Cache Personality

[imax]

I have a dillemma.

 

I volunteer for an orginization (a haunted attraction), and there are serveral of us that are interested in geocaching. We've decided that it would be fun to get our other volunteers interested in GeoCaching, and some of us want to setup a personal cache.

 

The volunteers that would setup thier own cache are heavily involved in the haunt, and it is a big part of our year round lives.

 

Because of this, one of our volunteers is afraid that thier new caches would be considered 'commercial'. Another member is considering putting a sticker on the inside of thier cache for the haunt, as it is a big part of thier life as the creator of the cache, and not necessarily as an 'advertisement' or something like that.

 

What would you consider to be a commercial cache? We want to avoid anything like that, yet be able to personalize our cache a little bit, to let our cache finders know more about the person who started the cache...

 

Your feedback is very much appreciated!

[+welch]

Do I have to visit this haunt to find the cache?(will I be forced to pay to see the haunt to see the cache?)

If you stuff the cache with flyers and whatnot for the haunt I would say your cache is commerical.

 

Maybe you should figure out who/where/what/when of this cache, and run an outline past an admin.

 

[imax]

Let me clarify a few points:

 

1) No, you do not have to visit the haunt to get the cache. There are quite a few of the haunts volunteers who like to geocache, and we want to setup our individual caches, however, some of the volunteers want to 'personalize' thier cache a little bit. Since the haunt is a huge part of some of our volunteers lives, at least some of the stuff one of the volunteers may use could be related to the haunt, and thus viewed as commercial, when really it is just an expression of that person. For example, a volunteer may take a tupperware box, paint it black on the inside, and on the inside of the lid or on the bottom of the box place a sticker for the haunt (which may have the website URL), glue down a little skull to the bottom of the box, and add some fake spider webbing... all in addition to the items in the cache for general consumption and the log book and Geocaching note.

 

2) No, we wouldn't put flyers in the cache, but the haunt has offered to give us some free gate passes to use in the cache. Most of our volunteers can't afford too much for a chache, so this is a way that the haunt can contribute... kind of a thank you for all the work the volunteers give to the haunt, the haunt can help out the voluteers with thier geocaching hobby.

 

I guess my big question is: what is the stance on personalizing your cache? Is it acceptable, and if you are affiliated with an orginization that is a big part of your life, how do you express that without being commercial? From seeing the disney threads, I understand that having to pay to enter to find the cache is going too far, and flyers in the cache are out of the question, but what else would put you off? We want to give our volunteers a good list of do's and dont's when geocaching, so everyone plays nicely and has a good time.

 

Thanks for any feedback.

 

-- I

[+welch]

1. what do you mean by "sticker"?

Generally you can decorate your cache anyway you would like.

 

2. As I've said before you might want to get the cache(s) outlined and emailed to an approver to review. Because if I think your cache would be commmerical or not doesn't matter so much. Its how they apply the guidelines.

 

The camouflage/decoration of a cache is usally left to the placer. If you want to glue skull rings to it, then do so. Some people have signature items that they always leave it a cache they visit/place, that sort of perisonlizes them.

 

You could consider making the cache themed in some way. A 'spooky' themed cache with spiderwebs etc in it might be kinda cool...

You can also personalize both your profile and the cache page by linking to an 'your personal page'.

Just remember that a cache be sponsored by a certain person or group will probly reflect them somewhat. But it shouldn't be their personal box of spam

 

[imax]

By 'sticker' I meant a sticky peice of paper that can be attached to a flat surface. The sicker might be a bumper sticker for the haunt, a sticker of a skull, spider, or a variety of things related to the haunters hobby.

 

-- I

[+welch]

Ah those kinds of stickers! I was thinking maybe "sticker" was some sort of annual pass...

 

quote:

---

Originally posted by imax:

By 'sticker' I meant a sticky peice of paper that can be attached to a flat surface. The sicker might be a bumper sticker for the haunt, a sticker of a skull, spider, or a variety of things related to the haunters hobby.

 

-- I

---

 

[+bigredmed]

If the cache has interest for players who don't do haunted houses, and it is located away from the haunted house so that you could find it without going there, that would go a long way to making it non-commercial.

 

If you name the cache something like "Haunted Des Moines Geocache", you cross the commercial line.

 

If its name, location, and raison de etre' are all of general interest, then so what if you find some guest passes as part of the cache contents. I have found hockey tickets in a cache before. I would get a kick out of finding something like those tickets as one of our kids still goes to haunted houses and he would get some use out of it.

 

As for cache contents, include some non-haunted house items as well.

 

By appointment to the Court of HRM Queen Mikki I.