What would you do?

[Troutonthebrain]

Awhile back we bought something that we turned into a geocache container (well, actually, the camo of it.) We hid it once and then it appeared it had gone missing, so we archived. About a year later we went to hide a new geocache at the spot. When we got there, however, we found our old container! After that much time outside it looked hardly anything like it had originally. The cameo had bleached and had a very unique look now (one that would be very hard to duplicate.) Thus we put in a new log and rehid it elsewhere. After a couple months, we got a note from a previous finder that went with a friend that our camo was no longer there. Recently we went to find a cache and it was the same theme as ours, so we though, "cool!", we should be able to find this one quickly. When we found it, the camo looked exactly like ours, I mean exactly. One can buy our camo in a local store, but the year or two of bleaching gave ours a very distinct look that would be very hard to duplicate.

 

So, what would you do? Just assume it is not yours and move on? Assume it is yours and move on? Email the person to ask where they got it? (Though this is the other dilemma, we know the cacher kinda well and don't want to step on toes if they did get it honestly.)

 

Thanks for the help,

Troutonthebrain

Edited August 14, 2012 by Troutonthebrain

[AZcachemeister]

Cameo?

 

I wouldn't do or say anything unless there was some way I could prove the item was mine.

 

Even if you COULD prove that it was your camo, and had been stolen, where would that get you?

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

If I am reading correctly.... (took a couple of "spins" at it).... you feel this other cacher commandeered your cache and has since used it to place a cache of his/her own. Is that correct?

 

If so, your actions I think would depend on your personality. Type "A" would probably confront the other cacher, Type "B" would probably let it slide. In that you are asking what others would do, I would guess that you are Type "B" -- a Type "A" probably wouldn't bother asking.

 

The choice is yours and yours alone to make. The last line of your post makes me believe that you aren't 100% sure of what you suspect.

That being the case, I just might let it slide, even though it isn't my Type.

 

By-the-by: Camo or camouflage.... cameo is a piece of jewelry.

[+ArcherDragoon]

Consider yourself part of the "Cool Kids" 'cause others want your stuff and move on...unless you spent an extravagant amount of money on the cache; it isn't something to get worked up about (but it would be a great story to tell your grandkids about)

[+Lieblweb]

Assume it is not yours and move on......

 

There is enough finger pointing & confrontation in this world. Let it go....

 

Keep the hobby for what it should be - stress free!!

 

Perhaps for next time - put a distinguishing marking or your initials somewhere on the container that nobody would know is there...and you'd know almost immediately that it was indeed your container.

[Troutonthebrain]

By-the-by: Camo or camouflage.... cameo is a piece of jewelry.

Well don't you hate the non-geocacher terms spell check!

 

Anyway, thanks for the input. Losing it kinda took the only thing that made our skirt lifter cache special, but oh well, we can archive and hide something new if we want to.

[+J the Goat]

By-the-by: Camo or camouflage.... cameo is a piece of jewelry.

Well don't you hate the non-geocacher terms spell check!

 

Anyway, thanks for the input. Losing it kinda took the only thing that made our skirt lifter cache special, but oh well, we can archive and hide something new if we want to.

 

Noooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MisterEFQ]

Awhile back we bought something that we turned into a geocache container (well, actually, the camo of it.) We hid it once and then it appeared it had gone missing, so we archived. About a year later we went to hide a new geocache at the spot. When we got there, however, we found our old container! After that much time outside it looked hardly anything like it had originally. The cameo had bleached and had a very unique look now (one that would be very hard to duplicate.) Thus we put in a new log and rehid it elsewhere. After a couple months, we got a note from a previous finder that went with a friend that our camo was no longer there. Recently we went to find a cache and it was the same theme as ours, so we though, "cool!", we should be able to find this one quickly. When we found it, the camo looked exactly like ours, I mean exactly. One can buy our camo in a local store, but the year or two of bleaching gave ours a very distinct look that would be very hard to duplicate.

 

So, what would you do? Just assume it is not yours and move on? Assume it is yours and move on? Email the person to ask where they got it? (Though this is the other dilemma, we know the cacher kinda well and don't want to step on toes if they did get it honestly.)

 

Thanks for the help,

Troutonthebrain

 

Having just dealt with a cache thief, I would suggest just letting it go. Confronting a person who has the gall to steal a cache and hide it as their own is not going to solve anything. It is just going to create more drama and make you a target. That is of course if this person actually stole it.

 

If they did find the camouflage on their own you are going to create drama by accusing somebody of theft.

 

That is how I look at it.

[+T.D.M.22]

did the CO steal it or did someone else steal it and give it to them? maybe it worn off and they found it on the ground-has happened here. Maybe the weathered their own? honestly just leave it.

[+The_Incredibles_]

I'd be totally curious, in this case, and would send a polite inquisitive email.

 

I'd probably assume they did NOT steal it and rather found it laying somewhere (logbook gone) and thought to use it.

 

I'd probably email and mention my cache was muggled and wondering if they found it somewhere-just out of curiousity-that even if this was the case, they could keep it.

 

If you're careful the way you phrase things, you can do it without accusing them of stealing.

 

Next time Sharpie your cache name on the container!

[+lamoracke]

if you do not mind just playing up the fool and just asking the other person (assuming you do not have a history with the person or something like that), you may find out you were wrong and his explanation makes total sense. If you get no response or a response you do not believe, well, at least you tried. Leave it at that.

 

Course, I was not 100% sure what you meant, but it sounds like asking him/her would give you more info so as long as you are just curious not confrontational, you might get useful info.

[+BlueDeuce]

Awhile back we bought something that we turned into a geocache container (well, actually, the camo of it.) We hid it once and then it appeared it had gone missing, so we archived. About a year later we went to hide a new geocache at the spot. When we got there, however, we found our old container! After that much time outside it looked hardly anything like it had originally. The cameo had bleached and had a very unique look now (one that would be very hard to duplicate.) Thus we put in a new log and rehid it elsewhere. After a couple months, we got a note from a previous finder that went with a friend that our camo was no longer there. Recently we went to find a cache and it was the same theme as ours, so we though, "cool!", we should be able to find this one quickly. When we found it, the camo looked exactly like ours, I mean exactly. One can buy our camo in a local store, but the year or two of bleaching gave ours a very distinct look that would be very hard to duplicate.

 

So, what would you do? Just assume it is not yours and move on? Assume it is yours and move on? Email the person to ask where they got it? (Though this is the other dilemma, we know the cacher kinda well and don't want to step on toes if they did get it honestly.)

 

Thanks for the help,

Troutonthebrain

 

First thing I would do is see if my cache was still in place. If not I would disable it, replace it. Depending on how much I would confront my friend, I would either find out why they had it or wait to see if the next one disappeared as well. And then wait for that one to disappear. Then I would relocate the cache and have a nice surf and turf dinner with my friend.

Edited August 15, 2012 by BlueDeuce

[+Crow-T-Robot]

Awhile back we bought something that we turned into a geocache container (well, actually, the camo of it.) We hid it once and then it appeared it had gone missing, so we archived. About a year later we went to hide a new geocache at the spot. When we got there, however, we found our old container! After that much time outside it looked hardly anything like it had originally. The cameo had bleached and had a very unique look now (one that would be very hard to duplicate.) Thus we put in a new log and rehid it elsewhere. After a couple months, we got a note from a previous finder that went with a friend that our camo was no longer there. Recently we went to find a cache and it was the same theme as ours, so we though, "cool!", we should be able to find this one quickly. When we found it, the camo looked exactly like ours, I mean exactly. One can buy our camo in a local store, but the year or two of bleaching gave ours a very distinct look that would be very hard to duplicate.

 

So, what would you do? Just assume it is not yours and move on? Assume it is yours and move on? Email the person to ask where they got it? (Though this is the other dilemma, we know the cacher kinda well and don't want to step on toes if they did get it honestly.)

 

Thanks for the help,

Troutonthebrain

 

First thing I would do is see if my cache was still in place.

 

This should be your first step, especially after you started your post by saying you archived a cache without actually going to see if it was missing. Bleached out camo? Seen it a few times and it's not all that unique. I could easily see two containers being camo'd the same way and the sun bleaching them out the same way.