+FastChapter Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 (edited) <inserted by moderator: Merged the two threads due to a forum hiccup. Since both had replies, they've been put together here for your reading pleasure. - FSM> Edited January 29, 2009 by Flying Spaghetti Monster Quote Link to comment
+FastChapter Posted January 29, 2009 Author Share Posted January 29, 2009 Hey there, I'm just starting out at geocaching and plan to head out today before work for some local caches. I see there are a few caches around town here that have geocoins inside (assuming they weren't burgled), and my question is if the owner doesn't say what he/she wants to be done with the coin (move, swap, leave it be) should I just log the cache and move on without disturbing the contents? I suppose my logic is that since I'm beginning, I have no bearing on what "value" a geocoin has, so then I have no context in what to trade for equal or greater value. Since I don't expect to get a response within the first five seconds of this post, I'll probably skip this cache for today and try some others, but it would be great if any of you veteran cachers could drop me a line. Also, here's the cache in question: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...6e-51677c5acd44 Thanks! Quote Link to comment
+ThePetersTrio Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 You do not have to trade for travelers. You trade up or equal for swag. Activated geocoins and TBs are not considered swag. Happy caching! Quote Link to comment
+RifleMan81 Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Welcome! Geocoins and Travel Bugs are not trade items, no matter what a cache owner tells you or writes on the cache page. If a geocoin is left unactivated as a gift, then it's a trade item. Otherwise, the coin/tb will have a mission and you can move it without leaving something in return. When logging geocoins, there are a few options. If you leave it in the cache, then you can "discover it". Write down the tracking code on the coin and log it when you get home. If you pick up the coin, you can "retrieve it from cache". That will remove the coin from the cache and puts it's location in your hands. Then when you drop off the coin at another cache, you highlight it from the list below the log details in your "found it" log. Hope this helps. RM81 Quote Link to comment
+RifleMan81 Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Welcome! Geocoins and Travel Bugs are not trade items, no matter what a cache owner tells you or writes on the cache page. If a geocoin is left unactivated as a gift, then it's a trade item. Otherwise, the coin/tb will have a mission and you can move it without leaving something in return. When logging geocoins, there are a few options. If you leave it in the cache, then you can "discover it". Write down the tracking code on the coin and log it when you get home. If you pick up the coin, you can "retrieve it from cache". That will remove the coin from the cache and puts it's location in your hands. Then when you drop off the coin at another cache, you highlight it from the list below the log details in your "found it" log. Hope this helps. RM81 Quote Link to comment
+fox-and-the-hound Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 If you're looking at the geocoin listed in the cache description page, that coin is a traveling coin. An activated geocoin is just a very, very nice TravelBug and should be picked up and moved (hopefully helping it on it's mission). It has no value as it is owned by someone else and there only for the purpose of traveling. If you should happen upon a cache and discover a coin, chances are it is traveling unless there is a note saying otherwise. You don't need to leave anything in exchange to pick up a traveler and move it to the next cache. If you find a coin and try to log your discovery only to find out it is unactivated then it may have been left as a trade item. You should attempt to trade evenly for these trade items and most coins are in the $5 to $10 trade range. If you can't return to that particular cache, at least try to leave the same trade value in the next cache you visit. Trade up or trade even for trade items. Help a coin or travelbug out by moving it to another cache Quote Link to comment
+The Moop Along Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 No trade is required for travelers. Period. Quote Link to comment
+DJ.J.ROCK Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Geocoins can variy in value, so I just use a 10 dollar rule and I usually try to trade coin for coin if you don't have 1 trade a 10buck item for the coin,,now you have 1, you can also buy coins online they range from8_20 bucks Hope that answers your q cache on!!! Quote Link to comment
+FastChapter Posted January 29, 2009 Author Share Posted January 29, 2009 Well that makes sense, Quick responses, too, you people are awesome! I'll keep this in mind when I head out into the boonies today. I already have a couple trade items sitting here, primarily a teensy-weensy multi-tool I found at work not too long ago and don't need, already having one. If I find any caches that contain swappable items, it shall be 'tooled! While I have your ears, brief question about activate/deactivated coins - is there a way to tell they're deactivated by looking at the coin while on site? I don't want to accidentally take a deactivated one w/o swapping and have someone come in on my heels and yell, "EGADS, THIEF!" Do cachers regularly leave a note in the cache, or are the intended to on the log? As you can see, the log above has no real details about the contents' status. Quote Link to comment
+RifleMan81 Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Be careful about leaving a multi tool. If there's a knife on it then it's not allowed. If you do grab an unactivated coin that was left as a trade item and you do not trade for it, just make up for it in the next cache and leave something nice. It's like karma. Quote Link to comment
+Belfrypotters Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 I don't want to accidentally take a deactivated one w/o swapping... We've done that. No one yelled "Thief!", but I felt a bit guilty when I found out the coin was unactivated, and I wasn't sure if it was a gift or a trade item, so I went back to the cache later with another unactivated coin for the next finder. When we leave coins in our own caches we usually put a note in with the coin saying "gift for the next finder", just so they know they don't have to trade for it. But if I forget the note I still don't expect people to trade even for a coin, because few cachers have $10 swag items in their pack, and my intent was that the coin was a gift. As RifleMan says, it's karma. Someone will pay it forward somewhere else. Quote Link to comment
+CC Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 30 or so percent of the coins I find in caches have no identifying marks as to whether they are trades or travelers. I assume they are travelers and pick them up. If I find they are not travelers, I either drop a coin in another cache (suitable labeled as a trade item) or add a note to the travelers and send it on it's way. Quote Link to comment
SCP-173 Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Be careful about leaving a multi tool. If there's a knife on it then it's not allowed. And on the other paw, err, hand 99% of people would love to find a multi-tool in a cache. I've found them before. Heck I won one as a prize at a caching event. Just don't leave explosives or something, lol. Quote Link to comment
+WRITE SHOP ROBERT Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 If I find a Coin in a Cache, and there's not a note describing it as a TRADE, then I feel safe assuming that it is a TRAVELER, I'll take it with me and try to log it online. If that doesn't work, then I'll find out that it is trade swag/gift. If I didn't leave equal value in that Cache, then I'll leave something of fair value in another Cache, or maybe go back and add swag. I consider fair value in trade for a Coin to be 5-12 dollars, or another coin. Quote Link to comment
+RifleMan81 Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Be careful about leaving a multi tool. If there's a knife on it then it's not allowed. And on the other paw, err, hand 99% of people would love to find a multi-tool in a cache. I've found them before. Heck I won one as a prize at a caching event. Just don't leave explosives or something, lol. Don't get me wrong. I'd be happy to find a multitool and trade for it, but it's in the guidlines not to leave them. Quote Link to comment
+FastChapter Posted January 29, 2009 Author Share Posted January 29, 2009 Be careful about leaving a multi tool. If there's a knife on it then it's not allowed. And on the other paw, err, hand 99% of people would love to find a multi-tool in a cache. I've found them before. Heck I won one as a prize at a caching event. Just don't leave explosives or something, lol. :3 It's a good thing, then, that I forgot the multi-tool next to my keyboard while I went caching! I didn't find the one in Wildwood today (good LORD snow makes it hard to find these things) but I stopped off at Braem on my way home and putzed around, found one out of two of the caches that were in the woods. Holy man, you know you've just tapped your inner child again when you reach into the snow and jam your fingers against Tupperware! There was a geocoin-slash-tracking bug in the cache, so I snagged it and put in a red die in the cache with the "1" dot colored in, since this is my first find. I used the die because I found it this winter in the University of Wisconsin - Steven's Point parking lot on my last day of finals, sitting right next to my car's tire. So I think it's fitting that I replace something I found by chance with something I found by chance (and represents chance, no less!). Yep. I'm addicted. Chilled, a bit sore, but addicted nonetheless. I must take this tracking bug somewhere ridiculously far away, @.@ It calls to me... Quote Link to comment
+FastChapter Posted January 29, 2009 Author Share Posted January 29, 2009 (edited) I also have to mention that I found out the hard way that the most evil place to hide a cache is amongst a cluster of six or seven boulders, all buried half-deep in snow. I may not have found anything around there, but I'll be darned if those rocks aren't SPOTLESS. Edited January 29, 2009 by FastChapter Quote Link to comment
+gardengorilla Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Congratulations on your first find Geocaches hidden in rocks under snow are not the most evil hides Cache on! Quote Link to comment
+gardengorilla Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Congratulations on your first find Geocaches hidden in rocks under snow are not the most evil hides Cache on! Quote Link to comment
+gardengorilla Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 (edited) wow, it burped twice! Edited January 29, 2009 by gardengorilla Quote Link to comment
+FastChapter Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 wow, it burped twice! Bummer that we don't have the ability to delete our own posts. Ah well. I do wonder about geocoins "in" rocks though. o.O Generally, do people hide them tight against rocks on the ground, or dig an alcove beneath it that serves as a shelter? I honestly don't know the method of hiding these things near large boulders - and Wisconsin has a lot thanks to a bunch of glaciers that never did go through U.S. Customs. Quote Link to comment
+RifleMan81 Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 wow, it burped twice! Bummer that we don't have the ability to delete our own posts. Ah well. I do wonder about geocoins "in" rocks though. o.O Generally, do people hide them tight against rocks on the ground, or dig an alcove beneath it that serves as a shelter? I honestly don't know the method of hiding these things near large boulders - and Wisconsin has a lot thanks to a bunch of glaciers that never did go through U.S. Customs. I would suggest you find some more before you hide one. That'll give you a good idea of what type of hides are out there. Here's a cool thread that will give you some ideas for creative hides. http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=62421 Quote Link to comment
+drneal Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Be careful about leaving a multi tool. If there's a knife on it then it's not allowed. And on the other paw, err, hand 99% of people would love to find a multi-tool in a cache. I've found them before. Heck I won one as a prize at a caching event. Just don't leave explosives or something, lol. Don't get me wrong. I'd be happy to find a multitool and trade for it, but it's in the guidlines not to leave them. does this mean my new personal, the chiro-cache bag of rusty razor blades and nails is a bad idea? ILYK Quote Link to comment
+Renegade Knight Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 You do not have to trade for travelers. You trade up or equal for swag. Activated geocoins and TBs are not considered swag. Happy caching! Good summary. I thought I'd expand on this. If you don't know from the logs or a note on the coin if it's a traveler just take the danged thing. If you later find out it was swag, drop your trade in another cache. Cosmic Balance will be maintained. It also saves you the trouble of trading for a traveler (which is a different kind of annoying though your Karma does get an uptick out of the deal). Lastly some tracked coins are swag, the coin owners rules determin that. Some owners keep the tracking, but give away the coins. It's a bit more rare than the owners who just leave an unactivate coin as swag. Quote Link to comment
+BlueDeuce Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 (edited) Lastly some tracked coins are swag, the coin owners rules determin that. Some owners keep the tracking, but give away the coins. It's a bit more rare than the owners who just leave an unactivate coin as swag. I was not aware of that. Interesting. Edited January 30, 2009 by BlueDeuce Quote Link to comment
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