What's up with people not trading even or trading up?

[+narcissa]

 

i should hope that was not while you were in Ontario

 

 

Real beer is often sold without twist-off caps. I'm not going to stoop to buying generic swill from mega-breweries just so it's easy to open.

[+t4e]

 

i should hope that was not while you were in Ontario

 

 

Real beer is often sold without twist-off caps. I'm not going to stoop to buying generic swill from mega-breweries just so it's easy to open.

 

lol...you totally missed my point

 

i was hinting towards the fact that drinking alcohol in public is not allowed in Ontario, i have no clue what is allowed in other provinces

 

 

and apologies for derailing the thread

 

back on topic....we don't take anything out of caches unless we are FTF and there is specifically something left by the CO for it

Edited July 6, 2010 by t4e

[+Team Cotati]

I rest my case.

[+AlohaBra and MaksMom]

I rarely make trades, but I have been known to trade for:

 

 

DITO..I am a urban and suburban cacher. No trade items usually... I don't carry any. Ever since the i-Phone and the "App" the caching scene has changed. [even met a BlackBerry dude that did not own a regular GPSr]...

I am just trying to experience the places the CO takes me....just not into trading or FTFs or multis or puzzles (yet)....spirit of aloha [not hello and goodbye]...

Edited July 6, 2010 by alohabra

[+narcissa]

 

i was hinting towards the fact that drinking alcohol in public is not allowed in Ontario

 

 

Drinking is allowed in provincial parks on registered campsites, and it's allowed on Crown Land if you're camping there.

[+narcissa]

I rest my case.

 

You didn't make any sort of case.

[+L0ne.R]

Digging through the swag is fun! Thank you to all CO's who replenish the inevitably depleted stash every once in a while, and to all those who trade up!

--Q

 

+1

[+L0ne.R]

Instead of just complaining in general terms about "good swag" versus "garbage," I'd like to see someone attempt to outline exactly what "good swag" is.

 

I like:

• small plastic realistic animals
  
  
• handmade stuff
  
  
• geocaching logo swag - buttons, badges, pencils, pins, fridge magnets etc.
  
• geocaching handmade swag - e.g. handmade bead bracelet that spells out geocaching, bookmarks, etc.
  
• funny stuff - love the "Grow a Therapist" that I found in a cache
  
• carabiners
  
• I would love to find a pathtag but haven't found any yet
  

What I consider trash:

• admission tickets - torn or new
  
  
• bus transfer passes - torn or new
  
• rocks that someone found next to the box
  
• bottle caps
  
• golf balls
  
• golf tees
  
• broken stuff
  
• rusty stuff
  
• moldy stuff
  

[+L0ne.R]

A lot of cachers will claim that swag items are garbage because they aren't interested in those swag items.

 

That got me thinking of the recent Forest Defenders, who posted photos of "junk" in caches on their blog. I thought there was some nice swag in those images and everything was neat and clean. It was a pretty darn good display of swag. Here's one of the photos (I would have been thrilled to have found that goat):

 

[+northernpenguin]

 

i was hinting towards the fact that drinking alcohol in public is not allowed in Ontario

 

 

Drinking is allowed in provincial parks* on registered campsites, and it's allowed on Crown Land if you're camping there.

 

* When an alcohol ban is not in effect due to morons visitors on long weekends.

[+BlueDeuce]

This is one of those situations, as a cache owner, that you just have to ask yourself if it's worth getting worked up over. You can rant and rave on the cache page all you like but it will have little influence on the knucklehead who doesn't understand/care about the concept of fair trading.

 

For my caches, I enjoy playing Santa every now and then. I'll stock (or re-stock) it with some cool swag and let nature take its course. Eventually, I figure that the cache will degrade to broken toys, expired coupons, rocks, bottlecaps, quarters, poker chips, etc. It's a cycle I can't win against but it does make me feel better to just ignore the uneven trading and keep putting in good swag.

 

I agree. I too enjoy playing Geo-Santa about twice a year for our cache hides.

To the OP, thank you for hiding swag size caches anyway. Lots of us still enjoy the anticipation of swag in the cache and many of us leave something we consider decent in the cache. As a CO if you don't want to spend much when you do a cache maintenance run, toss out the junk, throw in a couple of clean, decent dollar store items and call it a day.

 

I agree as well. I typically don't take swag but I'm happy to leave a few items. I'm sure there are a few people out there who appreciate it and respond in kind.

[+rafermadness]

I cache with my two sons, ages 4 & 5 (ages 2 & 3) when we started this adventure. I get so frustrated not because I want the stuff but because I hate for us to find a cache and it is either empty, has something broken in it or I kid you not was stuffed with McDonalds ketchup packets because they are so disappointed. A few times like this and I carry a large backpack so I can stock others caches so other children won't be disappointed then I let the boys pick something out of the backpack or I will somehow swirl it all in so they don't realize that we came up empty. I don't know what the answer is but that is my solution to the problem. I just fill em up as I can.

 

I'm right there with you. My daughters come wtih me when we are able and are incredible disappointed when it is pure junk that is found. They don't consider used toys, dirty toys, new toys, marbles, or glittery princess stuff junk. Though we have a rule about anything not in a package getting sanitzed first. I don't get the ketchup packages or bbq sauce cups as swag. That's just fricken lame and put there by people who don't have little ones with them. I actually would rather find a log book only in a cache rather than one where I have to explain why my kids can't/shouldn't trade for something in the container.

 

I also carry the box of cache refills in my SUV when caching and sometimes we fill up caches that we think are worthy. Other times the kids get to pull something from the box if a cache is really bad.

 

There was an earlier post regarding human nature and that is probably right on target.

[+bubaroo]

Is it within reason to say in a geocache placement " If you are not willing to leave something of equal importance or value, do not take???????

 

We recently went to this cute site in Bronxville with the kids and with all the excitement there was a broken sketchers shoe tag and what looked like a used balloon. We have been planning on doing several caches in great places both here in New York and in the Berkshires but do not want to play Geo Santa and go through all the effort, time and expense to have people who do not share our sense of fairness and reciprocatation. We are not saying" leave 10 dollars, but oh honey look, I have a used golf tee from yesterdays game in my pocket, let's leave that, and take the cool pirate bracelet.....Is soooo uncool!

 

We joined this for the thrill of the chase, but I truly feel, especially with kids, the find is also a big part for them. In the three caches we have found so far, we have left things that meant something to us and others as well.

 

Confused????

[+narcissa]

Is it within reason to say in a geocache placement " If you are not willing to leave something of equal importance or value, do not take???????

 

The people who do steal or make really bad trades won't read this, or they'll ignore it.

 

Many others will likely think poorly of you for it. Geocaching is supposed to be a fun, light activity. If people's swag habits bother you, put out caches with no room for trades.

[+atmospherium]

oh honey look, I have a used golf tee from yesterdays game in my pocket, let's leave that, and take the cool pirate bracelet

 

This is as good a place as any to go off topic for a second and ask, what makes a golf tee used? What I mean is, you stick a golf tee in the ground, place a golf ball on it, and then wack the golf ball with one of those golf ball club sticks. Does this render the golf tee useless now? Can't you just stick it back into the ground and place another golf ball on it? And why would you put it in your pocket and carry it around with you for days afterwards? Of course, the answer is that golfers are the biggest pack of pansy-snobs that ever minced down a fairway and...well, never mind about that. I was just curious about the whole "used" golf tee thing.

 

To justify making this post, I don't trade swag at all, but I try to put a few practical or interesting items in my caches when first placed. I hadn't given much thought to children (I know, I know, I should always think of the children), but a recent log on one of my hides caught my attention. The father enjoyed finding the cache and noted that his young son was thrilled with the $2 roll of nickels (a bit of swag I had tossed in). I don't want to disappoint the kids, so I think I'll add some kid-friendly items to my more accessible caches. Not McToys, but the kinds of little trinkets that I always treasured as a kid.

 

On the other hand, I checked one of my caches recently, and saw that someone had taken the pocket screwdriver set and left behind in trade...a used golf tee. Seriously.

[+bubaroo]

Thank you for your thoughts. Unfortunately, I think I will have to take the road less traveled, even if looked upon poorly by other geocachers. We went (with the kids) to another site yesterday evening (once it cooled down) to find a broken pen, an alcohol wipe, and rusty green penny. Definately a dissappointment after traveling 15 miles. The site was nice, and we were doing a family activity but come on... I didn't even want to acknowledge this find.

 

Maybe someone should put together a section for geocaching on this site just for families with small children. I understand it's about the thrill of the chase and experiencing a new local but really? .... at least try and put even the tiniest bit of effort into what you take and leave. I will put out a cache in Westchester, NY for families within the next week that will be worthwile for all. I hope this motivates others to do the same. If you and your children enjoy the experience and it makes you smile it was worth the effort and expense. I am sorry if others feel this lessens the experience but to me and the many others who have commented here, it seems it will only strengthen the experience and bond to geocaching.

 

Is it within reason to say in a geocache placement " If you are not willing to leave something of equal importance or value, do not take???????

 

The people who do steal or make really bad trades won't read this, or they'll ignore it.

 

Many others will likely think poorly of you for it. Geocaching is supposed to be a fun, light activity. If people's swag habits bother you, put out caches with no room for trades.

[BCProspectors]

Ni!

[+somegeek]

My wife and I are in it for the hunt. Swag is cool though. We haven't come across many large enough to hold swag just yet. I did buy a half dozen new matchbox cars and drop those, with the container cut down a bit, as we can. We try to drop stuff we know our own kids would dig on finding when they're old enough to cache with us. Hopefully some kid is picking this stuff up and getting a smile with it.

 

somegeek

[+Warturtle]

I just had a great idea for swag today. It has to be in a pretty big container, but magazines that you have already read work pretty well! They can be $8+ to buy, but become useless once you have already read them, so I put one in the cache I just visited.

[+Cliff's Notes]

I just had a great idea for swag today. It has to be in a pretty big container, but magazines that you have already read work pretty well! They can be $8+ to buy, but become useless once you have already read them, so I put one in the cache I just visited.

 

Just be sure to bag the magazine well! Also I would like ones without too limited a shelf life, like a news week over a month old may be rounding the bend to trash. But a month old WIRED or Popular Science. Would be a welcomed sight to someone. As long as it was protected from the elements in a gallon sized baggie or a magazine protector from a comic shop.

 

Myself I normally just drop.

 

I usually drop signature items dice, poker chips (custom), pens (custom and new) and of course

 

The only swag I grab is signature items. I have found a signature golf tee, several pens, andenough wooden nickels to choke a plastic goat!