Cache reward - bespoke geocache?

[+CheekyBrit]

There are lots of prizes for finding a geocache - the fun you had, the memories, the physical SWAG inside you can trade with, a rare size/type/DT, but I'm pondering releasing a new reward:

To all who find this geocache (or geocache series) they can request a geocache to be made to their desired specs: size, type, difficulty, terrain, and attributes. I'd still be making it near to where I live, but I recon that'd be super helpful for people working on challenges. Of course as with all geocaches the ratings, size and such would have to be accurately reflected by what is hidden. A scuba attribute would need a genuine underwater stage.

 

What are your thoughts on this? Is this improper bribery? Is it amoral? It isn't in play yet but I'm working on it.

[+TeamRabbitRun]

Not a fan.

Not against the rules, but I'd never take advantage of it.

[+barefootjeff]

2 hours ago, CheekyBrit said:

To all who find this geocache (or geocache series) they can request a geocache to be made to their desired specs: size, type, difficulty, terrain, and attributes. I'd still be making it near to where I live, but I recon that'd be super helpful for people working on challenges. Of course as with all geocaches the ratings, size and such would have to be accurately reflected by what is hidden. A scuba attribute would need a genuine underwater stage.

 

What are your thoughts on this? Is this improper bribery? Is it amoral? It isn't in play yet but I'm working on it.

 

Will you also do the maintenance on them? Forever?

 

Call me old-fashioned, but I find the best caches are the ones where the owner has invested a lot of their own time and effort into every aspect of creating it, from choice of location and theme to the container and logbook, while the worst ones are where the CO has a surplus container (perhaps won as a prize which they then feel obliged to make into a cache) and is looking for somewhere, anywhere, to dump it.

[+CheekyBrit]

7 hours ago, barefootjeff said:

 

Will you also do the maintenance on them? Forever?

 

Call me old-fashioned, but I find the best caches are the ones where the owner has invested a lot of their own time and effort into every aspect of creating it, from choice of location and theme to the container and logbook.

YES! I'm glad you brought that up though. Without the maintenance side of cache ownership, things get lame for everyone really fast. I spend more time on maintenance than on finding these days but it is worth it.

A lot of the geocaches I have placed were done through guessing and predicting what those near me would want/need for challenges or based off their favorite pointing. Then I'd craft an idea from that starting point. This would have me doing the same process but without the guessing. 

[+MartyBartfast]

So are you saying that if I find this cache of yours, I can then ask you to place, for example, a D1 T5 Large cache up a tree? You would be the CO of the new cache, so I can then go find it to fill that gap in my 1/5, large, tree climbing challenge?

 

I could see this might become very onerous for you as all sorts of weird combos come in.

[+vw_k]

Sounds like a nice idea as a gift for members of your local caching community.

 

Depending on how hard the cache or series is you may have a lot of finders requesting you then hide caches for them. That could be a lot of work if, for example, you're having to write high difficulty puzzles or hide high terrain caches every week.

The pessimist in me thinks that some folk will expect high D/T and attribute combinations that are easy enough for them to find, or will not be happy with what you've done for some reason. But maybe that's just me being a grumpy so-and-so!

 

I'd suggest trying to limit things in some way, perhaps a limited number of caches such as one for only the first 10 finders, or have the offer to place a reward cache as a limited number of prizes that are given out at an event (a quiz, raffle etc).

Perhaps make it clear that you won't place caches that are against any guidelines (a 1/1 boat required field puzzle cache for example) and that you reserve the right to refuse anything you're not happy doing.

[+barefootjeff]

8 hours ago, CheekyBrit said:

YES! I'm glad you brought that up though. Without the maintenance side of cache ownership, things get lame for everyone really fast. I spend more time on maintenance than on finding these days but it is worth it.

A lot of the geocaches I have placed were done through guessing and predicting what those near me would want/need for challenges or based off their favorite pointing. Then I'd craft an idea from that starting point. This would have me doing the same process but without the guessing. 

 

Sorry, I misunderstood your original post, thinking you were proposing to make high D/T caches to give to others to own. I'm still not sure about the idea of making caches the community prefers to do, as around there that'd be P&G micros. Looking at the number of finds on caches that have been hidden this year in my region:

 

 

The one miles in front is a roadside AL bonus nano and the next two are also P&G micros. My own two offerings (a 1.5/2.5 traditional and a 3/3.5 multi) have been mostly ignored.

[+barefootjeff]

I don't know whether you have something similar in other countries, but in Australia there are the "Jim's" franchises that started out as lawnmowing services but have now spread to just about every home maintenance thing from Jim's Dogwash to Jim's Electrical and Jim's Plumbing. This thread made me think there might be room for another Jim's franchise...

 

[+JL_HSTRE]

Just to keep the numbers manageable, perhaps only take a request from FTF rather than every Finder?

[+cerberus1]

On 11/6/2022 at 9:18 PM, CheekyBrit said:

There are lots of prizes for finding a geocache - the fun you had, the memories, the physical SWAG inside you can trade with, a rare size/type/DT, but I'm pondering releasing a new reward:
To all who find this geocache (or geocache series) they can request a geocache to be made to their desired specs: size, type, difficulty, terrain, and attributes. 

What are your thoughts on this? Is this improper bribery? Is it amoral? It isn't in play yet but I'm working on it.

On 11/7/2022 at 7:53 AM, CheekyBrit said:

A lot of the geocaches I have placed were done through guessing and predicting what those near me would want/need for challenges or based off their favorite pointing.  

 

Maybe it's something to fly by others in your area at an event?   I get that "request" isn't the same as a sure thing...

I'd like a mailbox 45' up a tree on a branch large enough to hold weight of even my fat ol' can.  That's a handful of people here tops...

Others in the area simply want an easy cache for numbers, and that could be roadside, a rail-to-trail, or deer path in game lands.

Since you have to maintain your hide, honoring that request is what you feel you can handle.

I personally wouldn't want my D/T grid "rigged" to get it.  I'm missing a few 4.5 & 5 Ds and one 1.5/4.5, with no desire to head out just to fill those spots.

 

Edited November 8, 2022 by cerberus1
a "d"

[+Wet Pancake Touring Club]

I am not a CO because I don't really want to do the planning, getting permission, and doing the maintenance. On the other hand, I like building things, and would like to build gadget caches.

 

A bit different than your idea, I was thinking of building a giant 'ammo can in the woods', similar to this one. https://coord.info/GC4RPG8 I have property, so placement would not be a problem. I would place some of my gadget caches around it, and if another cacher will commit to placing it, I would give it to them. 

[+CheekyBrit]

On 11/7/2022 at 7:09 AM, MartyBartfast said:

So are you saying that if I find this cache of yours, I can then ask you to place, for example, a D1 T5 Large cache up a tree? You would be the CO of the new cache, so I can then go find it to fill that gap in my 1/5, large, tree climbing challenge?

 

I could see this might become very onerous for you as all sorts of weird combos come in.

That is exactly what I was/am thinking. Those weird combos are the ones I tend to try and build to help my friends with their challenge, to mix up what is available on the gameboard, and for the fun. They tend to be rare types, high terrain, or high difficulty (and I make them genuine). I have set up a handful of rock climbing or rappelling ones for friends to help them finish a challenge and they are some of my favorite ones I've placed. I love doing maintenance on them.