REWARD-LOST FLASHLIGHT!

Back in January I lost my beloved Mclux III-PD and was not a happy camper.
I have since replaced the PD with a new/used one and decided to take an extra precaution should I be so unlucky as to lose this one.
I took a small piece of paper and wrote: "$50.00 reward if you return this flashlight" and I included my name, phone number and email address and I rolled it up and inserted it into the battery tube, so if someone finds the light they will find the note if they ever remove the head to replace the battery. I think this will give me more of a fighting chance to get back a light if it ever gets lost.
I've also started to do this with other lights with varying reward amounts depending on the value of the light.
On my new Ti Mclux that I have coming I think i'll make the reward $100.00.
What do you guys think?

good idea! I'd just put lanyards on my lights, but that's just me. :lolsign:
have a good one,
Flash

$100.00! Wow, this must be worth something. Maybe I can sell it on eBay...

I'm sure everyone here (and most honest folks) would send it back without the reward, or maybe with a few bucks for shipping. $50.00 sounds good, especially if it's a kid who finds it.

I did the same thing with my cell phone. Put note in phone case offering $50 reward. The person who found it was nice enough to call me and wouldn't take any reward. So I bought em a beer....(left it in a tavern ) Hope it works out for you.

Use a holster I used to think I would look like a prat wearing a holster but after I lost my L1. I always use a holster now to carry my HDS i'd rather never lose another light. It's a horrible feeling.

The Shadow said:

$100.00! Wow, this must be worth something. Maybe I can sell it on eBay...

I'm sure everyone here (and most honest folks) would send it back without the reward, or maybe with a few bucks for shipping. $50.00 sounds good, especially if it's a kid who finds it.

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Yeah, you might be right. I'll stick to the $50.00 reward. Most people have never even heard of a light that costs more than $50.00.

If one puts a very high reward for a thing then obviously they (ones who found them) will know that the item is of high value. Worst thing they can do is to keep it. I would advice just leaving name, address and contact number.

That is a great idea. Might be worth writing on the note 'sentimental value' which would explain the high value to you, but maybe not others.

If something is expensive or precious enough for you, it must be properly secured and not carried around. EDC items had a higher chance of being lost or left behind. Although a lanyard would greatly reduce that risk.

Normal people think a flashlight would not cost more than $20. Your reward offer of $50 /$100 would aroused people curiosity to google it for more details including its real values. I would suggest to leave out the reward offer.

An honest person picking up your light, will contact you to return it. While a dishonest person will either keep it or find out the real value and sell it off on ebay for more than your reward.

This is what I do, if possible I will get 2 or more piece of light and keep one unit securely at home as a shelf queen. The 2nd unit will be subjected to normal EDC wear and tear. It will has a lanyard and a piece of paper with my contact details.

unless theres a serial number or your name/address on the light you might have a difficulty proving to whoever that found the light its your light...provided its not lost lost

I would leave a note with name address and 'Reward' don't include an amount. I think that's the best way to get a call about your light.

I would leave a note with name address and 'Reward' don't include an amount. I think that's the best way to get a call about your light.

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This is a good idea -- If I picked an item up and saw a notice like that, not knowing anything about flashlights, I'd probably read that as "I'll pay for the cost of shipping plus a couple bucks for the trouble". Indicating a high dollar value reward up front may cause someone to sell the light on e-bay, as they would know it was worth significantly more than that. Those who would be honest enough to send it back knowing how much it was worth would be likely to do so even without the promise of a big reward.

I just wrote notes for the inside of each one of my surefires(6) I also scratch my initials on the inside of the battery tube on all my lights,

"If found, please return for reward"
NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE#
EMAIL

I know if I noticed this while changing the batteries, I would have to return it to the owner. I think most people (not all) are honest enough to return it, or at least make some kind of attept.

Hopefully.............

Scottiver said:

I took a small piece of paper and wrote: "$50.00 reward if you return this flashlight"

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Great idea! I think I'm going to do that to my Elly! :laughing:

You just have to rely on someone who is honest enough to return the light

Thanks for all the input guys. I think that if someone is cool they will do their best to return something to the rightful owner. If they are big enough jerks that they would try to sell it on ebay even when they know who the owner is then that light is gone for good because they never would have returned it in the first place. You just got to hope that whoever finds it will be the type of person who will want to do the right thing. A reward might just get them a little more motivated to do the right thing.

I would go with the no reward angle. Just put your name, contact info and a note about the flashlight having a sentimental value to you and that you would really appreciate getting it back(on your expence and time). The honest people out there would give it back, the slightly dishonest ones wouldnt find out the value of the light and dont get any motivation to keep it, and might think, "What the heck, why dont do a good deed?". The totally dishonest ones wouldnt probably bother at all to send it back, regardless of reward or not.

This may be ever so slightly OT but it is related enough to the discussion at hand that I feel it is worth including.

http://www.wallettest.com/

It documents an experiment conducted by a Webmaster named Paul Kinsella. He basically dropped 100 identical wallets at various locations and staked them out with a video camera to document who recoverred them. Each wallet contained a nominal amount of cash ($2.10) a fake $50 gift certificate and a clearly maked ID card so that honest individuals who found a wallet could easily contact the rightful owner. He then compiled the results and even broke the results down using various demographic factors (gender, age, race, etc...). The experiment is far from perfect but it does give us some insight as to just how honest our neighbors really are. (74% of the wallets were actually recovered). Of those that weren't, a few dishonest individuals actually tried to redeem the fake $50 gift certificate and Mr. Kinsella also provides recordings of the hilarity that ensues during these telephone conversations.

When ever someone looses a expensive flashlight, I feel really bad, not just for the owner but also for the flashlight. Imagine someone picking up a McLux PD or similar and throwing it away after the batteries die, not knowing the value of the light.

74% recovery rate, pretty good, better then what I initially thought.

I don't have any expensive flashlight yet so I can't really say much.

Gunner12 said:

Imagine someone picking up a McLux PD or similar and throwing it away after the batteries die, not knowing the value of the light.

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When I saw this I just froze. I can't even imagine that... People save up months for those, and I just, just, wow, I can't even imagine that without shuddering. Such a waste of such a good flashlight...not to mention how much I wish I had one.