How much money do you spend on a cache?

[+dorqie]

On average, how much do you spend on a new cache placement? Including, container, camo, logbook, starter swag and whatever else.

[+StarBrand]

Regular size - Low of $8 - High of $90 - average is about $15

Small size - low of $5 - high of $25 - average is about $10

Micro - low of $2 - High of $8 - Average about $3

[Clan Riffster]

Almost all my hides these days are 30 calibre ammo cans.

 

Buying the can = $7

Metal treatment = $1

Base paint = $2

Adhesive & camo = $5

Chain & D-rings = $7

Swag, logbook & pen = $20

FTF prize = $5

 

Total = $47

[+sword fern]

None.

[Steinninn]

That's a good topic. I've been wondering how much people spend on ammo boxes.

[AZcachemeister]

The cache itself (including contents) could go as high as mmmmm, $30.

 

Getting to the place where I want to put it could go as high as $100.

[+geodarts]

Anywhere between 5 to 125 dollars for the contents (but 20-30 would be closer to average for a regular sized cache). For a container, 5 -10 dollars. Incidental expenses include tape, paint, corks, rare earth magnets or strips, log books.

Edited July 9, 2011 by mulvaney

[+Hypnopaedia]

Usually I spend about 2-20 dollars per cache. I got a great deal on 120mm cans (VERY big) which worked out to about 15$ per can. However, I had one cache that ended up costing me about $300 all told. And despite the fact that it really isn't de rigueur, here's the GC code GC2FHZ7. Didn't really have the money for it, but I wanted to do it so bad.

[+RhinoInAToga]

You know, I have no idea. Good topic.

I sometimes get micros for free. (Diabetes test strips containers) the others we purchase whenever we have the extra bucks. Then we slowly fill them with swag over time, while coming up with ideas for placement. We usually put swag in them here & there whenever we refill our swag bag. Then, when we have enough swag in some, we'll keep our eye out for an affordable FTF prize (which we do because we think it's nice)

That process takes a while, sometimes months, so I don't keep track. We just always have caches building since we started. But now I think I'll keep track, even though we only add to them when we have extra money so it doesn't effect the budget.

[+Bundyrumandcoke]

It varies, but I have spent over AU$300 building one cache, and then there was the $100 FTF prize that I shared 50/50 with the co owner.

[+Ambrosia]

Wow, I can't believe the amounts that are being thrown about. Good on ya is all I can say, but I couldn't afford to be in this sport if I spent that sort of money on all my cache placements. I really have no idea how much I spend on caches, maybe 5-7 dollars? A bit more if they were ammo cans, but I can't find cheap ones in town anymore. They've doubled in cost in the past few years.

[+briansnat]

A regular will cost me about $10-$20

A small will be about $8-15

Micros about $1 to $4

 

Since I place mostly small and regular I'd estimate my average cost over the years to be somewhere around $12 per cache.

Edited July 9, 2011 by briansnat

[+Moto*Joe]

$6.00 for the ammo can...

$10.00 trip to the Dollar Store....

$5.00 gift card from Wal Mart for the FTF

The feeling you get when you hid the cache so well, someone has to post a DNF......PRICELESS!!!!!

Edited July 9, 2011 by Moto-Dweller

[+A & J Tooling]

Usually I spend about 2-20 dollars per cache. I got a great deal on 120mm cans (VERY big) which worked out to about 15$ per can. However, I had one cache that ended up costing me about $300 all told. And despite the fact that it really isn't de rigueur, here's the GC code GC2FHZ7. Didn't really have the money for it, but I wanted to do it so bad.

120mm are 10.95 here. A 120mm tube, now that is even bigger (tank round not mortar).

Edited July 9, 2011 by A & J Tooling

[+Hypnopaedia]

Usually I spend about 2-20 dollars per cache. I got a great deal on 120mm cans (VERY big) which worked out to about 15$ per can. However, I had one cache that ended up costing me about $300 all told. And despite the fact that it really isn't de rigueur, here's the GC code GC2FHZ7. Didn't really have the money for it, but I wanted to do it so bad.

120mm are 10.95 here. A 120mm tube, now that is even bigger (tank round not mortar).

Let me ask you this then, do you have 81mm cans "here"?

[+GrievousAngel]

I got 120 mm cans for about $7.50/can. The last 30 cal cans I got cost me $4/can, but I haven't put any of those out recently because the prices are outrageous. Otherwise, I put out Lock & Locks that I've gotten when JCPenney has a sale.

[+dorqie]

I got 120 mm cans for about $7.50/can. The last 30 cal cans I got cost me $4/can, but I haven't put any of those out recently because the prices are outrageous. Otherwise, I put out Lock & Locks that I've gotten when JCPenney has a sale.

I miss JC penny. As far as I know there aren't any in Canada. Things were cheaper in the states.

The only place that has sales on lock n' locks is Wal-mart, the mere sight of the parking lot gives me nosebleeds, I can't stand the layout of that place...

[+Fianccetto]

About £15 for the small one and about £10 for the regular one I adopted and needed replacing. I have various others planned but as I've lost our GPS I'm not sure about placing them accurately, so that's on hold for now. Can't afford to buy another GPS just now, and we can find caches pretty well with our phones.

[+sshipway]

My most complex cache, a puzzle cache involving locks, keys and trackables, cost a little over NZ$150 including starter swag and all. With the current string NZ$ and weak US$, that comes to about US$120 in 'merkin-money.

 

However my other cache used an old container and so on so even including everything still was under NZ$10 (US$8).

 

I think it simply depends on hwhat you're willing to spend. Also, you'd probably not want to put a lot of money into a cache with a higher chance of being muggled or pillaged, which is why my puzzle cache had more spent on it.

[+BaylorGrad]

I'll get angry glares for this.... But I've hidden only 10 caches, and they're all micros. Since I know how much each container cost (and several of them cost me nothing), I can say with relative certainty that I've spent an average of 66 cents on my caches. Don't judge now! I've got a few favorite points in there!

 

Don't worry, I have some smalls and regulars planned for this Fall.

[+d+n.s]

probably around $20 fi we count spray paint and stuff, but I can re-use that stuff...

Also, I get free swag through work. ( I do sound for a lot of corporate events, and I like to go through and get the "swag" they give away at the door or registration before its tossed)

[+Don_J]

I'll get angry glares for this.... But I've hidden only 10 caches, and they're all micros. Since I know how much each container cost (and several of them cost me nothing), I can say with relative certainty that I've spent an average of 66 cents on my caches. Don't judge now! I've got a few favorite points in there!

 

Don't worry, I have some smalls and regulars planned for this Fall.

 

Don't worry about it. The cache that I hid today cost $1. My "trademark" container cost 50 cents and the original contents spices up my food. I've hidden dozens and they are generally well excepted.

 

When I first started hiding caches, I invested about $30 each for two ammo cans and swag. I hid them on a canyon trail and over two years, they had about 30 finds. Not one person traded any of the swag. Most comments were similar to "neat swag, I have nothing to trade". After two years, fire raced through the canyon and roasted the swag to ash. From that point I just kind of lost interest in the whole swag thing. Since then I tend to place cheap, yet waterproof containers in spots that I think other cachers will enjoy visiting.

[+MikeAndHike]

I am planning to hide my first cache in the next few weeks. So far I have only bought the container, a 50 cal ammo can. It cost me $20. I have a plan for camouflage and contents that should probably put the cache around $70 when all is finished. Seems like a lot now that I right it down. But I want my first hide to be a good one so onwards and upwards!

[+A & J Tooling]

$20? Gag! We need to have a ammo can clearing house. Those things only cost the scrappers a buck or so. That is some awesome profit. Hmm......

[+dorqie]

$20? Gag! We need to have a ammo can clearing house. Those things only cost the scrappers a buck or so. That is some awesome profit. Hmm......

In my locality, I haven't been able to find an amo can for under $25.99

However this has to to with the fact that I live in a city which is generally more expensive than everywhere else, so take that with a small grain of salt.

 

I generally beg, borrow and steal supplies, so it's hard for me to get a figure for what caches actually cost.

I just picked up 3 lock and locks for $5 at a wal-mart upisland, should have got more, but didn't want to take up too much trunk space in the car during the road trip.

 

Log books come from the dollar store, where I got 2 for $1.

Swag will come out of my moms house. We have just downsized her to a condo, and I have a storage locker full of trinkets that I think would be fun to find.

 

I haven't thought of any camo yet, because I haven't decided on a location yet, but in the past I've used recycled and reclaimed materials for camo with success.

[+TerraViators]

I'm a recycler for the most part. I like to recycle PB jars, etc. I have bought matchstick containers and ammo cans. I've also won a few ammo cans at events. I don't put much money into the containers.

[+dorqie]

I'm a recycler for the most part. I like to recycle PB jars, etc. I have bought matchstick containers and ammo cans. I've also won a few ammo cans at events. I don't put much money into the containers.

Do you find that the PB jars stay dry?

I've only found two as caches, but they have both been very wet. (however, i've found wet lock and locks too)

[+TerraViators]

I'm a recycler for the most part. I like to recycle PB jars, etc. I have bought matchstick containers and ammo cans. I've also won a few ammo cans at events. I don't put much money into the containers.

Do you find that the PB jars stay dry?

I've only found two as caches, but they have both been very wet. (however, i've found wet lock and locks too)

I do find that they hold up well. I have seen them warp when exposed to high heat. What I've hidden is not exposed to water directly, so it hasn't been a problem.

[+MikeAndHike]

$20? Gag! We need to have a ammo can clearing house. Those things only cost the scrappers a buck or so. That is some awesome profit. Hmm......

 

Cheapest I could find. The smaller 30 cal ammo cans were $15 and half the size! This is in Calgary AB Canada as well. If that matters.

[+Viridios]

I have placed two hides, and each container was recycled; one was a peanut butter container, and the other a small sample bottle from the lab. As for camo, I glue fabric onto the container. The glue was $7 and a square yard of camo fabric was about $7 as well, and I still have tons of both, probably enough for another 5-15 containers, depending on the size.

[+brennan7]

No job, no money, no high school degree (yet), I cant afford anyting for my caches. I get all of my micros from my dad when he finished a bottle of his medications. (So theyre all pill bottles.) I get all my ammo boxes and pelicans from family and friends on birthdays, Christmas, etc. The logs are usually a little spiral I got luck in finding around the house, or a few pieces of printer paper stapled together. Without using any money at ALL, I still manage to get logs like "Ingenious" because I spent more time on them, mostly just scavenging around. Works for me, although I have had some good cache ideas pop into mind but wouldnt be possible without spending a few bucks to put it together. Only thing I pay for is the $30 mambership.