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Placing a $100 cache


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So spring is in the air and that means everybody getting bit by the cache planting bug. I have had an idea mulling around for a particular plant and started to put my plan into action. I am hesitating, though, as I have now determined that the final cost to put this cache together will be over $100.

 

Obviously, it is an entirely personal decision if I decide to put this cache out or not, but it got me wondering how many caches out there have required three figure investments (or high double figures) before the cache page even gets published. Im thinking if quite a few cache planters have made similar investments, it might encourage me to proceed. Of course, I might get persuaded against proceeding as well. Does anyone have any stories they would like to share about high cost caches?

Edited by StealthRT
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My cache wasn't necessarily high cost, but...

 

I bought a $10 bird feeder with the long inside that has a few levels for birds to feed from...then I put a skinny glass inside and placed the cache inside the glass with bird seed outside the glass so you couldn't see it...you would only know to take off the lid and get the cache because I placed a geocache sign on the top of the bird feeder as a marker. It lasted about 3 weeks until the ENTIRE bird feeder went AWOL. I haven't spent more than a few bucks on a caching container since.

 

But do whatever you enjoy as long as you won't get too upset if it AWOL's or gets damaged.

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The problem I ran into, was that I took it more personally when other cachers weren't respectful of the cache, by placing it back correctly and even breaking parts. I also didn't appreciate the crappy logs even more than usual. My own character flaws, I know, but I think that is a natural side affect of spending mor time and/or money on a cache. I've only put about $40 as a high, but several $10+

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The problem I ran into, was that I took it more personally when other cachers weren't respectful of the cache, by placing it back correctly and even breaking parts. I also didn't appreciate the crappy logs even more than usual. My own character flaws, I know, but I think that is a natural side affect of spending mor time and/or money on a cache. I've only put about $40 as a high, but several $10+

 

A tale of two cachers in our area...

 

Cacher 1: He puts out creative caches that sometimes take days to create. He gets plenty of favorites but has to deal with a lot of cacher-caused damage, which is frustrating.

 

Cacher 2: Does a good job of camoing his caches but refuses to spend more than 5 minutes creating any cache. His stuff tends to deteriorate and needs maintenance, but he isn't upset about cache maintenance as he didn't invest much into the process.

 

I totally understand Cacher 2, but still prefer Cacher 1's take even though its a more frustrating way to go.

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One of my caches cost me $80 for the container and probably the near the same amount to prep it and have it ready for use. It is an extremely heavy container and I shouldn't have to worry about somebody taking off with it. I have a spare in case it were to happen, but I don't anticipate it. I have never regretted the investment (except when I had to move it) as it is a cache that I get a lot of compliments on and have overheard several people recommending the cache as a must-do to friends. Next to that my most expensive cache is around $20, though I have another cache in the works that will cost me over $100 easy, but that will be a very large container.

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I probably average $10-20 on a regular size cache, but I created one that probably cost $100 in materials too (which I need to go pull and replace). I haven't another one in the works that will end up around $75 or so too.

 

In the end, I think you have to look at the expenditure like gambling: you'll hopefully get some personal satisfaction out of it, but know that you could just lose it all too. If you're up for the risk, other cachers do appreciate creative hides.

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Only you can answer the question "How much is too much". My caches tend to be done on the cheap. I've put out a couple that probably cost less than $3 out of pocket, including container and swag and log. I've done a couple that might have approached $20 and an hour or two of work. My average is probably $10 and less than 30 minutes prep time to make or camo the container. I have one in the back of my mind that I'm mulling over, but it'll take some time to learn enough technique and some specialized knowledge to design it, and some more work and a few dollars of materials to build it. I may get to $30-50 all told. If you put a dollar value on my time and effort to research and learn and practice what I need to know to make this work, the cost could easily go over $100.

 

I have seen some very creative hides, and I can appreciate the work and / or cost that has gone into them. But in my mind, it's the creativity that makes the difference. To me, being able to take 3-4 common household items and craft a container that is hard to spot, can survive exposure to the elements, and make me chuckle is better than finding one where someone spent 3 figures on a big Pelican case, for example.

 

Finally, you have to factor in the fact that your cache may not survive a week in the wild. If you put it where muggles can find it easily, some teen-aged kid may think that your fancy Swiss Army brand imported ammo case is the perfect thing to hide his stash of weed in the back of his dad's garage. What's your tolerance to the risk of loss, both of the cost of the cache, and the time you put into it that was now wasted?

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I have one that only cost around $25 in materials, but it took me at least 100 person hours to create. At minimum wage that's $725.
Ditto. My hides (and planned hides that haven't actually been deployed yet) haven't been that expensive, but I've invested a lot of time planning/preparing them.

 

But I've found caches that clearly required the CO to invest more than $100 (and a lot of time as well).

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Nothing wrong with spending some dough on a cache hide. I'm working on one that will cost me a fair bit. I've already spent about $50 so far on trackables to stock the cache with. I will eventually spend more on contents when it's all done, and the cache and its camo will most likely cost a fair bit more than $100, too. It will probably be the most expensive hide within 100mi.

 

But, it doesn't really matter how much you spend as long as it turns out being a good quality cache. The only reason I haven't bought all the camo supplies yet (I have the container) is because I'm still working out the best way to do it so it's a durable cache that looks good and functions as intended.

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