These stats are really interesting. I've had to cut back on CRHing drastically in the last few months due to a move, though I was never a big volume guy. At my peak volume I did maybe 4-6 boxes of different coin types weekly, with typically just one box of halves. I know that's nothing compared to many folks on here, but it was a lot for me.
Now, with doing less than a box a week, I've been surprised to find that I actually enjoy the hobby -- meaning minute for minute -- considerably more. I'm less robotic about it, dumping isn't a thought (I can spend the dumps at my leisure or return rolls in my natural travels), and I value the keepers more. I also get less miffed at getting skunked. I know this will sound like pointless blasphemy to many here since it's nearly impossible to meaningfully "add to the pile" at such a snail's pace, but seeing the hit rate as calculated by Zero (mine was similar) has made me think about why I even bother to totter along so feebly rather than give up CRHing altogether in this period.
My thoughts -- I never get a box of halves just looking (hoping) to dig one 40%er or 90%er out of it, even that's the optimistic reality I consciously expect. I'm buying a lottery ticket in buying that box, and am hoping for a great score. It's the thrill of the hunt, as we've all mentioned so often. The chance to win.
Getting that lone box and hunting through it slowly still lets me feel like I'm taking my chance, however remotely. And honestly, I don't think I'd increase my chances by an amazing margin of getting that score if I did 100 boxes a week -- in the same way buying 1000 lottery tickets a week rather than one will not greatly increase your odds of winning a big payout.
At a certain skunk frequency, given the effort and gas involved, CRHing really ceases to be a logical, cost-effective means to simply acquire silver. In doing the cold math, just buying the Ag (or getting a part-time job and using the proceeds to buy silver) would yield steadier, cheaper adds to the pile for less overall effort -- but that's no fun. There's no thrill to it. So when logic isn't really in the equation anymore, if it ever was, you're left with the fun aspect as a motivator and reward. For me, doing lower volumes has increased the fun of the hobby, moment by moment. It may take me 10 years instead of 5 to get lucky enough to hit on that dream box -- but that's okay. And given that luck is such a massive factor in finding dream boxes, I'm probably roundabout nearly as likely (in a practical sense) to hit on it this year as a guy who's doing 50 boxes a week. If my reckoning isn't reasonable on this (or someone has looked at the actual incidence of "dream boxes"), please let me know.