Your takes: trade again, or keep forever?

[+krisandmel]

I'm curious about what the rest of you do with the items you take in trade from a cache.

 

Do you toss it in your cachepack to someday place in another cache, or, do you take the items home for good?

 

Personally, we've been keeping everything we've taken and keep it at home in a 'treasure box' that we can look through and have fun recalling the caches and stories that are linked to these items and the adventures it took to acquire them.

 

That's one reason I avoid taking 'perishables' like AA's; no point in hanging onto some slowly depleting batteries trying to remember which cache they came from when someone else could make use of them in their GPSr.

Plus, who ever sat around reminiscing over a couple dead batteries?

 

As with most other aspects of this game, I don't judge how others play it, so whether you keep or trade away I don't care one bit, I'm just curious.

 

It's funny, when I was a little kid I remember the dentist's office had a little treasure box that you could take one item from after you were done with the torture, heh hem, I mean cleaning and, ugh, flouride treatment...

Now, a couple decades later I have a similar box filled with many similar prizes.

Spider-rings, shiny things, springy things, and quite a few jingly things!

 

Who ever said you have to grow up?

~K

[+2ofHis]

Good question. When we first started this obsession, we would see just what, if anything, called out to us from the cache. We, most often, would end up trading it away in a future cache. If nothing called, we signed the log & left it at that. Nowadays, we seldom take anything; just leave a copy of a love story, sign the log, and go on to the next cache. I see nothing improper about your concept of the "treasure box". It would certainly make for interesting and nostalgic reminiscing.

Edited December 4, 2006 by 2ofHis

[+krisandmel]

Thanks for your reply.

 

As an addendum, we don't always take an item for our treasure box.

Sometimes we just sign the log, sometimes I just leave something.

 

When we first decided to keep our 'winnings' in a treasure box I did think it'd be nice to have one item from every cache, but realistically, some objects just don't appeal to us, or, like the batteries I mentioned, ought to be used not archived.

 

To take just anything for the sake of having something to keep just didn't seem like the way we want to play.

Furthermore, lots of times my cachepack is at home when I decide on the spur of the moment to go caching, so then I only SL since I don't have anything to leave.

 

Along the same line, for a little while I took a picture of each cache and how it was hidden, but then one time I forgot the camera at home, and another time the battery was dead, and then I just kinda let that goal slip away.

 

So, who else has these little caching idiosyncracies?

~K

[CoyoteRed]

I generally only take things that I want to keep.

[+Blaidd-Drwg]

Since I never remember to carry trade goods with me on a hunt (I leave them in the truck), I tend to only take signature items. I always have a pocket full of my own for trading.

[+sbell111]

When I first started caching, I would very typically trade. However, I would pretty much trade the items back into the very next cache I came to. I rarely have kept items from caches.

 

I rarely trade at all, anymore.

[+briansnat]

Depending on the item's usefulness I may keep it for myself to use (like tape measures), put it in one of my own caches (like flashlights because I have too many already), or keep it in my pack to trade with.

[+nekom]

I usually only take things that I will use. BEST thing I ever found in a cache was a first aid kit, since I banged up my hand quite nicely getting to it. I don't really take little trinkets or anything.

[KGunner]

If I can use it outside of caching I keep it, if not I use it to trade in other caches.

[+Aiden's Cachers]

being that I only have 6 finds so far, its kind of hard to say but knowing me I'll keep everything

[+biosearch]

I let my daughters decide what gets left and what gets kept. They are more into that then I am. I like the hunt, and even more than the hunt I enjoy doing this with my daughters. My eldest, when I can get her away from books and her cellphone leaves a marble. She's losing her marbles, one at a time...

[+krisandmel]

Interesting variation of responses, thanks!

 

I'm pretty sure my habits will vary and evolve as we continue playing the greatest board game in the world!

 

Geocaching: You can be a move like a knight, bishop, rook, queen or king while playing, but one thing's for sure:

When you are out there, you are nobody's pawn!

 

~K

[+lmcgisme]

I have some knick-knack shelves by the computer that are covered with geocaching trinkets. If there's something small and cute, or otherwise desirable, in a cache I'll trade for it as a memento of that cache, and it will decorate my shelves for a while. Periodically I go through the goodies and recycle most of them into other caches. Some of the trinkets always stay, either they're from a favorite cache or I just like them (fossils, foriegn coins, really cute characters, etc).

 

I'll seldom trade for a useful item, since I can just buy that myself. Instead I look for things that are unusual or unique.

[+Hosta Hillbillys]

A little of what everyone has said so far, but if trading, try to keep it even or better. Lotsa taken stuff is for the grandchildren ;-)

[+Lighteye]

I generally only take things that I want to keep.

 

Our thoughts exactly. Then we leave something else useful in it's place for the next hider. It really is that simple.

 

Edit to correct fat finger error

Edited December 4, 2006 by Mr. & Mrs. Lighteye

[+Googling Hrpty Hrrs]

The items I trade out of caches become the seed items for the next cache that I place.

 

The exceptions are sig items, which we collect. Those are our favorites!

[+Renegade Knight]

Normally if I trade it's for keeps. On occasion I've come across a cache stuffed to the gills that I can't get closed. On those I'll just take enough stuff to get it closed and drop it into the next cache that's empty and could use some help. Cosmic balance is maintained but I'm at risk of bad karma for a few caches.

[Clan Riffster]

Mostly we take some toy we figure our kids would like. That is considered gone forever, since our kids could bust an anvil using nothing more than a stick of butter. If we do a cache that we fall head over heels in love with, we take something to commemorate the occasion. Those trinkets go into a 50 cal ammo box we've set aside for the occasion.

[+jellis]

For me I just sign the log if there is nothing worth trading or moving to another cache. Except if the cache is so full the lid won't stay closed.

[+BlueDeuce]

Sometimes I so don't care about trade items I miss finding travel bugs. Just sign the log and replace the cache.

 

I'm trying to do better.

[+Confucius' Cat]

When I first started caching, I would very typically trade. However, I would pretty much trade the items back into the very next cache I came to. I rarely have kept items from caches.

 

I rarely trade at all, anymore.

Ditto

 

One exception that stands out is a wallet I got from a cache in my first month. I am still carrying it three years later. It is almost time to retire it. (it won't go in another cache- it is worn out)

 

Oh, and I usually take first finder's prizes.

[+michigansnorkelers]

I always try to trade up, or at least even.

 

My favorite find was a civil war bullet. Probably a new copy, but still neat. I've also kept flashlights, a railroad spike, screwdrivers, carabiners, and certain pens.

 

If there's nothing nice, I might clean out the junk. I see a lot of junk. It goes to the circular file at home. That's really trading up.

[woolsox]

I have kept two items that I have taken from a cache and not placed it another cache. One was a Michigan lanyard and the other was a first finder prize (which was not even in the cache). I believe that most of the item I find in caches are meant to be moved from cache to cache or for children. But I also leave my signature item in caches (Woolsox Geocache Token) and I have no problem with cachers who wish to keep them.

[+OHMIKY]

I leave sig items and will always trade for and keep a sig item I find. If there are no sig items, I may take something else if it really appeals to me but I often leave something without taking anything.

[+Harry Dolphin]

I've picked up some great items! A Moose Swill Beer jigger, and a small duck decoy. Some nice FTF and STF items. I don't trade for the sale of trading. I do have a tupperware container of swg that I picked up rescuing a TB from an archived cache. I do need to put those out somewhere. Other than that, I might take something to get the container to close better, or to make room for a TB or moving cache. Oh, and there are those great globular compasses...

[+Snoogans]

I leave sig items and will always trade for and keep a sig item I find. If there are no sig items, I may take something else if it really appeals to me but I often leave something without taking anything.

 

That's me except I usually always trade for something. I have an entire office supply box full of stuff I've traded for from caches on the West Coast over the last 3+ years. I plan to hide and stock an "Ode to West Coast Cachin' " cache with that stuff.

 

I have another container of stuff that I've traded for that I have deemed Travel Bug Worthy. I have special plans for those.

 

In answer to the OP question, I ONLY keep sig items. Everything else goes back into the game EXCEPT the first item I ever traded for.....

Edited December 7, 2006 by Snoogans

[+Isonzo Karst]

We only take something that we want to keep - and we usually leave something regardless. I have a modest number of cute oddball items removed from caches in our first year of caching, including our first cache, but I tend not to take anything these days.

[Ghengis Jon]

I always leave a prestigious, highly coveted Ghengis Jon signature coin but I rarely take anything, other than removing broken McCrap. My kids, on the other hand, view caches as the depostitory of the Holy Grail, clutching to their breasts trinkets that they KNOW they will take to their graves.

[+sheloaha]

My glove box is pretty full of stuff I've traded for in caches. The only couple of times I have sent something moving along again is when I forget to take something with me. I like the idea of a box for my treasures! My husband would probably like to have the glove box cleaned out as well.

[+Belfrypotters]

We only trade now if there is something useful (I have a thing for postit notes), otherwise we just add something to the collection if there's room. We did keep the toy from our very first cache - the little green, orange and pink martian-like thingy sits proudly on display in a cabinet in the dining room among the crystal, silver and china. Only one person has ever asked "what the heck is that!?".

[+Desert Kat & Catdaddy]

I let my daughters decide what gets left and what gets kept. They are more into that then I am. I like the hunt, and even more than the hunt I enjoy doing this with my daughters. My eldest, when I can get her away from books and her cellphone leaves a marble. She's losing her marbles, one at a time...

 

Hahaha, I like that losing her marbles comment!

[+Desert Kat & Catdaddy]

So far I've kept 2 stickers and a foreign (Russian I think) coin. Both are things I collect anyway, so I was happy to find them. Haven't had many finds yet (just started geocaching last week), but I think that's how I'll keep doing it. The big thrill was finding a travel bug. I didn't expect to find one of those for quite a while so it was very exciting when I looked in the box and there it was! Of course, he's being sent on his way shortly.

Edited December 7, 2006 by Desert Kat & Catdaddy

[+lacruz18]

Just a voice from outside the US. I always have some Austrian 25 Schilling silver coins in my pocket, when I am out for caching (small and not heavy and I have a lot of them) and do trading only, if I find some useful stuff in the cache for example batteries for my GPSR.

[+edscott]

Depends on what is there. If there is something I can really use or give to my grandson I'll sometimes trade for it. If there is someting interesting, but useless to me I may move it to my pack and drop it back in another cache, or just sign the log and make no trades. It the cache is full of genuine junk ie wet papers, broken toys etc I take the junk and replace it with better stuff I have on hand.

[+Turtlebug]

Depends. Sometimes I take something thinking I'm going to keep it and then end up trading it anyway. My daughter usually gets to make the decision on what we take/trade. I mostly enjoy the find.

[MonkeyDawg]

We generally try to "trade up"...i.e. leave something better than we take. Cool, unusal things we keep, like the mood ring Mrs. MonkeyDawg found.

 

For no apparent reason, we decided to keep a "frog log" - whenever there's a frog in a cache, he goes home to stay. Pure silliness really. Here's the Frog Log.