The law of diminishing returns

[nonaeroterraqueous]

A plastic rat.

 

I was sitting here thinking over all of the wonderful things I've found in caches (yes, I'm an avid trader), and it occurs to me that most of that stuff got traded back into other caches. Occasionally, I've added a thing or two without taking, when a cache seemed lacking. I spent a couple hundred dollars on trade items so I could participate in the game.

 

Somehow, along the way, my swag bag managed to dwindle. I now have a few signature items and a plastic rat. Don't get me wrong; I think it's a fantastic rat. It's just a very expensive one.

 

So...what's your geocaching budget like? Net gain? Net loss? Complete bankruptcy?

[+Team Cotati]

Complete bankruptcy.

[+The finch farmers]

Just like when I go deer hunting. Meat $12.00 p/lb

Just like when I go turkey hunting. Turkey $100.00

Fishing same as above!!!!

Etc

Etc

Its like throwing money in the hole in the tree!

But it is all good!

And its worth every penny!

[Mag Magician]

I have to agree wit the above posts. We hit the dollar store or Wally World a bout every two weeks to replenish the swag bag. Good money goes down the drain after bad, but it's all part of the game.

[knowschad]

Seriously?!?

 

I started out by trading a mouldy baseball card for a dirty golf ball. I just kept on trading up like that and now, 2 1/2 years and over 1000 finds later, I am the proud owner of a Saturn keychain!!! Cache on!! The limits are endless.

[+Jeepergeo]

I'm still getting over the cost of the GPS, digital maps, and other important gear that goes with the GPS (Well, not directly, as it was a gift) . I guess there's a cost to everything these days, and the cost can be high when one elects to wait until the best is obtainable, or just do without. I guess that's why I'm still using a Buck Folding Hunter 110 purchased in 1971 and a Snow Lion mummy bag purchased in 1973 (Ok, the bag's about to give out... the Buck is still going strong).

 

So, for now, the cost of the goodies to leave in caches has not been a concern. Although, I was thinking, it might be fun to have $omething custom made to leave behind...

[knowschad]

I'm still getting over the cost of the GPS, digital maps, and other important gear that goes with the GPS (Well, not directly, as it was a gift) . I guess there's a cost to everything these days, and the cost can be high when one elects to wait until the best is obtainable, or just do without. I guess that's why I'm still using a Buck Folding Hunter 110 purchased in 1971 and a Snow Lion mummy bag purchased in 1973 (Ok, the bag's about to give out... the Buck is still going strong).

 

So, for now, the cost of the goodies to leave in caches has not been a concern. Although, I was thinking, it might be fun to have $omething custom made to leave behind...

 

I've also got a Buck Folding Hunter probably purchased the same year (or very close to it!). My Eureka Timberline tent from the same era is showing some wear, but for $100, I can't complain.

 

As for the cost of your GPS, though... think about it: what would a membership in a health club cost you? Just get out and use the thing. It will pay for itself and you'll have a lot more fun doing it!

[+team lagonda]

Non,guy,, i simply take what swag from what i get from one cache n trade it when i do another one..not lookin ta git rich er nothin..

Edited January 19, 2008 by team lagonda

[LordEd]

I believe I traded my yacht with parrot for a personal jet at GC13809.

[+KBI]

I rarely take anything out of a cache anymore, but whenever I find a cache I think is really cool (or one that's just pitifully low on swag) I usually put in a two-dollar bill. I carry a supply of two-dollar bills just for that purpose. They're ideal! They hardly take up any room in my caching pack, they're available at most banks, people really seem to enjoy finding them -- and in a pinch you can almost always spend them like real cash! Try THAT with a cracked golf ball!

 

I stole the idea years ago from another cacher who mentioned it in a forum thread about signature trade items. Wish I could remember who it was.

 

Besides, Thomas Jefferson is my hero.

 

[+Bad_CRC]

I love the dollar stores, so anytime I go there and find something that would be cool for a cache, I buy a bunch. I have a large box full of toys, electronic games, and misc swag that I've purchased to put in geocaches.

 

The funny part is that I rarely remember to bring any trade items when I cache, and almost always TNLN... so I just have a big box of stuff I'll never use and probably never even trade.

 

 

I guess there are worse problems to have.

[+joranda]

It's hard to count the amount that I have spent. Let's say I'm in the hole.

[+Jneaves]

I am 46 and no kids. I have plastic army men, toy cars, junk in a bag. It seems to make it to the caches. I enjoy hiding as much as finds these days. Joy in seeing folks find my camoed cans and logging them.

[+Bad_CRC]

It's hard to count the amount that I have spent. Let's say I'm in the hole.

 

Going to a movie easily costs over 5 bucks an hour

Going to a professional sporting event easily costs over 30 bucks an hour

 

 

Now, consider if you had spent the same amount of time doing other things like that... how much monay have we all actually saved?

[Source_GPS]

I didn't even know you could still get $2 bills. Not a bad idea.

[+Team Cotati]

I didn't even know you could still get $2 bills. Not a bad idea.

 

Most any bank branch can provide them. They hate the things. They'll sell you all that you want.

[+Team Black-Cat]

We haven't spent that much (yet). We had all the "equipment" and a lot of swag is still being pulled out of the moving boxes in the garage from six years ago.

[+KoosKoos]

I didn't even know you could still get $2 bills. Not a bad idea.

 

Most any bank branch can provide them. They hate the things. They'll sell you all that you want.

 

What's the current cost of them? That might be a neat trade item to leave behind if the price isn't too bad.

 

 

 

 

[+Cpt.Blackbeard]

I stopped trading long ago so zero cost there.

My GPS and maps have been a tremedous benifit to me at my job delivering concrete to customers 30 miles away in the middle of nowhere with a couple of sentances worth of directions to find them, oh yeah, love the GPS baby.

So gas is my main expense, but that's enough to keep me home most weekends.

[+geowizerd]

I try to trade out evenly (two items out, two in, etc.). But my bag also seems to dwindle. That might have something to do with a 9 year old carrying it some of the time... But there are advantages to having a 9 year old; I just went to his room and picked up a few swag items to throw in the bag. Getting ready to go out now, guess it's about time to trade out that Animal House keychain I snaqgged from a cache last month. A "Double Secret Probation Edition", no less!

[+TexasGringo]

Out of 9 TB's I released:

 

7 are MIA.

1 is still in a Geocacher's posession (2 months).

1 is in a Cache.

 

I won't invest in any more TB's...and certainly not in expensive Geocoins.

 

If I see TB's, I'll move them. But that is all.

 

I bought some Drooling_Mongoloid wooden nickels to drop off in a cache...as a calling card and if someone wants it...go for it.

[+Team Cotati]

Tempting, isn't it?

[+egami]

I don't really keep track. I am sure value-wise a net loss. Numers-wise, I've taken out more than I've put in because I'll clean absolute junk out of caches.

[+berryonthemountain]

Me and my family are very new to this, 4 finds so far. I went out and bought things just for the cache boxes and have been looking into buying some pins to put in also. I have to say I am very disappointed in what we have found in the four caches we have found. We cleaned out the caches and replaced with items that would be fun for others to find. I would never take good items if we had nothing to give in return. It seems a shame that others do not feel the same way. I am having fun even though we have not found anything wonderful yet. I am optimistic that there a good caches out there. We will just keep looking. Happy Hunting to all!

[+geowizerd]

Found two yesterday, about five miles apart. Both caches contained a can of the same brand of soda (I'm assuming left by the same cachers). Now, a can of soda in a cache might be a nice gesture in Florida or southern Arizona. But up here, where it routinely gets below zero in the winter... what were they thinking?!? I don't know how they hadn't exploded yet, given some of the weather we've had. I can imagine (cuz I've left a couple in my freezer a couple times) what those caches would have looked like if they had exploded. How about some common sense, people?!?

 

And yes, I removed them cache owners....

Edited January 20, 2008 by geowizerd

[+Bad_CRC]

Out of 9 TB's I released:

 

7 are MIA.

1 is still in a Geocacher's posession (2 months).

1 is in a Cache.

 

 

I think a big part of it is looking at long-lived TBs and emulating the travelers for them.

 

for example, a doll or toy is a horrible TB, since parents with children will just let the kids keep em. While an old sock might be a good one, because who would steal that?

[+bugsmasher69]

I didn't even know you could still get $2 bills. Not a bad idea.

 

Most any bank branch can provide them. They hate the things. They'll sell you all that you want.

 

What's the current cost of them? That might be a neat trade item to leave behind if the price isn't too bad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will sell you all of them you want for $2.50 a piece.

Edited January 21, 2008 by bugsmasher69

[+TexasGringo]

***While an old sock might be a good one, because who would steal that?***

 

A Person who is missing 1 old sock and needs to make a pair?