You can only record unlisted finds if you are a premium member. Have you found any others yet or are you a newbie? Maybe if you find a few more and log them, you can find the listing for your accidental find?

Check the person's logbook for their Plants and see if you can figure it out from the list.

Wait 'til hat day and record it as an unlisted find.

Or, if you can't wait, go to Marketplace on the toolbar at the top of the page and sign up for a premium membership. Premium members can register finds of unlisted boxes at any time, not just on the rare hat days.

Hmm...if you don't know the box name or the owner's name, how would you log the box?

Hmm...if you don't know the box name or the owner's name, how would you log the box?

As a premium member, you can make all that stuff up. Most of my finds are boxes I've made up. I'm closing in on Public Hand fast.

Just read your profile. A member since 2015 and no finds. Why is that?

Just read your profile. A member since 2015 and no finds. Why is that?

Wanda has been letterboxing since 2000 and only has 100 finds.

We all know about the legendary Wanda & Pete, 50,000 and counting.
But zero.
At least record one on AQ.

Not everyone is into logging finds online. I have friends and family who don't log their finds. It just isn't important to them.

We all know about the legendary Wanda & Pete, 50,000 and counting.
But zero.
At least record one on AQ.

One day last summer, my husband and I ran into two separate families who had been letterboxing for years yet who had never logged a find. One of the families didn't even have a trail name, yet they sought out the boxes located on long, scenic hikes. The teenaged daughter of this family rehid the box far better (by standing in different locations to see if the box was visible) than some folks with many logged finds.

My point is that you can be a letterboxer without logging finds online.

Thanks for all the imput.
Just a case of "different strokes for different folks".

I've been boxing since 2007 and took a 2 year break. I only have 114 finds, but it's because I have to travel a couple of hours to letterbox. There just aren't any left nearby. As for not recording finds, I can't imagine that. If the carver and hider bought the materials, took the time to carve the stamp, paid for gas, hiked to hide it in a nice spot, it seems like the finder could at least let them know that the stamp is still there by logging the find. If they take the time to look up stamps on AQ, it would take only a little bit more time to log the find. In a way, each box is a gift, isn't it?

Oh now it all makes sense! Haha! I can just make up my finds. Lol! (Totally kidding)

"Just read your profile. A member since 2015 and no finds. Why is that?"

And you've been boxing since 2003 and don't know that lots of people never log their finds on AQ.

Personally, I like to log my finds. I also get why people don't. Some of them started boxing before online logging was even a thing and just never picked it up. Some of them consider the paper logbooks (in the box or the letterboxer's possession) to be the definitive logbook - which is, of course, correct - and don't see the point of duplicating it online. My brother wanted to reach a certain milestone in his number of plants before he logged any finds.

Ultimately, people play the game differently, and accepting that will minimize your own angst.

Some of them started boxing before online logging was even a thing and just never picked it up. Some of them consider the paper logbooks (in the box or the letterboxer's possession) to be the definitive logbook - which is, of course, correct - and don't see the point of duplicating it online.

Indeed. And even if they started today, some would see no point in logging online. I think some see it as mostly an outdoor hobby, go find the actual logbook if you want to see what is going on.

I realise there is a sentiment that some people are "grandfathered" in that they played the game the traditional Dartmoor way before online logging was available, but that doesn't mean just these people get to play it the traditional way. Any newbie is free to play it that way if they want to, and they should not be judged here or elsewhere on their PFX count. Still to much of that going on, IMHO.

As for not recording finds, I can't imagine that. If the carver and hider bought the materials, took the time to carve the stamp, paid for gas, hiked to hide it in a nice spot, it seems like the finder could at least let them know that the stamp is still there by logging the find.

See, I just disagree. For me, the social contract only extends to also trying to take the time and expense to plant high quality experiences for others. If you fundamentally believe that logging makes the game less fun, you are under no obligation to do so.

If they take the time to look up stamps on AQ, it would take only a little bit more time to log the find.

I always log my finds, both in the logbook and online. But thank God for those who don't. It's fun to see people's trailnames show up on the online log, but I find it much more fun to look through the real logbook and see the stamps and comments and to be surprised by the trailnames of people I had no idea had visited.

......I find it much more fun to look through the real logbook and see the stamps and comments and to be surprised by the trail names of people I had no idea had visited.

And when looking through a physical logbook I almost always see trail names I have *never* heard of and never seen here on any board, just like I'll see plants posted on AQ by people who have been boxing for years, never log finds, never post on boards and never go to events.

But "somehow" they seem to find a way to enjoy letterboxing, she said with tongue planted firmly in cheek. lol Imagine that!

The game can be played anyway a player wants to play. Log in or not. As for the logbook being the ultimate record, consider that the box can disappear. I planted a box in 2007. It was found on a regular basis. The last find was the month before I went to retrieve the log and replace it with a new one. The box was gone when I got there. It was there from 2007 until 2015, so I know it was in a good spot, on a trail, on a rock ledge, covered with rocks in front of it. I really wanted to see the stamp-ins. Another box disappeared from a trail in a state park. Unannounced, they decided to clear the area where 6 boxes were. Three were mine. Lastly, this month, the state decided to close and rebuild two rest area. Needless to say, this letterbox was lost along with its log. It had been there since 2008. This is why I like for folks to log their finds of my boxes.

The game can be played anyway a player wants to play. Log in or not.

I never said otherwise. But no one ever gets put down for logging on AQ. But they do often get put down for not logging on AQ. Not saying you're putting anyone down but it happens. And it shouldn't. Logging on the web site is a choice, as is making comments.

consider that the box can disappear.

I do consider that. How could I not? So does everyone else who plants a box. That's fate. And so goes the game. People spend hours on a hand carved stamp and leave it in the woods knowing it may some day disappear for some unknown reason. But they keep doing it. I can live with losing a stamp and I can live with losing a logbook and perhaps not knowing everyone who signed into it. I'd obviously rather not lose it but if I do so be it.

I consider logging finds online as a courtesy to the planter; they went to all the trouble to plant a box, the least I can do is acknowledge their contribution. But logging unlisted finds doesn't really accomplish that objective, does it?

But logging unlisted finds doesn't really accomplish that objective, does it?

I wasn't posting about logging unlisted finds so you might want to respond to the person who did.