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Trade up, even, or leave it?


Yakcal

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I'm not a new cacher but this question has been on my mind for some time now. When I began caching I read somewhere that if you take a trackable then you should leave a trackable. Has this ever been how everyone else is doing it, or am I playing with this rule all by myself? It only makes sense to me that if I remove an object of value from a cache then I should replace it with an object of like value. I know that I do seek out caches that show that they contain trackables; and if others in the area do the same then my take & leave policy will allow others that prefer to find trackables a supply of caches that fit their caching preferences.

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"Trade up or even" does not apply to trackables. Trackables just want to move from cache to cache (or so somewhere specific. Some cache owners mention in their listing that you should not take more trackables from the cache than you leave behind, but that is a bogus rule. Where trackables are concerned, the CO is not the ruling party, you are dealing with the trackable owners and they probably do want you to move their trackables along.

"Trade up or even" is for swag.

 

I'm not a new cacher but this question has been on my mind for some time now. When I began caching I read somewhere that if you take a trackable then you should leave a trackable. Has this ever been how everyone else is doing it, or am I playing with this rule all by myself? It only makes sense to me that if I remove an object of value from a cache then I should replace it with an object of like value. I know that I do seek out caches that show that they contain trackables; and if others in the area do the same then my take & leave policy will allow others that prefer to find trackables a supply of caches that fit their caching preferences.

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"Trade up, trade even, or don't trade at all" refers to swag, stuff in the cache, only.

You never never, never, never, ever have to trade a trackable for a trackable, regardless of the cache owner's "rules".

The goals of a trackable supercedes the goal of a cache owner.

Move them bugs! And don't forget to log in a timely fashion.

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however, I have been known to leave an unactivated trackable coin for first to find in a new cache. someone correct me if I'm wrong, but at that point since it is a prize, it's a prize, not swag, and doesn't need to be traded for.

 

most of the very few caches that I've seen offering an unactivated trackable for the FTF, will have mention of that somewhere on the cache page.

 

ILYK
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however, I have been known to leave an unactivated trackable coin for first to find in a new cache. someone correct me if I'm wrong, but at that point since it is a prize, it's a prize, not swag, and doesn't need to be traded for.

 

most of the very few caches that I've seen offering an unactivated trackable for the FTF, will have mention of that somewhere on the cache page.

 

ILYK

 

And that is where the confusion comes in. If leaving a geocoin as a "gift" then you should leave a clear note with it stating as much.

 

I know than no much "trading" (if any these days) happens these days of unactivated geocoins left in geocaches (aka swag geocoins), but just so there is no confusion a note explaining that it is a gift and does not need to be traded for would help heaps.

 

When I have left a geocoin in a cache as swag I've also left a note to that affect, but the geocoin pretty quickly disappears into someones collection, just taken, not traded. Have also left geocoins in some of the more fun geocaches as a gift for the cache owner. Sure hope they got them before anyone else did!

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I leave unactivated coins in some of my new hides as an FTF prize. It is just that, a prize. I do not expect the FTFr to trade for it.

I'm not doing that anymore.

I always put (in my opinion) interesting trade items in my caches. But after four or five finders, the caches are empty except for the logbook. The swag is swag, trade items, not presents or prizes.

The last time I left an unactivated travel tag in a cache, wrapped and everything, writing in the logbook, that it is swag, as my son wanted something out of the cache and we had not equal trade items with us.

The next finder took it for a traveler and took it without a trade.

 

People can't read anymore, they don't take time to log and trade at the cache, they just quickly put their name in the log and off they go. It's sad, but it's the way the game is changing into.

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If you consider a 'prize' for the FTF something that doesn't need to be traded for, what happens if the FTF doesn't take it. If the STF takes it, is it still a prize, or should they trade for it now? I know it's (almost) all academic, since nardly any9ne apparently trades up r even anyway. All the good stuff disappears also from my caches in no time at all, with nothing or rubbish in return. And there are people who take good swag, trading it for a traveller, convinced they are doing the right thing. I think there is already plenty of room for confusion, without adding a concept of 'prizes' that you don't need to trade for. I think special swag for the TFT is fine, but they should leave something in its place. Or at least I didn't know the slogan had become 'trade up or even, unless it's a prize'.

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Thank you, one and all. I hope you know how it goes; you hear something and you think you have it all down pat and then things don't go as expected. Somehow, somewhere, I came to understand that you took a geocoin only if you had one to replace it; same with Travel Bugs.

 

Now I am finally informed on the 'proper' way of moving trackables.

 

Once again; thanks so much.

 

Yalcal

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Rule one - swag - those trinkets that fill the cache - trade up or even.

 

Rule two - trackables - owner want them to travel - if you can place them into another cache within two weeks, then take, log them out and help them travel. (no need to swap for another trackable, or swag!)

 

Rule three - prizes, unactivated geocoins, - yours to keep. Trade where possible, or pay it forward.

 

Unofficial rule - TB hotels where owners want a list of trackables, are actually more like prisons. If you can help them travel, then take the ones that have resided in for a month or more!

Edited by Butterfly_lady
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