Treasure Quality

[+Zeevious]

I am fairly new to caching, just having gotten my 13th cache, and am having a blast! Although the trips to the cache itself, making the find, meeting new friends, learning new areas, family bonding, and the experiences are certainly the most valuable treasures, I (and my kids) like the treasure hunt part very much, but so far have been very underwhelmed at what I have found in most all caches so far. I always leave good stuff and stock my own as such, such as quality matchbox cars, indian head pennies, mercury dimes, MTG cards in sealed hard plastic, etc. Also, I always leave something if possible, and never the kind of junk that I am amazed some others leave, some of which is just space-taking garbage that its obvious no one will ever want, yet people don't like to throw stuff out as its rude, so it takes up space in the cache and the caches become garbage cans. I will even leave silver dimes or similar old coins in micro-caches that only have logbooks for the NTF. For the FTF of my only cache I have placed so far, I included a quality 1857 flying eagle coin worth > $20. I think thats the least you can do, to make your cache exciting and reward the finder. With all the time and effort we spend setting and finding caches, and how generally cheap this hobby is compared to most others, I think putting a couple bucks of value into a cache here and there is chump change, and can really make someone's day. I know not everyone can afford to do that, but at least use some creativity, and if you are going to put some junk in there, just don't bother, put nothing instead. I do like finding personalized poker chips and quality-made buttons, and these can be made within anyone's budget, as I collect those as personalized memories of my finds, and they are quality treasures to me. Even an interesting laminated business card (note the laminated part) or wooden coin w/ something personal on it is a quality treasure to me.

 

I call out to all cachers to stop putting garbage in the caches (stuff NO ONE would want), and to put more effort into what they leave in the caches. Regardless, I truly get more satisfaction out of knowing others are finding good treasures than finding treasures myself, so I will cache on as is. Just a thought.

[+tozainamboku]

And I call out to all cachers to put garbage into this cache.

[+sbell111]

I think that when you identify the trinks as 'treasures', you set yourself up for disappointment.

[tmike2552]

One man's junk is another man's treasure.

[+Renegade Knight]

.... I (and my kids) like the treasure hunt part very much, but so far have been very underwhelmed at what I have found in most all caches so far. I always leave good stuff and stock my own as such, such as quality matchbox cars, indian head pennies, mercury dimes, MTG cards in sealed hard plastic, etc. Also, I always leave something if possible, and never the kind of junk that I am amazed some others leave,...

 

Well done. I leave foreign coins. That's about all I trade for. You will find caches like checking your mail. Mostly junk, but every now and then something that makes it worth it. Keep up being on the right side of the crappy swag line.

[+Thrak]

. For the FTF of my only cache I have placed so far, I included a quality 1857 flying eagle coin worth > $20.

 

PLEASE come to my town and leave a cache! If I saw a new cache with that FTF prize pop up I'd go straight to my boss and tell her I needed to leave work for an hour or two and I'd go find the thing...

 

[Vg jbhyqa'g or gur svefg gvzr V yrsg jbex sbe n SGS........]

[+QuesterMark]

One man's junk is another man's treasure.

 

Yeah, but not if it's broken. I've seen broken stuff left in caches. I'm rude enough to haul the broken stuff out and drop it in the nearest recycling center.

[+sbell111]

One man's junk is another man's treasure.

 

Yeah, but not if it's broken. I've seen broken stuff left in caches. I'm rude enough to haul the broken stuff out and drop it in the nearest recycling center.

I've seen caches so full of trinks that some stuff got broken.

[+Sagefox]

I call out to all cachers to stop putting garbage in the caches (stuff NO ONE would want), and to put more effort into what they leave in the caches.

 

You will see much, much more garbage as you continue caching.

 

This game offers an incredible amount of fun, exercise, mental challenges as well as visual and historical treats. It has sustained us for almost six full years and we show no signs of letting up.

 

But the experiment definitely shows that humans are hoarders. It is in our mammal genes - the hunter/gatherers. This trait cannot be overcome with an intellectual argument. In the forums the only first-hand accounts we read about are by people who trade fairly but out in the geo-world it doesn't happen that way – the contents of the containers will deteriorate, with very few exceptions.

 

We learned a long time ago to let go of the expectation that the geocache containers we find will be clean and well stocked. "The Hunt" is what it is about for us. But, even so, when we go out for a few caches with our nine-year-old granddaughter she almost always finds one thing she likes during the outing.

 

The best thing we believe you can do to improve the quality of each container you come across is to remove and dispose of one or more pieces of garbage: soggy, moldy items, other things that don't belong in caches, broken toys, etc. This act alone will leave the container in better shape than when you found it. If you carry some paper or cloth towels with you you can wipe out moisture and mold. And if you add something nice then that is even better but it is not mandatory. Taking out junk and cleaning up the container is trading up.

[+the hermit crabs]

I am fairly new to caching, just having gotten my 13th cache, and am having a blast! Although the trips to the cache itself, making the find, meeting new friends, learning new areas, family bonding, and the experiences are certainly the most valuable treasures, I (and my kids) like the treasure hunt part very much, but so far have been very underwhelmed at what I have found in most all caches so far.

Here's something you can try that might make your kids more excited about finding stuff that they might otherwise consider junk:

 

Does you family celebrate Christmas, or some other holiday around the winter solstice? If so, tell your kids that you are going to have a Caching Tree this year, and all of the ornaments on it will be made from things that you have found in caches. Suddenly, you might find yourself looking at junky items in a whole new light: is it shiny? Is it bright? Does it jingle? Is it the right size to hang on a tree? Who cares if an arm off of this little plastic snowman is missing, this would look great on a tree! A pinecone, obviously picked up off the ground by some thoughtless cacher and dumped into the cache, suddenly becomes a festive decoration.

 

Then when you get home, help your kids turn them into ornaments: add hooks or ribbons, and attach little tags with the names of the cache and the date you find it. Then this winter, you put them all up, and have contests about who can remember which cache each one came from, and who can remember the details about that cache -- "oh, yeah this was the one with the stream and the little waterfall!" "ooh, we picked up this red fire engine in that cache where I almost fell off the cliff, remember that one?" "We got this rubber ducky at our 100th find!!"

 

edit: Hey, I just peeked at your profile, and found it funny that event hough we live in different states, four of your 13 finds are caches that we recently found. There are even pictures of both you and us modeling "The Hat" at the HOGS BACK VISTAS cache! Small world )

Edited October 11, 2007 by the hermit crabs

[+Zeevious]

...tell your kids that you are going to have a Caching Tree this year, and all of the ornaments on it will be made from things that you have found in caches.

 

Great Idea, and probably just enough time before Xmas! Thanks

[+wimseyguy]

Welcome to the forums and to geocaching. Isn't it FUN??

If you care to bore yourself reading the numerous older threads on this topic, you'll soon learn that there isn't much that can be done about this sad trend of cache contents devaluation. Besides, most of the cachers who do this, never bother to enter the forums to learn that we are talking about them.

 

I'd love to be the finder of a cache behind you and discover some of the cool swag you have dropped, but I doubt I carry anything that would be a fair trade. After a while, it does become more about the journey than the swag anyway. But I guess I still live in hope as I almost always carry a few swaggish items with me in case there might be something in a cache I care to take.

I think the last useful item I traded for was a pair of tweezers; I've used them often to remove nano logs, and the occasional splinter too. That was probably 6-8 months ago. Sadly they are not zircon encrusted tweezers though.

[Rhialto]

I heard it was much better when it's all started up and that you cannot compare today's content with 5+ years ago.

 

You'll end up like me doing TNLN most of the time but like you said, everything else around that hobby are the most valuable treasures.

[+Zeevious]

You'll end up like me doing TNLN most of the time but like you said, everything else around that hobby are the most valuable treasures.

 

Thanks for the thoughts, I am getting the picture. I can see how "familiarity breeds cheapness" haha, or at least how over time you can become jaded. Call me naive, a newb, idealistic.... But I am very resigned to not doing TNLN even some of the time. Regardless of what others do, at the very least I will do a TNLS. If its not at least something like a buffalo nickel, at the very least I would leave personal poker chips or something to mark I was there and for others to collect. /shrug. Being Santa Clause is part of the fun, knowing someone else will find something you leave, and sometimes reading about their find later in the logs. Time will tell I guess.... Or at least my logs will in a few years...

[+Tsegi Mike and Desert Viking]

We have started our own personal attempt to improve the quality of swag by leaving behind foreign coins of varying denominations and value even when we dont trade. If everyone who complained about cheap broken swag would place good stuff in containers instead, Im guessing the problem would start to go away.

[+JeepinOregon]

The best thing we believe you can do to improve the quality of each container you come across is to remove and dispose of one or more pieces of garbage: soggy, moldy items, other things that don't belong in caches, broken toys, etc. This act alone will leave the container in better shape than when you found it. If you carry some paper or cloth towels with you you can wipe out moisture and mold. And if you add something nice then that is even better but it is not mandatory. Taking out junk and cleaning up the container is trading up.

 

Well said. And, I often take extra swag along on my 'caching trips just to make sure I can restock a cache or two if I need to take its contents to the dump: "treasure versus trash" is almost relative...but not quite.

[+elmuyloco5]

I like to give the swag placer the benefit of the doubt. Those kiddie toys don't take long to break and with very little effort.....just ask my three kids. I think that alot of broken things people find are the nature of the beast. That's not to say that people don't place broken and junky things in caches.

 

We were originally into the swag but have found that even a nice piece of swag is rarely something that we will use and just end up placing it in another cache. There's nothing wrong with that, but I just don't like carrying around a bunch of swag. I, personally, enjoy the signature items from the most elaborate to the simple card (although I do implore others to please laminate them....humidity alone can ruin something made of paper). And irregardless of whether I find an item to take or not, I always leave our sig item (jewelry made with marbles and CITO packages made inside micro containers).

 

But, I look at it like I can be mad that I don't find things I want, or I can hunt with the expectations that I probably won't find anything I want, and be pleasantly suprised when I do.

[LokoLobo]

I'm new myself at geocaching... And I agree that most of the caches I've gone to have been filled with junk no one would want, mostly stuff you can find left behind in a 2 year olds sand box...

It really doens't take much to get something worth while to trade in a cache.. Go to a dollor store and look around spend $10 on a few items that are worth while.. I did this recently and found some cool toys, watches, head set radio's, fishing tackle, tools, and jewlery.. It really doesn't take much.. As far as owning a cache and putting items in it, I don't think that takes much either, same thing go to the dollor store and find a couple of things to put in it, one thing that I do like finding in a cache is a small item that says I found your cache like a button or even just a small peice of paper that has been laminated... It really doesn't take much..

[+sbell111]

I heard it was much better when it's all started up and that you cannot compare today's content with 5+ years ago. ...

For the most part, there's been no real change over time.

[Dinoprophet]

For the FTF of my only cache I have placed so far, I included a quality 1857 flying eagle coin worth > $20. I think thats the least you can do, to make your cache exciting and reward the finder.

I agree with most of your sentiments, but I disagree with this part. A sincere "good for you" for leaving such a cool FTF prize, but IMO, hiding a cache for people to find is a favor to the finder to begin with. Though I often leave a FTF prize, I like to think my caches are exciting and rewarding on their own.

[+AustinSweetnSour]

What an incredibly awesome idea! I think this would be great for my kids & I, and would make Christmas all the more special! Not to mention adding a sense of motivation or extra meaning to caching...Thank you! I'll send you a pic of our tree this December

 

 

 

I am fairly new to caching, just having gotten my 13th cache, and am having a blast! Although the trips to the cache itself, making the find, meeting new friends, learning new areas, family bonding, and the experiences are certainly the most valuable treasures, I (and my kids) like the treasure hunt part very much, but so far have been very underwhelmed at what I have found in most all caches so far.

Here's something you can try that might make your kids more excited about finding stuff that they might otherwise consider junk:

 

Does you family celebrate Christmas, or some other holiday around the winter solstice? If so, tell your kids that you are going to have a Caching Tree this year, and all of the ornaments on it will be made from things that you have found in caches. Suddenly, you might find yourself looking at junky items in a whole new light: is it shiny? Is it bright? Does it jingle? Is it the right size to hang on a tree? Who cares if an arm off of this little plastic snowman is missing, this would look great on a tree! A pinecone, obviously picked up off the ground by some thoughtless cacher and dumped into the cache, suddenly becomes a festive decoration.

 

Then when you get home, help your kids turn them into ornaments: add hooks or ribbons, and attach little tags with the names of the cache and the date you find it. Then this winter, you put them all up, and have contests about who can remember which cache each one came from, and who can remember the details about that cache -- "oh, yeah this was the one with the stream and the little waterfall!" "ooh, we picked up this red fire engine in that cache where I almost fell off the cliff, remember that one?" "We got this rubber ducky at our 100th find!!"

 

edit: Hey, I just peeked at your profile, and foun

 

 

 

d it funny that event hough we live in different states, four of your 13 finds are caches that we recently found. There are even pictures of both you and us modeling "The Hat" at the HOGS BACK VISTAS cache! Small world )

[CajunPotatoes]

We just finished our first day and will do this too from now on -- we brought a few things to trade, but my kiddos are young enough to find even the "trash" to be a huge "treasure" and I feel bad about not trading one for one... I guess they are really doing the caching community a favor. What AN AWESOME way to spend a day!

[+b@t]

We have about 30 finds to date - actually more but I'm a little lax about logging finds and am not all worked up about getting big numbers. Geocaching is definitely FUN for us, but not an obsession.

 

Yesterday was the first time I cleaned out a cache - 3 pieces of garbage (dental floss, corroded nail clippers, busted AC adapter) were taken from a cache and went straight to the trash. Granted, one person's trash may be another person's treasure, but having seen a few dozen caches now I feel more qualified to gauge the quality of swag. And, it doesn't take much for my kids (11 yo and 9 yo) who are along to get the idea as well - they have seen caches w/ the good stuff, and they have seen caches w/ nothing but trash. I don't have to tell you which THEY prefer.

 

Anyway, we have developed a signature item, and we often leave a bat-themed item in a cache (refrigerator magnets, bandannas, key chains). But not always. BUT, we DO always leave something cool in a cache. I was raised in a pre-Dollar store era household where we would regularly go to garage sales and swap meets. Consequently, I have a few boxes of cool junk in the basement - Olympics memorabilia, military memorabilia, medals and insignia commemorating various events, tourist stuff (Las Vegas dice, casino poker chips, state themed playing cards, collectible spoons [some sterling], cool foreign and US coins, smashed souvenier pennies, small jewelry and pendants, cloisonne, . . . . you get the idea.)

 

I like leaving cool stuff in caches, and I like my kids to see me leave cool stuff.

 

Since it is not really about the numbers for me, I don't mind leaving stuff in a cache that might have cost $5- $7 or so. but I'll also leave items from the dollar store if I think they are cool.

 

I know 'cool' is objective, but my proudest moments are when I am caching w/ seasoned cachers, and they turn around to me and say 'you leave cool stufff in caches.'

 

I'm not a big fan of collecting personalized signature swag - I really don't want wooden nickels, or business cards (laminated or not) and stuff like that. But I do appreciate the fact that some people like that kind of stuff. If I leave a signature item, it will be a USEFUL item, and I won't put my name on it. The new owner of the swag will know where it came from, and probably who left it there. And if not specifically, they will remember that it was left by a geocacher who likes cool swag!

 

So, think 'cool'

 

d.b

[+Team Evil Fish]

Could this be why so many MICROS have been placed!! People are tired of finding junk/trash in a cache as trade items, so they put out a cache that has no room for it...

[+Knobhiker]

There is a trend among the experienced cachers to only sign the log books in my caches. I thought my well stocked caches would offer something for anyone. Compliments are given on the quality of the items, but nothing taken.

 

I also am learning that most caches have a lot of trash in them. So I leave better items - often 2 for 1, and take out the trash or those items ruined by time.

 

Experience says it's all about the hunt! (but I still will trade up and leave 2 for 1 when appropriate)

[+UncleJimbo]

I have noticed that even the well-stocked caches that I have found are stocked mostly with stuff for kids. There is rarely anything of interest to an adult. For this reason I have become most interested in taking and leaving trackable items (TBs and geocoins).

 

However, I went to the hardware store the other day, and bought a few small, disposable flashlights for $2.99 each. I am going to leave these in caches. I also bought a few tape-measures on-sale for $1.99. I think these will be nice swag items, interesting to adults.

[+Fogtripper]

I have noticed that even the well-stocked caches that I have found are stocked mostly with stuff for kids. There is rarely anything of interest to an adult. For this reason I have become most interested in taking and leaving trackable items (TBs and geocoins).

 

However, I went to the hardware store the other day, and bought a few small, disposable flashlights for $2.99 each. I am going to leave these in caches. I also bought a few tape-measures on-sale for $1.99. I think these will be nice swag items, interesting to adults.

 

The cache my wife and I found yesterday (our first as geovirgins) had a couple TBs and a bunch of kid stuff. One item was a Lego pirate complete with lego treasure chest with mini-swag. I traded for a bug and the pirate, as I am a 40 year old kid who loves legos. That said, I would have been slightly dissapointed if it were all kids stuff. (edit: I consider bugs adult)

Edited October 14, 2007 by Fogtripper

[+new_dharma]

I like the dental floss (loose...used???), used chap-stick, rusted bolts, 1 used mitten (w/big hole in one finger)....these are a few of my favorite things

[rick54]

I'm like a newborn babe to this caching game. I've never actually done it, but I'm looking into it as a reason for using my gps. My wife and I recently completed a local hunt for a big gold token redeemable for $1000 worth of gas. Local business folks put on this contest with two clues coming out everyweek. The search lasted for 9 weeks. Needless to say, the wife and I had a blast searching for it! I think it was all because it was something worth going after. Nope, we weren't the lucky ones!

I've been reading the posts under this topic and find that for the most part, caching is a family event and the treasure amounts to nothing more than gumball machine items if that. I can't seem to get enthused in finding a button, piece of string or a ball of bellybutton lint! So I'm sure it's all about the walk on a nice sunny day etc.! But does caching ever go to an adult level? For example, I'd be willing to set out a cache containing a gift certificate to our local pub for a beer and a burger ($10). Or perhaps a couple of theater tickets ($18). Something that might put a spark into the hunt!

Is there a way that one could designate this as an adult cache? It's pretty obvious a kid isn't going to be able to turn in a certificate for a beer and berger!

I'm too new to this game to determine if the tendencies are to dumb it down or to make it better by upping the ante. I'm certainly talking about something that's not going to break the bank here. Your comments please

[+sbell111]

... I can't seem to get enthused in finding a button, piece of string or a ball of bellybutton lint! ...

It's all about attitude. Personally, I can't let myself focus on the trinkets in the box. I focus, instead on finding the box. If the box has some cool tradeables, that's great, but the trade items are not the goal. Edited October 19, 2007 by sbell111

[+Miragee]

<snip>

 

I've been reading the posts under this topic and find that for the most part, caching is a family event and the treasure amounts to nothing more than gumball machine items if that. I can't seem to get enthused in finding a button, piece of string or a ball of bellybutton lint! So I'm sure it's all about the walk on a nice sunny day etc.! But does caching ever go to an adult level? For example, I'd be willing to set out a cache containing a gift certificate to our local pub for a beer and a burger ($10). Or perhaps a couple of theater tickets ($18). Something that might put a spark into the hunt!

Is there a way that one could designate this as an adult cache? It's pretty obvious a kid isn't going to be able to turn in a certificate for a beer and berger!

I'm too new to this game to determine if the tendencies are to dumb it down or to make it better by upping the ante. I'm certainly talking about something that's not going to break the bank here. Your comments please

I found a cache recently that was called the "Manly Man Cache." It had "manly-man" items in it, which was cool. Since it hadn't been found very many times, because of its remote, desert location, and since people hadn't done any trades, it still had the "theme" items.

 

The problem with putting really great items in your cache is that only the first couple of finders will see those things. Regardless of the "Trade Up or Trade Even" motto, few cachers follow that "suggestion."

 

When caching, the goal really has to be the hike, the experience, the view, and, hopefully, finding the container. The contents are way down the list of things I get out of a caching adventure.