner or squishier though...waterproof fabric can work wonders.

or better still, for the love of hyphens: the is-the-unplanted-box-better-than-the-planted-box discussion.

Of course, most everyone feels the unplanted box is superior to the planted box

what? nobody told me that before now! and I'm way ahead of the game because I have a whole bunch of unplanted boxes. I thought it was procrastination, but no, it was just my superior planting skills at work.
Now what was the thread topic again?

A few years back, I ran some tests on prescription pill bottles, the bottles with straight sides that the contents can be dumped out of easily. The results confirmed what others had reported, but nonetheless I found the results surprising. The childproof push-and-turn caps did not seal very well. There were also some screw-on caps, often the childproof cap just flipped over, and those did not seal very well either. The non-childproof snap-on caps did seal pretty well, though. One problem is the tan-colored container itself is rather fragile and can get cracked easily; I'd recommend wrapping a layer of duct tape around it to help protect it from damage and from sunlight.

Note that these containers are distinguished from vitamin pill bottles, the type where the opening is necked down from the diameter of the bottle, and the cap screws on. Those can be sealed with a shower pan liner gasket and the containers are very tough white plastic, but I still wouldn't use them. It's bloody murder to get anything larger than a pill to come out, and finders often have to tug and curse at a log book in a baggie trying to get it out. The log book and the baggie suffer for it.

Do pill bottles stay dry?

Recently, I found quite a few boxes where the planter used pill bottles for the whole series/s. They just used a regular lock & lock and good plastic bags for the one box that had the logbook. The stamps in the pill bottles were wet but that's not much of a problem. I always have an old wash cloth with me to wipe stamps off with if need be. They even noted in the clues to expect the stamps to be wet. Not a problem at all.

That's one way to do it if you don't want to wet proof all the little bottles.

Do pill bottles stay dry?

I have two bonus boxes in pill bottles. They are small (not tiny) stamps with paper strips as a logbook. I put them in snack bags and they have remained dry, though the staples holding the pages together have rusted a little, probably because of condensation.

It is suprising how few people see the note taped inside the box telling them there is a bonus box close by.

This topic has me wondering ... Kirbert, have you thought about using a 3D printer to design and create the perfect, sealable container? You were the first person I thought would take on the challenge.

It is suprising how few people see the note taped inside the box telling them there is a bonus box close by.

Agreed! Why do you think this is?

It is suprising how few people see the note taped inside the box telling them there is a bonus box close by.

Agreed! Why do you think this is?

Maybe because they weren't taught to search for such things by an expert boxer like you.

Awww, thanks. I think one reason might be that folks are in too big a hurry to notice. Gotta get all the boxes available, so they rush through them. Which is sad, when planters put so much of themselves into their creations that need to be appreciated.

That'd probably work, but the containers would probably cost about $100 each, wouldn't they?

Cost would definitely deter most people, but I would love to see someone try.

What would you suggest for a design? I'm thinking pretty close to a Pelikan box, but you could just buy one of those at Walmart for a few bucks.