1. Now you can sort the boxes you've found and planted alphabetically or by date. It seems some people had been using logbooks to find a specific box to update but couldn't remember when it was planted. *shaking head* Well, now it'll be easier to do that. =)
   
2. More types of stuff in your logbook including: Postal boxes you've signed up for but haven't yet received, events you signed up for, adopted letterboxes, and attempted finds.
3. Yes, attempted finds. Now you can record attempted finds. To do so, just log it like you were logging a regular find, and there will be a checkbox or radio button to mark it as just an attempt. This is the foundation of a much bigger feature planned for the future so if you aren't excited about it yet, you will be. ;o)
4. You can now record finding a box more than once for all types of boxes. Multiple finds won't actually show up in your logbook nor in your F-counts, but if you want to update the "last found" date because you recently checked up on a box--even one you'd already found in the past--you now have that option.
5. Searches for letterboxes will no longer stop after the first 500 letterboxes. I figured out a way to optimize the SQL code and it can now return an unlimited amount. (Well, the amount really isn't "unlimited" per se, but it's much larger than the number of all letterboxes, so it's just not a concern anymore!)
6. Since AQ now can track attempted finds, you can also hide those pesky, hard-to-find boxes from your search results. ;o)

Update number 6 (recording attempted finds) is great. I just hid some boxes that we've attempted, others have attempted, and feel sure are missing. Now they won't be staring at me everytime I do a search. Thanks, Ryan. It just gets better and better. Scooters Mom

love it love it love it!!!!

-CCL

Ryan....you rock! I love the new features. I had just joined as a premium member and I see every dime of my membership is well worth it. Keep up the great work!

Lock Wench

I was just posting an attempted find, and forgot to set the month back to May.  The date I gave was in the future.  The message it gave made me LOL.  Thanks for putting your sense of humor in the small things.  That's what makes this site so fun.  It has a great personality.

Weyrwoman

I'm planning a series of stamps that I think will have to be microboxes. It'll be a challenge, because I love carving big! :o)

What does one USE for microboxes? I've heard of filmcanisters, which I don't have around anymore (35mm film? What's that? LOL).

Thanks for any advice! The only thing I can think of is to use acrylic paint plastic "bottles".  But I think to get the stamp and logbook out would be impossible.

Any suggestions? I'm new to letterboxing and haven't been 'around much' so I'm kind of flying blind here, LOL.

Trailhoundz

What does one USE for microboxes? I've heard of filmcanisters, which I don't have around anymore (35mm film? What's that? LOL).

A boxer around here I know gets 35 mm film canisters from a camera supply store just for asking. 

I have had good luck with getting surplus containers from American Science & Surplus www.sciplus.com (please just ignore the commercial plug if you're against that sort of thing).  They have small plastic containers of various kinds, depending on what they have around.  I bought some film containers that I don't see now and I also have used the baby blue ones they have now--they're like film containers, but they have a screw on lid.  I think these are better camo-taped, because bright blue is hard to disguise!  Read the descriptions carefully, sometimes it's hard to tell how big the containers are.  But you can't beat the prices.

Dewberry

I just ran across this. I can't wait to see it when it comes out. I did'nt know it was being redone!

http://www.mgm.com/pinkpantherthemovie/

Liz

Hi there Trailhoundz,

Film canisters can be gotten for free, as mentioned by Dewberry. I have ran across everything from film canisters, Altoids tins, very small baby-food sized rubbermaid containers, travel-sized soap, toothbrush, and shampoo containers, ect. The variety is limitless. I prefer the film canisters because I can get them from my local CVS drug store for free. I asked the people that handle the film development to hang on to them for me and they do. They also come in handy for holding Speedball blades, beads, needles, and many other little things I use for letterboxing. Good luck finding something that works for you.

Liz of Penguin Patrol

I sent out a HH recently in a small spice jar. it was about 1 1/2 tall and about an inch wide. i glued the stamp to the inside cover. I also recently planted a box...if you will.... in a parm cheese plasic cantainer. i  glued the top all shut  and taped it so you can only unscrew it to get into it.

i'm always looking at any kind of container different. since i've been boxing lol

-CCL

if you have a craft store, check their beading section. I found small white snap on lidded containers about two/thirds as tall as a 35 mm film caniser and not much wider there for about .10 a piece.

Maiden

Quote:  I'm planning a series of stamps that I think will have to be microboxes.

The Pine 4 You series in Wilmington NC has the first 3 stamps in the 35 mm film canisters (stamp only).  The 4th stamp is in a larger tupperware with the log book.  You don't stamp in until the last box.  That may be an option.

Weyrwoman

As someone mentioned before, you can get 35mm film canisters from just about any 1hr photo processing place.  They are supposed to save them for recycling anyway.  We get them from our local Wal Mart all the time for school projects.

bzmom

I have a letterbox in a hollowed out book myself. I have it in a lending library at a coffee shop.

And I know of a couple (I can't remember their trail names) Who plan on putting a LB in a fake bird house...I think that is so cool. 

And if I can find it, I have a film canister that's actually oval shaped. I think will make a great micro hitchhiker.

S~N~K  

I think there is a Pink Panther Series scheduled for the Fall Mystery Gather...

I've purchased them online through Target.com  $20 for 23 piece set

Part of the problem is that geocaching recognizes "letterbox hybrids" as a cache type. Under caching's rules, it's a letterbox hybrid if it has a stamp. Neither text clues, nor a seperate listing on a letterbox site is required, although most hybrids are cross listed.

That means that some geocachers (especially new ones) believe that they are familiar with letterboxing based on what they have seen on that site as a hybrid. They may not be familar with "real" letterboxing, as seperate from geocaching. They would see a letterbox and assume that it's just another type of cache. Contrast that with letterboxing, where most of us know about caching, either through caching's publicity, or by encounters with the more numerous crowd over there.

The solution is proper labeling and communication. I would use the phrases "Do Not Trade - Leave in Box" on the back of the stamp, that's shorter and to the point. The same phrases on the baggie holding the stamp would be good too. I've left disposable cameras in my geocache (for self-potraits) with that labeling and they've stayed where they belong for three years and forty visitors.

When I find two close by (and I've chosen more than a few hikes for the chance to find some of each at the same time), I make sure to mention the letterbox in the cache log, with a reminder to treat the letterbox as they want their cache to be treated. Cachers are good people too, and that and good labeling are usually sufficent. Also, let each owner the other is nearby. In the case of newer letterboxers, point out any (lack of) labeling issues that might cause a problem.

In my most recent encounter with one of each side by side, I got a gift card (with a decent amount of value still on it) for Applebees out of the letterbox. The cache was a micro, so I didn't have to trade for it.

Yeah, gee, I wonder who could be carving it? *wink*

Liz

I box with my two retired racing greyhounds (thus our name, "Trailhoundz" :o)).  But technically, that's just one human. Sometimes I go out with my boxing bud Spudhund and her greyhound too. :o)

I am careful when I go alone and try not to get too paranoid. Last year on the WetCanvas website (an art forum) a woman posted that she was out doing a plein air painting along a quiet road.  A car pulled up behind her and the guy got out, pretended to be curious as to what she was painting. He then tried to rape her.

I trust that my big scary looking dogs will scare off any creeps, but try to be aware of my surroundings and ALWAYS carry my cell phone.

~Trailhoundz

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions!!! I LOVE the idea of hiding stamps in film canisters and then having a regular container with the logbook at the end. I'll see if any of the drugstores up here in CNY can give me some extras, LOL.

Thanks ya'll!!

~Trailhoundz

Whenever I try to get clues for these boxes, a little thing comes up that says "No disk in disk drive.  Please insert disk"  An explanation?

fyi.  Responding very slow today.  Another DOS attack?  I'll try again later.

By the way, many thanks for all the new cool features.

Scarab