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Teaching newbie cachers is expensive


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I enjoy geocaching and am always happy to share this game/sport/hobby with family members and friends who ask about it. When someone gets really excited and seem to show genuine interest in participating, I want to encourage them in any way I can. I have donated caching supplies to several newbies to help get them started - mostly small things like unactivated travel bugs or handfulls of SWAG so they can learn what is a proper trade item. But for some people, I have even given them things like a GPS device, a one year premium membership, all-weather notebooks and pens, waterproof containers etc.

 

I consider it worth the price if the person becomes a passionate cacher who truly enjoys the game. Lately however, it seems several of these people have accepted my gifts with all eagerness to start caching; but then don't follow through and I feel I've wasted my time and money. I know that not every person who tries geocaching will enjoy it enough to continue long term; which is why I only give things to the people who were genuinely interested. But lately, even the people who were really excited about it seem to be 'flaking out'.

 

It wouldn't be appropriate to ask for my stuff back, since I did GIVE it to them; but I still feel bad that it's getting wasted.

 

The thing is, this has also happened to me when I have tried to teach someone other activities like sewing, quilting, crochet, beading, even cooking. I give them a ball of yarn or beads or fabric to get them started, then find out they gave up and tossed it in a box somewhere and it never gets used.

 

Am I just too generous? Has this happened to you?

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Far too generous. Would you give a deer rifle to somebody to help them get interested in deer hunting? Answer NO!

Would you take them with and lend them

One of yours while they hunt with you?

Answer YES! The same goes with any activity

Lend it to them while they are with you.

Or take them to an event put on by a park.

Where they lend out or rent out GPS to find thier geocache that they have hidden.

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Am I just too generous?

Yep.

Hey, you asked... :laughing:

 

Years ago, folks had to purchase a GPSr just to enter the hobby (already a vested interest).

They'd read everything they could (no videos back then...), attend events, and email folks around a while for a little instruction.

We'd often hand new folks a 30cal with some goodies already in it for their first hide.

- Handing 'em a GPSr or a pm , without already showing they're staying a while would have been outta the question unless a friend/relative.

 

Today, when the attention span is limited to something else that's popular on youtube (or what Taylor Swift's doing), some helpful advice, or an offer to take 'em along with us to learn the hobby is about all we're willing to share.

They stay with it a while, we'll help 'em, sure.

I won't invest my time and resources for someone who may be gone after a few weekends (if that).

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I've done all of the above. Providing cache containers, swag and GPS units to people who have expressed an interest in geocaching in these forums. I have shipped perfectly good GPS units, ammo boxes and cache container assortments at my expense. Once in a while I receive a response. One person posted a Youtube video of "unpacking the box" of assorted cache containers I sent and he emailed me the link. He was very thankful in the video. I once received a very nice e-mail from a college student who I sent a GPS, going into detail about how much fun she was having with it. Recently I was at an event and a local cacher who I barely knew, introduced me as the guy who mailed her a box of cache containers when she started the sport. I didn't remember doing it.

 

But unfortunately they have been the exceptions. Most of the time I ship off the box and never hear from the person again. I don't do it for a thank you. But heck, I took the time to ship you GPS units, cache containers, swag, logbooks, etc. and you can't even write back to say you received them?

 

I do wonder sometimes if I wasted my effort sending stuff that was never used. That they received a GPS that is now sitting in a drawer, or cache containers that were never used as caches. But the few who did let me know that they received the package and were having fun with it encourages me to keep doing it.

Edited by briansnat
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Thank you for the suggestions and input. Those folks whom I did give stuff to were people I had already taken out with me at least once, to see if they really liked it. I gave them stuff because they genuinely seemed to be interested, and they claimed their intentions to continue caching on their own. But many of them didn't. And those are the people who are wasting my gift, my time and my money.

 

I am starting to realize that you guys are right. The people who are REALLY serious about the game are the ones who are going to be willing to put their OWN efforts and money into it. So in the future I think I will do as you all suggest and introduce people to the game by taking them with me and 'looking on' at my stuff (without actually giving it to them) and then let them invest as much (or as little) of their own time and resources as they want after that. If nobody sticks with it, it's their own choice and I'm not out any more money.

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If you are interested in something, YOU put forth the effort and the money. Give them a reason to want to "buy in"...make suggestions for ways to do so that do not cost a lot. There's the old adage "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink". Interest comes from within....can't be given.

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Far too generous. Would you give a deer rifle to somebody to help them get interested in deer hunting? Answer NO!

Would you take them with and lend them

One of yours while they hunt with you?

Answer YES! The same goes with any activity

Lend it to them while they are with you.

Or take them to an event put on by a park.

Where they lend out or rent out GPS to find thier geocache that they have hidden.

 

Another deer hunter introduced me to geocaching. I had a GPS unit out and she asked me if I were a geocacher also. I didn't even own a PC back then.

 

I have loaned out a few deer guns before myself, but I can't compare my hobby of geocaching to harvesting a deer for food.

 

On another thought, most pawn shops have used deer guns and GPS units for sale.

 

I support this hobby by placing and maintaining geocaches. My PM expired a few days ago, and I plan to renew it soon. My ATV hobby takes money too. :laughing:

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I've done all of the above. Providing cache containers, swag and GPS units to people who have expressed an interest in geocaching in these forums. I have shipped perfectly good GPS units, ammo boxes and cache container assortments at my expense. Once in a while I receive a response. One person posted a Youtube video of "unpacking the box" of assorted cache containers I sent and he emailed me the link. He was very thankful in the video. I once received a very nice e-mail from a college student who I sent a GPS, going into detail about how much fun she was having with it. Recently I was at an event and a local cacher who I barely knew, introduced me as the guy who mailed her a box of cache containers when she started the sport. I didn't remember doing it.

 

But unfortunately they have been the exceptions. Most of the time I ship off the box and never hear from the person again. I don't do it for a thank you. But heck, I took the time to ship you GPS units, cache containers, swag, logbooks, etc. and you can't even write back to say you received them?

 

I do wonder sometimes if I wasted my effort sending stuff that was never used. That they received a GPS that is now sitting in a drawer, or cache containers that were never used as caches. But the few who did let me know that they received the package and were having fun with it encourages me to keep doing it.

 

I've twice offered to and then packaged up and sent people back their travel bugs when they had special meaning to them. Both times they never contacted me again. Who knows if they received them? A thank you would be nice? Like you, I didn't do it for a thank you, but it didn't feel great to be met with silence.

Edited by Ambrosia
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I enjoy geocaching and am always happy to share this game/sport/hobby with family members and friends who ask about it. When someone gets really excited and seem to show genuine interest in participating, I want to encourage them in any way I can. I have donated caching supplies to several newbies to help get them started - mostly small things like unactivated travel bugs or handfulls of SWAG so they can learn what is a proper trade item. But for some people, I have even given them things like a GPS device, a one year premium membership, all-weather notebooks and pens, waterproof containers etc.

 

I consider it worth the price if the person becomes a passionate cacher who truly enjoys the game. Lately however, it seems several of these people have accepted my gifts with all eagerness to start caching; but then don't follow through and I feel I've wasted my time and money. I know that not every person who tries geocaching will enjoy it enough to continue long term; which is why I only give things to the people who were genuinely interested. But lately, even the people who were really excited about it seem to be 'flaking out'.

 

It wouldn't be appropriate to ask for my stuff back, since I did GIVE it to them; but I still feel bad that it's getting wasted.

 

The thing is, this has also happened to me when I have tried to teach someone other activities like sewing, quilting, crochet, beading, even cooking. I give them a ball of yarn or beads or fabric to get them started, then find out they gave up and tossed it in a box somewhere and it never gets used.

 

Am I just too generous? Has this happened to you?

 

way too generous. take them out and show them, buy leave it up to them to initiate the next trip. let them initiate the questions and "how do u" searches.

 

every hobby has the "let's go SHOPPING for my new hobby!" people. they buy the latest/greatest if whatever product is available pertaining to that hobby, and then drop it a month later. if you give THAT PERSON a smartphone/gps/bike/car they will not appreciate it or fully use it.

 

have your fun and help out with knowledge, but skip the freebies.

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It depends on the situation. I like being generous when i have that good feeling that a person will really appreciate and use it. I'll always try to help with my expansive (cough, bull malarky, cough) knowledge of our hobby. On occasion, i might give someone a gecoaching item that i might happen to have with me at the time. For the most part though, i'm not as generous as i once was.

 

I use to place more expensive items in caches some 10 plus years back but with so many fly by nighters these days, that ain't happening.

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Passionate cacher? I guess I mean:

 

Someone who is excited enough about the hobby to continue participating beyond just those first few times they went with me.

 

Someone who enjoys it enough that they will make efforts to go caching whenever possible. Of course the frequency of 'whenever possible' varies from person to person. Some might have only 100 finds, but love geocaching just as much as someone else with 10,000 finds.

 

Someone who is willing to spend some time researching online/asking other experienced cachers so they can learn more about caching and how to 'do it right' so they (and everyone else who comes after them) get the most enjoyment out of it.

 

Someone who thinks it's a great enough experience that they in turn will share it with others.

 

Someone who is serious enough about it that they will spend their own money/resources to continue playing in the future.

 

Someone who will eventually (after they've had time to learn) give back by hiding their own caches, teaching others, organizing events, etc.

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Passionate cacher? I guess I mean:

 

Someone who is excited enough about the hobby to continue participating beyond just those first few times they went with me.

 

Someone who enjoys it enough that they will make efforts to go caching whenever possible. Of course the frequency of 'whenever possible' varies from person to person. Some might have only 100 finds, but love geocaching just as much as someone else with 10,000 finds.

 

Someone who is willing to spend some time researching online/asking other experienced cachers so they can learn more about caching and how to 'do it right' so they (and everyone else who comes after them) get the most enjoyment out of it.

 

Someone who thinks it's a great enough experience that they in turn will share it with others.

 

Someone who is serious enough about it that they will spend their own money/resources to continue playing in the future.

 

Someone who will eventually (after they've had time to learn) give back by hiding their own caches, teaching others, organizing events, etc.

 

Thing is, when I look at your stats, they don't strike me as the stats of a passionate cacher, so I was wondering if your expectations of those you donate stuff to were higher or lower than your own level of passion.

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Hi, yes a little to generous. One can be of help with newbies with giving log sheets, little types of swag, taking them with you on a cache your car then the newbies car. Better to start small. There are used GPSrs on esty etc. Hope this helps a bit. ?

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Far too generous. I've seen many logs over the years from someone who just started (1-5 Finds) where they say something to the effect of "Geocaching is awesome, can't wait to find more!" And then they never do. I've seen this phenomenon since I started caching 6 years ago. Encourage and help new cachers sure, but wait to make sure their enthusiasm is not just a flash in the pan.

 

If you gave someone something like a GPS and they didn't use it then yes I would suggest ask for it back. Note you want to give it to someone else who will use it.

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I'm nowhere near as generous.

 

I'll donate time. I have an abundance of that. I'll go out with my GPS and phone. I'll encourage them to download the app and use it for non-PMO caches. I'll hand them my GPS and let them wander aimlessly whilst I follow. I might give them a trackable or two bucks' worth of swag.

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I would say geocaching is one of the cheapest hobbies there is to get into, nearly everyone has a smart phone that supports the app and after that, all they need is a pencil.

 

Of course investments can (and will) be made, but I think that should come after the person has been introduced and had some time to play. By that point, they will know what they enjoy about the hobby and will be able to identify what they would like to invest in to continue. Before that time, any gift would be a huge gamble and probably not worth it.

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I enjoy geocaching and am always happy to share this game/sport/hobby with family members and friends who ask about it. When someone gets really excited and seem to show genuine interest in participating, I want to encourage them in any way I can. I have donated caching supplies to several newbies to help get them started - mostly small things like unactivated travel bugs or handfulls of SWAG so they can learn what is a proper trade item. But for some people, I have even given them things like a GPS device, a one year premium membership, all-weather notebooks and pens, waterproof containers etc.

 

I consider it worth the price if the person becomes a passionate cacher who truly enjoys the game. Lately however, it seems several of these people have accepted my gifts with all eagerness to start caching; but then don't follow through and I feel I've wasted my time and money. I know that not every person who tries geocaching will enjoy it enough to continue long term; which is why I only give things to the people who were genuinely interested. But lately, even the people who were really excited about it seem to be 'flaking out'.

 

It wouldn't be appropriate to ask for my stuff back, since I did GIVE it to them; but I still feel bad that it's getting wasted.

 

The thing is, this has also happened to me when I have tried to teach someone other activities like sewing, quilting, crochet, beading, even cooking. I give them a ball of yarn or beads or fabric to get them started, then find out they gave up and tossed it in a box somewhere and it never gets used.

 

Am I just too generous? Has this happened to you?

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I'm sorry your efforts to help out new geocachers have been disappointing!

 

I've noticed, in many areas of life, that people are quick to criticize or complain but often hesitant to praise and thank.

 

I do have a suggestion: Since you want to encourage others to take up this great activity, see if any local parks in your area have summer geocaching camps for kids. Four or five years ago, our county parks (Fairfax County, VA) started offering kids' geocaching camps as part of their summer program listings, and they have been extremely popular. Since many families may have to struggle to provide their children with a GPS and other caching equipment, you might consider making a donation to such a camp program.

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