Book exchange cache

[+the family bu]

My daughter (9yrs old) has been thinking about setting up a book exchange cache on our property. It would be down the side of our house, so we could keep an eye on it. Do people think it is worth doing, and if so does anyone have any ideas on how we could make it more appealing?? Please feel free to say so if you think it is a lame idea - I do not offend easily

[+Panther&Pine]

My daughter (9yrs old) has been thinking about setting up a book exchange cache on our property. It would be down the side of our house, so we could keep an eye on it. Do people think it is worth doing, and if so does anyone have any ideas on how we could make it more appealing?? Please feel free to say so if you think it is a lame idea - I do not offend easily

 

Let folks know exactly where it is, make sure you list your house number, and let your neighbors know.

 

Do that and folks will be okay with it.

[+the family bu]

My daughter (9yrs old) has been thinking about setting up a book exchange cache on our property. It would be down the side of our house, so we could keep an eye on it. Do people think it is worth doing, and if so does anyone have any ideas on how we could make it more appealing?? Please feel free to say so if you think it is a lame idea - I do not offend easily

 

Let folks know exactly where it is, make sure you list your house number, and let your neighbors know.

 

Do that and folks will be okay with it.

 

My neighbour is a geocacher too lol x

[+lachupa]

I responded to this and got some sort of time out error. Now I'm worried that it's going to be a double post.

 

My point was that it would be cool but you'd need to make sure the books stayed dry.

[+briansnat]

I've seen a few book exchange caches. I think they are a great idea. You might want to add to the fun by registering the books on Bookcrossing.

 

A good container is important because you don't want a box of soggy books. Perhaps one of those extra large ammo cans.

 

,

Edited August 18, 2010 by briansnat

[+the family bu]

I've seen a few book exchange caches. I think they are a great idea. You might want to add to the fun by registering the books on Bookcrossing.

 

A good container is important because you don't want a box of soggy books. Perhaps one of those extra large ammo cans.

 

,

 

What an amazing idea to register the books - then my little un can track the books. Yes we are looking at containers - I have some large plastic boxes with tight fitting lids - thought I might put one in the garden for a few days with some paper in to see how it holds up. I have also thought about building a wooden cover for it so that it is not open to the weather at all.

[+Ms.Scrabbler]

I've only been to one book exchange http://coord.info/GC19FGA

 

When I found it the ammo can had been damaged. One of the pins was missing and someone had left a plastic bag sticking out. The cache was filled with books and water. I was able to dump the water but had nothing to put the books in to carry out so I left them, signed and put a new log in a new plastic bag that I had with me.

 

Being on your property this shouldn't be a problem. I would feel a little uncomfortable walking around someone's yard hoping I was reading the coords right. But that's me.

[+the family bu]

I've only been to one book exchange http://coord.info/GC19FGA

 

When I found it the ammo can had been damaged. One of the pins was missing and someone had left a plastic bag sticking out. The cache was filled with books and water. I was able to dump the water but had nothing to put the books in to carry out so I left them, signed and put a new log in a new plastic bag that I had with me.

 

Being on your property this shouldn't be a problem. I would feel a little uncomfortable walking around someone's yard hoping I was reading the coords right. But that's me.

 

The box will be the down the side of my house and can be reached by a path directly from the path at the front of my house - definately wouldn't be walking around my yard - which is not accessible from where the cache would be. It would be very easily accessible for anyone and will not bother me or my neighbour. I thought if I built a wooden frame for the box to hide in (up against my house) - then it would not be bothered by those that didn't know what it was - just look like a recycling box cover, and the recycling van will not fetch the boxes from the property so I dont need to worry about it being taken by mistake by them. You are right that I would be able to check it on a regular basis to ensure that it was in good order - I would hate for the books to get damaged.

[+SilentWolf]

I think it would be fun - there is a DVD exchange cache near me that seems to interest quite a few people.

 

I would also be one that would be timid wandering around in someone's yard, but that's just me too.

[+jenny08_1015]

I think it sounds like a good idea. There used to be one near me (Omaha.) Unfortunately, it was muggled before I go to it!

[Clan Riffster]

I think it's a great idea! Be prepared for folks who take a book and leave a McToy, and for folks who just take without leaving anything. I've owned a couple, and visited many more, and it seems that the more successful book exchange caches include something about their purpose in the cache title, so those who don't read cache pages will at least know what to expect.

 

The two I owned were Reading Is For The Birds, which was a 50 cal ammo can filled with Sci-Fi/Fantasy books in a preserve where scrub jays like to land on your head looking for handouts. I included the offer to treat it as a library, borrowing whatever books caught your fancy. The other was Reading is Fundamental, Folks!, which was a huge ammo can stuffed with children's books, near a comfy pavilion. The idea was parents could let their little ones find the cache, then they could borrow a book, go to the pavilion and read it to their child. That one got a much better reception.

[+JL_HSTRE]

I am working on a literary-themed puzzle cache that would require cachers to visit several local public libraries. I would love for the actual cache container to also serve as a book exchange, but I worry about finding a container that would be sufficiently watertight in Florida.

[Clan Riffster]

...but I worry about finding a container that would be sufficiently watertight in Florida.

Josh, the can on the right is the one I used for R.I.F.F.

 

After camo:

 

I placed the books in giant ziplocks just in case, but never had a leak.

[+narcissa]

I have found some of these, but none of the books are ever to my taste. I think there's such a variety of people who cache that it's hard to make it work. I am pretty sure that most would consider my depressing Canadian literature to be trading down.

[+secretagentbill]

I found a book exchange cache fairly early on. It was an ammo can and seemed to be doing fairly well. I didn't trade any books, but I did leave my travel bug that was a book with a tag attached. There is also a DVD exchange (PMO) nearby, but it seems to have gone missing.