Pure Junk ,,, Why Leave It?

[+ghs]

I guess the answer is that there is no good way to define what 'junk' is, since it's so subjective. One person's trash is another person's treasure.

 

I see this response whenever this comes up.

 

Let's see. I did find sunglasses with one lens and earpiece missing. I guess a cyclops with one ear might find them useful.

 

I found a dirty diaper cover. Perhaps a geocacher could wash it and use it on their infant.

 

I found a filthy pair of work gloves with holes worn in the fingers. I guess the holes are useful for those who need to tie on fishing lures while keeping their hands warm.

 

I found a well chewed toy soldier. Hmmm, not sure of the uses for that one. Maybe give it to a teething baby?

 

Found a long expired Sanka coupon (older than the cache). Get enough of them and I guess you can wallpaper your den.

 

Found a metrocard with no rides left. Could be used to pick poppy seeds from your teeth after eating a bagel.

 

Found acorns (in a cache in a mostly oak forest).

 

Sorry, sometimes its just plain garbage that is left in caches. Caches are not trash disposals. If its garbage put it in a trash bin.

Hey, I'm new here, but thanks for all those suggestions. Having had to defend my "junk" collection many times, I can use them. (But the "one person's junk is another person's treasure" thing really should be paid attention to. It may not be real likely that anyone's going to get rich selling some seeming piece of junk they find geocaching, but a close relative of mine has always believed that her mother-in-law's attic was full of worthless trash that couldn't possibly have any value to anyone and should just be burned. Well, a few years back, her mother-in-law sold just a small part of that "worthless trash" in an auction for tens of thousands of dollars. As it turns out, the stuff her mother-in-law herself thought was probably just garbage was what sold for the most. You just never know, for example, who finds value in an expired coupon--that might not have been expired when it was put there, by the way.) (But I'm not opposed to people using trash cans instead of cache containers either. )

[Voigt54601]

"one person's junk is another person's treasure"

 

Right, but sometimes one mans junk is another mans junk too, and womens, and kids.

 

TRADE UP OR EVEN NO CACHE TRASH (is going on all my caches)

[+kklems]

It seems one person might value an item more than someone else. Do you take out a calculator and compute the cost of your item versus what you take out of the cache? In the end some items are obvious junk but other items the finder may have left them with good intention and thinking it was a fair trade. Everyone dogs on McToys but I see nothing wrong with leaving a brand new in plastic McToy. What about swag you bought at a huge discount or on clearance? You know you only paid $.10 for a keychain or bottle opener but it's retail cost is $5. Do you trade for a $5 item or a $.10 item. etc We carry a backpack full of swag when we go out as a family and try to teach the kids about trading fairly but when your 4 year old is excited by a beat up matchbox firetruck soemtimes he thinks its worth the whole bag All in the eye of the beholder.

 

FWIW when I cache alone 99% are TNLXYZ SL. About the only thing I take when caching alone are TB's to move along.

[+ewerts]

I'm not supporting/promoting McToy's in caches, but I know last time I went with my 2yr old and 6yr they were totally exited by what others might call Junk, and wanted the McToy, which they played with for days afterward.

 

As has been said before One Man's junk is another kids treasure.

 

Just my 2 cents.

[+briansnat]

I'm not supporting/promoting McToy's in caches, but I know last time I went with my 2yr old and 6yr they were totally exited by what others might call Junk, and wanted the McToy, which they played with for days afterward.

 

As has been said before One Man's junk is another kids treasure.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

Nothing wrong with a McToy as long as its new. Even if your kid really, really wanted the one caked in dirt with a missing head and leg, I'm sure he would have preferred a shiny new one in its wrapper.

[Voigt54601]

It seems one person might value an item more than someone else. Do you take out a calculator and compute the cost of your item versus what you take out of the cache?

 

Well , obviously not. But taking a used mag light that works, and leaving a rock is the issue mostly.

 

I see it kinda like this, you and your friend agree to trade something, he really wants your new game for example.

You would want an even trade from him, and a rock would be a slap in the face.

 

I realize there is a mentality of leave one something, take one something ...

but show respect for the cache owner and keep the integrity of the items.

Edited February 8, 2006 by Voigt54601

[+dshawk]

You can't lump every rock together though-

 

Piece of concrete-junk

Railbedding-junk

Rock that was sitting right next to the cache, and probably helping to camo it-junk

 

Rock I personally went out and broke a sweat and probably began bleeding over-not junk

Rock that people would actually pay money for on "that auction site"-not junk

 

In the case Voigt is talking about, I agree that it's a really bad trade, but not all cases of "rock for maglite" trading is it trading down.

[+gpsjeep]

I agree, most of the time I find a lot of broken unusable junk/trash. I still cache anyway. I'm in it for the thrill of the hunt. Sure, it is nice to find some neat things. The only time the junk stuff really dissapoints me is when I'm caching with my kids. They get dissapointed when their find is full of crap. They know the value of trading even or trading up. Just wished some others knew of that value also.

I think I'm going to start searching for Members Only caches to see if it's any different.

-Jeff

[killer waffles]

i have found a signature item

some people might think its junk but.

its a orange and black striped marble

BUT it is for my other account who i might add cant post yet, 9 more hours!!

the other account name is caching_tiger_hiding_dragon seem kinda fitting for it tho?

[+GClouse]

To me, it not a big deal to go over to the closeout store and spend $10 on some premo swag items. I've dropped off little fm radios, battery operated fans (batteries not included), booklights and small flashlights.

These are things that are useful, and relatively inexpensive.

Other sources for good but inexpensive swag are the grab-bags in thrift-stores and the "dollar-days" displays at grocery stores.

The general rule should be not to leave something you would not want to take.

McToys are okay in caches that may be visited by children, as long as the toya aren't broken.

[Major Catastrophe]

I can see the logs now:

 

TOOK JUNK ITEMS (CITO!)

LEFT NOTHING.

 

NOTE TO OWNER: CACHE IS EMPTY.

 

I've found caches that were quite full, and every single item in them trash. Oh well.....

[+WD AND THE MASKED GRANDMA]

IT DOES SEEM THAT THE AMOUNT OF "CACHE TRASH" IS STARTING TO FILL UP THE CONTAINERS. ANOTHER PROBLEM ARE THE VOLUME OF CALLING TYPE CARDS THAT ARE BEING LEFT- A LOG BOOK ENTRY SHOULD BE ALL THAT IS REQUIRED. WE OWN SEVERAL CACHES AND CULL THE CONTENTS ON A REGULAR BASIS.

[+Lil Devil]

ANOTHER PROBLEM ARE THE VOLUME OF CALLING TYPE CARDS THAT ARE BEING LEFT

Many people will argue that those are not junk. I have a binder of a couple of hundred different cards that I have collected from caches. I'm always on the lookout for more, but it seems few people are leaving them these days

[+TeamGuisinger]

Mc Junk, Mc Junk

When will it stop

This plastic junk fills

My cache to the top

 

Every movie released

For girls and for boys

Comes another invasion

Of the kids meal toys

 

They're taking us over

They're raiding our stashes

Please keep the Mc Junk $#!+

OUT OF MY CACHES!

[Voigt54601]

Mc Junk, Mc Junk

When will it stop

This plastic junk fills

My cache to the top

 

Every movie released

For girls and for boys

Comes another invasion

Of the kids meal toys

 

They're taking us over

They're raiding our stashes

Please keep the Mc Junk $#!+

OUT OF MY CACHES!

 

[+clearpath]

Mc Junk, Mc Junk

When will it stop

This plastic junk fills

My cache to the top

 

Every movie released

For girls and for boys

Comes another invasion

Of the kids meal toys

 

They're taking us over

They're raiding our stashes

Please keep the Mc Junk $#!+

OUT OF MY CACHES!

 

LOL! Very funny ...

[caching sabertooth]

Mc Junk, Mc Junk

When will it stop

This plastic junk fills

My cache to the top

 

Every movie released

For girls and for boys

Comes another invasion

Of the kids meal toys

 

They're taking us over

They're raiding our stashes

Please keep the Mc Junk $#!+

OUT OF MY CACHES!

 

man you cramp me up im gonna have a heart attack or somthing!!!

[caching sabertooth]

ANOTHER PROBLEM ARE THE VOLUME OF CALLING TYPE CARDS THAT ARE BEING LEFT

Many people will argue that those are not junk. I have a binder of a couple of hundred different cards that I have collected from caches. I'm always on the lookout for more, but it seems few people are leaving them these days

 

what kind of cards????

[+woofiegrrl]

what kind of cards????

Business cards are great for leaving calling cards. I have gotten them a couple of times from a company called Vista Print. They have several designs including many free ones, you just pay shipping which is $5. That's what I use for my business cards now, you get 250 in a pack. Hope that helps!