Welfare caches

[+flask]

if i put something really expensive in a cache, i do not expect it to be traded even. it's a gift. i expect someone to trade something nice, and that's that. people don't often have very expensive swag in their bag, so if i drop in a little something from the smithsonian catalog people should trade the best they have and leave it at that.

[Clan Riffster]

I want to respond to this. I didn't say I found a polished rock in the cache...I said it was a rock from the river 5 feet away.

Sorry French! I re read what I posted and I can see where the confusion lies. I'll just go slap myself on the forehead a few times. "Doh!" What I meant to say was only that your post reminded me of those past incidents, not that they were identicle to them. That whole debacle was handled badly by me, and I should've kept the tumbler, even if I stopped using it to create swag. I place the blame squarely on my shoulders for being too thin skinned over a few negative comments.

 

If you are placing such an "item of love" in a cache, you need to note in your log what you have done and why it is such a special rock.

The only thing I "need" to do is open another bottle of Guinness. Everything else is optional, Brother!

[+TrailGators]

Why can't people trade up or trade even?

 

Your character is defined by how you behave when noone else is around to see. Unfortunately, this tells us a lot about the character of certain people. Some people only care about themselves.. Welcome to Earth.

Exactly!

[+TrailGators]

I want to respond to this. I didn't say I found a polished rock in the cache...I said it was a rock from the river 5 feet away.

Sorry French! I re read what I posted and I can see where the confusion lies. I'll just go slap myself on the forehead a few times. "Doh!" What I meant to say was only that your post reminded me of those past incidents, not that they were identicle to them. That whole debacle was handled badly by me, and I should've kept the tumbler, even if I stopped using it to create swag. I place the blame squarely on my shoulders for being too thin skinned over a few negative comments.

 

If you are placing such an "item of love" in a cache, you need to note in your log what you have done and why it is such a special rock.

The only thing I "need" to do is open another bottle of Guinness. Everything else is optional, Brother!

Mmmmm, Guinness!

[nonaeroterraqueous]

I want to respond to this. I didn't say I found a polished rock in the cache...I said it was a rock from the river 5 feet away.

 

I've found some with gravel for swag. I would have traded for it, but I didn't have a comparable trade item, other than the gravel path that I was standing on at the time.

 

if i put something really expensive in a cache, i do not expect it to be traded even. it's a gift. i expect someone to trade something nice, and that's that. people don't often have very expensive swag in their bag, so if i drop in a little something from the smithsonian catalog people should trade the best they have and leave it at that.

Well, that's a nice attitude to have. I know I've screamed at the monitor more than a few times when someone mentions walking away from an original swag item because they didn't think they brought anything good enough to trade.

[+Jedi Cacher]

I want to respond to this. I didn't say I found a polished rock in the cache...I said it was a rock from the river 5 feet away.

Sorry French! I re read what I posted and I can see where the confusion lies. I'll just go slap myself on the forehead a few times. "Doh!" What I meant to say was only that your post reminded me of those past incidents, not that they were identicle to them. That whole debacle was handled badly by me, and I should've kept the tumbler, even if I stopped using it to create swag. I place the blame squarely on my shoulders for being too thin skinned over a few negative comments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I too almost pulled the plug on my tumbler. Think I will go throw a couple more agates in and have a Guinness also. All this talk about rocks and beer is making me thirsty, cheers!

 

Clan Riffster- ever seen the elusive and precious Fairburn Agate! Only found in my area and a very rare.

[+briansnat]

I want to respond to this. I didn't say I found a polished rock in the cache...I said it was a rock from the river 5 feet away.

 

I've found some with gravel for swag. I would have traded for it, but I didn't have a comparable trade item, other than the gravel path that I was standing on at the time.

 

if i put something really expensive in a cache, i do not expect it to be traded even. it's a gift. i expect someone to trade something nice, and that's that. people don't often have very expensive swag in their bag, so if i drop in a little something from the smithsonian catalog people should trade the best they have and leave it at that.

Well, that's a nice attitude to have. I know I've screamed at the monitor more than a few times when someone mentions walking away from an original swag item because they didn't think they brought anything good enough to trade.

 

I also agree. Though trading even is generally a good rule of thumb, if I put something worth $20 or $30 in a cache I don't expect someone to leave a like valued item in return. I remember a cache of mine that had a Garmin Geko in it. Nobody felt right taking it so it sat there for months. Finally I had put a note on the cache page pleading for someone to take it.

 

I don't expect people to sit a the cache calculating the relative value of the trade items. As long as you aren't leaving an expired Sanka coupon in return for that new Petzel Tikka headlamp I think you're good.

[+Team GeoBlast]

I want to respond to this. I didn't say I found a polished rock in the cache...I said it was a rock from the river 5 feet away.

 

I've found some with gravel for swag. I would have traded for it, but I didn't have a comparable trade item, other than the gravel path that I was standing on at the time.

 

if i put something really expensive in a cache, i do not expect it to be traded even. it's a gift. i expect someone to trade something nice, and that's that. people don't often have very expensive swag in their bag, so if i drop in a little something from the smithsonian catalog people should trade the best they have and leave it at that.

Well, that's a nice attitude to have. I know I've screamed at the monitor more than a few times when someone mentions walking away from an original swag item because they didn't think they brought anything good enough to trade.

 

I also agree. Though trading even is generally a good rule of thumb, if I put something worth $20 or $30 in a cache I don't expect someone to leave a like valued item in return. I remember a cache of mine that had a Garmin Geko in it. Nobody felt right taking it so it sat there for months. Finally I had put a note on the cache page pleading for someone to take it.

 

I don't expect people to sit a the cache calculating the relative value of the trade items. As long as you aren't leaving an expired Sanka coupon in return for that new Petzel Tikka headlamp I think you're good.

 

Wow.. now that is COOL. A GPSr in a cache. You are welcome to come out and cache in Hawaii anytime. I will even recommend some caches for you to visit, just don't log them for a few days til I go and make sure you put them back right.

[cfauld]

Personally, I would be really Psyched to find polished stones or rocks in a Cache. I may be weird, but I love geology, and think it would be very cool to see what others had done - Especially if I knew you had polished them yourself!

 

Fossils would also be a great find for me. As French said though, I would be a little disappointed if it were from the creek 5 feet away, but if you went to a lot of work to make the polished rock... That's way cool.

 

CFAuld

[+simplyred]

Good swag is just a bonus when there is some. I almost always trade up, evidence is usually the next cacher takes what I left.

But, I enjoy the hunt, the hike, the scenery and the find. I usually take a dozen or more pics, the dogs and I get a great walk, and the whole experience usually outways the fact that there isn't any good swag.

What I feel I get is priceless.

 

What I'm not crazy about is caches that are there just for the fact of being there. Lame caches where I don't feel I need to even take a picture.

[JohnE_Cache]

I guess I don't really get the "swag" thing...I'm in it to sharpen my GPS skills, find new places, excercise, get the kids outdoors, etc. In my few caches so far, I have not really seen anything that impressive. One of my first caches was a really cool DVD cache that someone obviously put some thought into...and he started out with about 7 really cool, top grade movies. That eventually trickled down to nothing...so he went back and restocked...by the time we got there, I had only heard of one of the movies or so. Like someone said, nothing against Pilates...but it ain't worth The Matrix or whatever.

 

Thus, the only thing I have taken is a wooden nickel from our first find, I let my son pick it as a keepsake. The item I brought was too big, so I guess we screwed them the cost of a wooden nickel, lol.

 

But having a 5 and 6 year old, I have a filled UHaul's-worth of "swag"...maybe I should remove my stereo and guitars and offer my house as a geocache to be de-trincketed? Cheaper than a maid, and people will actually feel like they came out ahead.

 

I do like looking at the stuff, but some of the things are just laughable. Less than Happy-Meal-Toy quality, back when the item was new. Just give me the log and I'm on my way.

 

JohnE "TNLNSL" Cache

[Ghengis Jon]

I always give and rarely take unless of the kids are with me. What annoys me is that I'll leave a signature coin(s) and it'll never be reported as taken. I've put 3 dozen sig coins in my cache over the months, only to have a handful of cachers report they've taken one. Yet when I visit my cache, none will be left. Kind of disappointing. Same holds true for coins I've left in other caches. Are people embarrassed to admit they swap swag?

[nonaeroterraqueous]

Personally, I would be really Psyched to find polished stones or rocks in a Cache. I may be weird, but I love geology, and think it would be very cool to see what others had done - Especially if I knew you had polished them yourself!

 

Want some gravel? It isn't polished, but you might like to do it yourself.

 

Are people embarrassed to admit they swap swag?

 

People don't always remember what they swapped where. I know I've gotten home with a few trade items and realized I forgot to write down which caches they came from.

[+MTGeoPirates]

Polished rocks? Our kids would go ape for those! (Future geologists, all of them!) Our kids are the only ones who trade now. At first we took cool and unique items with us, and traded for them, but quickly we realized that mom and dad just don't want to trade stuff. Our "treasures" are the memories of doing things as a family. So we stock up on brand new toys and let the kids do the trading. We do our part (I think) to CITO caches by letting the kids have the toys that other peoples kids didn't want, and putting in brand new toys that hopefully will delight another child.

[Ghengis Jon]

Polished rocks are an interesting idea. Other than cachers from Michigan, how many people know about Petosky stones? Found in MI, they're a fossilized type of coral that looks really cool when wet or polished. That might be a neat swag item when caching out-of-state.

[+flask]

i'm guilty of the river rock thing; every once in a while you find a stone with a hole that goes clean through. these holed stoned are supposed to be lucky to find, lucky to receive as a gift.

[+minxyy]

an interesting thread having been caching for only a month or so now! and wondering "what do others" rate as 'good' swag! We now have a "cache box" in the boot of our car and it's theme is "great Geoswag" We dip into it and pull out the correct sized items depending on what sized cache we are going to and always try and take one item per child (nothing so disappointing as only having one swap when there are three children who like something in a cache!)

 

We have been guilty of adding extras found on the trail into caches! May even do a "find a treasure and take one home" themed cache rather than "plastic fantastic" Swag would cost nothing then and some pretty little bits of nature could be shared!

 

Have fun all and try not to get too hung up about it! My 10 year old said she just wanted to leave something for the next person yesterday and wasn't fussed about taking anything! and the swag in the cache was interesting.

 

minxyy

[+BAMBOOZLE]

I cached not long ago with a nice couple with three kids I met on the trail. We hit 4 ammo cans in a row filled with really nice toys.......each child took a nice item from each cache and left nothing. These were not new cachers. I didn't saw anything and I feel kind of bad that I didn't.

The bottom line is what you're seeing isn't ignorance but HUMAN NATURE . It isn't going to change....a lot of folks are cheap and inconsiderate.

[Treasure Pirate]

I have indeed plundered a cache or two while caching with some nieces and nephews who absolutely had to have a trinket. The swag I brought along didn't make for an adequate trade, and I left a few buck and a handfull of coins. I have since set some rules when caching with other people's kids, and won't pay my way anymore, but will restrict the taking to one item only (for the whole party), with adequate trade.

[+Buildingblocks]

We cache with five kids ranging in age from 15 to 4. Letting them each trade something would put us in the poorhouse, plus most caches don't usually have that many interesting things. We finally settled on the rule that whoever finds it gets to choose what will be traded for. If one of the adults finds a simple hide and there is no muggle activity around (the kids do NOT understand stealth!) we wil encourage one of the littles to find it. As far as finding swag to trade, we also keep our eyes open whenever we are out shopping and keep a stash in the back of the van. The only time we have allowed one of the kids to trade something "used" was when my 6yob traded his favorite car, and the lesson learned was priceless.

 

As far as people not recognizing the value of a trade item- I had an idea. I know that we are geological dunderheads, but we would really love to find, say, a polished stone with an info sheet to help us identify it. I'm thinking just a sentance or two could be tucked into a tiny ziplock with the stone. I know that I have not heard of the "lucky river stone with a hole" before- that would be a cool explanation to find with one in a cache.

[+minnesotabrad]

I have only been doing this for a short time but try to leave what I think people or kids would enjoy. I only leave new things I have bought for swag. I enjoy other cachers signature items and enjoy finding them in caches as well and have left my pathtag in certain caches. But if your signature tem is a card you print up you should leave another item as well if you take somehing from the cache other thn someone elses card. My 15 year old daughter has been caching with me and we have found a cache with polished rocks and she really liked them and took one that was her school colors. A a rule of thumb if it is something you would normally throw away don't make it a swag item.

[DragonRebel]

Some of us were out caching on a biz trip so we didnt have our normal swag bag with us, 1 person wanted this cool pic in the cache. Course none of us had any bills smaller than a $20 so we couldnt leave a wheresgeorge bill even.

 

Point is we logged it in our online logs that on our next trip there we'll leave something as replacement for taking something without leaving something. So far the owner hasnt beefed about it to us & yes, the trip is about 2 hrs from us but we do get up there every few months, normally.

 

We figure if the owner beefs too much we'll ask for the snailmail addie & mail it to them as replacement, or to another trusted cacher up that way. But it seems this owner is cool & we didnt lie that we didnt TNLN.

 

Sometimes you see something cool in a cache, least log ya took it & offer online to replace it at a later date or snailmail it to the owner to be placed in the cache. Least thats our policy, usually we TNLNSL.

[nonaeroterraqueous]

I have indeed plundered a cache or two while caching with some nieces and nephews who absolutely had to have a trinket. The swag I brought along didn't make for an adequate trade, and I left a few buck and a handfull of coins. I have since set some rules when caching with other people's kids, and won't pay my way anymore, but will restrict the taking to one item only (for the whole party), with adequate trade.

Aha! So it was you!

[+BlueDeuce]

Some of us were out caching on a biz trip so we didnt have our normal swag bag with us, 1 person wanted this cool pic in the cache. Course none of us had any bills smaller than a $20 so we couldnt leave a wheresgeorge bill even.

 

Point is we logged it in our online logs that on our next trip there we'll leave something as replacement for taking something without leaving something. So far the owner hasnt beefed about it to us & yes, the trip is about 2 hrs from us but we do get up there every few months, normally.

 

We figure if the owner beefs too much we'll ask for the snailmail addie & mail it to them as replacement, or to another trusted cacher up that way. But it seems this owner is cool & we didnt lie that we didnt TNLN.

 

Sometimes you see something cool in a cache, least log ya took it & offer online to replace it at a later date or snailmail it to the owner to be placed in the cache. Least thats our policy, usually we TNLNSL.

 

Ah yes, this is called the Wimpy Philosophy of Caching. ‘I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for your trinket today’.

[Treasure Pirate]

It probably was me, but my best plundering has been in AZ where the nieces and nephews live. It has been written her that kids absolutely don't understand stealth, and boy, it sure was a day filled with rediculous geocaching. It was nice to get back to just geocaching with my daughter, who is fairly careful of who's watching us.

[Clan Riffster]

Clan Riffster- ever seen the elusive and precious Fairburn Agate?

Webster's & I don''t agree on what constitutes an agate. The only one I've found "in the field" are coral agates.

[+Cpt.Blackbeard]

I had one of those on one of my caches. He may return, he may not, either way I'm not going to worry about it because they had FUN, which is why i placed it to begin with.

 

 

November 12, 2006 by xxxxxxx (73 found)

found it by bushwacking the hard way

took the"xxxxxxx again

and again xxxx # 2 found it first

xxxx #2 took cc necklace

had nothing to leave ???

yyyy#3 took first aid kit

left her favorite sunglasses

zzzz#4 took flashlight

left nothing

we will go back with something to fill the cache later

no caches better than blackbeards

[DragonRebel]

 

Ah yes, this is called the Wimpy Philosophy of Caching. ‘I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for your trinket today’.

 

Like it or not BlueDeuce, 2 of our members have placed their own caches, one of them a CAA cache. Another a nice ammo box cache in a nice area to see ospreys. The CAA has been muggled at least once & was replaced with a a non swag cache with no requirement that visitors refill it. The ammo box started out with some nice swag but has since degenerated a bit but we dont mind.

 

Both caches were placed for the views & getting people to see something new, not for swag trading.

 

Least we werent jerkheads & took the items with no noting it, unlike others we have seen, not in our caches but other local caches. Something it seems occurs everywhere in this sport, but is part of life, sometimes.

 

We prefer the places & views that caches take us, we even like nanos in shopping lots/rest areas. The only ones we dont really care for are unmaintained caches & puzzle caches. Not everyone likes the same things, thats what makes every person unique.

 

Call it the Wimpy way, doesnt matter, we could have been thieves but thats not us. So whatever. Sheesh

[nonaeroterraqueous]

It probably was me, but my best plundering has been in AZ where the nieces and nephews live. It has been written her that kids absolutely don't understand stealth, and boy, it sure was a day filled with rediculous geocaching. It was nice to get back to just geocaching with my daughter, who is fairly careful of who's watching us.

That reminds me, you've still got some caches out there we need to plunder. The best thing about finding a cache is knowing that there are more left to find.

[+Stargazer22]

I haven't been caching very long but I have also seen the tendency for more urban caches to contain McCrap while the ones that are in the boonies typically (but not always) seems to have better items.

I think it's a matter of traffic to the cache, as well as the fact that urban caches seem to be visited by more cachers with child in tow. KUDOS to the gentleman who used caching as a way to educate his youngster to a better understanding of what is fair.

I once participated in an experiment in college for the psychology department where you could actually make money doing the experiment. People were grouped in 4's with each person on a different face of a 4 sided table. The experimenter walked around the table with a bag of poker chips, each with a different value. One was 25 cents, one 50 cents, and one represented a dollar. Each participant would take a chip from the bag on each rotation around the table by the experimenter. No one knew what the others were taking out. At the end, you would add up your chips for their representative values. Then the remaining chips inside the bag were taken out and their values added, but then multiplied by 5. The amount you made was the value of the chips you took out, plus 25 percent of the value of the chips left in the bag. I realized right away the best outcome would be for everyone to take out the lowest value chips, leaving the best in the bag to be split 4 ways. That way, we would all make the most money for our efforts. At the end, I made about $4, while the other 3 at my table took home between $7 and $9.

We discussed the outcome afterwards and our thinking. Seems the other 3 took the message to be "Take while the taking is good". They told us about 85% of the tested participants took the highest value chips for themselves, (leaving McCrap).

Personally, I won't take anything if I can't leave something better or at least as good as I got. And everything I leave is brand new, most of it still in the packaging as long as it will fit inside the cache.

I figure as much money as I spend on gas driving to a cache, I can go the extra $1 to leave something a little better. And if I decide to do a bunch in the same weekend and worry about the $$, then I just take nothing, and sign the log.

[+d-town cachers]

reading thru this i had to laugh because i have a soft spot for rocks, and have been guilty of dropping some rocks in caches. however, in my defence, i have a degree in geology, so i may have a little better understanding of rocks than the average geocacher. therefore, what i consider to be a rare, interesting, or unique rock, someone else thinks is crap. the same argument applies to mcCRAP. someones trashes is someone else's treasure. as far as i'm concerned, leave rocks all day...as long as they are more than just gravel.

 

my crystals get snatched up quickly sometimes, and other times thy have been there since i left them. so who knows what people want...my rule is that if i would like to find it, i'll prolly leave it.

[Luckless]

my rule is that if i would like to find it, i'll prolly leave it.

Sounds like a good rule.

Edited April 12, 2007 by Luckless

[+CM-14]

I'm really new to geocaching (a week and 3 days), but have to say that out of 11 caches I've found, only 1 had anything near decent in it. And since I have no swag, while I wanted something in there I did not take it. I figure if there's something I want that bad, then I need to come back later with an equal or better trade item. So far all I've done is TNLNSL. And from what I've seen, I doubt I'll ever do much more than that. It is disappointing. The one cache where there was half decent stuff was in memory of a deceased woman, and it brought a tear to my eye after seeing such junked up ones, to see this one in memory was still in decent shape. I hope it remains that way, but I don't hold out much hope. The cache was only 5 months old with a relatively quiet log for the last 4 months.

 

While I think it's great there are children's items in a lot of these caches, the fact is we aren't all schlepping around the woods with kids in tow. I'm an adult and take no children with me. I would love to see adult themed caches, and I'm not talking the x rated kind folks! Or a dog-themed cache. Even though I don't own a dog, I would probably still search it out just to sign the log and check out the contents. And I have friends with dogs so I would possibly even trade if I knew in advance what the theme was. I agree that the Mctoys need to go away. It is sad to see a marble, or a bone from some dead animal, or a rock from the river 5 feet away, left in the cache.

 

Maybe I have no right even making a comment with my newbie status, but this has been bugging me a little. Fortunately I'm really in it for the exercise and exposure to all the hiking areas near me I never knew existed. But finding the one good cache opened my eyes to the real possibilities of this game. And I got real excited when I opened that one and went through it with care. It was a true pleasure to find it and be a part of it. The rest kind of leave you with a feeling of, "Great hike, great outdoor exposure, but WTH".

 

The last "dog-themed" cache that I found had approx. 40 used tennis balls in it and not much else...

[+SLO Trekker]

When we first started caching we would eagerly open a cache container with antipication of the neat things it might hold. I have now come to expect that every cache will be half empty, and the items that are there will be junk. Recently I had the fortune of being FTF on two new caches. Both started out with a few trinkets, basically the same stuff I would expect to find in a cache that has been out at least a year. Kind of disappointing to sign the log TNLNSL on a non-micro FTF.

 

Although these observations may suggest bitterness or mild disgust, the opposite is actually the case. As a result of my experiences, I feel it has led to a better attitude and appreciation of the sport. I actually enjoy geocaching more now as a result. What I have learned is:

 

1. For urban micros or small caches, it is ALL about "the box". The hunt itself is the thrill. I am frequently amazed and impressed with the cleverness and camo skills of my fellow cachers. Just finding the dang thing is reason to celebrate. The container itself is a thing of beauty. I am proud just to be able to sign the log sheet.

 

2. For regular caches in a rural or remote setting, it is NOT about "the box". The journey itself is the reward. I have learned to appreciate the exercise, physical challenge, beauty of nature, amazing views, etc. The thrill is seeing a place you have never been to, or never knew existed.

 

3. Expect nothing in the cache, and be pleasantly surprised if it contains something of interest.

 

4. It terms of swag, what I look for now are cool signature items or geocoin TBs. I am getting my own signature items produced. In the future, I will just leave one of my sig items, or trade if there is another sig item in the cache. This makes caching much easier on me, because I do not have to haul a selection of trade swag around all the time. I keep some in the vehicle just in case, but rarely need to go back for it.

 

5. When placing a new cache, I will fill it with nice swag even though I know it will all be traded down within a few months (if even that). I also try to put in a nice FTF gift, like an unactivated geocoin, gift certificate, or other such item. I like to offer these as GIFTS, so that the finder does not need to worry about trading something of equal value in case they did not come prepared.

 

That's my two cents.

[Clan Riffster]

1. For urban micros or small caches, it is ALL about "the box". The hunt itself is the thrill. I am frequently amazed and impressed with the cleverness and camo skills of my fellow cachers. Just finding the dang thing is reason to celebrate. The container itself is a thing of beauty. I am proud just to be able to sign the log sheet.

 

2. For regular caches in a rural or remote setting, it is NOT about "the box". The journey itself is the reward. I have learned to appreciate the exercise, physical challenge, beauty of nature, amazing views, etc. The thrill is seeing a place you have never been to, or never knew existed.

 

3. Expect nothing in the cache, and be pleasantly surprised if it contains something of interest.

Words of wisdom, Brother!

[+J-Way]

When I hid my first cache, I intentionally filled it with kids stuff - it's at a local park popular with families. Nothing extra expensive, but the item price varied from $1 up to a max of about $6. I was excited after the first couple of finds and went to check on it... and found that that the "new" items were all McCrap. Such as the 10 cent plastic bracelet traded for the $5 toy by an ADULT.

 

When hunting I'm a TNLNSL type of cacher; I like caches with a reason for being there (nice view, nice walking trail, nice park, historic area, etc.) or urban micros where the fun is the challenge of the hunt (creative containers or camo). My "prize", as already stated by others, is the find itself. The only things I typically trade are TB's and coins, and then only to move along to other caches.

 

The exception is when I have my 2-year old son with me, and I know he'll want any toy cars he finds (I limit him to 1 per cache, and he leaves one of his behind). Twice I neglected to bring an item for him to trade back, so I let him get a car anyway (he's only 2, after all) but then I brought replacements back on a later trip.

[+aj373ku]

Informative thread. I am brand new to geocaching. The fun for me is the hike and journey to the cache not what is there. I have found four caches so far. The real reward was finding each cache in a place I had never been before. The reason I started geocaching in the first place was because I needed a purpose to get out a hike.

 

I do agree that it is only fair to trade even or up. I do not want to carry a backpack full of swag every time I go out to hike. I have decided that all I am going to do is help move geocoins and travel bugs around. They are small and easy to carry and it is fun to track there progress.

[adm4984]

I want to respond to this. I didn't say I found a polished rock in the cache...I said it was a rock from the river 5 feet away.

 

I've found some with gravel for swag. I would have traded for it, but I didn't have a comparable trade item, other than the gravel path that I was standing on at the time.

 

if i put something really expensive in a cache, i do not expect it to be traded even. it's a gift. i expect someone to trade something nice, and that's that. people don't often have very expensive swag in their bag, so if i drop in a little something from the smithsonian catalog people should trade the best they have and leave it at that.

Well, that's a nice attitude to have. I know I've screamed at the monitor more than a few times when someone mentions walking away from an original swag item because they didn't think they brought anything good enough to trade.

 

I also agree. Though trading even is generally a good rule of thumb, if I put something worth $20 or $30 in a cache I don't expect someone to leave a like valued item in return. I remember a cache of mine that had a Garmin Geko in it. Nobody felt right taking it so it sat there for months. Finally I had put a note on the cache page pleading for someone to take it.

 

I don't expect people to sit a the cache calculating the relative value of the trade items. As long as you aren't leaving an expired Sanka coupon in return for that new Petzel Tikka headlamp I think you're good.

 

That is VERY generous. I hope to be able to do cool swag like that when my finances are in line. As of right now, I try very hard to leave decent swag. I have a pretty big coin collection so coins are the big thing i leave. I seem to find a lot of people leaving coins, although some may just be arcade tokens. I really dont care what is in there except for one cache, someone had left and empty bottle of hand sanitzer. Oh well. It is what it is. Happy Caching!!

[panther-cacher]

I think some of the problems with the contents of caches is the understanding of "trade up" . People look at it from different view points. They hear or read about a red paper clip being traded up for more valueable items and ending up with a house. If I trade a penny for a dime, I could have traded up (more for me) instead of traded down (less for the other trader). Maybe some people think that trading up is similar to being up at a casino, you have more when you leave than you did when you got there. My mother always told me to return what you borrowed in the same or better condition, and to leave things the same or nicer than you found them. I know I leave most caches better stocked after I have found them, but I don't trade every time. Maybe this should be made crystal clear so there is no room for confusion.

[+1NatureMom]

As an El_Diablo charter member, I'd like to add my .2, and say this topic title is too funny - and -

 

I've also been caught were we've wanted to trade for some good swag, but my pack has been cleaned out of the equal-or-trade-up-items, and I've just plum forgot to re-stock..........so now, I keep some $ in my pack. A $5 and a few singles. I feel $ this covers me untill I can go to the store & buy; at least I hope it does, I havent seen any terrible logs telling me otherwise; I mean who doesnt like cash right?

 

edit to say that of course, I will not trade a $5 bill for a $20 item; I havent read thru this entire thread & now I see folks mention big ticket items. I meant just the usual-customary swag trinkets in general.

Edited April 14, 2007 by 1NatureMom

[+geomann1]

In my humble opinion, with a few exceptions, people know the approximate value of what they take and what they leave, and what is right and what is wrong, and what is junk. I don't believe that every trade must be dollar for dollar or trading up; what is important is what one does over the long term (on the average). People taking more than they leave on a continuous basis are simply morally challenged, and are taking advantage of their fellow geocachers. There is no excuse.

 

As I posted on another current thread, I believe that the cache owner has the responsibility to periodically maintain his or her caches, which includes refreshing the contents and throwing out the junk. I believe that caches follow the law of entropy and decline over time unless someone inputs some energy into them.

[gis6685]

Do you think a themed cache would stand a better chance if it were a multi with a puzzle?

 

For example... the first few stages contain notes and reminders about the theme, about halfway along you present the cacher with a "puzzle" that they will need to go home to solve, then the last few stages again reminding about the theme, before they finally get to the cache?

 

I guess the trick would be making the puzzle accessible to everyone, yet requiring a visit home...

 

Perhaps the puzzle could just use an item that most people have in their home? Like... a computer? or a local phone book?

 

Interesting idea, but I've been working on a couple trips that I'd like to take and a trip "home" wouldn't be possible during those. One is an Alaskan cruise where we will be in port for a limited amount of time and wouldn't even be able to get back to the ship to check anything out. Of course, given our limited time there, wouldn't probably attempt a puzzle cache anyway...

[gis6685]

This topic has been brought up many times in the past. The sad thing is that the problem is as large today as it was 6 years ago.

 

You start a cache with good swag that quickly degrades to junk within a month. Why can't people trade up or trade even?

 

Maybe we should start caches with junk. That way they have no where to go but up.

 

Most caches today qualify for CITO. They are nothing but boxes of trash in the woods.

 

El Diablo

 

I'm a newbie - only been caching since Easter Sunday. We take two young kids with us and have let them do the trading. I can't comment on how nice or not the swag has been since I haven't much experience, but it's seemed fine from what I saw. We carry a small pack of swag so we have options for equal trade including something if Mom and Dad see something they want to trade for.

 

I would suggest that the trading and suggestions for cool things (another thread in Getting Started, I believe) be part of the main introduction to geocaching. I think that it would be very helpful to have suggested items and a few examples of equal trade. As we were packing our swag bag, I wasn't sure what types of items to include. We picked several kid items as that's what we'd be trading for most likely, but we also have included some European money, some golf items, and a wheat penny.

 

I agree with several who have commented that what one person would really like, others would perceive as junk. I'm another one who would love to come across some polished rocks. And I wouldn't even mind finding a very cool rock even if it came from a nearby creek. Personally, I collect Coke cans from other countries - full or empty doesn't matter to me - lots of people see them as trash. (And, no, I wouldn't put one in a cache!! )

[nonaeroterraqueous]

I feel $ this covers me untill I can go to the store & buy; at least I hope it does, I havent seen any terrible logs telling me otherwise; I mean who doesnt like cash right?

 

Aw, come on. Everyone has that stuff already.

[+lindsychris]

I've always looked at swag that we leave in a cache or stock our own caches with as gifts to future cachers. I hope that future cachers trade for something equally nice, but honestly, don't get hung up about it if it doesn't work out that way. If an item was really that valuable to me, or I was really concerned that it only be exchanged for something of a certain value, I wouldn't be leaving it in a box in the woods to begin with!

 

That being said, I think every cacher's opinion of "good" swag differs to some extent. I know some of the stuff that linds and I enjoy finding in caches is probably worthless or "bad" for others (one of our favorite things to find is a cache container to hide...even if it's just a film can, $.50 key holder, or empty medicine bottle). Yes, we could easily get and hide these on our own for free, but we enjoy having a cache from someone else to hide.

 

The only items I really don't like finding in caches are those that have no business being there...matches, cigars, candy, business advertisements, etc. (yes, we've found all of these in caches).

[CoyoteRed]

I think some of the problems with the contents of caches is the understanding of "trade up" .

 

...

 

Maybe this should be made crystal clear so there is no room for confusion.

 

Yes, the trade up thing is a bit confusing. Check my siggy for what I feel is a better phrase.

 

Unfortunately, the "trade up" thing has some long legs and the other never really caught on.

[CoyoteRed]

I feel $ this covers me untill I can go to the store & buy; at least I hope it does, I havent seen any terrible logs telling me otherwise; I mean who doesnt like cash right?

I never was too terribly impressed with folks who left ordinary money as a trade item. I never considered a cache a store in which you simply bought stuff while naming your own price.

 

When we've come across items I wanted and didn't have what I felt was an appropriate trade, I was simply disappointed and left the item. It was my fault I wasn't prepared.

 

If it is an important enough item to have, I can always go buy something and return to the cache.

[CoyoteRed]

I've always looked at swag that we leave in a cache or stock our own caches with as gifts to future cachers.

A similar option is placing a cache where folks only take stuff--no expectation of trading. When the cache is empty the last person gets to have the container with the responsibility of returning the logbook.

 

If someone does trade then that's fine. If someone restocks, that's fine, too. The point is it would be little different than a cache today except without those cachers who would have traded a decent trinket for a pine cone filling it with trash.

 

At issue is getting it approved because of its "temporary" nature.

[+CENTEX92]

Wow.. now that is COOL. A GPSr in a cache. You are welcome to come out and cache in Hawaii anytime. I will even recommend some caches for you to visit, just don't log them for a few days til I go and make sure you put them back right.

I visited a cache that was originally filled with gps devices,Instructions said if you need one take one,if not,leave them for the next guy.

There are many log entries thanking the guy for the GPS.

When I visited the devices have all been taken but there was plenty of very good swag items left.

This was an unbelievable cache IMO.

I just logged TNLN TFTC and left with a smile.

[+calkan]

Here is a novel idea.....you find something worth more than what your brought as swag? Well trade two or three for one! Hey whats wrong with filling a cache to help the cache owner out? We've come across geocaches which were almost void of swag, with the exception of garbage. We dumped the garbage and put all of our swag we brought with us in the geocache. I know the world is full of cheapskates, and I have heard comments about "I am not a friggen walmart!" But we need to consider the sport of Geocaching as a whole. One bad cache seems to rest on the mind as much as the great caches do. What a turn off to a new Geocacher to find a box of wet, stinky garbage. Do you honestly think they will do much geocaching after finding two or three rotten caches? Lets work together and make this an enjoyable sport. No cheap skates Please!