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How could you make money off of geocaching?

ashnikes

By ashnikes
in General geocaching topics

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ashnikes

ashnikes

Posted
Posted

Theoretically speaking, for those of you who are devout geocachers, who spend ungodly amounts of time out there in the woods with fancy pants gps units looking for Tupperware, is there a way you can think of that you could actually make some decent money doing this, or are you just out "wasting money" on a hobby that although pays you back mentally isnt helping to pay the bills?

 

lets think outside the box here,

maybe not making money off of geocaching per say, but something related, but who knows maybe you could make money off it...

 

(I am only discussing the topic, i am not interested in making money off of geocaching, just was wondering hwo one could)

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Fledermaus

Fledermaus

Posted
Posted

Maybe you could be the middleman for get Bill Gates and Jeremy Irish by getting them into the same room, work out a contract deal between them, to include a transfer of funds, and a reasonable service fee for yourself? Can you imaging the headlines: "Microsoft goes Geocaching!"

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TheSapaFamily

+TheSapaFamily

Posted
Posted

I'm a businesswoman so I always laugh at questions like these.

 

A smart business person would never share their secrets on how to make money. Why help the competition?

 

I see several possibilities on making money for geocaching. Would I share them? NO!

 

Think of your own ideas and try them out, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

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ashnikes

ashnikes

Posted
  • Author
Posted

hmmm how about we have some sort of geocaching police squad, which drive around the country checking on geocaches, charging money to the owners if they need to be maintained, or charging the last person on the logs for not leaving the cache in better shape than when they found it,

 

we could donate half the income (course charities only have to donate 10% so this is a step above and beyond with half) to Groundspeak moderators, and people who want a premium membership but cant afford it, with some sort of grant program, and pocket the other half for our services.

 

meanwhile we could set up a site with an abandon cache list, where we could sell the contents, and the spot, we could also put out a list of places we felt needed a cache but didnt have one, so people who put out lpc hides because they cant think of better spots to hide them, could find good spots easily,

 

while were on the subject, we could fine people for placing unoriginal PnG hides, and fine people who leave their business cards in caches.

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Gitchee-Gummee

+Gitchee-Gummee

Posted
Posted

hmmm how about we have some sort of geocaching police squad, which drive around the country checking on geocaches, charging money to the owners if they need to be maintained, or charging the last person on the logs for not leaving the cache in better shape than when they found it,

 

we could donate half the income (course charities only have to donate 10% so this is a step above and beyond with half) to Groundspeak moderators, and people who want a premium membership but cant afford it, with some sort of grant program, and pocket the other half for our services.

 

meanwhile we could set up a site with an abandon cache list, where we could sell the contents, and the spot, we could also put out a list of places we felt needed a cache but didnt have one, so people who put out lpc hides because they cant think of better spots to hide them, could find good spots easily,

 

while were on the subject, we could fine people for placing unoriginal PnG hides, and fine people who leave their business cards in caches.

Are you trolling, again?

I guess there are still some fish out there. :P

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ashnikes

ashnikes

Posted
  • Author
Posted

no im not trolling, im just coming up with a ridiculous idea I thought was funny,

 

but ive heard this argument made several times fomr people who just dont get geocaching,

 

why would you spend all that gas money to find junk in a tupperware over and ovewr again? sounds like a big waste of time and money to me.

 

so it got me thinking, what could potentially land you at least some of that gas money back through geocaching? since some of us work harder at geocaching than we do at our actual paying jobs,

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knowschad

knowschad

Posted
Posted

but ive heard this argument made several times fomr people who just dont get geocaching,

 

why would you spend all that gas money to find junk in a tupperware over and ovewr again? sounds like a big waste of time and money to me.

Yeah, I've heard that a few times, too. Frequently from people that love to pay large sums of money in order to hit a little white ball all over creation as their avocation.
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Gitchee-Gummee

+Gitchee-Gummee

Posted
Posted

Fishing...

Rod+reel+line+tackle+boat+motor+trailer+insurance+gas, etc.

 

Golf...

Clubs+bag+balls+tees+cart+greens fees/memberships, etc.

 

Camping...

Trailer/RV/tent+camping supplies+vehicle+insurance(s)+gas+flat tires+camping fees, etc.

 

Geocaching...

GPSr/smartphone+computer (maybe)+car/truck/bicycle+gas (maybe).

 

Add it up! Recreation=$/€/£/¥ :huh:

  • Upvote 1
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roziecakes

+roziecakes

Posted
Posted

 

why would you spend all that gas money to find junk in a tupperware over and ovewr again? sounds like a big waste of time and money to me.

 

 

Here is my perspective on this. To me, geocaching is not about the tupperware or the cache itself, but it is the thrill of the hunt, making my brain work a little. It's also being taken to places I've never seen before, and getting healthy.

 

I will probably spend the gas money (or walk, bus, etc) to go out to the woods, to the beach or to the park anyway, so I might as well have a hobby that adds to my outdoor experience.

 

I really am one of those kinds of people that when I'm done with work all I want to do is be outside, which means I'm in my garden, or I'm out in the woods, or toodling around in town. I work in front of a computer all day sitting down, so when the last email is sent, I'm outta there!

 

Geocaching adds to my experiences that I would already be having; and even takes me to places that I might never consider going, and caches with higher terrain ratings challenge me to take the longer hikes and get healthier.

 

To me, the health benefits that I've gotten from geocaching are far more valuable than any amount of money I've spent. It's like the adage from Mastercard ads... Gas, $10; sunscreen, $4, GPS $100, losing weight, making my back stronger, spending time with my husband and seeing beautiful places; priceless.

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Andronicus

Andronicus

Posted
Posted (edited)

Design a cool shirt on zazzle. I have made about $15 off of my shirts on zazzle. Of course they don't pay you untill you have $25, so I haven't seen any of the money yet.

 

PS ashnikes: do you have a job? or do you bum money off of family/friends/state?

Edited by Andronicus
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roziecakes

+roziecakes

Posted
Posted
Mastercard ads... Gas, $10; sunscreen, $4, GPS $100, losing weight, making my back stronger, spending time with my husband and seeing beautiful places; priceless.

 

Don't forget the emergency room bills! :anicute:

 

:huh: So far I haven't had any of those yet (crosses fingers).

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ashnikes

ashnikes

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Design a cool shirt on zazzle. I have made about $15 off of my shirts on zazzle. Of course they don't pay you untill you have $25, so I haven't seen any of the money yet.

 

PS ashnikes: do you have a job? or do you bum money off of family/friends/state?

 

I have the GI BIll, after serving active duty army for enough time to acquire it, im in a school I can afford, with goals in my future I can obtain, I dont live well beyond my means, my car is paid off, and my rent is VERY cheep, no need for a real job at the moment, dumpster diving helps tremendously, the few times ive had to take out a loan, ive paid them off within the next month or so, because I do not liek to owe people money, as far as making the state pay for anything, even when i go to the doctors, without insurance, I pay for it all out of my own pocket.

 

im not sure what your point was, although im sure it was probably....

 

you should waste less time on geocaching forums, and spend more time elsewhere, or something to that extent.

 

funny, a lot of you guys are on the forums WHILE you are at work, so im curious what you are doing to earn your keep at work, at least im only on the forums when im not working. (which is quite often ha!)

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roziecakes

+roziecakes

Posted
Posted (edited)

funny, a lot of you guys are on the forums WHILE you are at work, so im curious what you are doing to earn your keep at work, at least im only on the forums when im not working. (which is quite often ha!)

 

I work 70+ hours a week running my own Web design business and doing a lot of contract work for a GIS (online maps basically) firm as a web developer.

 

I'm on the forums while I wait for file transfers (maps require a LOT of data)... that time is not billable, by the way. I only bill for actual hours spent coding, the transfers are a downtime of sorts.

 

Edited for clarity...

Edited by nymphnsatyr
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bflentje

+bflentje

Posted
Posted

hmmm how about we have some sort of geocaching police squad, which drive around the country checking on geocaches, charging money to the owners if they need to be maintained, or charging the last person on the logs for not leaving the cache in better shape than when they found it,

 

we could donate half the income (course charities only have to donate 10% so this is a step above and beyond with half) to Groundspeak moderators, and people who want a premium membership but cant afford it, with some sort of grant program, and pocket the other half for our services.

 

meanwhile we could set up a site with an abandon cache list, where we could sell the contents, and the spot, we could also put out a list of places we felt needed a cache but didnt have one, so people who put out lpc hides because they cant think of better spots to hide them, could find good spots easily,

 

while were on the subject, we could fine people for placing unoriginal PnG hides, and fine people who leave their business cards in caches.

 

Ahh, this dude is finally revealed. He's a political with an agenda.. as Narcissa mentioned earlier today.

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t4e

+t4e

Posted
Posted (edited)

 

funny, a lot of you guys are on the forums WHILE you are at work, so im curious what you are doing to earn your keep at work, at least im only on the forums when im not working. (which is quite often ha!)

 

 

and you know that how?...or you're just assuming?

Edited by t4e
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geodarts

+geodarts

Posted
Posted

Move to the Sacred Valley in Peru, place caches at various locations, and sell caching tours to people who want to find containers in a far away destination where I would not mind living. After that gets established, I might branch out to Tahiti.

 

Become a consultant for various movies featuring geocaching. Or an agent for famous cachers who want to endorse gpsrs, geocoin brands, outdoor gear, and the like.

 

Establish a practice in caching-law defending either cachers who are accused of littering or people who are accused of taking caches. I would not defend people who steal geocoins from caches, however, since even I have my limit.

 

Manufacture decon containers.

 

Become an FTF hound and collect all the prizes that some people feel compelled to leave in caches.

 

Start a rehab center for geocaching addicts. Start a hab center for people who are not geocaching addicts.

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ashnikes

ashnikes

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Move to the Sacred Valley in Peru, place caches at various locations, and sell caching tours to people who want to find containers in a far away destination where I would not mind living. After that gets established, I might branch out to Tahiti.

 

Become a consultant for various movies featuring geocaching. Or an agent for famous cachers who want to endorse gpsrs, geocoin brands, outdoor gear, and the like.

 

Establish a practice in caching-law defending either cachers who are accused of littering or people who are accused of taking caches. I would not defend people who steal geocoins from caches, however, since even I have my limit.

 

Manufacture decon containers.

 

Become an FTF hound and collect all the prizes that some people feel compelled to leave in caches.

 

Start a rehab center for geocaching addicts. Start a hab center for people who are not geocaching addicts.

 

best post ive seen on here since i stared in this forum.

great ideas....

although wildly out there, they actually make sense. and are ways you could actually make money off of your favorite hobby,

 

since if you think about it, all those other hobbies, people have already mentioned, there is some way of making money while enjoying it, thats the beauty of capitalisim mixed with creativity

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JL_HSTRE

+JL_HSTRE

Posted
Posted (edited)
I have the GI BIll, after serving active duty army for enough time to acquire it

 

I am shocked and appalled that you are the product of the US Army. You act like a poster child for someone who should be sent TO the army to get whipped into shape (and I don't mean physically) and get a better attitude. Army doesn't fix people like it used to...

 

Your posts are the kind to be expected of a cocky 18-19 year old college kid with neglible real world experience and poor social skills. (And I say this as someone who has dealt with such people numerous times.)

Edited by joshism
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TheAlabamaRambler

+TheAlabamaRambler

Posted
Posted (edited)

 

funny, a lot of you guys are on the forums WHILE you are at work, so im curious what you are doing to earn your keep at work, at least im only on the forums when im not working. (which is quite often ha!)

 

 

and you know that how?...or you're just assuming?

God forgive me for supporting an ashnikes post, but worker productivity loss due to the personal use of computers and the internet is a huge issue. I can't say that any one poster should or should not be working, but ashnikes is correct - many if not most of the folks posting during business hours are on an employer's time clock and, by most company's standards, stealing from their employer and/or violating company policies.

 

You can make some generalizations when they are supported by statistics.

 

From http://www.spectorcne.com/Solutions/Productivity.html

 

According to a recent Gallup poll, the average employee spends over 75 minutes per day using office computers for non-business related activity. That translates into an annual loss of $6250 per year, per employee1. An average mid-size company of 500 employees could be expected to lose $3.25 million in lost productivity due to Internet misuse.
Edited by TheAlabamaRambler
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bflentje

+bflentje

Posted
Posted

 

funny, a lot of you guys are on the forums WHILE you are at work, so im curious what you are doing to earn your keep at work, at least im only on the forums when im not working. (which is quite often ha!)

 

 

and you know that how?...or you're just assuming?

God forgive me for supporting an ashnikes post, but worker productivity loss due to the personal use of computers and the internet is a huge issue. I can't say that any one poster should or should not be working, but ashnikes is correct - many if not most of the folks posting during business hours are on an employer's time clock and, by most company's standards, stealing from their employer and/or violating company policies.

 

You can make some generalizations when they are supported by statistics.

 

Perhaps its lunch time for some of us in middle America.

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TheAlabamaRambler

+TheAlabamaRambler

Posted
Posted

 

funny, a lot of you guys are on the forums WHILE you are at work, so im curious what you are doing to earn your keep at work, at least im only on the forums when im not working. (which is quite often ha!)

 

 

and you know that how?...or you're just assuming?

God forgive me for supporting an ashnikes post, but worker productivity loss due to the personal use of computers and the internet is a huge issue. I can't say that any one poster should or should not be working, but ashnikes is correct - many if not most of the folks posting during business hours are on an employer's time clock and, by most company's standards, stealing from their employer and/or violating company policies.

 

You can make some generalizations when they are supported by statistics.

 

Perhaps its lunch time for some of us in middle America.

Could be. As I said no one but each individual knows if he or she is playing on the internet while being paid to work. A huge body of research and statistics however proves that it is a major problem.

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bflentje

+bflentje

Posted
Posted

 

funny, a lot of you guys are on the forums WHILE you are at work, so im curious what you are doing to earn your keep at work, at least im only on the forums when im not working. (which is quite often ha!)

 

 

and you know that how?...or you're just assuming?

God forgive me for supporting an ashnikes post, but worker productivity loss due to the personal use of computers and the internet is a huge issue. I can't say that any one poster should or should not be working, but ashnikes is correct - many if not most of the folks posting during business hours are on an employer's time clock and, by most company's standards, stealing from their employer and/or violating company policies.

 

You can make some generalizations when they are supported by statistics.

 

Perhaps its lunch time for some of us in middle America.

Could be. As I said no one but each individual knows if he or she is playing on the internet while being paid to work. A huge body of research and statistics however proves that it is a major problem.

 

You're probably correct. But I still find it very difficult to forgive you for defending an ashnikes post. :huh:

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ashnikes

ashnikes

Posted
  • Author
Posted

ide show you post after post of people slyly mentioning it in their forum posts, but you dont really care anyway,

 

I care. I'll take you to task.. show me where I said I was working while posting...

 

hmmm i dont remember posting about YOU personally, and by tauting me to do such a thing, i will safely assume you have NEVER mentioned it in one of your posts, and for not wanting to derail this topic in order to prove a point which does not need proving, i will continue as such. and just remember, I did not call it stealing the companies time, that was not my post, what you do or dont do at work is your business, honestly if you work at some silly cubicle job, and you are basicly getting paid to wait for something to do, and you are efficent at those tasks which are handed to you, who cares what you do when youre not doing them.

 

I personally wouldnt call it stealing, if anything i would blame the companies for making you sit there in that little tiny lonely space, staring at the world through a screen, away from your families, your friends, the sun, and most importantly geocaching.

 

as far as the Army changing people for the better, meh, its not like it used ot be i suppose, oh i could go way off topic about the military and what it does or has done to lots of people, but that would be a political agenda or something along that lines, and since i cant post in the off topic section (be very thankful) since im not a premium member, and blah blah blah i got distracted. im ending this rant or whatever it is.

 

i hope my local reviewer gets to my caches ive submitted in the past few days today, or at least by the weekend.

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wimseyguy

+wimseyguy

Posted
Posted

I geocache to get away from work and home responsibilities. I don't want to think about how to make money doing it, I spend the rest of my time doing that with my business.

 

Broken down to their base details, all hobbies/sports/activities can seem odd.

 

Geocaching-using a fancy pants GPS to receive military satellite signals and find containers hidden all over the world.

 

Golf-choose a stick and hit a ball, repeat until you see a hole in the ground and roll the ball into the hole with a special stick. Do this 17 more times.

 

Tennis-take a stick with strings in it and hit a ball over a net, only letting it bounce one time before it can be returned by the opponent. Use some bizarre scoring system that includes the term love=zero.

 

Fishing-take a stick put some string on it, put something shiny on the end of the string, stick it in the water and hope a fish bites it.

 

Running-'nuff said.

 

Biking-'bout the same.

 

Bowling-drill some finger holes in a heavy ball. Roll the ball at some pegs down the floor a ways and try to knock them over. Repeat.

 

Need more?

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wimseyguy

+wimseyguy

Posted
Posted

 

funny, a lot of you guys are on the forums WHILE you are at work, so im curious what you are doing to earn your keep at work, at least im only on the forums when im not working. (which is quite often ha!)

 

 

and you know that how?...or you're just assuming?

God forgive me for supporting an ashnikes post, but worker productivity loss due to the personal use of computers and the internet is a huge issue. I can't say that any one poster should or should not be working, but ashnikes is correct - many if not most of the folks posting during business hours are on an employer's time clock and, by most company's standards, stealing from their employer and/or violating company policies.

 

You can make some generalizations when they are supported by statistics.

 

From http://www.spectorcne.com/Solutions/Productivity.html

 

According to a recent Gallup poll, the average employee spends over 75 minutes per day using office computers for non-business related activity. That translates into an annual loss of $6250 per year, per employee1. An average mid-size company of 500 employees could be expected to lose $3.25 million in lost productivity due to Internet misuse.

I wonder if that data factors in the relative happiness that those employees have with their job situations? Given said happiness, is it possible that those workers are actually more productive during the other hours at work as they have higher job satisfaction? Just sayin'

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ashnikes

ashnikes

Posted
  • Author
Posted

although i appreciate the stats, and am ultimately the only one to blame for this thread getting off topic onto the subject of job productivity and how this and other internet forums derail workers from their day to day drivel,

 

I would now like to return it to its orig track. since the point has been made.

 

I think being a caching tour guide in some rural country where a guide is vital to find the caches, is a really neat idea, you could even do it here in the united states in some off the beaten path places. This could keep you out looking placing and enjoying geocaching while at the same time making a small income off it.

 

Although I thought the geocaching police squad was a funny idea, it would be increadibly hard to regulate,

 

and as far as making, and creating merch for geocaching, if that combines two things you love to do, and you make a few bucks off it, all the more poer to you, its super easy to market, and someone out there will buy it,

 

im a firm believer in people getting some sort of value for energy they exert, the more energy you exert the more of a return you will reap (most of the time, unless you are dealing in high risk, high gain markets) for example, one of my good friends plays other peoples used lottery cards. (he picks up and checks lottery cards he finds on the ground, and you know what every so often he wins, without actually purchasing a single lottery card, because sometimes people are drunk, or just plain ignorant, and scratch the cards off, and toss them without reading the instructions, or fully understanding them, so he makes some good money from those instances, course he has to pick up tons of losers in order to find a winner, but the point is that....

 

no matter what you "work" at if you work at it hard enough you can make money off of it, you do not have to have a lame desk job you dont like to make ends meet, but if you want ot do something you love and make money at it too, you better realise you wont make a whole lot of money, but you can make enough to survive and continue to enjoy doing what you love at the same time.

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roziecakes

+roziecakes

Posted
Posted

no matter what you "work" at if you work at it hard enough you can make money off of it, you do not have to have a lame desk job you dont like to make ends meet, but if you want ot do something you love and make money at it too, you better realise you wont make a whole lot of money, but you can make enough to survive and continue to enjoy doing what you love at the same time.

 

Who says you can't do what you love and make good money? Just sayin...

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GeoGeeBee

+GeoGeeBee

Posted
Posted

no matter what you "work" at if you work at it hard enough you can make money off of it, you do not have to have a lame desk job you dont like to make ends meet, but if you want ot do something you love and make money at it too, you better realise you wont make a whole lot of money, but you can make enough to survive and continue to enjoy doing what you love at the same time.

 

Who says you can't do what you love and make good money? Just sayin...

 

One of the wisest men I ever met told me, "Do what you love, and the money will follow."

 

He was right.

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brslk

+brslk

Posted
Posted

no matter what you "work" at if you work at it hard enough you can make money off of it, you do not have to have a lame desk job you dont like to make ends meet, but if you want ot do something you love and make money at it too, you better realise you wont make a whole lot of money, but you can make enough to survive and continue to enjoy doing what you love at the same time.

 

Who says you can't do what you love and make good money? Just sayin...

 

One of the wisest men I ever met told me, "Do what you love, and the money will follow."

 

He was right.

 

Nobody in their right mind is going to pay me to drink beer and look at pornography... :huh:

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roziecakes

+roziecakes

Posted
Posted

no matter what you "work" at if you work at it hard enough you can make money off of it, you do not have to have a lame desk job you dont like to make ends meet, but if you want ot do something you love and make money at it too, you better realise you wont make a whole lot of money, but you can make enough to survive and continue to enjoy doing what you love at the same time.

 

Who says you can't do what you love and make good money? Just sayin...

 

One of the wisest men I ever met told me, "Do what you love, and the money will follow."

 

He was right.

 

Yes!

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wimseyguy

+wimseyguy

Posted
Posted

no matter what you "work" at if you work at it hard enough you can make money off of it, you do not have to have a lame desk job you dont like to make ends meet, but if you want ot do something you love and make money at it too, you better realise you wont make a whole lot of money, but you can make enough to survive and continue to enjoy doing what you love at the same time.

 

Who says you can't do what you love and make good money? Just sayin...

 

One of the wisest men I ever met told me, "Do what you love, and the money will follow."

 

He was right.

 

Nobody in their right mind is going to pay me to drink beer and look at pornography... :)

:huh::anicute::P

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Cedar Grove Seekers

+Cedar Grove Seekers

Posted
Posted

...is there a way you can think of that you could actually make some decent money doing this...

 

The obvious way is to create an internet based geocache listing service. One could probably make a lot of money selling advertising space, and membership dues, provided the site was popular and widely used.

 

Not really something I'm interested in doing, but I would never begrudge someone who made a success of it.

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