Geocache Rate of Decay?

1.3k · September 12, 2003

Recently, I restocked the first geocache I ever put out.

Now we all say "trade up" or at least "trade even" but we all know sooner or later there will be nothing left but junk.

In this case I put in new stuff like Matchbox cars, safety whistles, baseball card packs, 2 packs of batteries, stuff like that, nothing fancy, but new stuff I bought at Wal-Mart. When I did maintenance the only thing of value in there was some loose change (maybe a buck) and a 15 minute phone card. They even took the pencil sharpener for the pencils used to log (but they left the pencils... weird.)

This happened in about 25 users. Now that it's restocked I'll be interested to see how long it takes to return to nothing but garbage.

My question is: What have you noticed as the rate of decay you have noticed? How many finds does it take for a cache to go from fully stocked to crap?

Does the rate differ when a cache starts out with stuff from the dollar store vs more expensive items?

9.4k · September 12, 2003

I don't know. I never check on my caches after the first week. I don't want to be disappointed.

Just kidding, my oldest active cache is in pretty good shape. Most of my others are micro-caches or fairly new.

Took sun from sky, left world in eternal darkness

September 12, 2003

I don't get it.

When we first started, I was extremely concerned about

my kids wanting to give junk for treasure, so I really emphasized

to my wife that we need to watch that and make sure we arent

just taking. A week later she Pooh put a watch in a Winnie the

Pooh themed cache, which made me feel better about a couple

of our earliest trades that I felt were a little questionable.

Since then, I have been to a few that were full of absolute junk.

Not just cheap stuff, but stuff that probably had been taken

out of the trash after it occurred to the person that it

would fit in a cache container.

I guess some people don't teach courtesy and the "golden rule"

to their kids anymore. But we'll be using it to build good

character and show our kids what happens when too many people

think only of themselves.

Me... I tend to TNLNSL and leave it up to the kids to do the trading.

Though I did almost take a Swiss Army Knife... but I didn't

have anything of reasonably close value to trade.

"I'm not Responsible... just ask my wife, She'll confirm it"

September 12, 2003

I don't understand how some cachers can write in their logs consciously that they took the compass and first aid kit and TB and leave a McDonalds's toy. Thats basically admitting that you suck! lol

9.4k · September 12, 2003

Yeah, now when I do that I just don't log what I traded.

Took sun from sky, left world in eternal darkness

September 12, 2003

http://virtualroberts.net/VirtualRoberts/spacemath/decay/LabDecay.htm

http://epubs.siam.org/sam-bin/dbq/article/32944

Maybe some people think it's a treasure hunt, and like welfare...

The stuff just magically appears from nowhere, or is contributed

by people who have way too much to begin with (which just

might describe my kids )

"I'm not Responsible... just ask my wife, She'll confirm it"

9.4k · September 12, 2003

I thought that stuff was left by the Geofairies!

Took sun from sky, left world in eternal darkness

4.1k · September 12, 2003

What we have noticed with our caches is, if the cache started with nice items then 'most' people will trade pretty even. We have one cache that started with mostly cheap items and it has stayed that way. The amount in that cache has stayed about the same as when it was placed. The biggest factor appears to be location. In town will degrade quite a bit faster than those out in the 'countryside' where it takes some effort to get to the cache.

Another factor appears to be the cache page; If we let the people know that there are nice items in the cache then they tend to trade a bit fairer. We even had one log where the people said they took nothing because they didn't have anything nice enough(with them)to trade. That tells me some people just don't take anything nice along for trading. They expect the cheap stuff.

So if we (cache placers) start stocking our caches with some nice items maybe more people will start bringing nice trade stock with them. Then again the cheap bast**ds will always trade for the nice items.

John

*******************************************************

Everybody is entitled to my opinion - the ornery oldfart

1.3k · September 12, 2003

D'oh. Reposted my original...

September 12, 2003

I think we've always traded up, except one case where my daughter (4) put all her money in a cache (.25) and took a Space Jam coin.

Most of my trade items are used, but not abused. I've traded ultrasonic bug repellant, mini tripods, nice keychain flashlights, etc for toys, but the kids sure like them for 5 minutes or so

Still looking for a cache to place my eTrex case and my old MP3 player in. I think I might start leaving coupons for my store, but I'm afraid it would be perceived as bad (yes, it's advertising, but you get something free, if you travel to the coordinates on the back of the card, if I place any)

Check my scandalous stories, site, and my fishing skills

September 12, 2003

And when is it acceptable to take 2-3 items and leave only one?..that will deplete a cache quicker then anything.

I guess its a matter of being less self indulgent, and thinking of others, especially the cache owners.

We are getting ready to put out three caches, and I have had a really good time looking for stash for them, but find some of this awful discouraging to read.

My read is: Geocaching is based on the honor system. Some people have it, some don't.

Just pick one....

2.3k · September 12, 2003

I would have to say that after about 15-20 trades, the cache is full of junk. And let's face it, 99% of the time, the owner does NOT go back to change it out.

1.6k · September 12, 2003

Try theme caches, these seem to have a slower decay rate.

_____________

"Half this game is ninety percent mental." Danny Ozark

9.4k · September 12, 2003

So do multi-caches

Took sun from sky, left world in eternal darkness

1.3k · September 12, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by bigredmed:
Try theme caches, these seem to have a slower decay rate.

I have noticed that as well. This cache is almost as old, but since I used a theme it is almost still full.

I just look as it as inevitable. If I was going to let it bother me that I had to restock my cache, I wouldn't put them out, or put out only micros.

1.4k · September 12, 2003

My caches are still all new, but what I've seen is pretty decent trades. I try to begin with nice trade items. I did recently learn that I forgot to put the ftf prize into my latest cache.

9.2k · September 12, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Bull Moose:

Now we all say "trade up" or at least "trade even" but we all know sooner or later there will be nothing left but junk.

Well, I don't, because it's stupid. The phrase "trade up" means exchanging something of lesser value for something of greater value. I don't know what idiot first thought it was a good idea to use a phrase that's the exact opposite was what was intended, but I'll gladly buck the trend. Call it "enrich the cache", or "up the anty", or anything but the assinine "trading up".

quote:
My question is: What have you noticed as the rate of decay you have noticed? How many finds does it take for a cache to go from fully stocked to crap?

Does the rate differ when a cache starts out with stuff from the dollar store vs more expensive items?

Most of my caches seem to go the other way. I've got a cache that's been in the field 2½ years, and it still has good stuff in it. I attribute that to cacher's who DON'T "trade up".

"Don't mess with a geocacher. We know all the best places to hide a body."

September 12, 2003

My virtuals are good as the day I placed them!

Lake Tahoe Geocacher

2.3k · September 12, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by TahoeJoe:
My virtuals are good as the day I placed them!

Lake Tahoe Geocacher

OOOHOOO!! BOOM, BABY!! HE SCORES!!

24.7k · September 12, 2003

TahoeJoe, I like your thinking.

Though I've had my caches trade up from junk. It does happen. Just not often.

September 12, 2003

Oh Now I understand this hobby Is about trading a bunch of junk for more junk! Here I thought It was about finding the prize and the bonus being junk. I'm being sarcastic but It's nice to see good quality stuff In there. I think now that I've done It a while I just like to find the cache and If there Is a TB In there even better. We all do this for different reasons mine mostly Is just to have a little fun Hiking around when I can find the time. Well also to tease the local cachers.

Don't hunt what you can't kill!

1.2k · September 12, 2003

Oh well, say what you will, but everyone in this little activity knows what *we* mean by *trading up.* A lot of phrases in this world mean one thing to one group and something entirely different to another, based on usage and intent. To say it is assinine to use it in this context is simply ignorant.

As for trading, in my caches I don't care if someone *trades up*, *trades even*, or leaves junk or nothing at all. The statement that 99% of cache owners don't restock is unsupportable. The statement, *99% of the caches I've found APPEAR to be full of junk and probably haven't been restocked by their owner,* MIGHT be more accurate.

I place items in my caches *I* find interesting, or items *I* find to have value, for one reason or another. If YOU also find them to be interesting and of value, then thats a bonus. I support one of our favorite places with my cache items, I buy trinkets from the gift shop at the Battleship Texas State Park. This helps defray the cost of upkeep and renovations going on and helps keep the Texas a great place for the kids and I to visit. So if something of value is traded for one of our little trinkets, great. But if not, great.

I *do* keep up with my caches, and perform maintenance, and restock, etc, etc, etc... and even replace them when they're destroyed by mother nature.

Keep your assumptions to yourself. Please.

"Afghanistan was a battle. Iraq was a battle. The war goes on."

9.2k · September 13, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Breaktrack:
Oh well, say what you will, but everyone in this little activity knows what *we* mean by *trading up.* A lot of phrases in this world mean one thing to one group and something entirely different to another, based on usage and intent. To say it is assinine to use it in this context is simply ignorant.

as·i·nine

adj.

1. Utterly stupid or silly: asinine behavior.

[Latin asinnus, from asinus]asi·ninely adv.

asi·nini·ty (-nn-t) n.

No, that pretty much nails it.

Or maybe we should start saying "South" when we mean "North". That would make about as much sense. But at least we'll all know what we mean, right?

"Don't mess with a geocacher. We know all the best places to hide a body."

September 13, 2003

Clearly there is only one way to interpret the phrase "Trade Up"

When we use the word up we mean north. As in I am going up to Canada. So to trade up must mean to move the cache to the north.

____________________________________________________

I may be lost, but at least I am making good time.

September 13, 2003

I've actually saw some pretty good stuff in most of mine as well as the ones I visit but there is always the lesser ones too. May be a regional thing. When I find "junk" in mine that I'm doing maintenence on I just throw it out & don't mention the specifics on the log although I probably should to "enlighten" those that left it.

It'll most certainly always be this way.

BTW BullMoose, picked up one of your buttons down at Fort Fisher NC. Neat.

September 13, 2003

The first rule of geocaching as defined by me is:

"No matter how worthless the crap in a geocache, it will be replaced with something of lesser value."

It is in our culture. We are a Nation of socialists whose survival is dependent on the prosperity of our Capitalists.

Vote Republican

1.3k · September 13, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by solohiker:
The first rule of geocaching as defined by me is:

"No matter how worthless the crap in a geocache, it will be replaced with something of lesser value."

It is in our culture. We are a Nation of socialists whose survival is dependent on the prosperity of our Capitalists.

Vote Republican

September 13, 2003

Why not make a page where it gives you ideas on what you should trade for if you take something...sort of like the cache difficulty and terrain site... so it would go

If you took: Beenie Baby

Replace with: 1 dollar, OR other stuffed toy,Travel Bug, etc.???

J2 HIKERS

September 13, 2003

duh!!!!

Unions!!!

Geocache Rate of Decay?

Recommended Posts

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Join the conversation