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Guest echosgold

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Guest echosgold

It is my belief that an item or items taken from a cache should be replaced by items of similiar value. For example, is it just me that believes it is wrong for someone to take a cdrom and replace it with, say an ordinary kitchen spoon? I understand there are no rules set in stone but there should be morals. Do you really want to discover a cache full of spoons? I am the first to argue that Geocaching is all about LOCATION and the GREAT OUTDOORS and not cache content. But come on, lets make the cache worthwhile for the next person that comes through. Just my thoughts, curious to hear yours.

 

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Echosgold

www.outdoor-dog.com

www.outdoor-dog.com/Geocache

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Guest Moun10Bike

I try not to be too critical of what I see and read of people taking and leaving, but I confess that I have had the same thoughts about this as you. I've noticed the tendency of cache contents to degrade over time because of this. Of course, one man's junk is another man's treasure, and vice versa. While I thought it was neat to leave a pack of little parachuting figures that I remembered from childhood in a cache, I'm sure someone else just thought of them as cheap, junky toys.

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Guest Moss Trooper

Come on Guys

What is value..?

Took me two attempts to find a cache.. and what did I do.. took a postcard.. means I gotta fill it in and send it.. had a stamp on it. Left a couple of Tee shirt logo's.. made em up my self.. out of stuff I already had.. cost.. zilch.... stuff I took.. postcard 45p. ( UK stash) stamp 26p. an time to fill it in and send.

 

What yer want to do.. go on a stash hunt with a pack that contains everything from a quid ($1.4) token to a $14.00 token or $140 maybe.. so yer know yer can match things.!!!

 

Does it matter. as yer have said.. finding the stash and loggin it is the thing..

 

Personaly I get a buzz outa stampin log books.. leaving my mark as in Moss Trooper was ere. Brill..

 

My thoughts.

 

Moss

 

Wife would love a full set of spoons!!!! icon_biggrin.gif

 

[This message has been edited by Moss Trooper (edited 12 May 2001).]

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Guest Moss Trooper

Come on Guys

What is value..?

Took me two attempts to find a cache.. and what did I do.. took a postcard.. means I gotta fill it in and send it.. had a stamp on it. Left a couple of Tee shirt logo's.. made em up my self.. out of stuff I already had.. cost.. zilch.... stuff I took.. postcard 45p. ( UK stash) stamp 26p. an time to fill it in and send.

 

What yer want to do.. go on a stash hunt with a pack that contains everything from a quid ($1.4) token to a $14.00 token or $140 maybe.. so yer know yer can match things.!!!

 

Does it matter. as yer have said.. finding the stash and loggin it is the thing..

 

Personaly I get a buzz outa stampin log books.. leaving my mark as in Moss Trooper was ere. Brill..

 

My thoughts.

 

Moss

 

Wife would love a full set of spoons!!!! icon_biggrin.gif

 

[This message has been edited by Moss Trooper (edited 12 May 2001).]

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Guest Moun10Bike

Don't get me wrong -- I couldn't care less what I find in a cache. I'm out there for the hunt, too. I'm just commenting that some seem to value the "stuff" over all else, and take many or "the best" items and leave little in exchange. Just making the observation, that's all -- I would be perfectly happy with "logbook only" caches.

 

By the way, Moss, your stamp inspired me to create one of my own! You can have a look here: http://moun10bike.homestead.com/files/MTB.jpg.

 

[This message has been edited by Moun10Bike (edited 12 May 2001).]

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Guest Moun10Bike

"Rubber Soul" in Redmond Town Center. All they need is a black & white image, about $15 (depending on stamp size), and 4-5 business days. Pretty easy!

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Guest jeremy

Cool! Been there but didn't know they did custom stamps icon_smile.gif I'll have to do an ego boost and make a founder stamp for myself. Don't have a cool moniker like Moun10bike. Any suggestions?

 

Jeremy

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Guest jeremy

Cool! Been there but didn't know they did custom stamps icon_smile.gif I'll have to do an ego boost and make a founder stamp for myself. Don't have a cool moniker like Moun10bike. Any suggestions?

 

Jeremy

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Guest Moun10Bike

Hmmm, let's see...one thing that comes to mind is using the little Geocaching/Groundspeak guy, and designing a logo that shows him coming out of a computer monitor. That might be a way to represent your role as the founder of the web site and Groundspeak. I'll give it some more thought and see if I can come up with some other ideas. Anyone else?

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Guest Anton

Rubberstamps?

 

Talk to the letterboxers at their website: letterboxing.org. They skip all the prizes and just use logbooks and rubberstamps. The really good boxers make their own stamps from vinyl erasers, like a Staedtler-MARS, the kind used by artists & architects.

 

To make your own rubberstamp, draw or xerox a suitable design, preferably an image that's somehow related to the geocache location. Then put the paper on the eraser, and rub it with nail polish remover to transfer the image to the eraser. Finally, use an Exacto knife or Speedball linoleum carving tools to remove all the rubber that isn't part of the image.

 

Anton

 

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Anton Ninno - N2RUD

Syracuse, NY 13210

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Guest EraSeek

I also would be perfectly happy with stamps, or just a log book. I've probably been just as guilty as any with the gifts thing, but it is discouraging to check your cache and find it junked out. I tried using small caches at first but people overstuff them with broken toys. I've been trying to think of a way to at least improve or maintain the quality of caches. Here are a couple of things I have been thinking about: 1. Have a signature item. When you visit a cache leave an item that is unique to you, kind of like the stamp idea but is an item that others could take or leave, and they would leave their unique item that say "I" was here. 2. The cache creator leaves only one item in his/her cache. Instead of a bunch of little trinkets, leave one thing that is a bit more substantial, and list the cache as a single item cache. This would keep the cache smaller and encourage others to replace the item with something of a bit more quality or uniqueness. 3. find a cache, log in, leave a photo of yourself, take nothing. This would be listed as a photo cache. 4. When placing the cache fill it with many of the same thing. For example, I'm working on a nightime cache and I think I'll fill it with a bunch of glow sticks. I don't know how this will help, but maybe it won't get so trashed out so quick. One thing I don't think you want to do is MAKE people conform to just one thing. You want to keep the creative juices flowing. What do you think?

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Guest WrongWay

quote:
Originally posted by Moun10Bike:

...I would be perfectly happy with "logbook only" caches.

 

By the way, Moss, your stamp inspired me to create one of my own! You can have a look here: http://moun10bike.homestead.com/files/MTB.jpg.


 

Log book only is worth it to me, but my daughter might have a few choice words to say about an empty cache...being a child she is in it for the goods...(I'm working on that)...

 

Moun10bike, great looking stamp, what do the coordinates represent ?

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Guest Moss Trooper

Well they say copying is the best form of flatery..! As for the Letterboxing side, this is the reverse, stamp the log with your own stamp not your log with the letterbox stamp. As fo cache content! So far I have logged 4 caches, and only taken one item and put somethin into all

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Guest c.mathis

quote:
Originally posted by WrongWay:

Log book only is worth it to me, but my daughter might have a few choice words to say about an empty cache...being a child she is in it for the goods...(I'm working on that)...


 

I think a "log only" cache works for some, but it removes the "treasure hunt" aspect for others. My children (boy 8, girl 5) get real excited when we locate a cache. They can't wait to see what's inside. I don't think they would want to continue looking for caches if all they contained were log books. I'm not sure I would either. icon_smile.gif

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Guest c.mathis

quote:
Originally posted by WrongWay:

Log book only is worth it to me, but my daughter might have a few choice words to say about an empty cache...being a child she is in it for the goods...(I'm working on that)...


 

I think a "log only" cache works for some, but it removes the "treasure hunt" aspect for others. My children (boy 8, girl 5) get real excited when we locate a cache. They can't wait to see what's inside. I don't think they would want to continue looking for caches if all they contained were log books. I'm not sure I would either. icon_smile.gif

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Guest echosgold

I agree. Like I had stated before the thrill definitely comes from the "search" and its location outdoors. There should be something for both kids and adults in each cache. I just wanted to point out how silly some items are and these could have easily been a toy for a child instead. Something someone would get excited about finding, not a spoon. In addition to alike value of items being exchanged we should also promote equal amounts. I recently read a post where someone took four items and left one item. This is a surefire way to deplete a cache fast.

 

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Echosgold

www.outdoor-dog.com

www.outdoor-dog.com/Geocache

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Guest Exaibachey
Originally posted by echosgold:

It is my belief that an item or items taken from a cache should be replaced by items of similiar value.

 

There is a similar topic in "lame-o-things to put in a cache", I completely agree. It is NOT about the value of the cache items, but the thought of the exchange. I have found 4 in Las Vegas that I was very excited about trying to find. 1 in particular said specificaly "no items under $5.00" Yipee! I thought. Brought a few things that were worthy of such an exchange. When I got there, there was a cell phone battery, a pager that didn't work, broken toys and other misc. items that were well below the $5.00 mark. Again, I can't stress enough, it's not the value, but the thought behind the exchange. I know that there are many here that don't agree. That's just as great for them as well. I was so irritated by what I found on that weekend of geocaching that I did not even post my finds. I did feel, in my opinion only, that these could be caches put out only to meet a ratio or quota with out much thought. icon_smile.gif

I love the sport and the idea behind it. I love the treasure hunt idea as well as the log book. I enjoy taking time to sit down and read all of the entries and thinking about fellow cachers.

Any, just my opinion.

Brad

 

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I used to think the world was flat. Now I know it's just crooked.

 

[This message has been edited by Exaibachey (edited 13 May 2001).]

 

[This message has been edited by Exaibachey (edited 13 May 2001).]

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Guest Exaibachey
Originally posted by echosgold:

It is my belief that an item or items taken from a cache should be replaced by items of similiar value.

 

There is a similar topic in "lame-o-things to put in a cache", I completely agree. It is NOT about the value of the cache items, but the thought of the exchange. I have found 4 in Las Vegas that I was very excited about trying to find. 1 in particular said specificaly "no items under $5.00" Yipee! I thought. Brought a few things that were worthy of such an exchange. When I got there, there was a cell phone battery, a pager that didn't work, broken toys and other misc. items that were well below the $5.00 mark. Again, I can't stress enough, it's not the value, but the thought behind the exchange. I know that there are many here that don't agree. That's just as great for them as well. I was so irritated by what I found on that weekend of geocaching that I did not even post my finds. I did feel, in my opinion only, that these could be caches put out only to meet a ratio or quota with out much thought. icon_smile.gif

I love the sport and the idea behind it. I love the treasure hunt idea as well as the log book. I enjoy taking time to sit down and read all of the entries and thinking about fellow cachers.

Any, just my opinion.

Brad

 

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I used to think the world was flat. Now I know it's just crooked.

 

[This message has been edited by Exaibachey (edited 13 May 2001).]

 

[This message has been edited by Exaibachey (edited 13 May 2001).]

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Guest gstrong1

Hi folks.Here's my take on cache items & their monitary value.I've got well over $1,000.00 invested in gear & software in the last 2 months,primarily for this sport.I am not concerned about going out and locating a cache & being bummed out when I find that there are no items in the cache worth more than a buck or two.Thats not why I'm out there.I love the sport for the hunt.I've got seven caches placed and if your looking for neat stuff, don't bother with mine.I try to place a good percentage of my caches in areas there are suitable for a family hunt.In most of my caches,you'll find stuff that kids will have a good time with.I just figure the adults are out there for the sport & not the stuff.Besides,the last I knew,you don't have to register with your name,address & phone number to gain access to all cache location information.One sure way to ruin the sport is to start filling these caches with quality stuff.Before you know it,you'll have kids going to geocache.com, getting the information & heading out with their GPS's & filling up their car trunks with cache containers.How tough would that be for them to do? I'm for just keeping it simple & maybe the punks will leave it alone.I don't want to spend my time looking for a cache that's in some kids bedroom instead of at the posted co-ordinates.Just my opinion.See Ya.

 

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Gary "Gimpy" Strong

Rochester,NY

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Guest kymike

I have to agree that the items in the cache are not that important. Just getting out there and finding the cache is the main thing. I do think that if you take something you should at least leave something decent. I think everyone could use some batteries. I don't think the cache should contain expensive items as this would probably lead to raiders once the word got out. As I stated earlier, I think we should just be glad to get out there and enjoy the outdoors and if we find something nice in the cache just consider that icing on the cake.

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Guest Moun10Bike

quote:
Originally posted by WrongWay:

Moun10bike, great looking stamp, what do the coordinates represent ?


 

Thanks! Those coordinates belong to my front door! (If you want to see that location plotted on a map, check out the links to my cache maps at http://jonsta.homestead.com/geocaching.html.)

 

[This message has been edited by Moun10Bike (edited 13 May 2001).]

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Guest ALacy

I wouldn't mind log only caches. They would be more fun than virtual caches. A virtual cache hunt is missing the last part of the hunt. When you get with the GPS circle error, you are trying to find the exact location the hider put the cache. Normally this doesn't happen on a virtual cache. But the contents interest me, just to see what other people have put there. I went to one in Sep without my son, then last month we went and I let him use the GPS to find it. The entire contents were completely different. Now as the swap, we use items of comparable value. But we are not in it for the items. We take a back pack with trade goods and water etc. The new item goes in the pack and we normally wind up using it at future cache we find.

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Guest Scout

quote:
Originally posted by ALacy:

A virtual cache hunt is missing the last part of the hunt.


 

I'm for virtual caches, but I sympathize with your objection. Sometimes that last 30 feet is the toughest part of a hunt, and therefore the most satisfying.

 

I've scratched my head and can't come up with a satisfactory solution. What can you hide or mark or in some other way identify as a cache, but still not leave something that could be considered littering or vandalism by authorities?

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Guest fire23

We ran into this predicament (sp?) this past weekend. We bought things that were worth a dollar each but when we got to the cache, everything in it was probably $5 or more. We elected not to take anything and left the toy that we bought. It was worth more just my dad and I spending time together and looking at the scenery. If you step back and just enjoy being outdoors in the fresh air, away from the crowds, it just doesn't matter whether you take anything or not. Don't get me wrong, I like to see what people leave in the caches. Whether I take anything or not, I'd be kind of depressed to only find a log book. It wouldn't ruin my day though icon_smile.gif

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Guest fire23

We ran into this predicament (sp?) this past weekend. We bought things that were worth a dollar each but when we got to the cache, everything in it was probably $5 or more. We elected not to take anything and left the toy that we bought. It was worth more just my dad and I spending time together and looking at the scenery. If you step back and just enjoy being outdoors in the fresh air, away from the crowds, it just doesn't matter whether you take anything or not. Don't get me wrong, I like to see what people leave in the caches. Whether I take anything or not, I'd be kind of depressed to only find a log book. It wouldn't ruin my day though icon_smile.gif

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Guest ALacy

quote:
Originally posted by Scout:

I'm for virtual caches, but I sympathize with your objection. Sometimes that last 30 feet is the toughest part of a hunt, and therefore the most satisfying.

 


I didn't mean that a virtual cache would not be fun. All I was trying to say is that a log only cache would be more fun than the virtual cache I have read about, because it would have that last search for the actual location the hider was at. Every park I have been to lately, I have been trying to see how I could set up a virtual cache which did require the seeker to find the exact spot. So far I haven't found a location that would work.

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Guest JIntorcio

Had to throw in my two cents...

 

First, Moss's stamp inspired me too. We now have a family stamp that we're applying to cache logs. I had ours made by The Stamp Man by sending a .jpg file.

 

As much fun as I think the stamp is, my kids really love the "treasure" aspect of geocaching. They enjoy selecting a trinket from their collection before we head out on our hike and eagerly anticipate seeing the cache contents and selecting their exchanges. For my family, a virtual cache would not be nearly as fun and wouldn?t be that motivation for my kids to get out and hike that we?ve found geocaching to be!

 

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>>> John <<<

 

[This message has been edited by JIntorcio (edited 15 May 2001).]

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Guest manuelcasi

Lets take it to the next level. I always leave more than I take. I also make sure what I leave is of GREATER VALUE than the stuff I take for memory. I am trying to take two things from each cache. One for a geocaching shrin that is building in my office and one to place in an other cache. I also try to let the recieving cache know where the item came from (example GC456). Remeber "THE DEFANITION OF INTEGRITY IS DOING WHAT IS MORALLY RIGHT WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING!"

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Guest Exocet

Personally, I like the idea of having a stamp. I'm going to try to get one made soon. I think it adds a little flair to geocaching.

 

As for the actual cache contents... As I find more and more caches (25 so far) I'm finding that I either take nothing and leave something or that I just log my visit and that's it. If there's something really nice in the cache, I'll snag it and leave something really nice in return.

 

For me, CD's a pretty good thing to leave. They're not too big, they have a decent value associated with them and they weather the elements fairly well. Plus, I can get rid of CD's I don't listen to anymore. Last week I put a copy of Smashing Pumpkin's Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (double CD set) in a cache.

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Guest EraSeek

You know, I agree. Kids are people too. Even big kids are people too. If someone takes a CD and leaves a marble or a broken toy, if someone got some joy out of their discovery, what the hey. That's all I'm after with my caches anyway. Enjoy! (just seal it back up,ok?)

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Guest Miles678

I know that I am largely echoing the sentiment of everyone else, but I am in it for the hike and the excitement of finding the cache. This sport combines many things that I have enjoyed for quite some time now. What's inside the cache isn't that important to me.

 

For example I tracked down a cache in an area that I don't often get to (I don't live anywhere close, but was in the area visiting for a weekend).

 

It was a small cache with the premise of swapping decent watches that needed new batteries or the like. The trip cropped up on short notice and I didn't have a watch to contribute. So, I hunted down the cache knowing full well in advance that I wasn't going to take anything. I found the cache, but the container was so small there wasn't even room for a logbook.

 

My Dad just got a GPS unit and I am looking forward to getting him out to look for geocaches too. He seems quite excited about the idea. That is just another great incentive for me to get out and keep looking!

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