+NYPaddleCacher Posted July 9, 2010 Share Posted July 9, 2010 You only have one chance at a first impression. My own personal experience is that some cache owners just let the Swag run out, and do not ever monitor or refill. It almost resembles laziness or lack of respect to other cachers. That being said; I know it is also the responsibility of the visiting cachers to trde equally from their perspective. IN a perfect caching world, there should be no need to refill a cache of swag....but this is the USA. Since this topic has been covered a gazillion times before I thought I would instead point out that geocaching is an international game, and in fact some of the most frequently found caches are in Europe. Quote Link to comment
+L0ne.R Posted July 9, 2010 Share Posted July 9, 2010 For the caches that I think are cool and that need a little help in the swag department I take some initiative to give it a little love. I don't do that with every cache I stumble on (mostly the ones that are solid containers that are maintained in really cool places get the love). Me too. I won't leave swag in containers that are in bad shape, aren't water tight and it looks like the owners do very little maintenance (if any). But if a good cache is empty I'll leave extra. Quote Link to comment
+EscapeFromFlatland Posted July 9, 2010 Share Posted July 9, 2010 www.itsnotabouttheswag.com Quote Link to comment
+BlueDeuce Posted July 9, 2010 Share Posted July 9, 2010 (edited) You only have one chance at a first impression. My own personal experience is that some cache owners just let the Swag run out, and do not ever monitor or refill. It almost resembles laziness or lack of respect to other cachers. That being said; I know it is also the responsibility of the visiting cachers to trde equally from their perspective. IN a perfect caching world, there should be no need to refill a cache of swag....but this is the USA. Since this topic has been covered a gazillion times before I thought I would instead point out that geocaching is an international game, and in fact some of the most frequently found caches are in Europe. I wonder how many of those threads were opened by or responded to by Europeans. Seems like they have less angst over the whole deal to me. Edited July 9, 2010 by BlueDeuce Quote Link to comment
+atmospherium Posted July 9, 2010 Share Posted July 9, 2010 but this is the USA. Also known as the Absolute Center and Grand Poobah of Life, the Universe, and Everything. And we will never let the rest of you forget it. That's just the way we roll. www.itsallaboutus.us Quote Link to comment
+Castle Mischief Posted July 9, 2010 Share Posted July 9, 2010 (edited) Swag doesn't matter? Show me one piece of literature/promotion produced by Groundspeak that features an empty ammo can. Pure propaganda. You question the will of the Frog?? Oh noes! Clearly swag does matter or people wouldn't take it. Edited July 9, 2010 by Castle Mischief Quote Link to comment
+Harry Dolphin Posted July 9, 2010 Share Posted July 9, 2010 Really?!? You mean, because I gave a gift once, that I must keep giving it?!? If I put out an $8 ammo can and fill it with $30 worth of stuff, and that gets reduced to an old golf tee, some rocks, and a soggy, expired coupon, that it is my responsibility to spend another $30 on stuff for people to take with them? I don't THINK so!! My opinion only. Then the obvious answer is to stop leaving any swag when I put out a new cache! Then OP will not be upset! I was surprised enough that a cache finder noted that this was the third cache he'd found with a soapstone frog in it. Hey! They're cute, and were a dollar at the dollar store! But I bought their entire inventory. Oh, well. OP get real! Not my job man! No requirement for swag in the first place. It is also noted that my first cache hide still has most of the swag I put in it. And it's been out there almost six years! Quote Link to comment
+L0ne.R Posted July 10, 2010 Share Posted July 10, 2010 No requirement for swag in the first place. When geocaching started I thought the idea was that the cache contained swag. Ulmer's cache contained an assortment of goods. If not a requirement, it was at least a presumption. Maybe there was no requirement to replenish but before micros became a reality the idea was a container with swag was hidden. Isn't that how the word "stash" then "cache" came about. Cache meaning a hiding place for treasures. Stash meaning a place in which something is stored secretly; hiding place; cache. As in: The squirrel has a stash of nuts for the winter. Quote Link to comment
+WHO-DEY Posted July 12, 2010 Author Share Posted July 12, 2010 Congratulations you are the 1,000,000 person to start a topic complaining about the low quality of SWAG. First place is $100 of SWAG from the GC website. Apply directly to the frog and wait. I was going to review all 1,000,000 threads, but I ran out of time...I was near half way through...they must have all been buried at the end. I sincerely apologize. Quote Link to comment
+WHO-DEY Posted July 12, 2010 Author Share Posted July 12, 2010 There is way too many topics on this. People have to get over it. It is not about the stuff you get its the hunt for it. Joined: 1-July 10 It's not about how fast you get jaded either... I didn't read the OP as a complaint, more like a rally cry. I try to practice the art of cache karma- leave a cache better stocked that I found it and hope that others will do the same. It was that, a rally cry, a geo-pep rally. Thank you for pointing others to that. Quote Link to comment
+thedeadpirate Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 It was that, a rally cry, a geo-pep rally. Thank you for pointing others to that. By calling CO's who don't restock lazy and/or disrespectful? Quote Link to comment
+WHO-DEY Posted July 12, 2010 Author Share Posted July 12, 2010 It was that, a rally cry, a geo-pep rally. Thank you for pointing others to that. By calling CO's who don't restock lazy and/or disrespectful? GeoBain, Read my whole post. among other points, I said "i almost resembles laziness or lack of respect to other cachers. That being said; I know it is also the responsibility of the visiting cachers to trade equally from their perspective" I am simply saying, as a cache owner, you should maintain your cache. I would assume that means visit it once in a while. When you visit...empty the garbage, and consider loading it up with swag for the kid's...not the adults...but for the kids. Consider it. Visit your caches once a season..or once a year. Or, just drop it out in the world, publish it, and once there is a logged issue, archive it. Quote Link to comment
+thedeadpirate Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 It was that, a rally cry, a geo-pep rally. Thank you for pointing others to that. By calling CO's who don't restock lazy and/or disrespectful? GeoBain, Read my whole post. among other points, I said "i almost resembles laziness or lack of respect to other cachers. That being said; I know it is also the responsibility of the visiting cachers to trade equally from their perspective" I am simply saying, as a cache owner, you should maintain your cache. I would assume that means visit it once in a while. When you visit...empty the garbage, and consider loading it up with swag for the kid's...not the adults...but for the kids. Consider it. Visit your caches once a season..or once a year. Or, just drop it out in the world, publish it, and once there is a logged issue, archive it. "It's almost resembles laziness or lack of respect" is the same as CO's who don't restock their caches are lazy and disrespectful. That's fine if it's your opinion. I respected it as your opinion when you said it, even though I didn't agree with it. But don't backtrack now and try to make it sound like you didn't say it. I maintain my caches. I check on them regularly. I put in a new log book when the old one gets full. I clean them out if I find them dirty or wet. I replace containers that go missing. But I do not continually restock them. If people choose to trade rocks and garbage for the good stuff I put in them when I put them out, so be it. I'll clean the garbage out. But I feel no responsibility for continually restocking them. Quote Link to comment
+Chokecherry Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 I still don't see why it is the cache owners responsibility to be an endless supply of stuff for people's children. To maintain a cache is to take the legitimate garbage out and make sure the container is doing ok in the environment it is in. It means making sure the log book is good and for some supplying writing utensils. I can't fathom why someone who puts a cache out is suddenly responsible to keep it stocked full of stuff for people to take. That's just ridiculous. That can expensive extremely fast. And I hardly see a cache owner that maintains their cache but doesn't fill it with stuff for people to take lazy or disrespectful. Quote Link to comment
BCProspectors Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Ni! There is way too many topics on this. People have to get over it. It is not about the stuff you get its the hunt for it. +1 Quote Link to comment
+lachupa Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 I'm new to this whole thing and so far I haven't actually taken anything. I've been leaving a few things - small charms, a flashing running light I got from a race - that type of thing. I think its interesting to see what other people have left behind. I'm more concerned about the lack of weather-proof caches I've seen so far. It doesn't seem like it would be all that hard to realize that we're in an area that gets a lot of rain so unless that cache is waterproof everything is going to be a mess. just my take on it Quote Link to comment
+baloo&bd Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Next time you see a thread complaining about micros, consider pointing to this thread. Everybody talks about hiding caches you would like to find. Ideally for us that is one with a log book and big enough for the occasional TB. I neither take, leave nor care about swag and even the regular size caches I have placed start with very little swag. I just do not see the attraction to that part of the hobby. Even when I have worked with either Boy Scouts or Cub Scouts, i.e. the kid factor, they were into the hunt not the broken McD toys and Lance Armstrong bracelets. Solution, don't put out swag. Problem solved. Quote Link to comment
+thedeadpirate Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 The whole thing reminds me of the . Quote Link to comment
+brslk Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 The whole thing reminds me of the . That's hilarious! There used to be a woman that lived on the same floor of the apartment I lived in that put out candy canes at Christmas and various candy at Halloween hanging on her door. Her door was right beside the door to the garbage chute so everyone on our floor walked by her door almost daily. After a few years people started coming up from other floors to get candy. (we were on the 15th floor(top)) She went from putting out a bag or two of candy a year to several bags a year. She finally quit because people just expected it from her and never thanked her. I of course, being the fine fellow I am thanked her daily. (she was a client of the company I owned at the time) I still miss the mini candy canes... Quote Link to comment
knowschad Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 I of course, being the fine fellow I am thanked her daily. (she was a client of the company I owned at the time) I still miss the mini candy canes... You used to work for the candy cane company? Quote Link to comment
+Chrysalides Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 (we were on the 15th floor(top)) That is one heck of a trailer park! Quote Link to comment
+L0ne.R Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 The whole thing reminds me of the . I suppose if people never commented on our well stocked caches, I too would not re-stock as much as I do. Well probably just a couple of items because I don't want to post a maintenance visit and have the next finder discover an empty cache. Luckily around here we get comments from cachers who appreciate a cared for, well stocked cache. The comments keep me motivated. Quote Link to comment
knowschad Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 The whole thing reminds me of the . I suppose if people never commented on our well stocked caches, I too would not re-stock as much as I do. Well probably just a couple of items because I don't want to post a maintenance visit and have the next finder discover an empty cache. Luckily around here we get comments from cachers who appreciate a cared for, well stocked cache. The comments keep me motivated. Its called, "enabling" Quote Link to comment
+BulldogBlitz Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 we've got a cacher in the area who is notorious for "trading nothing". he takes ALL and leaves nothing. not a cache maggot... he just takes the contents of the cache (not the logbook) and leaves nothing or sometimes leaves a stick or whatever rock is nearby. it is really no fun to go after this guy has been through. i know a cache owner or three have emailed him requesting him to stop but he's declared that there isn't anything wrong with what he's doing. swag is there to take. Quote Link to comment
+thedeadpirate Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 we've got a cacher in the area who is notorious for "trading nothing". he takes ALL and leaves nothing. not a cache maggot... he just takes the contents of the cache (not the logbook) and leaves nothing or sometimes leaves a stick or whatever rock is nearby. it is really no fun to go after this guy has been through. i know a cache owner or three have emailed him requesting him to stop but he's declared that there isn't anything wrong with what he's doing. swag is there to take. So, do y'all go out and restock or are y'all lazy and disrespectful? Quote Link to comment
+BulldogBlitz Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 we've got a cacher in the area who is notorious for "trading nothing". he takes ALL and leaves nothing. not a cache maggot... he just takes the contents of the cache (not the logbook) and leaves nothing or sometimes leaves a stick or whatever rock is nearby. it is really no fun to go after this guy has been through. i know a cache owner or three have emailed him requesting him to stop but he's declared that there isn't anything wrong with what he's doing. swag is there to take. So, do y'all go out and restock or are y'all lazy and disrespectful? since i don't have 1,000 finds yet, i have yet to put out a cache. i've got a 30 cal ammo can in my car right now with a logbook and swag waiting for my one shining moment. hehe. Quote Link to comment
+thedeadpirate Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 since i don't have 1,000 finds yet, i have yet to put out a cache. Uh oh. I've got zero finds and I've put out a bunch of caches. Will I suffer bad karma? Quote Link to comment
+BulldogBlitz Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 since i don't have 1,000 finds yet, i have yet to put out a cache. Uh oh. I've got zero finds and I've put out a bunch of caches. Will I suffer bad karma? ....at least one of your sockpuppets will for sure. Quote Link to comment
+Scubasonic Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 You only have one chance at a first impression. My own personal experience is that some cache owners just let the Swag run out, and do not ever monitor or refill. It almost resembles laziness or lack of respect to other cachers. That being said; I know it is also the responsibility of the visiting cachers to trde equally from their perspective. IN a perfect caching world, there should be no need to refill a cache of swag....but this is the USA. Beyond the swag or lack of swag, we cache owners need to remove the garbage on occasion. I have tossed parts of toys, broken erasers, or just plain trash. I cannot tell you how many sig cards I have tossed over the years becasue they were just nasty. So...back to the first impressions issue... I took my 3 nieces out for their first cache experience this past week. only 2 of the 10 caches had any swag. All were small or regular in size. One of them I had visited in April, and there was no swag in it then, so I dropped some items in it. Three months later, It was empty again less a couple of those dry packs to soak moisture up. So I tried to tell my nieces that there is actually swag to trade in caches, but I fear they were not totally convinced. So, Do any owners check and reload? I know my friend carries a lot of extra SWAG to load up caches as he finds them empty so kids can enjoy the hike even more. I guess this thread/post is 50% rant 50% request to get more on the ball and visit your cache on occasion. Maybe atleast every spring, as here in Michigan Summer is the busy time for caching. I guess I just am of the team that thinks there is more to this than dropping micros and caches that you never go back to...you just archive once there is an issue. MAINTAIN THE CACHES MY BROTHAS AND SISTAS!!! We are in danger of becoming our own worst enemy when it comes to the growth of caching. Thats all. Cache on... GEE and Part of the main reason I maintain my caches is to remove all that Swag/Geo Junk, so there is at least room for a log & some trackables. Scubasonic Quote Link to comment
+thedeadpirate Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 since i don't have 1,000 finds yet, i have yet to put out a cache. Uh oh. I've got zero finds and I've put out a bunch of caches. Will I suffer bad karma? ....at least one of your sockpuppets will for sure. What are those? Quote Link to comment
knowschad Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 since i don't have 1,000 finds yet, i have yet to put out a cache. Hey, when did they lower the requirement?!? Quote Link to comment
+brslk Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 since i don't have 1,000 finds yet, i have yet to put out a cache. Uh oh. I've got zero finds and I've put out a bunch of caches. Will I suffer bad karma? ....at least one of your sockpuppets will for sure. What are those? You remember Lambchop don't you? Quote Link to comment
+thedeadpirate Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 since i don't have 1,000 finds yet, i have yet to put out a cache. Uh oh. I've got zero finds and I've put out a bunch of caches. Will I suffer bad karma? ....at least one of your sockpuppets will for sure. What are those? You remember Lambchop don't you? I'm more of a steak guy. Quote Link to comment
+BulldogBlitz Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 I'm more of a steak guy. i kind of had you figured for a fruit and nut guy. Quote Link to comment
+thedeadpirate Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 I'm more of a steak guy. i kind of had you figured for a fruit and nut guy. You're thinking of my brother, TAR. Quote Link to comment
+roziecakes Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Show me one piece of literature/promotion produced by Groundspeak that features an empty ammo can. I have one of those, people love finding it. Quote Link to comment
+MR57 Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 You only have one chance at a first impression. My own personal experience is that some cache owners just let the Swag run out, and do not ever monitor or refill. It almost resembles laziness or lack of respect to other cachers. That being said; I know it is also the responsibility of the visiting cachers to trde equally from their perspective. IN a perfect caching world, there should be no need to refill a cache of swag....but this is the USA. Beyond the swag or lack of swag, we cache owners need to remove the garbage on occasion. I have tossed parts of toys, broken erasers, or just plain trash. I cannot tell you how many sig cards I have tossed over the years becasue they were just nasty. So...back to the first impressions issue... I took my 3 nieces out for their first cache experience this past week. only 2 of the 10 caches had any swag. All were small or regular in size. One of them I had visited in April, and there was no swag in it then, so I dropped some items in it. Three months later, It was empty again less a couple of those dry packs to soak moisture up. So I tried to tell my nieces that there is actually swag to trade in caches, but I fear they were not totally convinced. So, Do any owners check and reload? I know my friend carries a lot of extra SWAG to load up caches as he finds them empty so kids can enjoy the hike even more. I guess this thread/post is 50% rant 50% request to get more on the ball and visit your cache on occasion. Maybe atleast every spring, as here in Michigan Summer is the busy time for caching. I guess I just am of the team that thinks there is more to this than dropping micros and caches that you never go back to...you just archive once there is an issue. MAINTAIN THE CACHES MY BROTHAS AND SISTAS!!! We are in danger of becoming our own worst enemy when it comes to the growth of caching. Amen. I like the hunt. All the little toys and things are meaningless to me. But for kids I can see It would be a good thing for them when you bring them along. Thats all. Cache on... Quote Link to comment
+emmett Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 My responsibility (and even this is really optional) as cache owner is to stock the cache when I hide it. Your responsibility, as cache finder and swag trader, is to trade even or up, and to use your head regarding what that really means. It is not my responsibility, as cache owner, to ever restock my cache. I provided you with the seed, now it is up to you to make sure it grows. We each have our own interpretation on how geocaching should be played. However, I believe it is absolutely the responsibility of the geocache owner to perform regular maintenance on their geocache which also includes replenishing the swag. Granted, everyone who finds the geocache should do their part to help maintain the swag quality. However, if the geocache owner places a geocache with swag in it, then it is up to that geocache owner to replenish the swag when it falls below standards. To put it more clearly, I absolutely positively agree that each person who finds a geocache has the responsibility to trade evenly, and to promote quality swag. However, if the condition, or quantity of the swag deteriorates, then it is ultimately up to the geocache owner to perform maintenance on that geocache, and to bring the swag up to standards. My opinion only. Spoken like someone who ones only two caches. Get serious about placing caches then wait a year or two, then tell us how you feel. . Quote Link to comment
+Snoogans Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 (edited) You only have one chance at a first impression. My own personal experience is that some cache owners just let the Swag run out, and do not ever monitor or refill. It almost resembles laziness or lack of respect to other cachers. That being said; I know it is also the responsibility of the visiting cachers to trde equally from their perspective. IN a perfect caching world, there should be no need to refill a cache of swag....but this is the USA. Beyond the swag or lack of swag, we cache owners need to remove the garbage on occasion. I have tossed parts of toys, broken erasers, or just plain trash. I cannot tell you how many sig cards I have tossed over the years becasue they were just nasty. So...back to the first impressions issue... I took my 3 nieces out for their first cache experience this past week. only 2 of the 10 caches had any swag. All were small or regular in size. One of them I had visited in April, and there was no swag in it then, so I dropped some items in it. Three months later, It was empty again less a couple of those dry packs to soak moisture up. So I tried to tell my nieces that there is actually swag to trade in caches, but I fear they were not totally convinced. So, Do any owners check and reload? I know my friend carries a lot of extra SWAG to load up caches as he finds them empty so kids can enjoy the hike even more. I guess this thread/post is 50% rant 50% request to get more on the ball and visit your cache on occasion. Maybe atleast every spring, as here in Michigan Summer is the busy time for caching. I guess I just am of the team that thinks there is more to this than dropping micros and caches that you never go back to...you just archive once there is an issue. MAINTAIN THE CACHES MY BROTHAS AND SISTAS!!! We are in danger of becoming our own worst enemy when it comes to the growth of caching. Thats all. Cache on... This is the funniest thread I've read all week. Do I detect the heady aromas of entitlement AND expectation couched in concern geocaching's welfare as a viable family activity? ***SNIIIIFFFF*** Yes, I believe I do. When I start taking my 2.5 yo son around caching the first lesson he will learn is that the experience beats the stuff. It will be hard to teach a toddler that, but I have faith that he will get it.... eventually. Edited July 14, 2010 by Snoogans Quote Link to comment
+L0ne.R Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 Spoken like someone who ones only two caches. Get serious about placing caches then wait a year or two, then tell us how you feel. I disagree. Plant only as many as you can handle. It's better to own a couple of caches that you keep stocked then 50 caches you resent having to re-stock. Quote Link to comment
+dakboy Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 (edited) I'd post the date I stopped caring about swag, but to stop caring about it, I would have had to care about swag in the first place. As long a I have a nice walk in a nice place, with room for the occasional TB drop, I'm happy. Edited July 14, 2010 by dakboy Quote Link to comment
knowschad Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 Spoken like someone who ones only two caches. Get serious about placing caches then wait a year or two, then tell us how you feel. I disagree. Plant only as many as you can handle. That part, I can agree with. It's better to own a couple of caches that you keep stocked then 50 caches you resent having to re-stock. That part, I don't. Cache maintenance has nothing at all to do with keeping the cache stocked with swag. Cache finders are supposed to do that by trading equal or up. If you wish to be a perpetual Santa Clause for cachers, more power to you. But please don't lay that on the rest of us. Quote Link to comment
+niraD Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 It's better to own a couple of caches that you keep stocked then 50 caches you resent having to re-stock.IMHO, it's better to own 50 caches that always have dry logs with space for signatures, than 49 caches that have dry logs with space for signatures and a regular supply of owner-stocked trade items. Restocking trade items is not the owner's responsibility. It's a nice thing to do, but it isn't an obligation. Quote Link to comment
+WHO-DEY Posted July 14, 2010 Author Share Posted July 14, 2010 (edited) Edited July 14, 2010 by WHO-DEY Quote Link to comment
+WHO-DEY Posted July 14, 2010 Author Share Posted July 14, 2010 You only have one chance at a first impression. My own personal experience is that some cache owners just let the Swag run out, and do not ever monitor or refill. It almost resembles laziness or lack of respect to other cachers. That being said; I know it is also the responsibility of the visiting cachers to trde equally from their perspective. IN a perfect caching world, there should be no need to refill a cache of swag....but this is the USA. Beyond the swag or lack of swag, we cache owners need to remove the garbage on occasion. I have tossed parts of toys, broken erasers, or just plain trash. I cannot tell you how many sig cards I have tossed over the years becasue they were just nasty. So...back to the first impressions issue... I took my 3 nieces out for their first cache experience this past week. only 2 of the 10 caches had any swag. All were small or regular in size. One of them I had visited in April, and there was no swag in it then, so I dropped some items in it. Three months later, It was empty again less a couple of those dry packs to soak moisture up. So I tried to tell my nieces that there is actually swag to trade in caches, but I fear they were not totally convinced. So, Do any owners check and reload? I know my friend carries a lot of extra SWAG to load up caches as he finds them empty so kids can enjoy the hike even more. I guess this thread/post is 50% rant 50% request to get more on the ball and visit your cache on occasion. Maybe atleast every spring, as here in Michigan Summer is the busy time for caching. I guess I just am of the team that thinks there is more to this than dropping micros and caches that you never go back to...you just archive once there is an issue. MAINTAIN THE CACHES MY BROTHAS AND SISTAS!!! We are in danger of becoming our own worst enemy when it comes to the growth of caching. Thats all. Cache on... This is the funniest thread I've read all week. Do I detect the heady aromas of entitlement AND expectation couched in concern geocaching's welfare as a viable family activity? ***SNIIIIFFFF*** Yes, I believe I do. Snoogans- That aroma is not expectation or entitlement. Cross your legs, the smell will begin to dissipate. Quote Link to comment
+WHO-DEY Posted July 14, 2010 Author Share Posted July 14, 2010 Spoken like someone who ones only two caches. Get serious about placing caches then wait a year or two, then tell us how you feel. I disagree. Plant only as many as you can handle. It's better to own a couple of caches that you keep stocked then 50 caches you resent having to re-stock. if you cannot maintain the caches, then how could you be "serious about placing caches". Only place what you can handle and manage. Or place all micros, tehn archive when the log gets full...wait, that never happens. My bad. Quote Link to comment
+WHO-DEY Posted July 14, 2010 Author Share Posted July 14, 2010 It's better to own a couple of caches that you keep stocked then 50 caches you resent having to re-stock.IMHO, it's better to own 50 caches that always have dry logs with space for signatures, than 49 caches that have dry logs with space for signatures and a regular supply of owner-stocked trade items. Restocking trade items is not the owner's responsibility. It's a nice thing to do, but it isn't an obligation. I never said it was an obligation. It is the visitors obligation to trade evenly. BUT, why not go the extra mile. based on the rpely's to this thread....not many have driven that road, unless quantity of caches count. This was just a suggestion based on an experience I had with three new KIDS that I was showing what Geocaching was all about. They got skunked and many were nasty and dirty inside. So, my point still stands. take care of you caches, clean em, and load em up if you can. Kid's..many of them enjoy swag...(I know, some purist children are ok without it). It is not your responsibility...but while you are their...consider loading it up. Quote Link to comment
+TheAlabamaRambler Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 (edited) I don't refill my caches when they become depleted - I'm not going to spend money on things to put in a cache knowing that people will not trade fairly for it. And if cachers are going to trade unfairly then they need to prepare to deal with the consequences of that behavior. And if they care more about the swag than the hide then that's not of any concern to me - I really doubt they're the kind of person that's going to be trading fairly anyways. As a cache owner my responsibility begins and ends with the log book. I don't feel the need to bribe people to come to my caches. +1, sorta. Maybe. Perhaps. I think! I've spent a lot of money on swag over the years. I mean a lot! Several thousand dollars. I have never considered swag to be payment, a bribe or even a compelling reason for folks to find my caches, I have always considered decent swag to be part of the game, something that we do to entertain one another and especially a good way to make kids happy. Hide what you like to find, you know. My hides used to cost around $80 to $100 to place because I put ~$30 FTF prizes in them and tried to keep at least a dozen trade items with the average trade item costing ~$5, plus I gave away hundreds of my unactivated personal geocoins and unactivated coins that I had traded for at $12 a pop in them. Now I don't have a single one of the three geocoins I had minted and am thinking that was pretty stupid. Cache degradation wasn't an issue at first; if a cache got depleted I would restock it, but in 2003-2005 most folks traded pretty evenly so my caches stayed well-stocked. Somewhere around late 2005 swag degradation became a real problem. Folks would take one of my geocoins and leave a WheresGeorge dollar! They would often take an expensive rare coin that I had been gifted or traded for and leave a coin-club-of-the-month coin as if that were an even trade. The final straw was losing a total of 72 geocoins when my two geocoin-trading caches got robbed repeatedly. I used to build well-stocked ammo box caches and give them away as game or drawing prizes at events, sort of a self-serving exercise thinking that when the winner hid it I would have another cache to find. I really liked doing this at events in areas where there were not a lot of caches to help 'seed' the area and increase local interest in the game. Then I found some of them that I had given away, but the nice swag was either gone or had been replaced with cheap stuff by the hider! Also I would watch for new caches placed by the winner and increasingly often the gift cache was never hidden. I still give away caches at most events but now they are either stocked with $2 average swag or are smalls and micros. The regular FTF crowd in my area has always had, and still does have, a great ethic of leaving the FTF prize for someone who doesn't regularly pursue them, so I give them mad props for that, but nice FTF prizes are just not in the budget at the moment. Now I stock caches with no FTF prize and the average trade item I put in comes from the dollar store or the discount bins at an automotive store (which have some surprisingly good and useful stuff for under $2). Also I have learned to shop the clearance rack at Sams Wholesale and Wal-Mart where the store often practically gives away cool stuff. I used to carry a bag of swag so that when I found a depleted cache I would restock it, thinking that it was a nice thing to help the owner and future finders. Now I carry an unactivated geocoin in my wallet for the rare chance that I see something worth trading for. I guess I'm a compulsive do-gooder though because I always feel bad walking away from a depleted cache without restocking it. It just think it's the thing to do. That being the case I reckon I had better start doing it again if for no other reason than to satisfy my conscience... I'm really sort of on the fence on this one. I own the oldest cache in Alabama, it always gets good logs, but lately I've gotten a couple of logs stating that the swag was depleted. At one time I would have rushed right out to restock it; now I'm thinking that maintaining a cache does not include having to keep it stocked since 'trade even or trade up' appears to be falling out of the vocabulary of most cachers. I haven't made up my mind if I will restock this cache or not. At the moment I am thinking that a well-hidden cache in a good location with a usable log is enough, but that may just be selfishness or burnout on feeding the caching community. Neither are personal traits that I care to cultivate so I feel bad for not running out and restocking my caches. This very issue led me to adopt out most of my caches a while back, which is bad because I love hiding caches that people enjoy. I have maybe ten ammo cans, some already stocked, and a number of small and micro caches sitting in my barn ready to go, so I reckon I need to work out whether cache degradation really means that much or if I've just gotten lazy! This has been an interesting thread to see how others think on the matter. Edited July 14, 2010 by TheAlabamaRambler Quote Link to comment
+thedeadpirate Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 It's better to own a couple of caches that you keep stocked then 50 caches you resent having to re-stock. I could have only 1 cache and I still wouldn't feel obligated to restock it. Quote Link to comment
+L0ne.R Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 Spoken like someone who ones only two caches. Get serious about placing caches then wait a year or two, then tell us how you feel. I disagree. Plant only as many as you can handle. That part, I can agree with. It's better to own a couple of caches that you keep stocked then 50 caches you resent having to re-stock. That part, I don't. Cache maintenance has nothing at all to do with keeping the cache stocked with swag. Cache finders are supposed to do that by trading equal or up. If you wish to be a perpetual Santa Clause for cachers, more power to you. But please don't lay that on the rest of us. I was referring mostly to emmet's statement that denigrated the OPs low cache ownership. It sounded like it was better to plant many caches that you don't keep stocked then to have just a couple and keep it stocked. I don't think stocking a cache and low hide counts are to be poo poo'd. But I agree that geo-Santa is not a required condition of cache ownership. Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.