Cash in Caches

[+jimnsusie]

Went to a cache today and found the actual cache in good shape but also inside was a dollar bill that was soaked and starting to mold. Would eventually ruin the other contents. I think that putting cash in caches will only lead to the cache being muggled or destroyed by a dishonest cacher.

 

What does the caching community think about that?

[+wkmccall]

Went to a cache today and found the actual cache in good shape but also inside was a dollar bill that was soaked and starting to mold. Would eventually ruin the other contents. I think that putting cash in caches will only lead to the cache being muggled or destroyed by a dishonest cacher.

 

What does the caching community think about that?

 

I would make sure it's not a "Where's Bill" dollar before keeping it.

[+Too Tall John]

Sounds like the dollar bill was soaking up the moisture that would have ruined the log.

 

I think that if cash were a common item to find in a cache, you might be right. After a muggle finds their 5th cache with no cash in it, I think they'd give up.

 

As far as "Where's George" bills, doesn't that website look down on using WG bills, since it isn't a natural form of circulation?

[Mushtang]

I would make sure it's not a "Where's Bill" dollar before keeping it.

Where's Bill? I think he's with George. He hangs out at the strip club a lot.

[+Snoogans]

Sounds like the dollar bill was soaking up the moisture that would have ruined the log.

 

I think that if cash were a common item to find in a cache, you might be right. After a muggle finds their 5th cache with no cash in it, I think they'd give up.

 

As far as "Where's George" bills, doesn't that website look down on using WG bills, since it isn't a natural form of circulation?

 

I spend WG's. I've never logged even one.

 

I hate, hate, hate, finding foldin' money and loose change in caches unless there is some purpose for it being there. I trade for it and get it out of the cache unless the reason for it being there is explained on the cache page. I.E. A Foriegn money exchange cache or some such type.

 

I would hate for it to become an urban legend that there was money to be found in caches. We already lose enough caches to muggles and cache maggots without creating more.

Edited November 26, 2008 by Snoogans

[+doingitoldschool]

It's hard to resist the urge to drop a loonie in a cache when trading for a pin - it's quick, easy and usually a par or higher trade.

It's also fun to trade a loonie for a foreign coin left in a cache and then go figure out the exchange rate - eg. kroners are much less than the loonie, the American dollar coins are cool, and the pound sterling coins are the best deal!

And some people drop a collectable coin as thier siggy.

From the finding angle, I know from experience that my kids think loonies are awesome finds!

Points taken from those above, especially the thought of muggles hunting for money, but not convinced to stop. We've had loonies in circulation since caching started, and you can bet that they were amongst the first swag items left in caches up here. It's not a spoken about factor in the mugglings around here. If anything, geocoins attract more theft than the loonies.

Edited November 26, 2008 by doingitoldschool

[jholly]

I generally find a penny in a cache where someone traded up from a mac toy.

 

Jim

[+paleolith]

I spend WG's. I've never logged even one.

I spend them after logging a note on wheresgeorge.com as to where I found it and what I'm doing with it. At least that way they have a record of the lacuna in the history of the bill.

 

However, if it's not one marked by wheresgeorge.com but by a cacher, then I probably won't bother logging it on wg.com.

 

Edward

[+The Blorenges]

It's hard to resist the urge to drop a loonie in a cache...

 

 

That's another one I had to go and google - "two countries divided by a common language" once again!

 

(Actually that makes it three countries now)

 

Sometimes people put small loonies in caches over here...

 

 

It gets them use to the caching experience in their early years.

 

MrsB

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

Went to a cache today and found the actual cache in good shape but also inside was a dollar bill that was soaked and starting to mold. Would eventually ruin the other contents. I think that putting cash in caches will only lead to the cache being muggled or destroyed by a dishonest cacher.

 

What does the caching community think about that?

I leave cash (in the form of US bills/paper money) in caches as a trade item fairly often, and the amounts will usually range, for found caches, from one dollar to five dollars, to perhaps ten dollars if I took a trade item worth more than a dollar or two.

 

And, Sue sometimes leaves as "freebie" (meaning that she took nothing in return) trade items in caches paper money and coins that I have brought back from my travels to other countries.

 

And, as I have mentioned before in this forum, I sometimes leave anywhere from five dollars to $160 as an FTF prize for some of my more difficult and insane extreme caches.

 

Moreover, as I have mentioned on this forum before, one of my favorite geo tales about trade items involves the fact that I noticed a couple of years ago that a geocacher of my acquaintance in Idaho had left, as a trade item, a one hundred dollar bill in a cache near the ID/WY border, and just a few weeks after I had logged a find on that cache! To me, that news was very much fun, and I am sure that the one hundred dollar bill made some subsequent finder of that cache very happy (and I sure hope that they left something of equal value in trade)!

 

Overall, I love the idea of occasionally leaving money as a trade item (or as an FTF prize) in caches, and the reality is that it will never become so widespread as to lead to acts of organized thievery, because the simple fact is that, at best, only perhaps one out of four hundred caches in an area may bear paper money as a trade item.

 

Oh, and whenever I leave paper money as a trade item in a cache, it is always placed in a small ziplock bag!

[+Too Tall John]

It's hard to resist the urge to drop a loonie in a cache...

 

That's another one I had to go and google - "two countries divided by a common language" once again!

For anyone else who doesn't know and doesn't want to Google it:

A Loonie.

[+The Blorenges]

I knew what a loon was, so that explains it - Thank you, Too Tall John

 

MrB has a collection of GB old 'pre-decimal' coins so occasionally we might drop a few old pennies, or sixpenny bits into a cache.

 

I've also bought a few reproduction Roman coins which have gone into a couple of our own caches which are located near Roman remains.

 

MrsB

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

I encourage everyone to leave a dollar in caches. That $2500. or so would have paid for a lot of gas. Come to think of it, leave $10!

[+Wild Thing 73]

Just sometimes cachers don't have an item to trade, so, they leave a dollar or two...If the dollar gets wet , it isn't the dollars fault...make sure the container is sealed correctly. Cache owners don't always use a "watertite" container and, or the cachers are not concerned enough to reseal the container correctly...Be a concerned geocacher. Stay safe

[+briansnat]

I think the main reason is that someone decides they want to trade and didn't bring anything along, so they throw in a buck or two.

 

I know when I travel and cache, I just stamp up 50 or so Wheresgeorges and use those to trade. Easier than carting a bag of swag along.

[+Isonzo Karst]

Recently, someone left $10 in a cache as trade for an unactivated geocoin I'd left. Reasonable, and beats the response I've seen on the other 11 unactivated coins I've left for swag in the last year (that response being to just take 'em, no trade - heck one cacher even noted taking "the FTF premium", they weren't FTF and there was no mention of any "FTF Premium", it's a rationalization, but a handy one, I guess).

[+TeamThom]

From time to time, when I was young, a great aunt of mine would come visit from out of state. She would bring my sister and I each a $2 bill. It was a real treat for us as those were the only two dollar bills we ever saw. From time to time I'll leave a zip locked $2 bill in a cache that has a lot of good kid stuff in it.

 

When the state quarter for my state first came out I bought a roll of the new quarters and opened up a geocache for exchanging state quarters. I kept if full of quarters from my state. The first few months it was a popular cache because no one had seen that quarter yet. During that time I left my state's quarter and a signature card in a number of caches. I never traded them, just left 'em. Now that my state's quarter is old news I don't do that anymore.

 

Otherwise I do not leave money in a cache.

[+Walkworthy & Wife]

Went to a cache today and found the actual cache in good shape but also inside was a dollar bill that was soaked and starting to mold. Would eventually ruin the other contents. I think that putting cash in caches will only lead to the cache being muggled or destroyed by a dishonest cacher.

 

What does the caching community think about that?

 

When I place a new cache, I started to buy $1.00 PA Lottery scratch off tickets for the FTF. On one occassion I dropped a scratch off for the person that found the cache after me. Who knows, some day someone might hit it big!!

 

On one cache where I was the FTF the CO placed one of those gold clad dollar coins. I don't believe a cacher would destroy a cache because of money being placed in it. Now a muggle might be another story.

[+Renegade Knight]

Went to a cache today and found the actual cache in good shape but also inside was a dollar bill that was soaked and starting to mold. Would eventually ruin the other contents. I think that putting cash in caches will only lead to the cache being muggled or destroyed by a dishonest cacher.

 

What does the caching community think about that?

Cache is the ultimate trade good. It shouldn't last long, and should certainly last better than other paper trade items.

[+doingitoldschool]

Went to a cache today and found the actual cache in good shape but also inside was a dollar bill that was soaked and starting to mold. Would eventually ruin the other contents. I think that putting cash in caches will only lead to the cache being muggled or destroyed by a dishonest cacher.

 

What does the caching community think about that?

Cache is the ultimate trade good. It shouldn't last long, and should certainly last better than other paper trade items.

 

Micro haters, avert your eyes... I have indeed left "cache" as swag as well, a film canister with a small pencil and log sheet inside, ready to go. I have also had to find two of these as new caches afterwards, causing me to rethink how close to home I leave them!

[+PT_Tex]

I like to trade coins, foreign and state quarters are always fun to find. If I do leave a WG$ I always put it in a small baggie.

[+Lifeinhim]

For those that might have kids, you might know that kids love to find dollars or coins anywhere. My kids are usually with me on my excursions. Figure others might be as well. Don't see harm in leaving some moneys in there for them to find. And besides kids, who does't find joy in finding a surprise buck or two?

[+BAMBOOZLE]

I think the main reason is that someone decides they want to trade and didn't bring anything along, so they throw in a buck or two.

 

In many cache hunts over 6 years I've probably had less than a dozen trades.....as a result we don't carry trade items so the few times I see a nick-nack I would like to take I leave paper money.

 

Even if there were no swag or TB's/Coins I would still like finding regular size caches because of locations required and hiding techniques. The wet swag/junk/trade down/cost-of-filling aspects of regular size caches are factors in the move to hide more micro's.

Many micro containers are water-tite and can be hid in the wilderness just like a regular. Down here in the swamp an ammo can or pvc pipe with plumbers test caps on both ends are the only slam-dunk water tite containers.

[+wimseyguy]

I work in an establishment that handles cash, so i see more than my fair share of $2 bills and $1 coins of all types. I'll buy them from work and occasionally drop them into a cache, often without even trading. I suspect that kids who have been born after the SBA $'s and Kennedy $.50 were minted enjoy finding them.

[+Renegade Knight]

Went to a cache today and found the actual cache in good shape but also inside was a dollar bill that was soaked and starting to mold. Would eventually ruin the other contents. I think that putting cash in caches will only lead to the cache being muggled or destroyed by a dishonest cacher.

 

What does the caching community think about that?

Cache is the ultimate trade good. It shouldn't last long, and should certainly last better than other paper trade items.

 

Micro haters, avert your eyes... I have indeed left "cache" as swag as well, a film canister with a small pencil and log sheet inside, ready to go. I have also had to find two of these as new caches afterwards, causing me to rethink how close to home I leave them!

Whoops. I have a hard time spelling cash anymore. It always comes out cache.

[+TropicalParadise]

I'm a poor, poor college student. PLEASE continue to put money in the caches. $1 can feed me for two days .

 

(N.B. I do always trade, I have many a knickknack.)

[The_Brownies]

my dog at my cache exchange items but I had to have the cool little trinket in the cache. So I leave my two cents worth. (LOL)

[+sseegars]

I know of one hider who always leaves on or two gold dollar coins as FTF prizes. I always go for that FTF. Not only is he great at his cache placements, there is always a history behind his caches and this is the only way I will ever get cash for caching!

[+Glenn]

As far as "Where's George" bills, doesn't that website look down on using WG bills, since it isn't a natural form of circulation?

 

Sure but they came to a compromise. Any WG bill that is placed in a geocache is ineligible to be in any of the site stats including the top most tracked 10 bills.

 

I can't recall putting any WG bills in a cache but I've traded for a few of them. I've never found any moldy ones.

[+jimnsusie]

How cool is that! So many different ideas/opinions on what I thought was a bad idea. I have had my mind opened. Enjoyed all the thoughts. Thanks

[Clan Riffster]

I have left "cache" as swag as well, a film canister with a small pencil and log sheet inside, ready to go

The Virus Is Spreading!

(J/K!)

 

On a serious note, while pondering the OP, I realized that, while I think paper dollars as trade items are crass, a dollar coin, (worth exactly the same), is way kewl. I'm sure Sigmund Fraud would have something insightful to say about this quirk, but I can't make much sense of it other than the fact that I like things that go "clink".

 

I collect obscure, antique foreign coins, and I'll leave three of these, (in a micro baggie), as swag, just to freshen up the cache, as I usually don't trade.

[+Zop]

I generally find a penny in a cache where someone traded up from a mac toy.

 

Jim

 

I generally drop a penny in a cache to trade up for some religious item (paper or plastic) I'm CITO'ing.

[+Zop]

That's another one I had to go and google - "two countries divided by a common language" once again!

For anyone else who doesn't know and doesn't want to Google it:

A Loonie.

 

I'm sorry but that's WAY COOL!

 

I would love to find a 'loonie' in a cache!

 

In this note I would like to add that I fell less offended when I place a US $1.00 coin in a cache as a trade item than I am when I drop a $10 geocoin into a cache only to have it disappear into some cad's personal collection.

[+Glenn]

 

I'm sorry but that's WAY COOL!

 

I would love to find a 'loonie' in a cache!

 

In this note I would like to add that I fell less offended when I place a US $1.00 coin in a cache as a trade item than I am when I drop a $10 geocoin into a cache only to have it disappear into some cad's personal collection.

 

Your opinion may be different if you are from a state that boarders Canada. That being said how about sending some Mexican coins north!

[+Zop]

 

I'm sorry but that's WAY COOL!

 

I would love to find a 'loonie' in a cache!

 

 

Your opinion may be different if you are from a state that boarders Canada. That being said how about sending some Mexican coins north!

 

Touche'

 

Being that I live in the state of cOnFuSiOn, I'd be more than happy to send some peso's your way!

[+The Leprechauns]

I have a habit of tucking a $20 bill in the logbook when I make a milestone find or an especially challenging cache find. I don't advertise it, but in the logbook I say it's a bonus and the next finder doesn't need to trade for it.

 

So far, I haven't heard any complaints.

[+otis89]

I work in an establishment that handles cash, so i see more than my fair share of $2 bills and $1 coins of all types. I'll buy them from work and occasionally drop them into a cache, often without even trading. I suspect that kids who have been born after the SBA $'s and Kennedy $.50 were minted enjoy finding them.

 

Half dollars are still being minted. They just haven't been released for circulation the past few years because enough older ones are still out there. All the ones minted in the past few years have been for the uncirculated mint sets sold by the US Mint only.

[+ridid44]

When I forget a item to exchange I put a dollar or a Canadian coin in!

 

I think it just helps if you forgot something to bring.