Early, historic cache logs

[+Northumbria biker]

A few months ago a cacher removed the log from Scotland’s First cache because it was very wet. This was the original log placed in December 2000 and is therefore of considerable historic interest to cachers. The log written by the remover said –

 

“As expected the log was soaking so I added a new log. At this point I took the decision to remove the original log to bring back down with me to try and dry it out and preserve it. If the cache owner would like it then I'll happily post it to them alternatively anyone who is heading up there in the future and would be happy to place it back in the cache (obviously it will be bone dry and wrapped well) is welcome to do so.”

 

As I planned to visit this cache I offered to take the log back and replace it in the cache but in response I was told “I've had a request to send it to a mega event next year. But will get details of exactly what they want to do with the log. Otherwise I have a contact who is going to take it up.” He adds that the “The CO isn't around anymore”, though I have not been able to confirm this.

 

This raises for me the whole question of what should happen to log books which are important historically. I have a particular interest because I adopted a cache placed in July 2001 which still contains the orginal log. Clearly the owner is the one who ought to decide but if they are no longer around, what then? And what should the CO do - leave it for finders to read or remove it for posterity, and in the later case where should it reside?

[+Ben0w]

It's the CO's property, he/she decides.

 

If you adopted the cache, you're the one in charge.

 

If the owner isn't around any more, well he/she decided to leave the game and abandoned the cache - it's up to the honest fellow cacher who may take care about maintaining or not - as is the case in your first example.

 

The value of something technically is the money (or other exchangeable thing/service), what someone else is willing to spend for the thing. You can try out on ebay...

 

Another way would be to ask for evaluation in some local forum, where the probably most interested people are. Maybe there is a display possibility on some local event?

 

That's obviously the plan of the caring cacher in your example, sounds fine for me.

 

All in all, the global scientific/commercial (collectors) value of geocaching logbooks is still near zero. You may wait some hundred/thousand years, will be fun to read the scientific interpretation of "TFTC!" then. Probably something religious...

[+suchanana]

ahhh, nostalgia... raffle it off at your next local event to raise $ to replace log with write-when-wet paper...

[+briansnat]

I think it should be up the the cache owner. If the cache owner is no longer active then the default should be inside the cache for finders to enjoy.

[4wheelin_fool]

You can take pictures of the logs and upload them to the cache page. The first one I found, someone did that and it was nice to see it. Logs after 2005 or so are probably are not worth it, as there is usually just a bunch of signatures.

[+briansnat]

You can take pictures of the logs and upload them to the cache page. The first one I found, someone did that and it was nice to see it. Logs after 2005 or so are probably are not worth it, as there is usually just a bunch of signatures.

 

That's a great way to preserve the early logs. I've taken the original logbook from some of my old caches when they got wet and was hesitant to return them because I feared losing them if the cache went missing. I've always meant to scan them and post, but just haven't gotten around to it. This discussion has rekindled the idea, but now it's a matter of remembering which of the old logbooks go with which cache.

[+Northumbria biker]

Thanks for some helpful comments all. I think what makes the older ones both important and interesting is that finders tended to write much longer comments than is the case now so it's not just that these are records from the early days of caching but they also provide snapshots of what caching was like back then. I remember one comment to the effect that the cache, which was 70 miles from the cacher's home, was once his nearest!

 

I am happy to leave my 2001 log in its cache. It has lasted 12 years so no reason to think it will disappear now. But I am more concerned with the 2000 Scotland's First log book which is now in the hands of one of the finders and he plans to keep it for at least another year.

 

I will try to track down the CO to determine its future.