LAME cache swag

[GreenLantern5000]

So, out cachin' today w/ my pals and we came across some fantastic caches, some ordinary one's, but overall it was a great day.

 

I'm sure the swag I was putting into the caches wasn't the greatest out there, but seriously..... I was amazed at the amount of misc. crap that people put into the caches..... If you're gonna put in a button that came off your pants while you were geocaching.... skip it.

 

If you're gonna put in some random part to a computer.... you can skip it.

 

I know there's a thread for the kewlest swag found in a cache, but I looked (not tooooo hard) to see if there was one that said crappied swag in a cache and didn't see one, so here it is.

 

Post the crappiest junk you've seen in a cache. If you've got a picture, even better.....

 

Today, I put in a hot rod match-box car, a pewter tractor clock (probably worth some money), an Anakin Skywalker action figure, some other X-Men character pieces from a game, some D&D miniatures (plastic ones) and some collectors comic book cards (in the wrappings still).

 

Am I aiming too high? My pal sewed some bean-bag toys! she also put in some bracelets (like the livestrong ones, only w/ Darth Vader on them)..... I mean, a little effort is all it takes, you don't have to spend tons of $$$$$$$$, but a used lotto ticket doesn't cut it in my book. Why bother to begin with? At that point, just take nothing and leave nothing......

 

Sorry for the rant my friends, it's just annoying when I find a regular sized cache and open it only to find a half-used gluestick, a permanant marker w/ no cap, a soda bottle cap, a fraggin' fishing lure w/ hook....... and all that crap was just today.... I wrapped the hook in a plastic bag, but left it, along w/ the rest of the stuff. I'm not saying I'm going to personally be the clean-up police for caches, I just don't get why people bother leaving crap....

 

Again, I'm not talking about beaded bracelets that someone put some time and effort into making, that's kewl, that's great, and maybe people are saying that the swag I put in is crap, I don't know... But they're not used items or anything......

 

I don't know.... What are your thoughts? I know I can't change anything, it's just good to vent, at 11pm, after a good day of caching w/ my pals in St. Paul, MN.

 

Good night, and good luck.

[+Chrysalides]

Post the crappiest junk you've seen in a cache.

Once that was exactly what I found in a cache (crap). I hope the idiot who did that got what he deserves.

[+jasondulac]

Once I found an expired bus transfer,a used movie ticket,and a 3year old toronto bluejay ticket

[knowschad]

I may get some static for saying this, but I have recently started to CITO used golf balls in particular from caches, under the theory that new cachers see those and think that they are perfectly cool swag. I consider them trash traded for something probably not trash.

[+Arrow42]

I may get some static for saying this, but I have recently started to CITO used golf balls in particular from caches, under the theory that new cachers see those and think that they are perfectly cool swag. I consider them trash traded for something probably not trash.

 

Why do you have have such a rager for golf balls? I think a custom-branded golf-ball would be fun to find. If your talking about dirty x-range balls on the other hand... I think I can see your point.

 

Anyway... as for the topic of the thread, I've seen some weird things in caches. The lamest is the religious pamphlets.

 

Hmmm... random wooden nodule from a tree. If you can find 1000 of them rotting on the ground near the cache it's not a good swag item.

 

Broken pocket knifes. Or supper cheep poket knifes. Cheep pocket knifes are actually dangerous to use - don't inflict that on people.

[+kunarion]

I was amazed at the amount of misc. crap that people put into the caches..... If you're gonna put in a button that came off your pants while you were geocaching.... skip it.

GL,

I’ve detoxed a couple of caches, sorting out the useless bits from actual Swag. At least the next folks won’t have the “oh that’s gross” reaction that I had. It’s nice to see a rich treasure, but even a meager cache is fine, if it’s clean. I have occasionally posted a cache inventory photo, in the logs.

 

The caches I’ve found that take work (multis, or other puzzles) seem to retain higher quality. But I doubt that difficulty equals responsibility. Whatever mindset trades down, I’d expect to find some of that on the harder caches, too. Then, what causes the deterioration of Swag?

 

The caches that are hidden well, also seem to have better Swag. I haven’t decided if this is because the locals can’t find it, or just that few of anybody can find it. It would be interesting to compare cache age, number of visitors (at least the ones who logged), and difficulty of access, vs. Swag quality. I’m still leaning toward a theory that it’s neighbor kids raiding the well-known caches -- a secret muggling. They know the goodies will keep reappearing. Without more data, I don' t think you can pin it on bad geocachers.

 

If a cache is full of trash, and you leave something to boost it up a little, will it just be back to trash again later? I’m thinking that you shouldn’t leave anything handmade, or of any value, in the low-quality caches. If it’s really “about the hunt”, just clean it up, politely mention it in your log, and leave it at that.

Edited July 19, 2009 by kunarion

[+DragonsWest]

I'm not much into swag. Cleaned a bit of nicer items off my desk into a new cache and set these items free again. As it is I have a lot of things I can put in caches, but the question begs: who wants them?

 

A friend who caches says his kids look for this stuff. Quite true. Another friend brought his young son, just in kinder, along on a 4 mile hike (what a trooper!) and he was all about the swag. Stuff I was about to put in caches he wanted. Of course, he wanted just about everything

 

I figure swag for kiddies and maybe a few nice Hogwild things, some foreign coins, gag items (Jack Squat tokens) etc. But when I'm cachin' by meself, it's travelbugs & coins or nothing.

[+Hrethgir]

I recently went out and found 14 caches in a day, and 4 of them, all a part of some series by the same hider, where completely empty except for a Ziploc bag with the generic "Congrats! You found a geocache, intentionally or not!" sheet in it. And one of those containers was a 5-gallon plastic bucket. And 2 of them were my first 2 FTFs. Talk about lame FTFs; no special prize, and not even a real logbook to sign, just the back of the "Congrats!" sheet. I left swag in the first one, but I didn't bring enough to stock all of them. I'd have rather found a 4 year old Blue Jays ticket, at least with that, I could have gone back and looked at the box score for the game. Maybe something important happened in that game, like a no-hitter, or someone hitting 3 or 4 HRs.

[+The Blorenges]

You know, it's only time before someone posts that they found a dead horse at a cache?

 

MrsB

 

Actually we found a lovely little horse at our first ever cache find and we've still got it.

 

[+Snoogans]

I don't know.... What are your thoughts? I know I can't change anything, it's just good to vent, at 11pm, after a good day of caching w/ my pals in St. Paul, MN.

 

You make a valid point or two, but I think you're being unrealistic to impress your personal standards on others. It's enough that YOU are setting an example.

 

Feel smugly superior that you cache to a higher standard. That's your right. But tryyyy not to develope the unreasonable expectation that folks will pony up to your level for your own sanity. It WILL/DOES happen every single day all over the world, but chances are that you might not be there to see it too often.

 

Cache contents degrade over time. That is a solid fact of caching that isn't going to change.

 

Every person has their own value system and you might as well herd cats than try to change it.

 

Example:

Today, I put in a hot rod match-box car, a pewter tractor clock (probably worth some money), an Anakin Skywalker action figure, some other X-Men character pieces from a game, some D&D miniatures (plastic ones) and some collectors comic book cards (in the wrappings still).

 

What if I was to tell YOU to "skip it?" With the exception of the Matchbox car, that really is all junk to me. All I give a durn about is sig items and hand made things. So, most of the stuff I find in caches is junk to me. I would still likely trade what I consider to be my version of "good swag" for it and toss it in another cache down the line. The fact is, the next person to come along might consider my swag to be junk or completely underestimate the value in a trade. I'm not gonna lose sleep over it.

 

she also put in some bracelets (like the livestrong ones, only w/ Darth Vader on them)

 

OOOooOOOoo NEAT-O! Where can I find those?

[knowschad]

I may get some static for saying this, but I have recently started to CITO used golf balls in particular from caches, under the theory that new cachers see those and think that they are perfectly cool swag. I consider them trash traded for something probably not trash.

 

Why do you have have such a rager for golf balls? I think a custom-branded golf-ball would be fun to find. If your talking about dirty x-range balls on the other hand... I think I can see your point.

 

 

Yes, I said "used" golf balls. Just as your wooden "nodules", these can be found almost everywhere in the woods. They're fair trade for nothing but another used golf ball. May as well pick up a rock from the ground.

Edited July 19, 2009 by knowschad

[+w_makit]

I actually found a used "Party Popper".... I can't even see an unused one being great swag, but a used one?? I have also found the concert/movie tickets (used of course)....

[GreenLantern5000]

I don't know.... What are your thoughts? I know I can't change anything, it's just good to vent, at 11pm, after a good day of caching w/ my pals in St. Paul, MN.

 

You make a valid point or two, but I think you're being unrealistic to impress your personal standards on others. It's enough that YOU are setting an example.

 

Feel smugly superior that you cache to a higher standard. That's your right. But tryyyy not to develope the unreasonable expectation that folks will pony up to your level for your own sanity. It WILL/DOES happen every single day all over the world, but chances are that you might not be there to see it too often.

 

Cache contents degrade over time. That is a solid fact of caching that isn't going to change.

 

Every person has their own value system and you might as well herd cats than try to change it.

 

Example:

Today, I put in a hot rod match-box car, a pewter tractor clock (probably worth some money), an Anakin Skywalker action figure, some other X-Men character pieces from a game, some D&D miniatures (plastic ones) and some collectors comic book cards (in the wrappings still).

 

What if I was to tell YOU to "skip it?" With the exception of the Matchbox car, that really is all junk to me. All I give a durn about is sig items and hand made things. So, most of the stuff I find in caches is junk to me. I would still likely trade what I consider to be my version of "good swag" for it and toss it in another cache down the line. The fact is, the next person to come along might consider my swag to be junk or completely underestimate the value in a trade. I'm not gonna lose sleep over it.

 

she also put in some bracelets (like the livestrong ones, only w/ Darth Vader on them)

 

OOOooOOOoo NEAT-O! Where can I find those?

 

I knew someone would post this. No worries, I see your point, I guess my point was there's a difference between junk and something that someone might actually want. The home-made horse above, not my thing, but definitely not junk, that's good swag, but a half-eaten doughnut, regardless of the history of the doughnut, is just lame.

 

Anyway, I hear what you guys are sayin', and cachin' is still great fun, I just wish people wouldn't put trash in the cache.

[+Casting Crowns]

I gave up on trying to improve swag contents in a cache. I use a different method now. I bought over $200 in swag/sig items and such to add to caches.

 

Oakcoin pins go in my caches as FTF prizes OR I email the cache owner and tell him I dropped as a reward for THEM. I have ammo can patches I like to give for cool ammo can hides. For REALLY tough hides (other than nanos and micros) I'll give an "Easy Cache" pin as a sarcastic thank you for the good time hide.

 

I have bottle cap sig items (got idea from sig item thread) as well as some laser printer shrinky dink sig items. They go in every cache that I can fit them into. That's my new addiction is sig items and.......

 

.........Pathtags. They're just as cool as geocoins but you get to KEEP them. Geocoins are awesome but you have to pass them along or they get muggled. That sucks. I'll leave a pathtag for a pathtag and email the person that left it to let them know they can go back to retrieve mine.

 

I hope that gives you some ideas because, as Snoogans said, trying to improve swag contents will be a losing battle.

[+Isonzo Karst]

It would be interesting to compare cache age, number of visitors (at least the ones who logged), and difficulty of access, vs. Swag quality.

 

The closer to the road, the quicker the swag goes down, the more kids among the cache finders, the quicker the swag goes down. Novice cachers tend to not really be prepared for trading, but seeing something they want, take, with some notion of evening up later - at some other cache; or they think that they can take a trade item, and leave a TB. I see that a lot.

Conversely, I own some long distance multi and 'yak caches. I swag a few quality items. Generally there's no trading at all. I recently checked a 2 stage 'yak multi that has had 5 finders in 3 years. The FTF premium is still in it, and 2 sig items have been added. I don't think anything has been taken.

 

I’m still leaning toward a theory that it’s neighbor kids raiding the well-known caches -- a secret muggling. They know the goodies will keep reappearing. Without more data, I don' t think you can pin it on bad geocachers.

 

I did have this happen once, I think it's quite rare. Generally they're going to take it all. Even if they understand the notion of take something leave rock (this was happening to my cache). They'll tell a friend, who just takes the cache.

[+Isonzo Karst]

OT, as to worst cache swag I've ever encountered: caches filled film cans (breeder caches), film cans with geocaching logs in them.

Gack. I'm *quite sure* that the single greatest impediment to the placement of quality caches in my area is the lack of free film cans, oh and paper. Yep that's it! if only someone would give a away some film cans, local caching would surely improve.....

[+KBI]

Anyway... as for the topic of the thread, I've seen some weird things in caches. ...

 

Broken pocket knifes. Or supper cheep poket knifes. Cheep pocket knifes are actually dangerous to use - don't inflict that on people.

ALL knives are dangerous when found by young children who arrive at a cache container ahead of their accompanying adult(s). That’s why knives of any kind are specifically forbidden by the guidelines, along with porn, matches, lighters and drugs.

 

... but a half-eaten doughnut, regardless of the history of the doughnut, is just lame.

Food of any kind is also a very bad idea. When I find any of the above prohibited items in a cache, I remove them.

 

Beyond those specific things, I am generally careful not to make any value judgments regarding which guideline-compliant trade item is trash and which is treasure. For all I know some six-year-old girl proudly placed that dingy McToy or that golf ball into her daddy’s cache, and the two of them are watching to see who takes it. Besides, I have been caching many times with groups which included young kids, and I am almost always surprised at what they value.

 

By all means, please remove the half-eaten doughnut and the rusty knife. But please leave the rock and the bottle cap. I have no use for rocks and bottle caps, but some people collect that stuff. My own daughter actually makes jewelry out of such things.

[+KBI]

I don't know.... What are your thoughts? I know I can't change anything, it's just good to vent, at 11pm, after a good day of caching w/ my pals in St. Paul, MN.

You make a valid point or two ... But tryyyy not to develope the unreasonable expectation that folks will pony up to your level for your own sanity.

 

Cache contents degrade over time. That is a solid fact of caching that isn't going to change.

 

Every person has their own value system and you might as well herd cats than try to change it.

Exactly.

 

It’s a fact of human nature, and it shows up everywhere. No matter how loudly you scream at your windshield for example, there will always be idiots out there who refuse to signal their lane changes, or who remain permanently baffled by four-way stops.

 

Today, I put in a hot rod match-box car, a pewter tractor clock (probably worth some money), an Anakin Skywalker action figure, some other X-Men character pieces from a game, some D&D miniatures (plastic ones) and some collectors comic book cards (in the wrappings still).

What if I was to tell YOU to "skip it?" With the exception of the Matchbox car, that really is all junk to me. All I give a durn about is sig items and hand made things. So, most of the stuff I find in caches is junk to me.

I will now resist the nearly uncontrollable urge to post the sickeningly tired line about "one man’s trash."

 

I will instead invite anyone who genuinely doubts the existence of the bizarre and wide-ranging tastes of humankind to do a brief and random browse of items being offered for sale, at any random point in time, on eBay – making particular note of which items get snapped up vs which ones go unsold. Or alternately, sit back and watch any yard sale for an hour. The valuable goods sit in inventory while the crap flies off the card tables.

 

From caching, I have learned:

 

(1) Some people trade to their own advantage, intentionally taking trade items they estimate as being more valuable than what they leave behind. They know they are trading unfairly.

(2) Many other people see value in what *I* see as crap, and vice-versa (Oops, I almost said it) and these folks truly believe they are trading fairly or better. They know they are trading fairly – yet they sometimes leave behind what I perceive to be a diminished inventory of swag.

(3) (And here is the important point) It is almost impossible to tell whether a person fall into category (1) or (2) ... even if you know what they traded.

[+Kohavis]

Probably the type of swag that irritates me the most are expired coupons, old food items like stale candy or gum, and someone's business cards. Like I really want a business card from someone who sells orthopedic shoes or soy burgers When I see such trash I do a little CITO on the hide.

[+Mredria]

I find a lot of religious pamplets, which I think are crappy but some people might like. I usually take them though, because by the time I find them they're usually moldy and wet.

I hate when people put playdoh packages in caches though. They're always melted or mildewy and ucky. I chuck them every time.

Everything else, well I think computer parts are neat, and I like buttons and I LOVE the lonestar bottle caps with little word games underneath. I also really like rocks and dollar store crap. So mostly, when I find a cache, I'm happy.

[+StarBrand]

This would have to be a tie between a single barbie shoe and a local rock (piece of quartz). Both left as trades for much nicer items in the same cache.

[+KBI]

Probably the type of swag that irritates me the most are expired coupons, old food items like stale candy or gum, and someone's business cards. Like I really want a business card from someone who sells orthopedic shoes or soy burgers When I see such trash I do a little CITO on the hide.

I don’t think anyone here will disagree with you on the food thing. I have removed and discarded lots of stale candy and gum.

 

The expired coupon probably wasn’t expired when it was placed in the cache. And many retailers will accept coupons beyond the expire date.

 

As for business cards: I don't view business cards as trade items. I view them as signatures, the equivalent of someone’s geo-name written in the log or printed on a sticker. Maybe it's their proof of their visit. And I would never erase another cacher’s signature from a logbook.

 

Maybe that’s why they left the card. Or maybe they left their card because they sell cars, and they hope it will result in a sale to some future finder. If so, then I view the card the same way I view religious tracts: I just roll my eyes and move on. I generally choose to be entertained by such things rather than letting them annoy me. It’s a valuable outlook – I highly recommend it.

[+Snoogans]

I find a lot of religious pamplets, which I think are crappy but some people might like.

 

I actually collect the fire and brimstone "Hater of God" tracts that get placed on my car since it sports a Darwin Fish. They crack me up as much as the self righteous assumption whomever placetd it had that I hate God because I believe in evolution.

 

I seem to get them most when I'm parked cachin' around Las Vegas but I've found them in caches as well in Cali and Texas.

 

If there's more than a couple of the same tract in a cache, I'll trade the extras out to remove the agenda flavor they give a cache and I give them to the "Church People" who come knocking on my door. It's kinda comical to see the reactions sometimes.

[+Snoogans]

I don’t think anyone here will disagree with you on the food thing. I have removed and discarded lots of stale candy and gum.

 

I left some food behind that I found in a cache once. I left it because the 3 year old packs of peanuts were listed in the original cache contents on the cache page. The cache had been placed in late 2000 or early 2001 as I recall and I considered the peanuts to be geocache pioneer relics. The cache was on a hard to access cliff just off the PCH. It had only been found a few times in it's history up to that point.

[GreenLantern5000]

Probably the type of swag that irritates me the most are expired coupons, old food items like stale candy or gum, and someone's business cards. Like I really want a business card from someone who sells orthopedic shoes or soy burgers When I see such trash I do a little CITO on the hide.

 

That's exactly my point. I don't care if people put swag in that I don't like, but obviously used shoelaces is pretty lame...

 

 

KBI -

I am by no means trying to rip on someone who doesn't put the best, top quality swag into caches, I understand it's not everyone's game, my comment was purely a comment. I like the home-made stuff, that gives a personal touch. Not something that I would take out of a cache personally, but I like that it's there. Someone will like that. I know jewelry is made from many odds and ends, but a 2-liter bottle cap?.......... I don't know..... oh well....

[GreenLantern5000]

I find a lot of religious pamplets, which I think are crappy but some people might like. I usually take them though, because by the time I find them they're usually moldy and wet.

I hate when people put playdoh packages in caches though. They're always melted or mildewy and ucky. I chuck them every time.

Everything else, well I think computer parts are neat, and I like buttons and I LOVE the lonestar bottle caps with little word games underneath. I also really like rocks and dollar store crap. So mostly, when I find a cache, I'm happy.

 

I don't mind crap, sure, people like misc. crap (not real.... crap... I mean stuff/crap....). anyway, computer parts?..... I don't get it... but, oh well... I just leave it there for the next person, who wants a cracked microchip.....

[+Mredria]

I don't mind crap, sure, people like misc. crap (not real.... crap... I mean stuff/crap....). anyway, computer parts?..... I don't get it... but, oh well... I just leave it there for the next person, who wants a cracked microchip.....

 

They're pretty and green, and you can make interesting things out of them. My brother has a trophy made out of crap computer parts.

Besides, if we didn't put suspicious things like that in caches, well, the bomb squad wouldn't get to have the fun of blowing them up all the time would they?

[+Kit Fox]

This is not meant to be offensive only a personal observation of what i've seen in five years of geocaching.

 

What you are experiencing is the Tragedy of the Commons. This phenomenon occurs almost exclusively with park and grab type caches that are readily available to any and all cachers. If you started hunting caches requiring long hikes, and extra effort, you will notice an improvement in swag quality. Stop looking for 1 to 2 star terrain caches expecting priceless treasure.

 

Another thing to ponder is that "half the treasure is the hunt, and half the treasure is the find." I did an eight mile hike yesterday for two caches one being a decon container with few trade items, and the other being a micro. Was I disappointed in the lack of swag, absolutely not. The treasure for me was the hike, the comraderie, the scenery. Look at the images I posted to the cache galleries, this was my treasure.

 

 

 

 

As the "great Snoogans" once said, "If you're not having fun geocaching, you only have yourself to blame.

Edited July 19, 2009 by Kit Fox

[GreenLantern5000]

I don't mind crap, sure, people like misc. crap (not real.... crap... I mean stuff/crap....). anyway, computer parts?..... I don't get it... but, oh well... I just leave it there for the next person, who wants a cracked microchip.....

 

They're pretty and green, and you can make interesting things out of them. My brother has a trophy made out of crap computer parts.

Besides, if we didn't put suspicious things like that in caches, well, the bomb squad wouldn't get to have the fun of blowing them up all the time would they?

 

Well, you've got me there.

[GreenLantern5000]

This is not meant to be offensive only a personal observation of what i've seen in five years of geocaching.

 

What you are experiencing is the Tragedy of the Commons. This phenomenon occurs almost exclusively with park and grab type caches that are readily available to any and all cachers. If you started hunting caches requiring long hikes, and extra effort, you will notice an improvement in swag quality. Stop looking for 1 to 2 star terrain caches expecting priceless treasure.

 

Another thing to ponder is that "half the treasure is the hunt, and half the treasure is the find." I did an eight mile hike yesterday for two caches one being a decon container with few trade items, and the other being a micro. Was I disappointed in the lack of swag, absolutely not. The treasure for me was the hike, the comraderie, the scenery. Look at the images I posted to the cache galleries, this was my treasure.

 

As the "great Snoogans" once said, "If you're not having fun geocaching, you only have yourself to blame.

 

No offense taken, but you should see the list of caches I did yesterday..... NOTHING rated less than 2/2...... Fine... maybe 1 was, but I think I hiked 6 miles w/ my pals..... Again, no offense to your comments, they make sense, just not to me in the instances I was talking about. We're talkin' hiking up a mountain half the time.... There were a few park-n-grabs, sure, but those ones actually had the better swag......

 

I don't know.... This is some good discussion though!!!!!

[GreenLantern5000]

KitFox - aaaaaahhhh!!!! A snake!!!!! I thought I would be bit by one wading through the weeds, but alas, I was lucky. Nice pics though, and agreed, there were some fantastic scenes on the way to and from the caches I found yesterday.

[+bittsen]

This is not meant to be offensive only a personal observation of what i've seen in five years of geocaching.

 

What you are experiencing is the Tragedy of the Commons. This phenomenon occurs almost exclusively with park and grab type caches that are readily available to any and all cachers. If you started hunting caches requiring long hikes, and extra effort, you will notice an improvement in swag quality. Stop looking for 1 to 2 star terrain caches expecting priceless treasure.

 

Another thing to ponder is that "half the treasure is the hunt, and half the treasure is the find." I did an eight mile hike yesterday for two caches one being a decon container with few trade items, and the other being a micro. Was I disappointed in the lack of swag, absolutely not. The treasure for me was the hike, the comraderie, the scenery. Look at the images I posted to the cache galleries, this was my treasure.

 

 

 

 

As the "great Snoogans" once said, "If you're not having fun geocaching, you only have yourself to blame.

 

That was completely off topic and soapboxish.

 

But as long as we are off topic, those cooking pits, or whatever they are called, are a great reminder of the most painful experience of my life. Thanks!

[+bittsen]

I may get some static for saying this, but I have recently started to CITO used golf balls in particular from caches, under the theory that new cachers see those and think that they are perfectly cool swag. I consider them trash traded for something probably not trash.

 

Funny how you like to CITO something that most golf courses sell. They usually have a bucket of "experienced" golf balls right at the counter.

 

Maybe you are just a linkophobe. (yes it's a made up word)

[run.like.pre]

Once I found an expired bus transfer,a used movie ticket,and a 3year old toronto bluejay ticket

 

At least that one had a theme going on... eh?

[+Snoogans]

This is not meant to be offensive only a personal observation of what i've seen in five years of geocaching.

 

What you are experiencing is the Tragedy of the Commons. This phenomenon occurs almost exclusively with park and grab type caches that are readily available to any and all cachers. If you started hunting caches requiring long hikes, and extra effort, you will notice an improvement in swag quality. Stop looking for 1 to 2 star terrain caches expecting priceless treasure.

 

Another thing to ponder is that "half the treasure is the hunt, and half the treasure is the find." I did an eight mile hike yesterday for two caches one being a decon container with few trade items, and the other being a micro. Was I disappointed in the lack of swag, absolutely not. The treasure for me was the hike, the comraderie, the scenery. Look at the images I posted to the cache galleries, this was my treasure.

 

As the "great Snoogans" once said, "If you're not having fun geocaching, you only have yourself to blame.

 

No offense taken, but you should see the list of caches I did yesterday..... NOTHING rated less than 2/2...... Fine... maybe 1 was, but I think I hiked 6 miles w/ my pals..... Again, no offense to your comments, they make sense, just not to me in the instances I was talking about. We're talkin' hiking up a mountain half the time.... There were a few park-n-grabs, sure, but those ones actually had the better swag......

 

I don't know.... This is some good discussion though!!!!!

 

I put about $300 into a series of mostly remote/hard to access caches in the high Sierra about 7 years ago that Kit STILL hasn't gotten around to finding. Mostly 5 star terrain in a vehicle, but nothing really more than a long 3 or 4 terrain hike on foot. 2 years later the caches had mostly degraded to junk and we're talking caches that might get hit half a dozen times in a year if that. I considered restocking but stopped myself short thinking about the cost and then I realized the real gift was the locations and the journey to get to them. The only one I restock every few years is my frog themed cache. I can't remember getting a complaint on the swag my caches offer.

[+Kit Fox]

KitFox - aaaaaahhhh!!!! A snake!!!!! I thought I would be bit by one wading through the weeds, but alas, I was lucky. Nice pics though, and agreed, there were some fantastic scenes on the way to and from the caches I found yesterday.

 

Read about the second encounter with a Rattlesnake that slithered right by my foot.

 

 

That was completely off topic and soapboxish.

 

Think of it however you want. I was offering him other ways to enjoy geocaching other than the hunt for priceless fast food toys.

[+Kit Fox]

I put about $300 into a series of mostly remote/hard to access caches in the high Sierra about 7 years ago that Kit STILL hasn't gotten around to finding. Mostly 5 star terrain in a vehicle, but nothing really more than a long 3 or 4 terrain hike on foot. 2 years later the caches had mostly degraded to junk and we're talking caches that might get hit half a dozen times in a year if that. I considered restocking but stopped myself short thinking about the cost and then I realized the real gift was the locations and the journey to get to them. The only one I restock every few years is my frog themed cache. I can't remember getting a complaint on the swag my caches offer.

 

 

If they weren't a 300 mile round trip, I would be all over them. I have a second vacation coming up in September, i'll try to plan a trip to Mammoth then. Your "crack" caches are on my watchlist, and a high priority.

[+KBI]

KBI -

I am by no means trying to rip on someone who doesn't put the best, top quality swag into caches, I understand it's not everyone's game, my comment was purely a comment.

No worries.

 

I don't really see the value in your type of venting, but that's just my opinion.

 

As you said yourself:

 

I know I can't change anything, it's just good to vent ...

I say: If it feels good – and if it's not hurting anyone – then knock yourself out. Vent away. If anyone tells you you don’t have the right to express your opinion, I’ll defend you.

 

I am even guilty of the same thing myself sometimes, except with me it involves venting against snooty intolerance. I know, I know, it is futile to struggle against the hard-core condescenders, but I can't ignore it; I am intolerant of intolerance. Hypocritical, no?

[+Snoogans]

That was completely off topic and soapboxish.

 

But as long as we are off topic, those cooking pits, or whatever they are called, are a great reminder of the most painful experience of my life. Thanks!

 

ROFLMAO! You DO entertain. I love reading your posts.

 

Edited July 19, 2009 by Snoogans

[run.like.pre]

I agree with you Kit Box.... the adventure and the fun times with my sons are my treasure. Do I get dissappointed when the stuff in a cache sucks? sure, but I am not there to take things. The time spent searching for the cache is fun and that is what counts.

 

 

This is not meant to be offensive only a personal observation of what i've seen in five years of geocaching.

 

What you are experiencing is the Tragedy of the Commons. This phenomenon occurs almost exclusively with park and grab type caches that are readily available to any and all cachers. If you started hunting caches requiring long hikes, and extra effort, you will notice an improvement in swag quality. Stop looking for 1 to 2 star terrain caches expecting priceless treasure.

 

Another thing to ponder is that "half the treasure is the hunt, and half the treasure is the find." I did an eight mile hike yesterday for two caches one being a decon container with few trade items, and the other being a micro. Was I disappointed in the lack of swag, absolutely not. The treasure for me was the hike, the comraderie, the scenery. Look at the images I posted to the cache galleries, this was my treasure.

 

As the "great Snoogans" once said, "If you're not having fun geocaching, you only have yourself to blame.

[+Snoogans]

I put about $300 into a series of mostly remote/hard to access caches in the high Sierra about 7 years ago that Kit STILL hasn't gotten around to finding. Mostly 5 star terrain in a vehicle, but nothing really more than a long 3 or 4 terrain hike on foot. 2 years later the caches had mostly degraded to junk and we're talking caches that might get hit half a dozen times in a year if that. I considered restocking but stopped myself short thinking about the cost and then I realized the real gift was the locations and the journey to get to them. The only one I restock every few years is my frog themed cache. I can't remember getting a complaint on the swag my caches offer.

 

 

If they weren't a 300 mile round trip, I would be all over them. I have a second vacation coming up in September, i'll try to plan a trip to Mammoth then. Your "crack" caches are on my watchlist, and a high priority.

 

I'm just funnin' ya man. Between family and inlaws up North of you, it will be many years before I get to cache in your neck of the woods, unless I have some training to do in the area which is highly doubtful.

[+KBI]

I was offering him other ways to enjoy geocaching other than the hunt for priceless fast food toys.

I gotta agree with this.

 

The fun in caching lies not in the swag. The fun in caching lies in how you get to the swag.

 

Expecting to score valuable prizes via caching is like expecting to get rich in a penny poker game. Penny poker is played for the enjoyment of cards and company, not for the money. If you are doing it mainly to enhance your bottom line, you are in the wrong place.

 

Published public trinket boxes are not the place to find precious treasure.

 

Kit fox is right. There are ways to enjoy geocaching other than the hunt for priceless fast food toys.

[+Kit Fox]

I was offering him other ways to enjoy geocaching other than the hunt for priceless fast food toys.

I gotta agree with this.

 

The fun in caching lies not in the swag. The fun in caching lies in how you get to the swag.

 

Expecting to score valuable prizes via caching is like expecting to get rich in a penny poker game. Penny poker is played for the enjoyment of cards and company, not for the money. If you are doing it mainly to enhance your bottom line, you are in the wrong place.

 

Published public trinket boxes are not the place to find precious treasure.

 

Kit fox is right. There are ways to enjoy geocaching other than the hunt for priceless fast food toys.

 

I hate to admit this but back in the "old days" I was far more intolerant, but KBI, SBell, and Snoogans helped me "see the light." I learned a valuable lesson, and have twice as much fun geocaching than I used to. For that, I thank you guys.

[+bittsen]

That was completely off topic and soapboxish.

 

But as long as we are off topic, those cooking pits, or whatever they are called, are a great reminder of the most painful experience of my life. Thanks!

 

ROFLMAO! You DO entertain. I love reading your posts.

 

 

Well thank you for saying that.

 

You know, 93.47% of my posts are strictly for your enjoyment.

[+Snoogans]

I was offering him other ways to enjoy geocaching other than the hunt for priceless fast food toys.

I gotta agree with this.

 

The fun in caching lies not in the swag. The fun in caching lies in how you get to the swag.

 

Expecting to score valuable prizes via caching is like expecting to get rich in a penny poker game. Penny poker is played for the enjoyment of cards and company, not for the money. If you are doing it mainly to enhance your bottom line, you are in the wrong place.

 

Published public trinket boxes are not the place to find precious treasure.

 

Kit fox is right. There are ways to enjoy geocaching other than the hunt for priceless fast food toys.

 

I hate to admit this but back in the "old days" I was far more intolerant, but KBI, SBell, and Snoogans helped me "see the light." I learned a valuable lesson, and have twice as much fun geocaching than I used to. For that, I thank you guys.

 

WOW! Now that's the kindest compliment I've gotten in a long time. Thanks.

Edited July 19, 2009 by Snoogans

[+KBI]

I hate to admit this but back in the "old days" I was far more intolerant, but KBI, SBell, and Snoogans helped me "see the light." I learned a valuable lesson, and have twice as much fun geocaching than I used to. For that, I thank you guys.

Hey now, be careful tossing words like "tolerance" around like that. It ain’t fashionable.

 

Next thing you know you’ll be branded as a non-conformist, and they’ll be questioning your character and calling you names like "troll," "liar," and "Staunch Defender of Everything Lame."

 

That last one is a compliment, in my opinion. When you earn it, wear it proudly like I do. If defending the rights of cachers to pursue their true personal preferences in any guideline-compliant way they desire makes me an SDoEL, then slap that badge on my chest!

[+niraD]

I may get some static for saying this, but I have recently started to CITO used golf balls in particular from caches, under the theory that new cachers see those and think that they are perfectly cool swag. I consider them trash traded for something probably not trash.

FWIW, many golfers pay more for used/recycled/experienced golf balls than a lot of geocachers pay for dollar-store toys and trinkets.

 

Conversely, I own some long distance multi and 'yak caches. I swag a few quality items. Generally there's no trading at all. I recently checked a 2 stage 'yak multi that has had 5 finders in 3 years. The FTF premium is still in it, and 2 sig items have been added. I don't think anything has been taken.

When I started geocaching, I made a point of trading trinkets. But I just didn't carry anything valuable that I could trade for something really nice, even when I found really nice trade items in a cache.

 

Now, the only thing I trade for are others' sig items (yes, including sig cards) for my collection. And I leave my own trackable sig tokens without taking anything in exchange for them.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Five years later, quite frankly, I don't care about the swag. It's the adventure, the challenge, the places that people show me. Well, except that BrianSnat leaves great compasses. And I leave golf balls (but don't trade for them), for gof.

[+bittsen]

Five years later, quite frankly, I don't care about the swag. It's the adventure, the challenge, the places that people show me. Well, except that BrianSnat leaves great compasses. And I leave golf balls (but don't trade for them), for gof.

 

Good thing you don't cache near KnowsChad. He's allergic to golf balls.

 

~LOL~

[+Parknet]

Someone complained about fishing lures. I think a fishing lure (packed so you don't get hooked) is good swag especially if said lure can be used near the cache. Imagine Colonel Blake from M*A*S*H out caching. He'd pop a lure off his hat and trade for a pin or something. Seems like it is in the right spirit to me.

 

peace