Is there a good handout/flyer that I can give to property owners when I go and ask permission to plant a letterbox.

We don't have official handouts and flyers.

Where do you want to plant that you need permission of a property owner? Not all, but most boxes are planted in places that are open to the public......parks, nature preserves, different kinds of woodland areas. There are boxes at highway rest stops. You can usually find lots of places outside to plant a box without going onto private property. Lots of boxes are planted (with a great deal of respect) in cemeteries without permission. Do you want to put a box inside a store or library, someplace like that?

MM

Winder Dairy Country Store in Utah. I geocache which all my hides our outside. I have found a few letterboxes inside and it is intriguing to us. The store sells great ice cream and scones for fifty cents. Thanks

Go to the owner of the store and ask. It works far better to have that personal touch rather then some hand out or flyer.

Tell them it is not going to bring in hordes of new customers, but it might be something neat and interesting for them to have in their store. Explain, in your own words, what letterboxing is all about and why you enjoy it.

Locally we have gotten very good response to do it this way.

I often print out some clues of other "inside" boxes. They can see what the clue will look like and you have the proof that other businesses have letterboxes inside. I also find it helpful to give the owner of the business the choice of having the clue be a mystery (fewer visitors) or a straightforward clue.

-Amanda from Seattle

It's also helpful to bring along an actual letterbox to help them picture what you are talking about.

Thanks to everyone for their help. I'll go ask them tomorrow with the box and clues page.

I know there is an indoor box in Virginia Beach, VA called Wild Indoors if you need some examples.

It's better to explain things on a personal level, perhaps show them some hand carved stamps. If you have an idea for a stamp for their store, show them the image. You could print out info to leave with them for them to read at their leasure, but talking to them would be more effective, spending some time with them.

If the place is really busy, see if there is someplace you can put the box where no one working will have to stop and get the box. And sometimes personnel changes and the new people don't know about the box. Or if they are really busy, it could be a pain for them to stop and give it to you.

MM