Jump to content

Junk Toys and Trinkets


Jpjazz

Recommended Posts

I am looking for opinions on the continuing trend for caches becoming home for broken fast food toys and junk drawer trinkets. For me the prime attraction of a cache hunt is limited to the search, reading the logbook and possibly moving a signature item, Tbug or WG dollar. Further I speculate that we would not be raising the ire of local civil defense and public park personnel if more caches were contained in a film canister or Altoids box rather than the now common ammo box or bread loaf sized Tupperware containers.

 

I realize the toys are a draw for our younger cachers, however possibly the young ones could be lured into the sport by other means.

 

Just food for thought....

Link to comment

Two problems with your proposal.

 

1) I hate micro's. I hate looking for them, I hate the micro logbooks, and I hate that trade items dont' fit. I also find them all. Go figure, so maybe I lied about hating them but I do like traditionally sized caches better. So do most people I cache with. Micro's do have their place. In an urban setting that's about all you can hide.

 

2) Trade items. This past weekend I found a bunch of caches and could not trade in any of them because my trade items were too large to fit. So while my TNLNSL didn't hurt the cache I didn't get to help out either. Again a larger container allows more options for trading.

 

Not all of us are Geotrashers.

 

==============================

Wherever you go there you are.

Link to comment

quote:
Further I speculate that we would not be raising the ire of local civil defense and public park personnel if more caches were contained in a film canister or Altoids box...

 

If you've seen the mess made by people tearing apart an area looking for a needle in the haystack, you might think differently.

 

As far as trade items, I like them. I enjoy the experience of finding the box and anticipating what is inside (though it is usually junk). A lot of us TNLN largely because there is nothing in a cache worth taking. Personally I think we geocachers should upgrade our cache contents, rather than eliminate them.

 

"You can only protect your liberties in this world, by protecting the other man's freedom. "You can only be free if I am" -Clarence Darrow

Link to comment

quote:
As far as trade items, I like them. I enjoy the experience of finding the box and anticipating what is inside (though it is usually junk). A lot of us TNLN largely because there is nothing in a cache worth taking. Personally I think we geocachers should upgrade our cache contents, rather than eliminate them.


 

I can not rememeber a cache that has been out longer than 3 months that has anything but junk, I just prefer the logs and signature/travel items.

Link to comment

I try to leave reasonable things but it can be a challenge on a limited budget. The first 10 or 20 were not a problem but approaching 50 (and I can't imagine several hundred) is getting to be a concern. $3 to $4 a trinket seems OK but at 100 caches I'll be facing $300 to $400, which I may not have. I'm going to continue to trade as long as my daughter takes something but when she quits, I'll be going the TN/LN route.

Link to comment

I like the 'trading trinkets' part of geocaching. And at 46 I am not a 'younger cacher', just a slightly insane one. I still have everything that I've taken from a cache, and I keep them in a curio case in my living room. Although I agree that there is 'junk' in a lot of the caches, how do you define 'junk'?

In the relatively short time that I have been reading these forums I have seen people complain that just about everything that has to do with geocaching should be eliminated. Now you seem to be saying that traditional caches should be eliminated because you don't like what you find in them.

If you want to TNLN and sign the log, fine, do that. But don't try to take my fun away just because the contents of the cache don't meet your standards.

 

RichardMoore

 

www.geocities.com/richardsrunaway

Link to comment

I've got a couple of caches that are "trinket" caches - but they clearly state that on the cache page. I just say that those caches are made more for the hunt, rather than for the goodies to be had.

 

I'm one of the "I'm just finding it to find it" type seekers - so it doesn't matter to me if it is a 5 gallon bucket filled with goodies, or a mint tin with only a log book.

 

Oh, I've also got a HUGE cache filled with bookcrossing.com books too - so I've got both ends of the spectrum covered, I guess. icon_biggrin.gif

 

geobanana.gifThe Toe Pages

"Now with 50% less yuck, and 100% more color!!"

Link to comment

quote:
I like the 'trading trinkets' part of geocaching. And at 46 I am not a 'younger cacher', just a slightly insane one. I still have everything that I've taken from a cache, and I keep them in a curio case in my living room. Although I agree that there is 'junk' in a lot of the caches, how do you define 'junk'?

In the relatively short time that I have been reading these forums I have seen people complain that just about everything that has to do with geocaching should be eliminated. Now you seem to be saying that traditional caches should be eliminated because you don't like what you find in them.

If you want to TNLN and sign the log, fine, do that. But don't try to take my fun away just because the contents of the cache don't meet your standards.


 

I agree with you on this. The little trinkets, toys and other whatnots are ok. I think that most Cachers probably agree. Its when you find so many caches with broken toys, broken trinkets, business cards, aol disks, and/or rocks inside that makes the cache suffer somewhat icon_frown.gif. Finding the cache is the best part for me anyways!!!

Link to comment

I know this has been said before, and will be repeated again in another thread soon.

 

Trade up, take out the junk. OK you say but if I keep buying trinkets and the like to put in caches the cost adds up.

 

I look at it this way... If I go out for a couple of beers I dont worry about the price of beer (well not too much anyway) or if I buy a pack of cigs I dont think what it wiil cost me over the coming year. The small amount I spend on cache goodies is a lot less than I spend on both the above and they do me no harm unlike beer and cigs.

 

adrianjohn put your trousers on!

 

Grimsby Lincolnshire UK.

Link to comment

Someone in my area left an AOL sign up disc, who hasn't got millions of these? why would anyone want another? The person was new, and I assume they will figure it out eventually, I hope so anyway. I leave stuff, but don't take (so far anyway, only have 14 finds).

 

_________________________________________________________

If trees could scream, would we still cut them down?

Well, maybe if they screamed all the time, for no reason.

Click here for my Geocaching pictures

Link to comment

quote:
Someone in my area left an AOL sign up disc, who hasn't got millions of these? why would anyone want another? The person was new, and I assume they will figure it out eventually, I hope so anyway. I leave stuff, but don't take (so far anyway, only have 14 finds).


 

This is exactly my point, maybe because he was new. But after 14 finds it time to wake up and realize everyone has enough of these AOL coasters (I hear they are good to scare the birds away from the pool!)

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by Rubbertoe:

Actually, my brother-in-law was looking for one of those AOL disks after he reformatted his HD the other day... we couldn't find one. icon_razz.gif

 

http://home.columbus.rr.com/rubbertoe/geobanana.gif http://home.columbus.rr.com/rubbertoe/index.html

_"Now with 50% less yuck, and 100% more color!!"_


 

Tell your Brother-in-law to check out http://www.nomoreaolcds.com/

Link to comment

I have no idea if it would actually work or not but you could perhaps setup a "recommended minimum" for cache trades. Say $5 for example. This could be advertised on the cache page and in the cache itself. That might increase the quality of the cache, but I'm doubtfull that people would follow the rules.

 

"No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible." -George Burns

Link to comment

I too like to see the kids face when they open the "treasure chest." I like the trinkets too. I too keep all my found loot. It's my caching scrapbook. I try to trade fairly and often leave extra goodies in caches to "round it out."

Sure the thrill tends to be in the hunt but I enjoy the surprise of what is inside as well. It's the Crackerjack theory of caching. I have yet to see any real "signature" items. One person around here says they always leave glowsticks. Fine, cool. I'm trying to find my own sig item to begin leaving too. Looks like I was too late with the AOL cd thing. Dang. That was a great idea. 8) If everyone left more expensive items AND everyone left better then they took we would soon be finding Durangos and Harleys in the caches. Did anyone really expect to find anything really valuable? My son did, and does every time. hard to disappoint a 4 year old when he's finding hidden treasure.

I'm with the others, if you don't like the trade part of the game, Log and leave i guess. But don't spoil our fun in the process. Heck, I just started!

Hell the best thing my son found was a pocket knife which most think is taboo. It was his first and he is only allowed to carry it while caching but he loves it. That one item from our first cache has impacted all later caces as he gets to carry his knife like a man when he goes caching.

We have found good and bad but we are having a great time.

 

To live in fear is not to live.

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by BrianSnat:

If you've seen the mess made by people tearing apart an area looking for a needle in the haystack, you might think differently.


 

That's generalizing! We don't all hunt the way you do! icon_wink.gif

 

quote:

Personally I think we geocachers should upgrade our cache contents, rather than eliminate them.


 

Explain?

Link to comment

It says on the site that 1,000,000 AOL CDs stacked on top of each other would be taller than the Empire State building.

 

I wonder where this guy is storing all these CDs? When he has 1,000,000 what does he plan on doing with them? He must have some obsessive compulsive disorder!

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by RobertM:

It says on the site that 1,000,000 AOL CDs stacked on top of each other would be taller than the Empire State building.

 

I wonder where this guy is storing all these CDs? When he has 1,000,000 what does he plan on doing with them? He must have some obsessive compulsive disorder!


 

Robert, The site addresses this issue "Once we have 1,000,000 collected, we will make our quest across America to give them all back to their rightful owner, AOL and say "stop doing this". " Now that might make a huge cache!

 

Jpjazz

Link to comment

I was very displeased when I saw that my sister's peter pan theme cache had rocks and broken crayons instead of the cool peter pan things. I agree that you just shouldn't take anything if you don't have something of equal or greater value to replace it with. One cache I've been to recently looked as if someone had eplaced everything it it with bits of trash they had picked up on the way. While it's good that they are concerned about litter, I think that it's akin to stealing.

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by Ellwiny:

I was very displeased when I saw that my sister's peter pan theme cache had rocks and broken crayons instead of the cool peter pan things. I agree that you just shouldn't take anything if you don't have something of equal or greater value to replace it with. One cache I've been to recently looked as if someone had eplaced everything it it with bits of trash they had picked up on the way. While it's good that they are concerned about litter, I think that it's akin to stealing.


 

They must have missed the "TO" of the "TITO" motto. Trash In, Trash Out!

 

Jpjazz icon_rolleyes.gif

Link to comment

I think you can be creative in your trades that you have for caches. My kids also like the toys but we just visited one that was basically junk. What I did was list all the contents on the page for all to see. Everyone then has a choice to go, refill or not go. I find tons of things on clearance that are great for caching. Pencils, coins are good.. especially foreign ones, tons of stuff from the dollar store...and my personal favorite at the moment is giving old cd's that we don't want/need anymore. They still work fine.. just not our taste anymore. icon_cool.gif

Link to comment

Who, other than our children, really expects to find a true treasure?

That's just it for me. My kids love to go because they like the idea of trading stuff.

I try to encourage them to take good stuff along for trading purposes. When we shop as a family the kids and I look for stuff that would be good for caching.

When I cache alone I tnln. I much prefer to go caching as a family. If it weren't for the junk I'm afraid I'd be caching alone.

If you don't like the caches, Why not stick to benchmarks?

End of rant.

 

Maine MountainMan

Link to comment

quote:

 

quote:
Quote:

Personally I think we geocachers should upgrade our cache contents, rather than eliminate them.


Robert M responded:

Explain?


 

Sure. The original poster complained about the quality of items in caches and suggested because the stuff is just junk, we should forget about cache trinkets and have log only, micro caches.

 

I responded that I like (enjoy) finding the stuff in caches, so rather than eliminating (ending) the practice of trading items, we should upgrade (improve) the cache contents (the things you find in a cache).

 

"You can only protect your liberties in this world, by protecting the other man's freedom. "You can only be free if I am" -Clarence Darrow

 

[This message was edited by BrianSnat on April 11, 2003 at 03:32 PM.]

Link to comment

I have watched this discussion for the past 3 days and not surprisingly everyone is motivated by different cache goals. Some ignore the toys and trinkets, others specifically avoid the T &T and still others have young children that will only accompany them if there is surprise waiting.

 

While the majority abhor the uneven trading that results in broken Mickey D items, a couple unbelievably cache specifically for the junk! I guess that "junk" drawer in the kitchen is not enough, its just fun to search through the neighbor’s junk.... icon_rolleyes.gif

 

Fortunately the GC administrators have created a forum that appeals to all, this is my third year, and I am going strong. Over this period my children have grown and still enjoy a good cache hunt, although their tastes have changed and prefer the hunt to the treasure. Still, I must admit that at times I still revel in a find filled with Toys and Trinkets!

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Jpjazz icon_razz.gif

Link to comment

I think it is fun to put items into a cache and exchange them. Junk sould not be placed in a cache ever. If a person does not have a suitable exchange use money or just sign the log. If someone just wants to do the sport just say took nothing and left nothing, but it would be nice if you could leave a dollar, quarter or something for the kids just to be nice.

L

Link to comment

I say if your going to trade, at least trade even. I've seen people take three or four pricy items and then leave a McDonalds toy. Take a toy if that's what you brought to trade, or trade nothing. Just trade fare.

Blackfoot

 

Life is a gift, unwrap it and use it to the fullest!

Link to comment

I also don't care whats in the cache but enjoy the ingenious items the most. I leave a Team Cachebums sig button at all caches and have talked about trying to find a really cheap car and leave the keys in the cache will have to figure how to do the paperwork though. any ideas (BTW will be bidding on a 91 Astro van soon)

Link to comment

I like toys and trinkets. Since I'm 24 that may seem a little odd, but I have a bunch of random trinkets and toys that I gathered up while Geocaching parading across my desk right now.

 

I don't see anything wrong with leaving behind an odd little trinket so long as whatever I took was of equal or lesser value, or if I took nothing at all. I've logged a couple of caches where I just dropped off one of my furry mice-- definitely worthless trinkets, but quirky enough signature items. I don't expect anyone to go nuts over the prospect of taking home a cat toy, but I just like to imagine that some people might open the cache, see a furry mouse or unwittingly brush it with their hand, and run off shrieking while their spouse laughs and snaps photos...

 

If that happens even once, the otherwise silly toys will have served their purpose well.

 

<3)~

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by Blackfoot:

I say if your going to trade, at least trade even. I've seen people take three or four pricy items and then leave a McDonalds toy. Take a toy if that's what you brought to trade, or trade nothing. Just trade fare.

Blackfoot


 

I dicovered this cache that is right on Ronald's Playland for all Mickey D fans!

Link to comment

I love finding stuff! It may be just to carry to the next cache, or it may be something fun for the cats to play with. We always put in something better than we take out. I have one hidden cache with some nice stuff. I asked folks to make a fair trade but everyone has their own idea of what is fair, so the $3 items often get replaced with $1 or less items. Still I can complain. It makes me happy when someone finds something they can use, like first aid cream for the fella who had poison oak.

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...