Is it Worth it to mark up a Disc?

[ru4por]

Why not do it? How much effort is it to mark a disc? Even if there's a slight chance it gets returned, how could it not be worth it?

Unless you hope to sell it later, or just aesthetically prefer a clean, unmarked disc.

And if you care about these things, but still want to play tournaments, note that the mark can be pretty inconspicuous. Doesn't have to be your name. Could be just a couple of dots inside the rim, not likely to affect either.

I agree. I put my name and PDGA#. I play a couple private courses that the owner does the pond diving and have a lost and found. I have no reason not to mark my discs.

 

[RobA]

I don't ink my discs. I like clean plastic and if you try and trade or sell them, no one wants the inked discs. Besides, I only have lost a few discs, average about one a year (although last year I lost two). Just not worth the hassle to me anymore to try and connect with a lost disc.

You must not play at Como Lake Park then, lol

 

[Puckstopper]

This is probably not a popular opinion but I do not write my name on any of my discs and I lose about as many as I find. I also don't call on discs that I find. I figure what goes around comes around and I pretty much break even on quantity, but it seems like I lose sweet drivers and only find orcs and beasts. The people that own those discs probably didn't want them back anyhow.

You're going to catch some flak around here, but don't sweat it. I think you probably speak for the majority of players. Maybe not people on this board, but based on my experiences losing discs I'm fairly certain the vast majority of players don't call. Quite frankly, I'm partially with you. I say partially, because I usually don't even pick up a disc I spot on the course. If I do it's to toss it to one of the beginners in my group who only have a few discs. I encourage them to call/text but at the end of the day they need to make their own choice.

Personally I don't bother inking discs anymore unless they're gifts or ace discs, and then I make it a point to add "reward for return". I've been lucky and haven't lost one of those yet so I don't know if I'll have any more luck getting these discs back than I have others, but somehow I doubt it.

One last point: The world would be a better place if everyone did the right thing, but many don't/won't. Getting upset when a chucker doesn't call to return your disc is like yelling at a puppy for crapping on the carpet. There's no point because you should have expected that it would happen.

 

[Brokensaint]

Between myself, my two older kids and my buddy, we've gotten calls on probably 30-40% of the plastic lost over the years. Unfortunately, most of our losses seem to happen out of town, playing a new course blind, so its often a case "thanks for the call, it flies like such and such, throw it well".
I guess I get the aesthetic of clean plastic, but marking it is a rule in formal play, and you may get a call back, so why not? Just clean print on the inside rim. Done and done.

Sidebar: speaking of aesthetics, I've never understood tje guys who scrawl their info all over the flight plate... Just ugly to me. But we all have our thing, right?

 

[jeffmonty]

Is it worth it? Sure. If it's a disc you throw, what do you have to lose by marking it? The disc was already lost. Maybe you'll get it back.

I probably get 2 out of 3 lost discs back, but that's probably well above average. I got a call last week from a guy in Denver that found my Comet in Ralston Creek at Johnny, but I was back home in Washington. I told him to enjoy it.

 

[blackcatsmith]

As a compulsive doodler and avid scribbler I ink the crap out of my discs (as evidenced in my avatar).

 

[scarpfish]

They're your discs. You bought them with your own money. Mark them up all you want (or not).

I put my name, phone, PDGA# and the weight on the inner rim.

 

[Mulligan]

I've never gotten a call back so now I just stamp the ones I like the most with a decorative stamp so I at least know it was mine when I find it down at the local shop.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

If you don't put a # then people can't call even they wanted to.

^ This. Sure, it seems the keepers outnumber the callers some overwhelming percentage, but we're out there and with no #, there's really nowhere to go with a found disc.

 

[HarkeyPuck]

I used to ink all my discs, then I started just putting my number on the rim. Now I don't even bother. I figure if I have so many backups of backups that if I leave a disc behind it's gone.

 

[Keith H]

Good arguments all around. I think might end up taking a middle path.

Use a Small mark until I am sure it makes the bag (protect my trade value as I lose a lot of $ on discs I don't keep because of the ink). Then if it makes the bag and is a nice disc at least initials and phone number under the rim. Kind of like the reward note too.

 

[sisyphus]

If I pick up a disc as a tournament prize or players' pack item, and am not likely to throw it, I leave it pristine and ask folks in the marketplace if they'd like it. If I try a disc out, it gets silver sharpie (wipes right out with acetone) in the rim (name and number). If it makes the bag, or makes an ace , it gets permanent ink, but I never go beyond the inside rim. I prefer the disc to look mostly clean.

btw, I've lost somewhere around 24 discs and had calls on only two, so I suspect those of us who make every effort we can to return discs, are in the minority. So I suggest if you post in a lost and found disc thread, just assume the original owner did NOT lose it where you found it.

 

[dgar]

I don't ink my disc, i just don't like the way my disc look inked up, yeap, I loose a few, but I just figure its my price to play... if you find my disc enjoy...

I used to play ball golf... thirty dollar green fees, plus the cost of loosing golf balls..I could loose a couple disc a round and still be ahead,

 

[BuzzzChief]

I leave a disc ink-free until I'm sure it's making the bag, in case I want to sell it. When it first makes the bag, it gets marked with silver sharpie. After a while if I'm sure it's staying, it gets permanent ink. Right on the flight plate, name and phone number right in the middle of the disc. I think people are more likely to call if the info is in an obvious area.

I've had many discs returned over the years and always call when I find them. My CE Firebird has been returned twice!

 

[Tim_the_Enchanter]

Man, I envy you guys that apparently live in more honest discing communities. I put my name and number on most of my discs, but the return rate is abysmal. I haven't kept track of all the discs I've lost over the years, but I'd guess I've gotten maybe 5% back. Still, I keep putting my info on the disc, because if I lose it, a small part of me hopes that another honest golfer will find it and give me a call. Not that I actually expect to see it again, but I look at it as a free lotto ticket.

 

[brandon21486]

The community here in KC seems pretty good about returning discs, although I have only gotten calls back about my old DX starter discs. People use the disc drop offs at the courses here quite often though I just haven't been lucky. There is a list of 300+ discs that have been turned into the Dynamic Discs using the drop off according to a spreadsheet that they have online .

 

[Okdiscgolfer]

Test flying no ink, but if it makes the bag definitely has my info on the rim. I figue it is worth putting on there just in case.

 

[ljerome]

I ink name and phone just in case. It's not the lost $ when a disc is gone but more like a lost girlfriend I may never see again. I get too attached too easily. I've received 2 calls and discs back out of 10+ discs lost. Just received a call from the local shop last week telling me they had my old beat up DX Shark I lost 2 years ago. Go figure.

 

[JedV]

I hunt and hunt and hunt for my lost discs and seldomly lose them. However, I will sometimes throw a second shot out of frustration, only to leave one of the 2 discs behind. I have never gotten a call back.

That said, I put my name and number on them in hopes that other people out there are decent enough to try to make contact.

 

[rickles]

I hunt and hunt and hunt for my lost discs and seldomly lose them. However, I will sometimes throw a second shot out of frustration, only to leave one of the 2 discs behind. I have never gotten a call back.

That said, I put my name and number on them in hopes that other people out there are decent enough to try to make contact.

Seen many "nugbrains" leave discs...always a good tease:gross: