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Swaps - What's Tat And What's Not?


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I've been reading on here about cachers trading-down or trading-up when swapping items.

 

From when I started caching last year, I've alwasy been a bit concerned whether I'm putting 'good' things into a cache.

 

So without mentioning any names or starting any arguments, can we produce a list of quality items and a list of tat that you've seen in caches recently? Hopefully that should help me choose stuff when I'm out shopping for swop items.

 

What do you consider to be good?

What do you consider to be tat?

 

Thanks!

Edited by HooloovooUK
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I think an honest answer can be provided as;

 

Swap an item for one of like quality and cost and you can't go wrong. If you swap a £1 item for a £1 item great. A 6p item for a 5p item - fine but just keep it consistent. Trading up is not a problem just avoid trading down.

 

I have no problem with McToys in my caches IF they have been swapped for other items of equal/similar value.

 

It is all down to the principles of individual cachers.

 

Re OP though, people who swap items for broken items are just losers. Likewise those cachers who leave stones (usually found nearby) as swap items.

 

Oss!

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Swap an item for one of like quality and cost and you can't go wrong. If you swap a £1 item for a £1 item great. A 6p item for a 5p item - fine but just keep it consistent. Trading up is not a problem just avoid trading down.

 

That's pretty much what I try to do. I mean sometimes I go around pound shops looking for bits and bobs but I'm never really sure if it qualifies as "tat" or not.

 

Re OP though, people who swap items for broken items are just losers. Likewise those cachers who leave stones (usually found nearby) as swap items.

 

Do people really do that? I've sometimes left 50p or a £1 coin if I've wanted something and I've forgotten to pick up my swaps bag, but leaving a pebble? That's a bit low.

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What do you consider to be good?

What do you consider to be tat?

 

Just a thought ...... Whenever we go to a car boot, there are a lot of very nice £2 or £3 items that can be picked up for 50p or £1 or so. As long as the items are reasonably new then you will be trading up most of the time. Just my 2p worth (is that trading up or down lol )

 

Red Squadron........John & Ann

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Surely it depends on your intended visitors

 

For example, for a cache placed in a park near an area frequented by children many low value items might be appropriate - they will be pleased with McToys as rewards for finding the cache

 

If it is more challenging and likely to be older children or only adults I would suggest adding mor appropriate things like books, CDs, packs of card, bottle openers etc

 

For me, finding the cache is the real challenge, TBs or gecoins a bonus. I don't normally swap trinkets.

 

There is a supercache near me that has some really quite expensive rewards - but you have to find 5 other caches first

 

Everyone plays the game their own way

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Some of the 'tat' I've seen in caches are

 

broken toys

stones

free soap that you pick up at hotels

golf tee's

a used train ticket ?

 

On the other hand some items that I consider worthless, my 5 yr old seems to enjoy.

 

I think some cachers feel that they have to swap, even if its tat for tat :shocked:

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Shells & fir cones. Bah!

 

Golf balls, OK if they are good. Bad if they are unplayable.

 

EDIT - I once found one of those polystyrene model aeroplanes. My six year old couldn't make the plane - why? It was a collection of broken wings and fuselages from other broken aeroplanes.

Edited by Kitty Hawk
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[

quote name='stora' date='May 7 2006, 07:21 AM' post='2197811]

Some of the 'tat' I've seen in caches are

 

broken toys

stones

free soap that you pick up at hotels

golf tee's

a used train ticket ?

 

Soap sounds pretty good, the worst thing I found in a cache in North Devon was a very scruffy single packaged wet wipe with the name of a restaurant written on it, that someone had gone to while on holiday in Greece, they might have given it some value but I did not.

 

Isca

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With respect, soap is not very good for caches as it can be attractive to some animals who will then try to chew the box to get at it. :)

 

Edited by Lactodorum to keep this on the topic of Geocaching

Edited by Lactodorum
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Edited by Lactodorum

ISCA at the time of writing this you have made 4 posts to the forum, two of which are of a political point of view. Albeit I agree with your sentiments on the cruelty to animals, but these are not the forums for such observations.

 

You obvisouly feel extremely strongly about the plight of animal welfare? May I suggest that you supply a link to your website on your signature line, which many other members do. Therefore keeping the forums for the discussion of caching topics

Edited by Lactodorum
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Let's bring this back to topic:

 

Surely one man's tat is another man's treasure. That's what makes geocaching so great. In my non-caching life I'm often scrounging useful stuff from skips. I rarely take from caches now but often add things that others might find fun or useful, especially things that Kids would find fun.

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My kids love McD toys and other stuff. We hate broken stuff and always try to trade up not down we buy new stuff for them to leave and like to see comments on our own caches about well stocked boxes.

In answer to the OP as long as its clean and not broken and not scented (critters can smell these) and basically it needs to be a

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Some things are just tat. In once cache recently (not mine but I went on maintenance trip) I found 1 used scratchcard (not a winning one) an empty snail shell, a conker, several twigs and bits of leaf, a used bus ticket and a McToy. I CITOd the tat and left the McToy.

 

I mostly stock my caches with stuff for the kids as it's the kids who seem to be unable to resist making swaps (hopefully swaps), but it's clean and in good condition when it goes in there. Irecently bought a load of stuff very cheaply from a closing down fancy good shop (eg fridge magnets for 10p). This was still £12 quids wortrh of stuff that I anticpate will be nicked and tat left in it's place eventually.

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With reference to broken toys and other broken items in caches. We have come to the conclusion that some cachers unfortuantly break things that are already in caches. This summer I had recourse to visit caches that the family had already done under their own name. We went together and they were upset to see that items that they had put in a month before , intact , had been broken. Now this could have been caused by over enthusiastic cachers trying to see if the item worked, dropped out of box accidently or any other reason. If I inadvertantly broke something I hope that I would mention it in the log and replace the item with something else. This Easter my caching buddy and I had to remove some very mouldy damp soggy items from a cache, soft toys, owing to water ingress, we mentioned it in the cache log in the box, replaced with items from our own stash and emailed the owner. Every one was happy. If I do find broken toys I remove and replace them, a little bit of good samaritan efforts by all geocachers would surely be better than doing nothing but moaning and complaining.

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