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Is this normal?


Chelan Rocks

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Hi,

 

We placed a cache just a few days ago and pretty much all contents gone. I realize we had some great stuff in there. Semi-precious stones....about 30 of them, just really small ones as we are rock hounds, a patch, a pack of 100 dollar bill mints, a couple shells and beads.

 

The cache has only been visited 5 times and only a couple things are left and someone just threw rocks in from the ground but nothing else has been left....

 

This is our first cache and I am just wondering if I am going to have to replenish it all the time?

 

I think I realize now why there are only trinkets in most, however I thought there was a certain etiquette that came with geocaching?

 

Isn't the rule if you take something you put something in?

 

Thanks in advance for your help/opinion/advice.

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Wow. That seems really quick for your swag to be depleted. I looked at your cache page. Is the hide near a HS athletic field? Maybe some High School kids discovered it?

 

I wouldn't think that would be common activity from geocachers. My first cache has been out over a month and when I checked on it I was really happy to see all the great new items cachers traded in. But mine is a puzzle cache and a fair way in along a trail that doesn't see much activity.

 

edit: typo

Edited by runawaybunny
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Thanks, yes it is near a HS field, but unless someone knew it was there, no way would someone be able to find it. Also we live right next to the school and placed it here so we could see when people find it, we have a big window that faces right where the cache is. :) (makes it really fun)

 

I didn't really think cachers would take the stuff that quick, but unfortunately I think they did. Like I said it was good stuff but disappointing as I wanted every cacher (planning on replenishing stones) to get one if they wanted.

 

O-well, I will keep an eye on it and possibly end up moving it a bit, if I can figure out how the heck to do that. lol

 

Thanks Again.

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Swag deterioration is hard to predict. Generally, the shorter the walk to the cache, the quicker the swag goes down. One family where the kids get greedy and the adults aren't in control can pretty much kill cache contents. And then sometimes it's the adults themselves. People think that they can "make it up" some other time, and maybe they do, but that won't help the cache that they're raiding at the moment.

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Swag deterioration is hard to predict. Generally, the shorter the walk to the cache, the quicker the swag goes down. One family where the kids get greedy and the adults aren't in control can pretty much kill cache contents. And then sometimes it's the adults themselves. People think that they can "make it up" some other time, and maybe they do, but that won't help the cache that they're raiding at the moment.

 

Well that's a bummer, and yeah like I said we can see who visits the cache and most were families with a few kids. Well at least we live close, we will keep an eye on it for awhile and if it doesn't get better we will just move it.

 

Thanks all!

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Hi,

 

We placed a cache just a few days ago and pretty much all contents gone.

 

I start them empty and they quickly fill up.. wish I had your problem!

 

Well like I said, 5 visits and 40 plus small items gone, just seemed a bit extreme, but not bad advice maybe I should start them empty, doesn't seem like much fun for the first person who finds it though.

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Sounds like muggles to me.

If you included the Groundspeak insert- all that spiel about finding the cache by accident -they don't really mention trading even for even, nor do they mention leaving the travel bugs or numbered geocoins in the cache because other geocachers will be along to pick them up.

The insert says to take something and leave something. I often wonder if that is why I sometimes find pinecones, acorns or rocks in place of the swag I had in there.

Chances are near a high school like that some kids horsing around found it. Then again some young geocachers like to show their friends what they found and where they found it. Word gets around and the cache gets emptied. I think for that reason you should move it if you do not intend to achive it.

 

maybe I should start them empty, doesn't seem like much fun for the first person who finds it though.

Probably why so many people only do the log in a micro. Empty caches happen.

Edited by Luckless
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I only have one cache out there at the moment, it's been found a bit and I don't think anyone has traded anything yet. Yes it's unfortunate that the contents degrade over any period of time when the etiquette clearly states to trade even or upwards. I keep forgetting to take trade items with me so the few things I have seen in caches that I would trade for I left for someone else. There's a quote by someone that says something like, "Honesty is not measured in the presence of others but in the presence of only yourself." This fits the situation since most of the time you find a cache there's no one there monitoring your trading etiquette. Anyone know the actual quote?

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We had a cache with great stuff in it, and it only took one family finding it, to trade out five quality items for a few trinkets and a knife. The stuff can go very quickly, even when it's just cachers finding it.

Trade up or even is a good maxim, but so is the golden rule, and enough people just don't know it or follow it to make keeping a cache well stocked about as easy as nailing jello to the wall.

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I'd hate for people to start hiding empty caches just because some people don't know how to trade.

If it's an issue I'd rather see a note on the cache page or actually on the cache itself.

That would really suck if everyone starting hiding empty caches.

 

I think starting with an empty cache is saying you trust no one to trade fair.

if you trust no one to trade fair, then how do you expect your cache to ever have items in it?

Many people would have to leave something without getting something in order for you to have a good cache.

In the meantime it adds to all the trashy caches in the area that have nothing or just trash in them.

 

Good, we'll solve the problem of people taking stuff from the cache by just taking everything out to begin with. Does that really make sense to you?

 

You end up with the results you were complaining about right off the bat.

Edited by Sol seaker
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I'd hate for people to start hiding empty caches just because some people don't know how to trade.

If it's an issue I'd rather see a note on the cache page or actually on the cache itself.

That would really suck if everyone starting hiding empty caches.

 

I think starting with an empty cache is saying you trust no one to trade fair.

if you trust no one to trade fair, then how do you expect your cache to ever have items in it?

Many people would have to leave something without getting something in order for you to have a good cache.

In the meantime it adds to all the trashy caches in the area that have nothing or just trash in them.

 

Good, we'll solve the problem of people taking stuff from the cache by just taking everything out to begin with. Does that really make sense to you?

 

You end up with the results you were complaining about right off the bat.

 

I could never bring myself to just hide an empty cache, I don't even have interest in the micro ones yet for that same reason, I like the "stuff" I was being a little just a tiny bit sarcastic to the poster who said that. No offense to them, and I am smiling right now as I type :)

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I think it is more likely that this was a result of muggles discovering the cache than geocachers failing to trade fairly.

 

But "no", this is not normal.

 

In most of the caches I have found, there has been an inability of people who have gone before us to trade fairly. In a lot of places people will put in stones or even sticks in order to facilitate their conscience. You are supposed to trade up or even but thats not what I have found. I always trade up because I have a few things in the house that are worth something and like taking wee keyrings and stuff as momentos. But it is annoying that while Im sticking in Chanel eyeshadow brushes that others are picking things up that have no value and shoving them in.

 

I dont think that its your responsibility to replenish though. Its supposed to be a take something and leave something thing. Not a send your cache owner bankrupt by replenishing.

 

Claire xx

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I'd hate for people to start hiding empty caches just because some people don't know how to trade.

If it's an issue I'd rather see a note on the cache page or actually on the cache itself.

That would really suck if everyone starting hiding empty caches.

 

I think starting with an empty cache is saying you trust no one to trade fair.

if you trust no one to trade fair, then how do you expect your cache to ever have items in it?

Many people would have to leave something without getting something in order for you to have a good cache.

In the meantime it adds to all the trashy caches in the area that have nothing or just trash in them.

 

Good, we'll solve the problem of people taking stuff from the cache by just taking everything out to begin with. Does that really make sense to you?

 

You end up with the results you were complaining about right off the bat.

 

If you wanted to hide an empty cache then hide nanos. lol Theres no room for anything.

 

But seriously guys, I dont think that this is a post from a cache owner who is tight with cash in any way. If they have put semi precious stones in then they obviously wanted to bless someone with them and wanted their cache to start off with good contents so that it wouldnt be full of trash once people traded up or even.

 

I think that cache owners always take the risk of having people not trade fairly but there are enough of us that do trade fairly to redeem the sport. It just seems like this cache owners cache has had a bad run of luck.

 

Claire xx

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Maybe some High School kids discovered it?

That was my thought when I read the cache page. Teens are an ever curious lot, and seeing hordes of nerdy looking folks following odd looking electronic gadgetry to a nearby spot in the shrubbery will surely get their grey matter stirring. While many teens are completely unable to find a shoe in their bedroom, they seem to have an uncanny knack for locating trinket filled Tupperware. If you moved it a hundred feet or so deeper into the woods your swag theft problems might go the way of the dodo. :lol:

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Thanks, yes it is near a HS field, but unless someone knew it was there, no way would someone be able to find it.

Don't be too sure. Could have been someone saw a cacher find it and looked later to see what they were doing.

Disappointing, but on the other hand, you live in Chelan! :( What could be better than that? :lol:

(I used to have an orchard up near Methow and drove the Pateros school bus)

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I think starting with an empty cache is saying you trust no one to trade fair.

 

The majority of my latest caches are empty other than a logbook, pencil, sharpener and stash note. It's not that I don't trust people to trade fair, it is just that I don't really care about swag when I hunt caches, so I don't care about swag when I hide caches.

 

I have had people add some items "because the cache looked empty" which is fine.

 

I believe caching is all about location, location, location. I've never had any complaints about my swagless caches or my guardrail caches because I make an effort to put them in good spots. Having now said that I suspect the next log I see will be "Yeah, yeah, nice view of the creek but where are the McToys?????"

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