What has Happened to Fair Trading?

3.4k · August 5, 2014

Last week a friend of mine put out their first cache (with a lot of help from me); it was a good size Lock&Lock type box with about 8-9 small toys in it for swag. Since I was heavily involved in the creating and hiding of the cache I waited until yesterday, after there were 4 Found logs posted, to go out and "Find" it. When I opened the cache I saw that 4 of the toys we had placed in the cache were gone and not one single item had been added to the contents. This can't be blamed on noob intro app cachers because 1. None of the finders had less than 300 Finds and 2. It's a puzzle--which wouldn't show up on the Intro app.

So, what's with this? In lieu of a stated FTF prize any early finders are entitled to take whatever they want without trading? Or a fair trade now consists of "Took the cool Good Humor truck, left my sig in the Log Book."

Sure, I expect the swag to diminish in quality and quantity over time, but this is just too much!

3.4k · August 5, 2014

I think some people are just into geocaching to accumulate junk. I'm not too worried about it. I generally use LARGE caches as a way to get rid of stuff after house cleaning. Don't get me wrong, it's not junk, it's just things I have no use for and are in nice enough condition to put in a cache. If someone muggled the cache I'd miss the container more than the contents.

2.1k · August 5, 2014

I think some people are just into geocaching to accumulate junk. I'm not too worried about it. I generally use LARGE caches as a way to get rid of stuff after house cleaning. Don't get me wrong, it's not junk, it's just things I have no use for and are in nice enough condition to put in a cache. If someone muggled the cache I'd miss the container more than the contents.

I do the same thing, every time I clean out the nicknacks I put them into catches. It did backfire on me once when my parents recognized something they'd given me in a cache, yes, they kept it and didn't try to give it back to me.

August 6, 2014

We're relatively new to caching, 42 finds so far, but I don't understand taking something without leaving something. One of the first things we did when we started was collect items around the house to put in the caches. The only time we will take something without adding, is if we grab a travel bug we want to move on. Even then we usually put something in. Many times we leave something without taking anything. We love caches full of swag.

I don't know if you just had an atypical group of first few finders, or if that is typical. I hope that is a less then usual experience. Can you check again after 20+ finds and let us know how it worked out then?

SandyHook27

August 6, 2014

When I started caching, I used to trade even or up, or just leave items without taking. Nowaways, I cache light, usually not carrying any swag (or perhaps a few St. Anthony tokens). As such, I don't take things out caches, unless they don't belong (lighters, shotgun shells, candy, etc). There have been times that I saw a little trinket or token that I'd like to have, but, having nothing to trade, I left it.

I would surmise that the cachers that found your cache were caching light with children. The children really wanted a toy (as they do), the cacher had no swag to trade but gave the child a toy out of the cache anyway. I could write a 3 page commentary on over-indulging children, but I digress. My little boy usually wants to take something from a cache, but if I don't have anything to trade, I will explain to him we cannot take without leaving something. If we are close enough to the car, there is usually an abundance of toys stuffed under the seat that we can trade with.

August 6, 2014

Howdy......