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The definition of commercial


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I know that commercial caches are banned, but there's some debate over where the line is. There are many caches in places requiring an entrance fee (some parks even require entrance fees), and at least a handful in places such as cafes or coffee shops. Are all of these caches 'grandfathered' from before the rules went into effect?

 

The case in question (I'm probably not going to even try this, but it struck me as an idea). I want to place a themed cache, involving a particular historic road. I've got several locations in mind for multicache points, but I'm stumped on the final cache location. Something that jumped out at me is that there's a cafe located on the old road, that's been restored to its historic (1950's) appearance, and is full of memorabilia related to the road. I don't know the people who own it, so I have no idea if they'd even be interested in hosting a cache, but since they're so focused on the historic aspect of it, I'm sure they have no problem with people coming in not to eat, but to see the memorabilia. Is that too commercial? (What if I paid off the owner to give geocachers free milkshakes?)

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quote:
Originally posted by Kite & Hawkeye:

I know that commercial caches are banned, but there's some debate over where the line is. There are many caches in places requiring an entrance fee (some parks even require entrance fees), and at least a handful in places such as cafes or coffee shops. Are all of these caches 'grandfathered' from before the rules went into effect?


To me the line is what the group collecting the money does with it. Parks = Ok, as permit fees are generally used for park maintance or improvemnt. Theme parks/cafe/etc = commercial, as the entry fee is profit for some person or company.

And yea, there are caches that are grandfathered in.

 

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You're placing a multi along a historic road and you can't find a place to put a physical cache? Doesn't seem like you are trying hard enough. I don't want to sound harsh, but why can't you run the cachers through the cafe as a leg in the cache and place a physical cache nearby. They will still get to enjoy the memorabilia.

 

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The adventures of Navdog, Justdog, and Otterpup

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i say ask first. You dont want to give up because it "might" not be approved, nor do you want to go to all this trouble only to be told no. lay it out, detail why you feel its legit, and dont be afraid that its borderline commercial. I have an idea which might be perceived as commercial. I asked. I was told ok.

 

all the man can do is say no.

 

and if he does, KVETCH ABOUT IT IN THE FORUMS!!! I mean... accept it and move on. Sorry, got carried away there for a moment. icon_biggrin.gif

 

william

 

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I am not smart enough or witty enough to think of anything worthy of a sig line. As a result I've never had a sig, never will.

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quote:
Originally posted by Navdog:

You're placing a multi along a historic road and you can't find a place to put a physical cache? Doesn't seem like you are trying hard enough.


 

I know it sounds ridiculous, but much of the road has been modernized and renamed, and it's uninterestingly lined with businesses unrelated to the history of the place. I've found several interesting bits and pieces -- a marker from where the road ran in 1908, a monument from where it split in 1935 (now in the middle of a well-manicured grassy public lawn -- nowhere to hide the cache there), even a short stretch of the old concrete in a park (which sounds like a great place to hide the cache, except that the park observes a strict no-leaving-the-trail policy). I'm trying to find ohter places that have significant ties to the history of the road. I don't want to say "here's three significant historical spots... and the grand finale, a modern pocket park." Nah. I'd really love to find some historically significant final location for this all to build up to. I don't think the cafe is necessarily it.. I'm just batting some ideas around. I'd like to make the final cache something larger than a micro, and something worth the trip. A little museum of memorabilia would be a great stop, if not a good final spot... pity that they serve food icon_smile.gif. So much of the history has been obliterated.. it's sad. But I'll keep researching, and try to find somewhere significant that still exists.

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i'd like to come down firmly in the grey area.

 

i'm all for caches in places that require entrance fees, although i am against caches that are little more than commercial bait.

 

cache in an existing amusement park? fine. placed by the cache management and well managed? still fine. a cheap hide full of worthless stuff and commercial promotions? now you've crossed the line.

 

ski area, museum, coffee shop, all fine with me. just make sure it's a good hunt and a good container, and maintained contents.

 

i will be hacked if i pay to visit a place and find a cheesy hunt and nothing good.

 

it doesn't matter if you get to camp at one or at six. dinner is still at six.

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quote:
Originally posted by TEAM 360:

I just saw a cache page with links to a real estate agents office imbedded in the description page...doesn't that violate the "commercial" definition? Kinda sneaky, putting it on the cache page...


 

I don't know that I have a problem with this. As long as the location of the cache doesn't take you to the office, its all good.

 

Certainly no one has a problem with a cacher putting a link to his/her personal website on the page. Many cachers do this. If my personal website includes my business endevours or my resume (please hire me!) that doesn't make the cache commercial in nature, in my opinion.

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quote:
Originally posted by sbell111:

 

I don't know that I have a problem with this. As long as the location of the cache doesn't take you to the office, its all good.

 

Certainly no one has a problem with a cacher putting a link to his/her personal website on the page. Many cachers do this. If my personal website includes my business endevours or my resume (please hire me!) that doesn't make the cache commercial in nature, in my opinion.


If 360 is thinking of the caches I am, I agree with him.

They were placed by the real estate agent on property she has listed for sale. She has never actually found a geocache, and judging by the logs, doesn't even own a GPS. It looks like she uses a map to get the coordinates.

To me, the biggest thing about what makes a cache commercial is the intent.

If your intent is to hide a cache for people to find, it's fine in my eyes. If your intent is to use the cache to get someone to see the empty lot your trying to sell, it's commercial.

 

Tae-Kwon-Leap is not a path to a door, but a road leading forever towards the horizon.

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quote:
Originally posted by Mopar:

...If 360 is thinking of the caches I am, I agree with him.

They were placed by the real estate agent on property she has listed for sale. She has never actually found a geocache...


So, has anyone attempted to contact the owner or post any “this cache should be archived” logs to these cache pages to bring them to the admins' attention?

 

Worldtraveler

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I was looking for a hide in the southern Aurora Colorado region, now Centennial, and noticed a cache was about thirty feet from a strip mall with the oddest assortment of places. Looked to me more of a warehousing district. Several items in the cache has compasscom plastered all over them and the door to the business just near the cache had that same logo... would this be considered to commercial? I think it could be.

 

The evil koala bear in my closet makes me geocache.

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