Everyone has probably wondered this... (lost disc)

[discspeed]

I, like most others here I suspect, have gotten to the point where we throw pretty specific discs that we are VERY unlikely to just find on a course. In my case so much so that I haven't found a disc that I was even tempted keep, written on or otherwise in a long time. I do however find discs that I'm curious about, and I have absolutely no qualms about throwing them to see what they will do. Luckily we have a pretty good return program at CDGS, and that is where my found discs that I cannot identify go. People are such douches down here that no one writes their numbers on the discs...I found this out the hard way when I lost a disc when I first moved here and got prank called repeatedly by whoever found it.

Now on the other hand, there are probably 100s if not 1000s of discs out there with my name on them. I put my name on them when I test them because there is so much water on our courses, and I've also sold tons of my discs to CDGS, who in turn distribute them around the world...Speaking of which, Mark Ellis--do you have any red Trackers with "Mike Phillips" or 23433 on them? There are at least a dozen out there, all legitimately sold. About half a dozen times a year I meet someone on the course with a disc in their bag with my name, and it is funny how people handle this situation very differently. Some offer them up right away, others after a few holes, some offer to pay, some offer it to me like the 3rd time we meet, and some don't say anything until they notice me looking at the disc in their hand or on the ground. I never care...once a disc has left my possession it is dead to me.

[isobar]

I played a round with a random guy at Cass Benton last week, he had 3 discs in his bag. We got stuck behind a group of 6 who wouldn't let anyone play through. So we joined up with another group of 2 behind us, and as we played through, one of the guys realized the guy I was with was using 2 of his discs. The guy gave them both up without a second thought even though there was no name on them, just a symbol drawn in the same spot of each disc, and anyone could have claimed the symbol to be his. It was nice to see someone like that in a course mostly filled with DBs.

My rule is if it has a name/number, you get a call with a voice mail. If you don't respond, you get a text. If after a few days you haven't responded, I keep it.
If it has more than one name/number, I will only call them if I recognize one of the names as someone who I know from the course. Too many people will find lost discs, x out the old name/number and put their name on it.

[keltik]

I quit putting my name on discs a long time ago. I've only been called twice for discs. Once was for one I had traded out of state. the other was when I asked a club president to be on the lookout. I've bought so many used discs that most of mine already have someone else's name on them.

I've only ever found 3 discs. 1 I put in the club lost and found. 1 I tried the names and number with no luck and eventually sold. the third someone else knew the owner so I let them return it.

[Steve]

I played a round with a random guy at Cass Benton last week, he had 3 discs in his bag. We got stuck behind a group of 6 who wouldn't let anyone play through. So we joined up with another group of 2 behind us, and as we played through, one of the guys realized the guy I was with was using 2 of his discs. The guy gave them both up without a second thought even though there was no name on them, just a symbol drawn in the same spot of each disc, and anyone could have claimed the symbol to be his. It was nice to see someone like that in a course mostly filled with DBs.

My rule is if it has a name/number, you get a call with a voice mail. If you don't respond, you get a text. If after a few days you haven't responded, I keep it.
If it has more than one name/number, I will only call them if I recognize one of the names as someone who I know from the course. Too many people will find lost discs, x out the old name/number and put their name on it.

I buy and trade for used discs that sometimes have ink on them. I hope you are never the one to find one of these discs if I lose them because people who don't return discs SUCK! If I find a disc with ink on it I call no matter what. No silly rules to keep the disc for myself if there is to much ink on it.

[ferretdance03]

Robbie is on facebook.

[mark12b]

Now I have 2 other discs, one with "PAPA 10099" in the disc (Obviously Scott Papa, wanna think its a z-xpress?) and the other an X Wasp with Robbie Bratten's signature and PDGA number. I'd love to get these back to them if they wanted them, but how in the world would I get in touch with them and return their disc?

Scott Papa is "papatart" on http://www.nwdiscgolfnews.com/forum -- you might be able to get in touch with him through there.

[andrew]

My days off are Monday and Tuesday, and I often play heavily wooded courses, and consequently find a lot of discs (I'd guess 1 every 3 rounds on average). I always attempt to contact previous owners or drop off the disc at the local disc golf store lost and found. What surprises me is how rarely someone returns a call or email to claim a disc- I'd say odds are 1 out of 8. Meanwhile, I've never had anyone call my number on any of the discs I've lost. I suspected for awhile others thought I was holding them hostage, but started clarifying I wasn't on messages with no better luck....

[Cavere]

I subscribe to the 2 or 3 calls and if I don't get a response in a week or two ill consider it mine. On the same token if someone I run into has a disc I lost that week I'd expect it back.

This week I played a course I rarely get out to. I played with a guy that after learned my name was rob asked what my last name was and had a river that I had lost a year ago. It had become a part of his bag and I in no way expected it back. We made a lot of jokes about it and it didn't bother me even though he made no attempt to contact me. He did at the end of the day give me a champ beast that he had also found.

Losing discs is a pain but part of the sport. If I lose a disc every five rounds which would be a lot it would still be much cheaper than playing ball golf once a week.

[aerodriver]

I've only recently put my name and number on my discs, simply because I'm looking for more people to play with. If they call and tell me they have my disc then it's an easy way to set up a round!

I think if I found a disc that had a name/number on it, regardless of the disc, I would contact them and wait for a response within a few days. Just another way to play more rounds.

[Mark Ellis]

Now on the other hand, there are probably 100s if not 1000s of discs out there with my name on them. I put my name on them when I test them because there is so much water on our courses, and I've also sold tons of my discs to CDGS, who in turn distribute them around the world...Speaking of which, Mark Ellis--do you have any red Trackers with "Mike Phillips" or 23433 on them? There are at least a dozen out there, all legitimately sold. About half a dozen times a year I meet someone on the course with a disc in their bag with my name, and it is funny how people handle this situation very differently. Some offer them up right away, others after a few holes, some offer to pay, some offer it to me like the 3rd time we meet, and some don't say anything until they notice me looking at the disc in their hand or on the ground. I never care...once a disc has left my possession it is dead to me.

None yet, Mike Phillips. But maybe one day. I'm always in the hunt for beat up 1st run Trackers.

Once I lose a disc it is not "dead to me" but it is hard for that disc, if I get it back, to go back into the starting line-up. If a replacement disc is doing a good job at fitting into its spot in the bag, after a few weeks I have adjusted to it and memorized its flight pattern. Of course, in my bag each disc has a pretty well defined and limited duty. Carrying 20-some discs will do that.

The exception to this rule is the most broken in discs in a category ( driver, mid or putter). Once a disc gets this broken in it is very hard to replicate or replace.

[isobar]

I played a round with a random guy at Cass Benton last week, he had 3 discs in his bag. We got stuck behind a group of 6 who wouldn't let anyone play through. So we joined up with another group of 2 behind us, and as we played through, one of the guys realized the guy I was with was using 2 of his discs. The guy gave them both up without a second thought even though there was no name on them, just a symbol drawn in the same spot of each disc, and anyone could have claimed the symbol to be his. It was nice to see someone like that in a course mostly filled with DBs.

My rule is if it has a name/number, you get a call with a voice mail. If you don't respond, you get a text. If after a few days you haven't responded, I keep it.
If it has more than one name/number, I will only call them if I recognize one of the names as someone who I know from the course. Too many people will find lost discs, x out the old name/number and put their name on it.

I buy and trade for used discs that sometimes have ink on them. I hope you are never the one to find one of these discs if I lose them because people who don't return discs SUCK! If I find a disc with ink on it I call no matter what. No silly rules to keep the disc for myself if there is to much ink on it.

So how do you determine which ink is the correct one to call? If I were to find your disc, and call the number on it that isn't yours, returning the disc back to the person who sold it to you in the first place, does that make it any better? If you buy/trade for discs with ink, you should look for a way to get rid of it before you start throwing it. Back when I worked in a plant 3-4 years ago, we had this stuff for cleaning oil and grease off glass/plastic windows. That stuff would get ink and most colors of Sharpies out of my discs. Solves the problem.

I have talked to many people who follow the same theory as me. I don't even bother writing my name/number on discs anymore because no one has ever returned them. I don't play tournaments yet so I have no real reason to do it. I've returned dozens of discs, so it's definitely not for lack of good karma coming my way.

[turso]

There are chemicals, like acetone, that get the ink off of the disc, but permanent markers get sucked into the disc in much the same way as dyes do on certain plastics, can't get rid of those. Have to either just colour them black with the sharpie or dye the disc.

[Steve]

I played a round with a random guy at Cass Benton last week, he had 3 discs in his bag. We got stuck behind a group of 6 who wouldn't let anyone play through. So we joined up with another group of 2 behind us, and as we played through, one of the guys realized the guy I was with was using 2 of his discs. The guy gave them both up without a second thought even though there was no name on them, just a symbol drawn in the same spot of each disc, and anyone could have claimed the symbol to be his. It was nice to see someone like that in a course mostly filled with DBs.

My rule is if it has a name/number, you get a call with a voice mail. If you don't respond, you get a text. If after a few days you haven't responded, I keep it.
If it has more than one name/number, I will only call them if I recognize one of the names as someone who I know from the course. Too many people will find lost discs, x out the old name/number and put their name on it.

I buy and trade for used discs that sometimes have ink on them. I hope you are never the one to find one of these discs if I lose them because people who don't return discs SUCK! If I find a disc with ink on it I call no matter what. No silly rules to keep the disc for myself if there is to much ink on it.

So how do you determine which ink is the correct one to call? If I were to find your disc, and call the number on it that isn't yours, returning the disc back to the person who sold it to you in the first place, does that make it any better? If you buy/trade for discs with ink, you should look for a way to get rid of it before you start throwing it. Back when I worked in a plant 3-4 years ago, we had this stuff for cleaning oil and grease off glass/plastic windows. That stuff would get ink and most colors of Sharpies out of my discs. Solves the problem.

I have talked to many people who follow the same theory as me. I don't even bother writing my name/number on discs anymore because no one has ever returned them. I don't play tournaments yet so I have no real reason to do it. I've returned dozens of discs, so it's definitely not for lack of good karma coming my way.

I always black out the old owners ink if I can't remove it. It sucks that no one returns your discs but don't be a dick to others just because there is more than one ink mark on the back. I have been known to not return discs to people that are known for keeping discs that aren't theirs.

[andrew]

I have been known to not return discs to people that are known for keeping discs that aren't theirs.

An eye for an eye and the whole world is blind... but if your enemy is hungry, feed him... for it will be like burning coals upon his head....

[discspeed]

fixed