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Cache Inflation


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I've recently found several caches that I considered micros that were labeled as smalls and several that I considered smalls that were labeled as regulars and even some I considered regulars that were labeled as large.

 

Am I the only one who has noticed this tendency to inflate the size of caches? Is this because newer cachers do not know what a real regular or real large cache is?

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I noticed quite some time ago a tendency by some cachers to list micros as smalls. I mentioned it at an event and was told "Yeah, we do that so people don't filter out our micros." I was floored to say the least. As time progressed I noticed more and more of the smalls I found were actually micros. Could it be that so many micros have been mislabeled that it has skewed the perception of some as to what the sizes really are? I don't know. So far I haven't noticed this past the micro as small stage.

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We recently found this cache. It was in a very hidden part of a park. It was labeled as a regular size cache.

 

k4cbac.jpg

 

Yes that a film can in that hollowed out log. You could probably fit a small jar in there. But there was only room for a log in that.

 

We were kinda bummed. But the trip was fun.

 

edit: holy huge picture batman. Sorry.

Edited by EhFhQ
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We recently found this cache. It was in a very hidden part of a park. It was labeled as a regular size cache.

 

k4cbac.jpg

 

Yes that a film can in that hollowed out log. You could probably fit a small jar in there. But there was only room for a log in that.

 

We were kinda bummed. But the trip was fun.

 

edit: holy huge picture batman. Sorry.

 

Wouldn't the camo make it a regular and not the size of whatever was holding the log. Anyways you found it and that's what matters. :)

Nice HUGE pic. :blink:

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Who really cares what size they are. A cache is a cache. Just find it, sign the log and get the next one. Too much drama in geocaching. Just get off your computers and go find some caches. My wife says its not ignorance, deception, or apathy its just MEN hiding these caches because we always lie about size. :blink:

 

People trying to drop-off TBs care a lot about the SIZE of the CONTAINER.

 

Hiding a nano in the hull of the Queen Mary doesn't make it a LARGE cache. (it would make it a LARGE PITA, though!)

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We recently found this cache. It was in a very hidden part of a park. It was labeled as a regular size cache.

 

k4cbac.jpg

 

Yes that a film can in that hollowed out log. You could probably fit a small jar in there. But there was only room for a log in that.

 

We were kinda bummed. But the trip was fun.

 

edit: holy huge picture batman. Sorry.

 

Now this is the kind of cache that the "other" was created for.

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People trying to drop-off TBs care a lot about the SIZE of the CONTAINER.

 

Hiding a nano in the hull of the Queen Mary doesn't make it a LARGE cache. (it would make it a LARGE PITA, though!)

 

We went to that park just to drop of a TB in that picture above. I thought this would be a perfect cache by the description. No biggie though because the park had one other regular size cache.

 

Love the example though.

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We recently found this cache. It was in a very hidden part of a park. It was labeled as a regular size cache.

 

k4cbac.jpg

 

Yes that a film can in that hollowed out log. You could probably fit a small jar in there. But there was only room for a log in that.

 

We were kinda bummed. But the trip was fun.

 

edit: holy huge picture batman. Sorry.

 

Now this is the kind of cache that the "other" was created for.

I'm happy for that Micro to be called 'Other' for size!

 

There's a similar one local to me, CO says 'disguised' with a 'bring a pen' note.

Reading the logs of those that have found it, it's amazing how many say they picked it up and put it back down, and continued searching, before the penny dropped and they realised it was the cache! :blink:

(I was one of the pick it up/put it down, carry on searching ones. :) )

Edited by Bear and Ragged
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Who really cares what size they are. A cache is a cache. Just find it, sign the log and get the next one. Too much drama in geocaching. Just get off your computers and go find some caches. My wife says its not ignorance, deception, or apathy its just MEN hiding these caches because we always lie about size. :)

 

People trying to drop-off TBs care a lot about the SIZE of the CONTAINER.

 

Hiding a nano in the hull of the Queen Mary doesn't make it a LARGE cache. (it would make it a LARGE PITA, though!)

 

No it wouldn't because the Queen Mary isn't the camo it's the location of the cache. I understand the TB thing. Keep it for the next one, no big deal. :blink:

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Who really cares what size they are. A cache is a cache. Just find it, sign the log and get the next one. Too much drama in geocaching. Just get off your computers and go find some caches. My wife says its not ignorance, deception, or apathy its just MEN hiding these caches because we always lie about size. :D

 

People trying to drop-off TBs care a lot about the SIZE of the CONTAINER.

 

Hiding a nano in the hull of the Queen Mary doesn't make it a LARGE cache. (it would make it a LARGE PITA, though!)

 

No it wouldn't because the Queen Mary isn't the camo it's the location of the cache. I understand the TB thing. Keep it for the next one, no big deal. :blink:

 

:) It would be easier if they were sized properly. In the pictured example it should be other. In the Queen Marry example it should be micro.

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Am I the only one who has noticed this tendency to inflate the size of caches?

 

I'll be willing to bet it's mostly men. We've been known to inflate the size of things. <_<

 

What? I'm talking about fish you perverts. :anibad:

 

Maybe if GS had a chart where they showed what containers are considered small, medium, etc..

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Am I the only one who has noticed this tendency to inflate the size of caches?

 

I'll be willing to bet it's mostly men. We've been known to inflate the size of things. <_<

 

What? I'm talking about fish you perverts. :anibad:

 

Maybe if GS had a chart where they showed what containers are considered small, medium, etc..

 

Something like this?

 

Cache Sizes

 

These sizes apply to all caches that have a physical container.

 

* Micro (35 mm film canister or smaller – less than approximately 3 ounces or .1 L – typically containing only a logbook or a logsheet)

* Small (sandwich-sized plastic container or similar – less than approximately 1 quart or 1 L – holds trade items as well as a logbook)

* Regular (plastic container or ammo can about the size of a shoebox)

* Large (5 gallon/20 L bucket or larger)

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Am I the only one who has noticed this tendency to inflate the size of caches?

 

I'll be willing to bet it's mostly men. We've been known to inflate the size of things. <_<

 

What? I'm talking about fish you perverts. :anibad:

 

Maybe if GS had a chart where they showed what containers are considered small, medium, etc..

 

Something like this?

 

Cache Sizes

 

These sizes apply to all caches that have a physical container.

 

* Micro (35 mm film canister or smaller – less than approximately 3 ounces or .1 L – typically containing only a logbook or a logsheet)

* Small (sandwich-sized plastic container or similar – less than approximately 1 quart or 1 L – holds trade items as well as a logbook)

* Regular (plastic container or ammo can about the size of a shoebox)

* Large (5 gallon/20 L bucket or larger)

 

EXCELLENT!

Where did you come up with that?

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Am I the only one who has noticed this tendency to inflate the size of caches?

 

I'll be willing to bet it's mostly men. We've been known to inflate the size of things. <_<

 

What? I'm talking about fish you perverts. :anibad:

 

Maybe if GS had a chart where they showed what containers are considered small, medium, etc..

 

Something like this?

 

Cache Sizes

 

These sizes apply to all caches that have a physical container.

 

* Micro (35 mm film canister or smaller – less than approximately 3 ounces or .1 L – typically containing only a logbook or a logsheet)

* Small (sandwich-sized plastic container or similar – less than approximately 1 quart or 1 L – holds trade items as well as a logbook)

* Regular (plastic container or ammo can about the size of a shoebox)

* Large (5 gallon/20 L bucket or larger)

 

EXCELLENT!

Where did you come up with that?

 

I found it in the guidelines. They should require people to read those before they hide a cache. It's amazing what you can find in them.

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I'm happy for that Micro to be called 'Other' for size!

 

There's a similar one local to me, CO says 'disguised' with a 'bring a pen' note.

Reading the logs of those that have found it, it's amazing how many say they picked it up and put it back down, and continued searching, before the penny dropped and they realised it was the cache! <_<

(I was one of the pick it up/put it down, carry on searching ones. :anibad: )

I've had several people do just that to one of my caches. :D

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I noticed quite some time ago a tendency by some cachers to list micros as smalls. I mentioned it at an event and was told "Yeah,

we do that so people don't filter out our micros.
" I was floored to say the least. As time progressed I noticed more and more of the smalls I found were actually micros. Could it be that so many micros have been mislabeled that it has skewed the perception of some as to what the sizes really are? I don't know. So far I haven't noticed this past the micro as small stage.

why would they care about that? Do they really want someone to find their cache and be pissed about it?

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I noticed quite some time ago a tendency by some cachers to list micros as smalls. I mentioned it at an event and was told "Yeah,

we do that so people don't filter out our micros.
" I was floored to say the least. As time progressed I noticed more and more of the smalls I found were actually micros. Could it be that so many micros have been mislabeled that it has skewed the perception of some as to what the sizes really are? I don't know. So far I haven't noticed this past the micro as small stage.

why would they care about that? Do they really want someone to find their cache and be pissed about it?

 

"We want our caches to be found." What?! I asked if they thought someone would be so pissed off when they found the cache they might toss it? "Oh, no one would be that mean." Their caches go right to my ignore list.

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i was conflicted about the size label for my recent cache (Still Waters Run Deep). It's a plastic spice jar. It's bigger than a bison tube (micro) and key holder but smaller than a regular (ammo can/peanut butter jar). i labeled it a small.

 

i'm still not sure if that's correct. No one has mentioned it as an issue in the logs so far.

 

Depends on the size of the spice jar. Most of them in our kitchen I would label as micro sized. One or two as small. Compare the volume to the list from the guidelines I posted earlier.

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i was conflicted about the size label for my recent cache (Still Waters Run Deep). It's a plastic spice jar. It's bigger than a bison tube (micro) and key holder but smaller than a regular (ammo can/peanut butter jar). i labeled it a small.

 

i'm still not sure if that's correct. No one has mentioned it as an issue in the logs so far.

Small is probably appropriate...unless it's a really tiny spice sample container.

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i was conflicted about the size label for my recent cache (Still Waters Run Deep). It's a plastic spice jar. It's bigger than a bison tube (micro) and key holder but smaller than a regular (ammo can/peanut butter jar). i labeled it a small.

 

i'm still not sure if that's correct. No one has mentioned it as an issue in the logs so far.

 

Depends on the size of the spice jar. Most of them in our kitchen I would label as micro sized. One or two as small. Compare the volume to the list from the guidelines I posted earlier.

 

Right, and use a measuring cup. Fill it to 3 oz. with water then pour the water into the container. If it just fits or overflows you have a micro.

 

Most spice jars are 2 oz.

 

41OSbAWsh5L.jpg

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i was conflicted about the size label for my recent cache (Still Waters Run Deep). It's a plastic spice jar. It's bigger than a bison tube (micro) and key holder but smaller than a regular (ammo can/peanut butter jar). i labeled it a small.

 

i'm still not sure if that's correct. No one has mentioned it as an issue in the logs so far.

 

Depends on the size of the spice jar. Most of them in our kitchen I would label as micro sized. One or two as small. Compare the volume to the list from the guidelines I posted earlier.

 

Right, and use a measuring cup. Fill it to 3 oz. with water then pour the water into the container. If it just fits or overflows you have a micro.

 

Most spice jars are 2 oz.

 

41OSbAWsh5L.jpg

<_<

Well, I was just thinking about a rough "looks like about that size" guesstimate. But if you want to be that exact have at it.

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I've recently found several caches that I considered micros that were labeled as smalls and several that I considered smalls that were labeled as regulars and even some I considered regulars that were labeled as large.

 

Am I the only one who has noticed this tendency to inflate the size of caches? Is this because newer cachers do not know what a real regular or real large cache is?

I've noticed it since I began caching. Terrain ratings are equally subjective. Not a big deal. Just find the cache.
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i was conflicted about the size label for my recent cache (Still Waters Run Deep). It's a plastic spice jar. It's bigger than a bison tube (micro) and key holder but smaller than a regular (ammo can/peanut butter jar). i labeled it a small.

 

i'm still not sure if that's correct. No one has mentioned it as an issue in the logs so far.

 

Depends on the size of the spice jar. Most of them in our kitchen I would label as micro sized. One or two as small. Compare the volume to the list from the guidelines I posted earlier.

 

Right, and use a measuring cup. Fill it to 3 oz. with water then pour the water into the container. If it just fits or overflows you have a micro.

 

Most spice jars are 2 oz.

 

41OSbAWsh5L.jpg

glass? <_<

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i was conflicted about the size label for my recent cache (Still Waters Run Deep). It's a plastic spice jar. It's bigger than a bison tube (micro) and key holder but smaller than a regular (ammo can/peanut butter jar). i labeled it a small.

 

i'm still not sure if that's correct. No one has mentioned it as an issue in the logs so far.

 

Depends on the size of the spice jar. Most of them in our kitchen I would label as micro sized. One or two as small. Compare the volume to the list from the guidelines I posted earlier.

 

Right, and use a measuring cup. Fill it to 3 oz. with water then pour the water into the container. If it just fits or overflows you have a micro.

 

Most spice jars are 2 oz.

 

41OSbAWsh5L.jpg

glass? <_<

 

I believe it was just an example for size, not material. Most spices are in plastic containers these days.

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i was conflicted about the size label for my recent cache (Still Waters Run Deep). It's a plastic spice jar. It's bigger than a bison tube (micro) and key holder but smaller than a regular (ammo can/peanut butter jar). i labeled it a small.

 

i'm still not sure if that's correct. No one has mentioned it as an issue in the logs so far.

 

Depends on the size of the spice jar. Most of them in our kitchen I would label as micro sized. One or two as small. Compare the volume to the list from the guidelines I posted earlier.

 

Right, and use a measuring cup. Fill it to 3 oz. with water then pour the water into the container. If it just fits or overflows you have a micro.

 

Most spice jars are 2 oz.

 

 

A word of advice, be sure to pour the water out of the container before adding the log and hiding it.

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i was conflicted about the size label for my recent cache (Still Waters Run Deep). It's a plastic spice jar. It's bigger than a bison tube (micro) and key holder but smaller than a regular (ammo can/peanut butter jar). i labeled it a small.

 

i'm still not sure if that's correct. No one has mentioned it as an issue in the logs so far.

 

Depends on the size of the spice jar. Most of them in our kitchen I would label as micro sized. One or two as small. Compare the volume to the list from the guidelines I posted earlier.

 

Right, and use a measuring cup. Fill it to 3 oz. with water then pour the water into the container. If it just fits or overflows you have a micro.

 

Most spice jars are 2 oz.

glass? <_<

 

I believe it was just an example for size, not material. Most spices are in plastic containers these days.

 

Yes, just an example. But you'd have to ask seekeroftheway if they used glass or plastic. I have seen glass spice jars used as a container. The 2 I found were wrapped in camo tape.

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If "inflation" is defined as an increase in the cache supply, then inflation must be running at 10-20%, maybe more. If we're using the traditional definition of inflation as an increase in the price of goodsy feelings and serves-us-good, then clearly it takes more caches to produce a given unit of "cache high" than before. Observers are seeing inflation of cache supply, yet deflation of expectations.

 

The Federal Reserve has been keeping the interest rate in micros at zero for an extended time, but with little noticeable effect. Reviewers continue to extend credit to micros at a minimal interest rate. Desert states are also seeing the phenomenon of consumers taking out high-interest line-of-micro loans and blowing them on weekend road trips, often with hyperinflationary credit card bills to follow.

 

:)

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i was conflicted about the size label for my recent cache (Still Waters Run Deep). It's a plastic spice jar. It's bigger than a bison tube (micro) and key holder but smaller than a regular (ammo can/peanut butter jar). i labeled it a small.

 

i'm still not sure if that's correct. No one has mentioned it as an issue in the logs so far.

 

Depends on the size of the spice jar. Most of them in our kitchen I would label as micro sized. One or two as small. Compare the volume to the list from the guidelines I posted earlier.

 

Right, and use a measuring cup. Fill it to 3 oz. with water then pour the water into the container. If it just fits or overflows you have a micro.

 

Most spice jars are 2 oz.

 

41OSbAWsh5L.jpg

glass? :)

 

I believe it was just an example for size, not material. Most spices are in plastic containers these days.

I know. i've taken some heat for using glass so its all in fun.

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Who really cares what size they are

I do. Many of my peers do as well. If you hold to the notion that "Every Cache Is Sacred" (which, incidentally could make for a good Monty Python skit, if you could get school kids to sing it), that's fine. You cache however you see fit. Lots of other cachers actually have preferences.

:) DRAMA

Hardly. Clan Riffster speaks for many of us, that's why there are so many micro discussions on the forums. Believing that eveyone likes every size cache would suggest to me that you are sticking your head in the sand.

Edited by Lone R
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I don't like micros -- I think they're WAY BEYOND a waste of time. I like to find a cache big enough to have something in it, my favorite being Geocoins. If I run across somebody mislabelling a micro as small or other or whatever, I put them on my ignore list. I don't believe they're worth my time to try and correct or even discuss it with them.

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I don't like micros -- I think they're WAY BEYOND a waste of time. I like to find a cache big enough to have something in it, my favorite being Geocoins. If I run across somebody mislabelling a micro as small or other or whatever, I put them on my ignore list. I don't believe they're worth my time to try and correct or even discuss it with them.

While that may solve the "problem" for you, it does nothing to correct the fad. If enough people speak out - i.e.. tell the CO it's labeled wrong - then maybe it'll pass.

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I've recently found several caches that I considered micros that were labeled as smalls and several that I considered smalls that were labeled as regulars and even some I considered regulars that were labeled as large.

 

Am I the only one who has noticed this tendency to inflate the size of caches? Is this because newer cachers do not know what a real regular or real large cache is?

 

Not only do I not really notice this, I'm going to be the first (I think) to point out a case where the exact opposite is true. I have found several dozen greater than 1.0 Liter lock-n-lock's listed as "small". The most common size for people to do this with is 1.2 Liter containers. I'll even say other than the 2 or 3 I have placed myself, I have never seen a 1.2 Liter lock-n-lock listed as a regular, which it should be. I'm no world traveler, but I've seen this everywhere I have cached.

 

Interesting on the spice jars though, I would have said small. I'll bet I've only found 2 or 3 in my whole career; but one of them was just this summer, and sure enough, it's listed as a small. Contained a bunch of miniature trade items too. :)

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Who really cares what size they are

I do. Many of my peers do as well. If you hold to the notion that "Every Cache Is Sacred" (which, incidentally could make for a good Monty Python skit, if you could get school kids to sing it), that's fine. You cache however you see fit. Lots of other cachers actually have preferences.

:) DRAMA

 

It would be drama if he were complaining about it in logs after finding them. Here it's just an opinion and discussion.

 

Frankly, labeling disenting opinions as " :D DRAMA" is pretty dramatic all by itself.

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I don't like micros -- I think they're WAY BEYOND a waste of time. I like to find a cache big enough to have something in it, my favorite being Geocoins. If I run across somebody mislabelling a micro as small or other or whatever, I put them on my ignore list. I don't believe they're worth my time to try and correct or even discuss it with them.

While that may solve the "problem" for you, it does nothing to correct the fad. If enough people speak out - i.e.. tell the CO it's labeled wrong - then maybe it'll pass.

 

Yep, I understand the limitations of my method. Maybe I'm just a curmudgeon, but I figure that they shoud start wondering why their cache isn't being attemopted so much - at some point.

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I've recently found several caches that I considered micros that were labeled as smalls and several that I considered smalls that were labeled as regulars and even some I considered regulars that were labeled as large.

 

Am I the only one who has noticed this tendency to inflate the size of caches? Is this because newer cachers do not know what a real regular or real large cache is?

 

Not only do I not really notice this, I'm going to be the first (I think) to point out a case where the exact opposite is true. I have found several dozen greater than 1.0 Liter lock-n-lock's listed as "small". The most common size for people to do this with is 1.2 Liter containers. I'll even say other than the 2 or 3 I have placed myself, I have never seen a 1.2 Liter lock-n-lock listed as a regular, which it should be. I'm no world traveler, but I've seen this everywhere I have cached.

 

Interesting on the spice jars though, I would have said small. I'll bet I've only found 2 or 3 in my whole career; but one of them was just this summer, and sure enough, it's listed as a small. Contained a bunch of miniature trade items too. :)

 

That just highlights another problem. Just what is the volume of a shoebox? I think that 1.2l is closer to the description of a small(less than approximately 1l) than it is to the description of a regular (about the size of a shoebox). My shoes haven't been able to fit in a 1.2 litter space since I was about 2.

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i was conflicted about the size label for my recent cache (Still Waters Run Deep). It's a plastic spice jar. It's bigger than a bison tube (micro) and key holder but smaller than a regular (ammo can/peanut butter jar). i labeled it a small.

 

i'm still not sure if that's correct. No one has mentioned it as an issue in the logs so far.

Depends on the size of the spice jar. Most of them in our kitchen I would label as micro sized. One or two as small. Compare the volume to the list from the guidelines I posted earlier.
Right, and use a measuring cup. Fill it to 3 oz. with water then pour the water into the container. If it just fits or overflows you have a micro.

 

Most spice jars are 2 oz.

 

41OSbAWsh5L.jpg

As I explained the last time that you tossed out that picture, it clearly states that it is two ounces of weight, not volume. The referenced bottle no doubt holds more than two ounces by volume (since water is heavier than ground spices, by volume). For instance, a container which held 2 ounces of flour by weight would hold 3.2 ounces by volume. (Of course, you also need to realize that the 'head space' in the bottle should figure into the volume computation, meaning that your two ounce (by weight) bottles will hold even more by volume.)

 

Therefore, your spice jars should be appropriately listed as 'small' caches.

Edited by sbell111
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