backpackermt10 Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 (edited) im still some what new to geocaching so its gotta be expected that im gonna have some pretty basic questions. it would be really great if i could get some one to explain to me what exactly an FTF prize is? are FTF prizes any different than any other prize that you'd get from a cache? Edited January 30, 2006 by backpackermt10 Quote Link to comment
+geognerd Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 (edited) An FTF prize is placed for the First To Find the cache. These items are better than the usual swag placed in a cache, typically having monetary value. Maybe a gift certificate, money, or tool a geocacher might find useful. One might also find an FTF certificate for marking the accomplishment. Edited January 30, 2006 by geognerd Quote Link to comment
+Chuy! Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 I've only picked up a few FTFs . Among the FTF prizes I have come across: Money (up to $5); Indian head coins; certificate to local pizzerias; travel bug tags; ready to go camo'd cache containers; geocoins; or the generic FTF-gets-pick-of-the-litter. An FTF prize is optional; so, don't feel obligated to place one and don't assume you can take something as an FTF prize unless the cache description explicitly states so. Quote Link to comment
backpackermt10 Posted January 30, 2006 Author Share Posted January 30, 2006 !Thanks alot! Now that I know what an FTF prize is I'm gonna try to be one of the first people to find caches in my area all the time. !Geocaching just gets more and more exciting everyday! Quote Link to comment
+VegasCacheHounds Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 What Geognerd said is spot on, the only thing I'd add is that usually a FTF prize is just that, a prize, whereas the rest of the items are trade items. In otherwords, if you take something from a cache, you are supposed to put something of equal or better value in the cache, but if it is the FTF prize you can just take that. Of course, I'd still leave something....if I was ever FTF....and if anyone in my area ever hid caches large enough for trade items Quote Link to comment
backpackermt10 Posted January 30, 2006 Author Share Posted January 30, 2006 How exactly am I supposed to know if what I've found is the FTF prize? Will it say so on the item itself or is it just safe to assume that because the item might cool and of better value than that of the others in the cache that I've found the FTF prize? Quote Link to comment
+srt4guy Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 if i put one in mine i usually mark it well so there is no mistake, and i give unactivated travel bugs. i keep just the bug # so i can watch where my ftf goes. Tim Quote Link to comment
+Prime Suspect Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 How exactly am I supposed to know if what I've found is the FTF prize? Will it say so on the item itself or is it just safe to assume that because the item might cool and of better value than that of the others in the cache that I've found the FTF prize? If there's a FTF item, it's often noted on the cache page. Quote Link to comment
+Thrak Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 Yep, the cache page usually says if there is a FTF prize but, if not, it may also be indicated on the item itself. As stated above the FTF prize is NOT a trade item. It is a PRIZE for you to keep without trading for it. If you are unsure about the status of an item (whether or not it is a FTF prize) and the log has already been signed, chances are good that any FTF prize is already gone. Having said that, I have left the FTF prize for the next finder. One FTF prize I found was a nice 3 flashlight set. I already had a very nice 1 watt LED flashlight so I left the FTF prize for another finder. I also noted it in the log so there would be no confusion. I've also found caches where there was simply a FTF certificate which can be a collectable item but has no intrinsic value. If I place a micro cache I tend to leave a gold dollar as FTF prize. Larger caches I leave a larger (and more expensive) prize in for the FTF. There is no requirement of a FTF prize or expectation that there will be one in a cache. It's just something that folks do sometimes. Quote Link to comment
+Beffums Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 also, as a side note. If you are not the FTF for the cache, and you are going through the swag, and there is an item, that's marked with a sharpie "FTF" (or however, but you just kinda think - "hey, this is the FTF prize"), you can now feel free to treat it like any other swag - trade even or trade up. it is no longer a prize - you should trade for it, but it is now tradeable. Sometimes you don't want/need the FTF prize, sometimes you just miss it in the cache! but, if you see other logs in the book, and there's a FTF prize that you want to trade for, go ahead - they already had their chance. Quote Link to comment
+copper_toad Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 I have been FTF only a few times and there never was a FTF prize. I have left Sacajawea dollars and $2 bill for the FTFer of my caches. It's not much, but it's kind of nice to find. Quote Link to comment
+geognerd Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 I once got a $5 bill at a cache placed in honor of Abe Lincoln. The $5 was a prize for the first person to sign the new log placed in the cache. So nice prizes don't have to be limited to FTF! Paid for most of the lunch I had that caching trip. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 !Thanks alot! Now that I know what an FTF prize is I'm gonna try to be one of the first people to find caches in my area all the time. !Geocaching just gets more and more exciting everyday! Just so you aren't disappointed you should be aware that most caches don't have FTF prizes Quote Link to comment
+Thrak Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 !Thanks alot! Now that I know what an FTF prize is I'm gonna try to be one of the first people to find caches in my area all the time. !Geocaching just gets more and more exciting everyday! Just so you aren't disappointed you should be aware that most caches don't have FTF prizes Definately. MOST caches do NOT cotain a FTF prize. You shouldn't expect one - treat it as a cool surprise if there is one. Quote Link to comment
+ProsperoDK Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 Here in Denmark we usually don't leave money in caches, but mostly we leave some sort of FTF certificate. The FTFC can be a drawing the kids made or a laminated photo, or a more elaborate laminated paper certificate, and depending on the area where the cache is placed there can be many cachers trying for it, especially if it is a normal cache. It is so exspected that it's usually noted in the online log if there's no FTFC. Sometimes the cacheowner also makes STF and TTF (Second To Find, Third To Find) certificates. My latest FTFC (of the 5 I have) was picked up at 9.15 PM with the help of my trusty flashlight ProsperoDK/René Quote Link to comment
+Team Red Oak Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 When we put out our first cache we included 3 scratch off lottery tickets for the first three finders. We noted on the cache page what they were for. I don't know if anyone won any money from them. Only one person logged that they tried and said they did not win. We've been thinking about some other items for the next time. The lottery tickets were so easy to get and put in the cache though. Quote Link to comment
+GOnTO Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 testing again. Can't get my pic to show. Quote Link to comment
johndmann Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 I hadn't thought about FTF prizes. I might have to start putting them in my future caches Quote Link to comment
the butterfly effect Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 my daughter and I made a cache that was geared towards family with kids, we wanted to put something extra special for a ftf so I let her pick out anything in the store and she picked out a wooden flower. The people that found it thought it was so neat, and it happened to be their 2 anniversary, so it made them real happy to get a flower from a 3 year old stranger, and that it was real cute!!! they thought that it was also neat because it was different than the usual money and lotto ticket it made something to remember as a memento!! but money is!! always !! nice !!! Quote Link to comment
+flyfishNS Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Hi, I got to log a first to find and the owner e-mailed me a nice certificate. Since then I have done the same for my caches... Quote Link to comment
+I'm lost! Posted February 2, 2006 Share Posted February 2, 2006 my daughter and I made a cache that was geared towards family with kids, we wanted to put something extra special for a ftf so I let her pick out anything in the store and she picked out a wooden flower. The people that found it thought it was so neat, and it happened to be their 2 anniversary, so it made them real happy to get a flower from a 3 year old stranger, and that it was real cute!!! they thought that it was also neat because it was different than the usual money and lotto ticket it made something to remember as a memento!! but money is!! always !! nice !!! my kids and some of their friends are going to make a few caches in our area and we were thinking of FTF prizes. I looked into Wooden Nickals, Golf tees or markers , something we could have thier cache name and thier caching names on. All were to expencive. What we came up with is jumbo popcical sticks, embelished with little things like jewels, stikers and other little wooden things like stars, flowers ect. They can put their cache name and names on these. We are going to use pop mini pop sticks for attaching to some of the stuff they put in the cache or on to TB. We feel that a FTF prize should that a prize, and what better prize to a parent or grandparent or to anyone who loves kids then a hand made boggle. happy Caching Quote Link to comment
+ArchaeologyMan Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Since we are dog lovers the wife and I put in an amish-made 6' leather leash in a cache we hid yesterday as a FTF prize. Nice if you have a dog... Quote Link to comment
+Night Stalker Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 i have a cache which is currently disabled that contains mostly foreign coins. The FTF prize i put in it was a 1947 Brilliant Uncirculated Mercuy dime. I made sure to mention this on the cache description page. Quote Link to comment
+belair56 Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 On some caches I set out for a first to find prize, I put the coords in a bag with a film canister, with the coords for the first to find, I make homemade walking sticks and I try and hide one of them for the FTF prize. Quote Link to comment
+Adventure.AS Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 I am waiting for a cache approval. The FTF will be a pair of NBA tickets. Quote Link to comment
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