Well when someone reports that my box is missing. I will move it to unavailable until I can check on said box. If it is a box that I have planted too far away to check on. I will sometimes wait until a 2nd person says they can't find it. Then I move it to unavailable until I know for sure it is missing.

But when one has been missing for a very long time and I just want to hike that day I will check to see if I can find it.. but no worries if I don't. However I do understand what you mean by boxes that are MIA for sometime. I normally will not look for them if it has been awhile.

I do understand how you feel but for me it is just being able to visit new places, get excercise, spend time with hubby & friends, etc and the stamp is the icing on the cake if found.

On the other hand......... I feel like if you are a owner of a box and have attempt after attempt logged you should at least mark the box as unknown to let someone know that it may not be there .

Denise

Hey Now, Sunshine! ;)

When I can find the time, I purposely hunt apparently "MIA" and/or "Archived" 'boxes. Really, if I do have the time I look for older 'boxes that have a number of "attempts" appended to their find list. It is gratifying to find an early 'box that many have somehow missed or one that is rarely sought due to it being out-of-the-way, et c. There is nothing quite like that "EUREKA!" moment when you (re)discover what was thought lost!

And if you do so, bring First Aid supplies like extra baggies, a container and a temp/replacement log. Trust me on this.

YMMV! :-p
Connfederate, who needs to swing by a couple of "abandoned" 'boxes w/new containers and a log book...fun IS rediscovering and maintaining sometimes. :-D

If a box goes unmaintained I would have to guess it's possibly because a person planted outside of their area. I try to avoid this, but there are times that I just have to plant in a particular place. But maybe (and I don't meant this in any particular way) you aren't being taken seriously due to being new. A lot of people I have found don't take someone seriously if they have a certain amount of experience or less. I had that problem a lot when I started.

I have made several attempts...

When I first started out......(not that long ago) I knew that I was at the correct location to find the box that I was searching for.............I searched for 1/2 hour easy. I didn't find it. I didn't find it until I went to look for the THIRD time. I never did log an attempt because even though I KNEW that I was at the right place, I didn't KNOW that the box wasn't there. I wasn't SURE that I was looking in the correct spot.

I wasn't looking in the correct SPOT until the third try.

If I would have logged an attempt, I don't feel it would have been accurate unless I knew that I had FOUND THE HIDING SPOT and it was EMPTY.

I spent about 3 hours, altogether, searching in an 8 foot by 4 foot area and I did find it. I just didn't SEE it for a while. It was never missing in action, even though I thought it might be.

Y~K b

I make sure I log my attempts so that the planter is aware their box was not found, but some don't seem to mind the fact that their box is missing.

Well, but "box was not found" doesn't always equal "box is missing." Many of us have been in the situation where we were hunting a box and were absolutely sure we were in the correct location and the box was gone, only to find out later that we had misinterpreted something in the clues and, in fact, the box was right where it should have been, all along. Can happen to anyone, experienced or not, but it is more likely to happen when you're newer in the hobby.

That said, if I got a number of "not found" reports, especially if it was from people I trust to know what they're looking for, I'd be marking that one "unknown" until I could get out there to verify whether it was there or not. And if I knew the box was gone, I'd mark it MIA/unavailable or retire it. Then people could decide if they just wanted to follow the clues for the hike & the fun of the clues... because sometimes knowing that you've followed the clues correctly is a reward in itself. (Like you, most of the time I'd rather have new ink in my book tho!)

Sheba

This very evening, I received an attempted notification on a vintage box of mine. This box is hidden over a thousand miles from my home and hadn't been visited in nearly four years. Amazingly enough, it just happened that I had been there to check on it the very same day this boxer tried (and failed) to find it. Just because you think a box is missing, it's not necessarily so.

I appreciate the feedback!

I did find it discouraging though when I received a reply back from said planter and they stated they have hundreds of boxes and do not have time to maintain them. I try to take a look at the 'found' history before I go out, but I normally just pack up and hike! Then, I look through the box comments and finds/attempts when I return home. New or not, if a planter replies with such a response, I am less inclined to search for their boxes when I am in the mood for a real find versus a hike.

Thanks so much for all of the responses, and for not blasting me out of the water!

When I can find the time, I purposely hunt apparently "MIA" and/or "Archived" 'boxes. Really, if I do have the time I look for older 'boxes that have a number of "attempts" appended to their find list. It is gratifying to find an early 'box that many have somehow missed or one that is rarely sought due to it being out-of-the-way, et c. There is nothing quite like that "EUREKA!" moment when you (re)discover what was thought lost!

We also will look for some boxes that aren't supposed to be there... This one time at band camp... oh sorry, different story...

Once we found a box that was missing for over a year and a half, listed as retired, and about 50 feet away from where the directions said it should be... in perfect condition!

But in comment to the original note, 'Yes, please keep your boxes current'. We have even had some confirmed missing by the owner of the box, but still listed as active!

We have even had some confirmed missing by the owner of the box, but still listed as active!

Yes! I have seen that a couple times. Under maintenance req'd. it said "missing," but was still listed as "active." Why, oh, why would they at least not change that to "unknown," if not "unavailable"?

I too am very new and love letterboxing, as most newbies, we have had a couple of look-n-not-finds.....we attribute that to our newness. We have learned to check the "find" list to see if it was just us or others struggled. We appreciate the trek and locations these plants bring to our family, but honestly my kiddos rather have the "reward" as well. (Maybe if I ever go out solo, I can enjoy the journey first and foremost and DELIBERATELY seek the hard-to-finds....sigh...someday ;-) I definitely factor in the whole idea that MY not-find is not the same as seasoned not-finds, which is why we have reached out to the planters for insight (not clues just to land the find and have instant gratification, but to draw upon experience and make a connection with the planter about that location). We have been told that they are aware the box is missing, yet it is listed as active.........I am too new and am hesitant to ruffle feathers, but if that is the case.....would it offend more seasoned folks to offer to plant another FOR them if they aren't local. I wouldn't be forward enough to tell another person to change the listing, but also feel the Letterboxing pasttime would be better served if at least SOMETHING was there for other newbies to find.....especially since we have been encouraging our friends and locals to join in. Just a thought..........

I too am very new and love letterboxing, as most newbies, we have had a couple of look-n-not-finds.....we attribute that to our newness. We have learned to check the "find" list to see if it was just us or others struggled.

We're new as well- welcome! For our first dozen our so finds, I deliberately would have the search list in order of how recently it was found. (Advanced search, lower right, sort by recent finds). I think if you choose recent finds, it increases your odds of finding it. It was nice for my family to have the gratification of the "reward" to get them interested. In fact, that first day out was a great experience. We searched for 5, and found all but one. Having one not found was just enough for them to have the experience of not finding, and know that it happens sometimes. I do think it would have been harder to "hook" them if we had found zero out of five!

But maybe (and I don't meant this in any particular way) you aren't being taken seriously due to being new. A lot of people I have found don't take someone seriously if they have a certain amount of experience or less. I had that problem a lot when I started.

I agree. The first time I sent a "not found" note to a longtime letterboxer I got a kind reply that thanked me for sharing our experience but basically said that maybe we needed to look harder, rethink the clues, etc. The response was very understandable since we were so new and we did think about going back out to hunt for it again, but really and truly felt like it just wasn't there, so we waited to see if others (with more experience) had any luck. There were several other attempts after us and the box was eventually retired.

I keep an eye on all our attempts in case the status of the box changes or other people were able to find it. So far no one else has had any luck with those boxes either, but it's always possible that could change.

Before heading out we do check the find record on the boxes, not so we can "guarantee" a find -- we'll hunt for boxes with a few attempts if we're interested in the hike or the want to visit that particular area anyway -- but we check because some boxes were planted by people who aren't active anymore... or, in most cases, they created an account, listed a box or two, and never logged in again. In our experience most of these boxes are missing -- maybe they didn't have enough experience to hide really well, or perhaps the area has changed since they planted. We are less likely to hunt for a box that has been reported as attempted several times *and* the owner has been MIA for a while.

We've come across clues that were written incorrectly (left instead of right, the wrong trail marker, etc) which sometimes other boxers have noted in the comments. And one time we deduced on our own that the landscape feature mentioned in the clue had been moved and the box was now actually 35 feet south of feature rather than 15 feet north. Letterboxing really gives your "detective skills" a good workout!

~Ohana

Well, but "box was not found" doesn't always equal "box is missing."

Can happen to anyone, experienced or not, but it is more likely to happen when you're newer in the hobby.

These are the most important things to remember, IMO.

Which then do not equal unmaintained boxes.

pre

I'm NOT a newbie boxer. I'm coming up on my fourth cake day, and have over a hundred finds. I went after a certain box recently and searched very carefully the bush the clues indicated the box was hidden under. it appeared to be gone, and it appeared the bush had been recently trimmed, so I assumed the gardeners got it before it was even found. I would have been first finder had I found it at that point.
I went back several days later and searched not only that bush, but every other bush in the area that couple even possibly meet the description in the clues. I still couldn't find it.
Several weeks later I decided to log an attempt to let the owner know it was missing. when I finished with the attempt logging, I noticed there was a last found date. I clicked on view finds, and there were two finds on the box after the date of my attempt.
The planter emailed me back and assured me they had gone out and looked, and the box was there.
Frustrated beyond belief, I went back for a third look...and found the box...under the bush I had dissected twice looking for the box...exactly where it should be.

Moral: it's not just newbies who have trouble finding boxes, even when they're right where they're supposed to be...

romana

Frustrated beyond belief, I went back for a third look...and found the box...under the bush I had dissected twice looking for the box...exactly where it should be.

Sometimes I wonder if someone else has found it and is off stamping in when I look. Not everyone logs their finds online, so I'd never know unless I actually found it later and checked the physical logbook. Just something I tell myself when I "know" I'm in the right place and it does not appear to be there, despite having been recently found-- especially if it gets found again after I didn't find it! There are several I need to go back and re-hunt.

For me, the reward after a relatively flat 45 mile hike is about 360 calories burned (presuming I maintain a 4 mpg pace, which is quite reasonable for flat ground). 0.1 lbs of fat gone - I consider it a reward. Oh, if there is a stamp, more power to it.

LB

Wow - you only burn 360 calories after hiking for 45 miles? At 4 mph, that's over 11 hours of hiking!

:)

but "box was not found" doesn't always equal "box is missing."

I just thought this was such an important point that it bears repeating.

I have an adopted box in Greenville, SC, that has gotten probably four attempt reports for every find. It's one of those that, if you overthink the clue, you'll never find it. Five years later though it's still there to the best of my knowledge.

Do I check on it often? No. Do I check on it if a single attempt is logged? No. Sometimes I can beg a friend to check on it but I often wait it out.

While I try to check on my boxes as I can, I have boxes planted in three states now and time and finances do not allow me to check them all, so I hope for the best and use the "unknown" status if I feel it's justified.

I do not log attempts, though I will send a private message to someone to let them know if I looked and didn't find a box. Usually it's searcher's error if I don't find it. :-)

Knit Wit

I looked for a box FOUR times before I found it, right where the clue said it would be. I was looking down and I should have been looking up. I am determined although other people may say stubborn.

Frustrated beyond belief, I went back for a third look...and found the box...under the bush I had dissected twice looking for the box...exactly where it should be.

Reminds me of one of my early finds.... maybe three months after I started. Went back four times before I logged that find.

Then a month later another listing caught my attention, and the situation just didn't seem to add up. And I realized I had logged the wrong box. It was the right area, and I had convinced myself that the one I had found fit the clues. But it wasn't the box I was looking for.

So I went back to the original clues again, carefully followed them step by step.... and learned something about checking the "obvious" interpretation more carefully. It was exactly where it belonged, just not where I expected.

WO

45 mile hike is about 360 calories burned

WOW!!! I know I'd be burnin' a lot more calories than that!

So.......I must get to eat more, huh........YEAH!!!!

Y~K b

The first time I sent a "not found" note to a longtime letterboxer I got a kind reply that thanked me for sharing our experience but basically said that maybe we needed to look harder, rethink the clues, etc. The response was very understandable since we were so new

I'm not new but I have a well established local reputation for SUCKING at finding. So I very, very rarely log an attempt. And if I do log an attempt I fully expect the locals to ignore it since it was me doing the looking.

Now if Free bird logs an attempt (that man finds boxes without even needing the clues), all the locals know that box ain't there!

So I'd say that planters probably do weigh who is doing the looking when a report comes in-- but sometimes it's not just all about being new. ;)

I've been boxing for just shy of three years and am usually pretty good at figuring out clues and finding the box, BUT there's one box that's driving me crazy. The clues seem pretty straight forward. I've looked for it three different times so far. After the second time, I wa convinced it was gone, but a couple of months later someone logged a find on it. So, I went back and looked for it again. No luck. Several months later someone else logged a find. I think I'm going to wait until our grandson comes to visit and take him with me. He'll probably be able to find it. I think I'm definitely overthinking the clue - or else I'm the world's worst boulder counter.

A letterboxer with quite some longevity in the the hobby said she would let her boxes live out their natural lives. As a finder, I thought that sad. As a planter who now has too many boxes to maintain, I understand her sentiment. I do make every attempt to follow up on attempt notices so I can maintain an accurate plant logbook for others. My box goes missing and that's too bad. Hopefully, it was found and enjoyed and the location it was at is now available for someone else to plant in the future.
Respectfully, Teacup

That is a good way to look at it. I too at first thought that I would maintain each and every plant that I planted. But now with some quite a distance away. I feel that same that if it goes missing then it leaves the spot for a new plant that I can find. ;)
But then again there are some nearby ones that have gone missing that I have indeed replaced and replanted.

~Aurora

I too at first thought that I would maintain each and every plant that I planted. But now with some quite a distance away. I feel that same that if it goes missing then it leaves the spot for a new plant that I can find.

If there's anyone in the vicinity that would be up for planting in this spot, those same people should be willing to adopt these boxes when you move away!

*and* the owner has been MIA for a while

Is there a way to know this?? I had an experience recently where I emailed the planter after I didn't find 4/10 in a series to find out what they knew about the status, but got know reply...

*and* the owner has been MIA for a while

Is there a way to know this??

What I mean by MIA is if the owner of the box hasn't logged into AQ in a really long time (cobwebs on their profile). It's possible they may be out there boxing in the mysterious corners of the world somewhere, but they aren't active online anymore. Which means the status and clues aren't being updated, although sometimes you can read through the finders' comments (if they're even visible) and look for "updates" about the box, such as changes to the landscape, if it needs repairs, etc.

And then there are the folks who appear to be actively reading their messages but never reply to you. I can definitely empathize with your situation. We've came across two different damaged/destroyed boxes... sent both owners a friendly message about them, with details about the situation and offers to help repair/replace, to mail the lonely little logbook we found, etc. -- any of which should have prompted a reply or at least some sort of acknowledgment that they give two shakes about their boxes or appreciate getting info from fellow boxers, but so far nothing from either person... it's been weeks. For all I know they deleted the messages without even reading them. That's my guess, so I'm not holding my breath at this point. They can find the time to log in and tool around on the site for a while but they can't be bothered to change the status of the box so other people aren't going on what is most definitely a wild goose chase... and it must not be worth their time to type a couple words like "thanks for the info"... it seems rude imo... basic lack of courtesy.

It's their issue though! There are lots more boxes awaiting and plenty of people who DO appreciate getting a friendly update. :)

~Ohana

damaged/destroyed boxes... sent both owners a friendly message about them, with details about the situation and offers to help repair/replace, to mail the lonely little logbook we found,

If its close to your home, I would repair/replace anything that needed it. If you liked the location/box enough. Or felt it worthy of doing so. This after tries of response. It could some day become one of your own if you wait long enough and contact Ryan about it, talk it over....and adopted the box. I found out that it is not truly yours after all if the owner comes back and decided to box once again. That was fine with me as it was a friend of mine that this particular box belonged to and I had conversed with her about it before hand. I had carved the whole series and she planted them. But you would not be in that situation and there may be more to it than what I speak of, hince the talk with Ryan. Suggest leaving the old logbook in place, however. Add a new one.
Just my 2 cents,
OD