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Gift for FTF?


3isamagic#

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ok....we have found over 150 caches. We are ready to hide our first cache. We have found the perfect place, thought up cute info, practiced setting waypoints, created a cammoed cache, gathered swag, found a small notebook and pen.....

 

but what about the FTF??? I see things about coins, but honestly....is there another option? I have seen some caches that mention "a dollar for FTF", but I don't want to start off by being a lame cache.

 

suggestions?

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ok....we have found over 150 caches. We are ready to hide our first cache. We have found the perfect place, thought up cute info, practiced setting waypoints, created a cammoed cache, gathered swag, found a small notebook and pen.....

 

but what about the FTF??? I see things about coins, but honestly....is there another option? I have seen some caches that mention "a dollar for FTF", but I don't want to start off by being a lame cache.

 

suggestions?

 

Honestly, I like going after FTFs, most people that visit this forum think they are better than everyone else and being competitive at Geocaching is a sin so I'll give you my opinion, for what it's worth, as a lower class FTF hound. My favorite thing is actually seeing a special spot in the log to sign as FTF, bonus is kudos on the cache page but since most COs are better people than I, that's a rarity as they really don't care about me.

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Hi,

 

adding a FTF gift is totally optional and the kind of gift certainly depends on the size and the difficulty of a cache.

Though I see neither a possibility nor a reason to put a gift in a D1/T1 nano ;-) I think one can put a nice surprise in the box of a difficult (e.g. D5...) cache to reward the hard work.

 

And of course it depends on the amount of money you'd like to spend. Nice things are unactivated travelbugs a selfmade "FTF certificate" or anything related to our mutual hobby (little compass, a nice pen, ...). Edible objects (e.g. candy) should not be placed in caches, because they may (and eventually will) attract animals.

 

Regards,

M / Team Exxodos

Edited by Team Exxodos
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"I don't want to start off by being a lame cache."

 

The lameness of your cache is not related to how you treat FTF. Seriously, it's a complete non-issue.

 

Find a good spot, hide a decent quality container, take good coords, write-up as true as you can make it re size, difficulty and terrain. Leave the hint blank, or if you write a hint, make sure it's useful. Add a bit of info about the hunt or of interest or humor about the location and you're good. You don't need to write a novel.

 

 

The FTF wants to find an unsigned log.

 

"seeing a special spot in the log to sign as FTF"

 

I don't fool it with these days, but I used to either print, or by hand add to logs on my caches:

 

This space reserved for the ruminations of the MEFF!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

all bow down.....

 

MEFF is the local variant for FTF, Most Esteemed First to Find.

 

The FTF already gets whatever glory being FTF is worth, why should they also get bonus goodies? the fourth and tenth to find are going to have made just as much effort. FTF can trade for swag like any other cacher. In many many cases, they already think that they get to take something (the best something) and leave nothing, because they're FTF.

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FTF prizes are neither common in most areas nor expected. I think most FTF hounds will tell you the only prize they want is a blank logbook. I've hidden well over 300 caches and put a FTF prize in maybe a dozen of them and half the time the FTF didn't even bother taking what was a pretty nice item. I've probably been FTF about two dozen times (I don't count) and have only encountered one FTF prize.

 

Why not take the money you would spend on an FTF prize to spruce up the contents for everyone?

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"I don't want to start off by being a lame cache."

The lameness of your cache is not related to how you treat FTF. Seriously, it's a complete non-issue.

Find a good spot, hide a decent quality container, take good coords, write-up as true as you can make it re size, difficulty and terrain. Leave the hint blank, or if you write a hint, make sure it's useful. Add a bit of info about the hunt or of interest or humor about the location and you're good. You don't need to write a novel.

 

Yep--if you give us accurate coords and D/T ratings leading to a quality container in a nice spot, your cache is already better than most! On the other hand, a crappy cache with an FTF prize is still a crappy cache.

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Thanks everyone!! We decided to stick with our cache theme (Bear encounter). FTF will be a bear bell. If ftf wants it, great. If not, then it enhances the cache. Thank you for all your comments. I am very nervous about our first hide, but I think we have a good container and a good spot. I was encouraged recently at a meet and greet to get out and hide one because our geoname starts with a 3. Can't be that hard right????

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I was encouraged recently at a meet and greet to get out and hide one because our geoname starts with a 3.

 

:unsure:

 

I don't understand the connection. Maybe it's just me. Wouldn't be surprising. I'm easily baffled.

 

Congratulations on your first hide. Here's hoping all goes well with it.

 

B.

I believe it got to do with challenge like this one. http://coord.info/GC3Q29A

 

The number part are harder to get.

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Well I think it all depends on the cache. I've been FTF on a few caches and some have had a prize....others haven't. I havent set out any caches myself, although Im planning on it. I would like to give out a FTF prize but there is a married couple in the area that has a FTF app on their phone which alerts them when a new cache is put out. I've seen them post their find within minutes of a cache being published. Its sad and bugs the heck out of me that they try to be FTF for all the local caches. because of that...I don't want to give out a FTF prize mainly because they most likely will be the ftf.

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Well I think it all depends on the cache. I've been FTF on a few caches and some have had a prize....others haven't. I havent set out any caches myself, although Im planning on it. I would like to give out a FTF prize but there is a married couple in the area that has a FTF app on their phone which alerts them when a new cache is put out. I've seen them post their find within minutes of a cache being published. Its sad and bugs the heck out of me that they try to be FTF for all the local caches. because of that...I don't want to give out a FTF prize mainly because they most likely will be the ftf.

I'm certain all of the FTF "specialists" are alerted by e-mail notifications to their phones. If it bothers you, don't give out a FTF prize. Or, wait until you-know-who logs the FTF and then go back and add your prize for the 2TF, lol.

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Regarding the (sub)title of this thread..... it's rude to EXPECT an FTF prize. It's childish to whimper about one not getting one.

^This^

 

Put out a cache that will be fun for everyone to find, not just the FTF. Pick a nice location, use a quality container put some decent swag in it for those who care about that stuff, and make a nice write up. Simple formula for a winning cache hide.

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I was encouraged recently at a meet and greet to get out and hide one because our geoname starts with a 3.

 

:unsure:

 

I don't understand the connection. Maybe it's just me. Wouldn't be surprising. I'm easily baffled.

 

Congratulations on your first hide. Here's hoping all goes well with it.

 

B.

NASCAR Challenge or similar?

 

Too obscure. Many NASCAR fans don't even remember Fireball Roberts.

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I was thinking of establishing a cache in which a reward or special trade item was intended for the 10th-2-Find - what would you think if you saw THAT in a new cache. It would take some stragety to compete for that one, I was also not going to mention it in the Cache Page and see what the loggers said about it.

 

On thread - I think it is neat (certainly not required) to place a certificate for FTF in the cache for Bragging rights. It is sometimes nice to have stuff to put in your personal cache of goodies you have found. It is certainly wrong to expect a FTF reward or require it. It is built in to the log book and the Cache Page logs - this is a bragging right game and it is nice to design something about the cache that gives the finder unique bragging rights. Like climbing up the hard way instead of taking the trail.

Sky diving or swimming to the cache! Took the short cut thru GaWan-Taun-Emo-Bay. What you do and what made your day special is what it is all about! I love to read the logs.

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