Etiquette For Returning To Found Caches.

[Timfy]

Hello all,

 

My first post on the board, although I've been lurking here for a while.

 

I'd like to pose a 'newbie' question if I may, concerning revisiting caches.

 

I recently enjoyed the challenge of locating a cache reasonably close to my home. Did the usual swap/log/team photo things and then logged it here.

 

Checking through my logged finds (not many yet... only been at it for a wee while) I have noticed that a geocoin has been dropped off at this cache. Now my question is this; is it frowned upon to visit a cache that you have already logged, to 'pounce' on a goody? I would love to log my first coin, and as we are holidaying in Cornwall within the week, I can certainly put a few miles onto it.

 

If this is deemed OK, how would I log the cache. Obviously I can't log it as a new find. (as an aside, would this also screw up the caches found total?) and the repeat entries appear to be aimed more towards the owner logging maintenance visits. And I feel that if I only remove and log the coin, I am robbing the owner of the cache of the little bit of pleasure that the cache log brings.

 

I look forward to your input on this one... I wouldn't want to do the 'wrong thing'

 

Cheers

Timfy (Team TimSibLes)

[The Royles]

I would say go for it, although some people feel that in these circumstances you should return the coin to the same cache (so you go and admire the coin and get the tracking number, but leave the coin in the cache). Whichever way you do it, if you log it as a note on the cache page it doesnt affect any stats.

 

PS welcome to the forums

[+Mad H@ter]

As The Royals said, go for it. Regarding leaving it in the cache or taking it though, I would say that if you can move it on soon I would take it, after all Geocoins and Travel Bugs are meant to travel.

[nobby.nobbs]

take it as long as you place it in another cache soon.

[+The Bolas Heathens]

I'd go for it if you can help the coin on it's travels soon.

[+kbootb]

As with the other posts, going back to a cache is fine.

 

Picking up an interesting TB or coin is fine, and in my opinion, better if you can move it along rather than just picking it up and putting it back in the same cache. But I say that as a TB owner that likes to see it move along.

 

As a cache owner I like to see TBs visit but also a little relieved when they move on. I would feel terrible if they were lost in a cache of mine that got muggled.

[Timfy]

Thanks for your very speedy responses to my query.

 

I think that following the general consensus here, I will visit the cache and pick up the coin.

 

I plan to photograph it and start a virtual collection of coins.

 

It will then be carried about 250 miles and popped into a Cornish cache, if I can sniff one out that is

 

Judging from my first foray onto the forum, I'm going to enjoy it here!

 

Cheers and Beers

 

Timfy

[+dino-irl]

I plan to photograph it and start a virtual collection of coins

 

Nice idea. However, if you intend to share the collection make sure you don't show the tracking numbers. Some misguided individuals use these to falsely log coins or even worse mess up their journeys by putting them in and out of caches they haven't actually visited

[Timfy]

Some misguided individuals use these to falsely log coins or even worse mess up their journeys by putting them in and out of caches they haven't actually visited

 

Yes, I'm aware of these idiots... don't understand them, but aware that they are out there.

 

A brief touch up with the 'smear' brush in Paintshop Pro and Bob will be your close relative

[team tisri]

Just go and take the thing. As long as you plan to move it on it's fair game as far as I'm concerned.

[+qichina]

 

It will then be carried about 250 miles and popped into a Cornish cache, if I can sniff one out that is

 

 

This issue has been discussed before, and I'm not sure the consensus was as clear cut as it is on this thread.

 

The argument against going back to a cache just to pick up a coin is that you have an unfair advantage over someone who hasn't found it yet and may have to do a lot of work to find it the first time. You know exactly where it is, and can go straight to it. This could mean that a cacher who'd done all the caches in his/her area could just sit and wait for any attractive item to appear in a cache and immediately 'pounce'. Finding a cache with an unusual TB or geocoin in it is part of the lure of a cache - if someone is lurking and 'stripping' them out - this is lost to the rest of cachers who are still finding new caches in their area. It could be construed as selfish.

Some owners of caches will place TBs or geocoins in their caches to try to make them more enticing to people who havn't visited yet. This becomes a bit pointless if someone who has already found the cache comes along to plunder all the goodies.

[+Chaotica_UK]

I agree with qichina on this. I tend to only take when I have a suitable replacement, so I dont leave the cache empty, especially with revisits. Otherwise I just take the item out and put it back in. My exception is when an item is in a cache thats not visited often and I would probably liberate it to a more popular cache.

 

However I was recently caught out with this, I found a coin in a very popular cache that I knew would be visited within a few days, I didnt have anything to replace it with so I just logged the coin only to find that the owner deleted my log because I hadnt moved the coin on immediately.

 

Some you win, some you loose but I intend to stick to this policy.

[+civilised]

I agree with qichina on this. I tend to only take when I have a suitable replacement, so I dont leave the cache empty, especially with revisits. Otherwise I just take the item out and put it back in. My exception is when an item is in a cache thats not visited often and I would probably liberate it to a more popular cache.

 

However I was recently caught out with this, I found a coin in a very popular cache that I knew would be visited within a few days, I didnt have anything to replace it with so I just logged the coin only to find that the owner deleted my log because I hadnt moved the coin on immediately.

 

Some you win, some you loose but I intend to stick to this policy.

 

This is a classic example of everyone playing the game in their own way - I have no worries at all about revisiting caches for icons I don't possess.

 

Some reasons - Travel Bugs are expected to travel; anyone else has exactly the same chance as me to visit or revisit a cache for an icon, in the same way that people choose to FTF; it doesn't make me feel selfish

 

I think that in Chaotica_UK's case, logging the coin but not moving it would be against my policy

 

That's the beauty of this - as so many people keep saying - play it your way, within the guidelines.

 

civilised

[+The Bongtwashes]

I agree with qichina on this. I tend to only take when I have a suitable replacement, so I dont leave the cache empty, especially with revisits. Otherwise I just take the item out and put it back in. My exception is when an item is in a cache thats not visited often and I would probably liberate it to a more popular cache.

 

However I was recently caught out with this, I found a coin in a very popular cache that I knew would be visited within a few days, I didnt have anything to replace it with so I just logged the coin only to find that the owner deleted my log because I hadnt moved the coin on immediately.

 

Some you win, some you loose but I intend to stick to this policy.

 

This is a classic example of everyone playing the game in their own way - I have no worries at all about revisiting caches for icons I don't possess.

 

Some reasons - Travel Bugs are expected to travel; anyone else has exactly the same chance as me to visit or revisit a cache for an icon, in the same way that people choose to FTF; it doesn't make me feel selfish

 

I think that in Chaotica_UK's case, logging the coin but not moving it would be against my policy

 

That's the beauty of this - as so many people keep saying - play it your way, within the guidelines.

 

civilised

If it is in a regular cache that I have previously visitted, then I may take the coin, or TB, if I have something to replace it with. If it is in a long multi, a bonus cache, or a puzzle cache, then I would tend to revisit the cache, but leave the coin or bug. If it is in one of these types of cache then I would have a distinct advantage over someone who had not been before, as I probably still have the coords, and would recognise the area. (I know because I have been back to some!)

 

Surely this is one of the reasons that TPTB introduced the 'Discovered It' log type for trackables. Basically, you still get the icon, but you don't log it out and then into the same cache.

[+Happy Humphrey]

You're correct that it's "Etiquette" rather than rules: if you base your approach on common sense and consideration for others you should be OK. It's true that these items are meant to travel, but people do like to get a chance to log them as well.

 

I think that if a rare geocoin suddenly turned up in one of my caches I'd probably "discover" the coin first, then move it on if it's still there after a few days. Assuming it's a cache I can get to fairly easily!

 

HH

[+HooloovooUK]

The argument against going back to a cache just to pick up a coin is that you have an unfair advantage over someone who hasn't found it yet and may have to do a lot of work to find it the first time.

 

I also agree with qichina, you shouldn't return to a cache just to get a new icon.

 

On a maintenance visit to my own cache (only have one at the moment) I dropped off a geocoin and a TB. That night, someone came along that had already visited once and plundered the goodies. To make matters worse they didn't even sign the log book to record their second visit.... so the next day a new cacher came along expecting to be able to bag their first geocoin only to find it missing without a trace.

 

I looked at the TB logs to work out who it was that had visited my cache and "stolen" them, and sent them an email. Apparently they visited the cache late at night and were scared because it was a creepy area and they didn't want to stay there too long on their own. So they just grabbed the stuff put the cache back and ran off!!

 

I was very annoyed for a few days.... but I'm over it now......I went back to the cache my self and wrote a note in the appropriate place so at least the paper trail is complete.

 

I mean I can see the point.... I've been tempted myself when there's been something nice in a cache I've already been to, but it.... I dunno.... just feels wrong. I usually just wait and hope that it gets moved to another cache nearby that I haven't done yet. If it travels further away and I miss it then that's just too bad. Better luck next time.

Edited May 26, 2006 by HooloovooUK

[+civilised]

The argument against going back to a cache just to pick up a coin is that you have an unfair advantage over someone who hasn't found it yet and may have to do a lot of work to find it the first time.

 

 

On a maintenance visit to my own cache (only have one at the moment) I dropped off a geocoin and a TB. That night, someone came along that had already visited once and plundered the goodies. To make matters worse they didn't even sign the log book to record their second visit.... so the next day a new cacher came along expecting to be able to bag their first geocoin only to find it missing without a trace.

 

 

Did they log the movements on line ? That would keep the mileage up to date on the trackables - a physical log in the cache doesn't affect it.

 

More generally, if you put iconable items into any cache then I think it's shortsighted to believe that only people who haven't found the cache should, or will, go for them. Human nature is what it is.

 

Are we releasing TBs and geocoins to travel or to reward/entice finders ?

 

civilised

[+Alibags]

Etiquette versus rules.

 

You are allowed to return to a found cache to grab a TB or geocoin.

 

Some people think this is not polite. You can ignore them or not, as you see fit, it's only their opinion.

[+Jonovich]

I have no worries about going back to a previously found cache to grab a TB or Geocoin, it of course works the other way, I equally have no problems dropping off a TB or Geocoin into a previously found cache.

 

Why is it considered an unfair advantage that you know where the cache is? To know where it is means you have already followed the cache description to find it. The cache description is readily available to anyone. If someone else hasn't got around to finding it yet then that's their decision.

 

As for having cachers plundering caches, what about situations where a trackable has been placed in a cache and the cache owner retrieves it. I've seen that done before when I went after a pair of TB Jeeps. I didn't consider it unfair, just considered that I wasn't quick enough.

 

Jon.

[+HooloovooUK]

Did they log the movements on line ? That would keep the mileage up to date on the trackables - a physical log in the cache doesn't affect it.

 

Yes, they did log the movements of the TB - that's how I found out who had taken them.

 

I know it doesn't affect the log of the TB, but it does affect the log of my cache. As I said, another cacher went for the geocoin after they had been taken, but before they had been logged, and commented that there was no sign of the coin in the cache as if it had gone missing.

 

No lasting log damage done as you say but it's nice to at least keep the paper trails up to date so when you read the log book you can see what's happened.

 

Like dakar4x4 I have also dropped a TB off in a previously found local cache if I've had the bug more than a week or so and I know I'm not going to get chance to hunt for new caches soon. I don't see that as a problem, but I wouldn't do it the other way around.

Edited May 27, 2006 by HooloovooUK

[+mumbo jumbo]

As a cache owner I like to see TBs visit but also a little relieved when they move on. I would feel terrible if they were lost in a cache of mine that got muggled.

This happened to me yesterday. Sent the owner an email but not heard back from them yet. I feel gutted for them.