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No, a yardsale can't be a cache or a cache event or any other excuse to promote geocaching, even if it does.


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New to orienteering and geocaching: totally hooked on this sport after only 2 wks and 2 finds.

 

I'm planning a garage sale in a couple weeks, and was wondering if it was ok "by the rules" to make it a "virtual" or "event" geocache. Have lotses of good cache-able stuff we'll make free explicitly to geocachers; great way to meet others in area at same time. icon_biggrin.gif

 

If they see something else they'd like to buy, wonderful; but I'm more interested in supporting and promoting geocaching locally and plan to have info on the sport, internet links to resources and other materials for everyone who visits (at specified coordinates, of course).

 

We're NE of the Cincinnati, OH area and near a LOT of caches and parks with potential for future caches and cachers! (planning a series ourselves).

icon_rolleyes.gif

 

Let us know what you think. Post replies or email us directly: rmedecke@cinci.rr.com

 

[This message was edited by MyBoys&Me on August 03, 2002 at 03:46 PM.]

 

[This message was edited by MyBoys&Me on August 03, 2002 at 04:11 PM.]

 

[This message was edited by MyBoys&Me on August 03, 2002 at 05:43 PM.]

 

[This message was edited by MyBoys&Me on August 03, 2002 at 08:10 PM.]

 

[This message was edited by MyBoys&Me on August 03, 2002 at 08:57 PM.]

 

[This message was edited by MyBoys&Me on August 03, 2002 at 09:51 PM.]

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My wife would love the garage sale part - and I could get a cache icon_biggrin.gif (if I lived in Ohio icon_frown.gif ).

 

I don't see anything wrong with this, but I'm sure there will be some who argue it violates the rules against commercial caches. Fill out a cache report and see what they say. Maybe even post a poll and get the opinions of others.

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An event cache will be approved and posted if it's a geocaching event. If it is a general event open to the general public to which you've invited geocachers it's not an event cache.

 

Event caches include activities pertaining to geocaching - discussions of geocaching best practices; presentations by experts on subjects or interest to geocachers such as compass use, snakes, poisonous plants. There is often at least one traditional cache hidden in conjunction with the event cache. Any event of a commercial nature has to be cleared with Jeremy in advance. This generally pertains to competitions with a fee, like the GPS Gold Rush, not garage sales. icon_smile.gif

 

See the event caches posted on the main page for examples. Hope that helps.

 

erik - geocaching.com admin

 

PS - If what you're thinking of won't fly as a Geocaching Event you can still use your regional forum to invite those in your area to visit.

 

[This message was edited by ~erik~ on August 02, 2002 at 04:11 PM.]

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In agree with what Eric said. It must be an event for geocachers only. Maybe you could have your yard sale on Saturday and Sunday, but have it available for geocachers on Friday evening. That way you could still meet local cachers as they came to find your cache and still have everything available to the public on the regular sale days. Mrs. Ladybuggers and I would definately be interested in stopping by.

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In response to Eric's concerns:

 

1. I'm not a company, and a private yardsale is by no definition a "commercial" activity. Items exclusively for geocachers will be free - that's the cache (catch - get it?). Even if I manage to sell everything I've rounded up, I'll only make about $150 after what I've spent on advertising. Maybe I could put that toward one of the used GPS units advertised on the board???

 

2. If a cache/event is accessible to or located by someone other than a geocacher, does that make it not an acceptable cache/event? Non-cachers stumble across caches or into events in public parks all the time. Since I'll be promoting geocashing with pictures, printouts & word-of-mouth, it seems to me that qualifies it as an event both for and about geocashing.

 

3. It will only be available for a 3-day period and accessible to about 30-50 geocachers in the general vicinity; knowing my nature-minded neighbors, I will probably succeed in recruiting 30 new cachers, which can only be a good thing.

 

I plan to archive it the evening of the last sale day.

 

And here I thought I had such an original idea for a cache!!! icon_confused.gif

 

- MyBoys&Me

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Eric, Jeremy, cut me some slack here.

 

I have not given up. I truly think I've got a great idea here, and considering it's brevity, appropriateness should NOT be an issue!

 

My motivation is threefold: meet geocachers in area, educate others about geocashing, and maybe clean out my basement.

 

Here's some of the stuff I had planned for the cache (a 2x3x1 foot plastic storage box):

- waterbottles

- tins and tupperware for cache containers

- a compass (or two)

- CDR's, diskettes, and media storage

- a digital camera for group pictures

- hats, sunglasses and visors

- camping gear

- 5 lbs of miscellaneous "cache-stuffers"

- flashlights

- walkie-talkie headsets

 

Who wouldn't want some of that? icon_rolleyes.gif

 

Also, after some debate, I decided that yardsale items would also be "trade-ables".

 

And WHERE besides geocashing.com are cachers and the general public going to be inundated with a material display and interaction surrounding geocaching the likes of which I propose? icon_eek.gif

 

Geesh, it's only a 3-day event. How many folks planning yardsales are also planning a public education conference at the same time with multiple speaking guests!!?!?!?!!

 

I know I'm really bending the rules, but I'm doing it for the best of reasons - it's not like it's going to affect 10,000 cachers or set a precedent. I don't think you'll find many folks who have the ability to put on a display like I'm planning to promote it. And it's free advertising for you. The community I live in revolves around it's parks and bike trails - heck, we've been trying to get an olympic quality velodrome built here. A little PR could be a good thing. icon_wink.gif

 

If nothing else, I believe I'd get the support of local cachers in this. icon_smile.gif

 

Poll's not swinging in my favor here, but few have responded.

http://opentopic.Groundspeak.com/0/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=1750973553&f=3000917383&m=6290963925

 

If I hadn't mentioned the yardsale, you probably would have let it slide. 'Least I'm being honest!

 

icon_razz.gif MyBoys&Me

 

[This message was edited by MyBoys&Me on August 03, 2002 at 01:26 PM.]

 

[This message was edited by MyBoys&Me on August 03, 2002 at 01:26 PM.]

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One cacher's motto I really liked: "... I'll defend, to your death, my right to say it ..."? icon_rolleyes.gif

 

OK. I've been officially squashed on this issue, so I guess I'll let it be.

 

Transcript of email follows:

 

Unfortunately due to the fact that it sounds like a yard sale, it fits within the “commercial” category and will not be listed.

 

Jeremy

 

Or will I?

 

Sounds like a yardsale? I'm putting together a commercial-quality display promoting GEOCASHING to the public that'll be in my yard. JUST so happens I'd like to do this when LOTS of people in an area VERY interested in outdoor activities will be here to SEE it. IT's ONLY FOR THREE DAYS, MY GOODNESS! Do you not want people to get interested in geocaching? Is it a reserved sport?

 

I do NOT understand.

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Eric, I'm new, but I'm not a dunce. What I'm asking is soooo temporary it doesn't make a plunk in the lake, but it will send ripples that benefit geocaching in general because people will LEARN about it. THAT's my main goal. If you won't let me make a temp cache in correlation with my yardsale, fine. I understand - heck, with 30 or so every weekend in every neighborhood in every city across the U.S. and gosh knows where else, yardsales'd be a temp cache flashboard that'd overload your servers and MapQuest too! But how many of those other yardsalers know about geocashing?

 

I'm not trying to DO that. I'm trying to advertise and promote the sport of geocashing. If I do it anyway (with or without the cache), will you have a problem with that?

 

I'm not giving up on this horse 'til he rots.

 

icon_razz.gif MyBoys&Me

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quote:
Originally posted by MyBoys&Me:

 

I'm putting together a commercial-quality display promoting GEOCASHING to the public that'll be in my yard.


 

It might help if you stopped spelling GEOCACHING incorrectly (you've done this a few times). This might be sending subliminal messages to admin that it is really more "commercial" (did you say "cash"?) in nature....

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I type about 120 wpm... "cache" and "geocache" are new to fingers; makes me slow down to 40... my fingers have a mind of their own, and what I hear in my head (phonics) they transcribe. Will be more careful in future.

 

Subliminal message? No. Typo? Definitely.

 

Do you think before you type and read before you post and spell check after you do both or use your knowledge of the english language and common sense to realize that people make mistakes so you can correct your own? Nah - that's too long for a motto. We'll stick with the silly face.

 

icon_razz.gif MyBoys&Me

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quote:

Do you think before you type and read before you post and spell check after you do both


Yes I do. Doesn't everyone?

quote:

or use your knowledge of the english language and common sense to realize that people make mistakes so you can correct your own? Nah - that's too long for a motto. We'll stick with the silly face.

 

icon_razz.gif MyBoys&Me


 

I do that too.

 

I also will restate my opinion that I unless the yard sale items are tradeable items then this is not a cache.

 

If it is accepted though I would like to create a locationless cache for all my items on eBay.

 

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

As always, the above statements are just MHO.

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

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quote:
Originally posted by MyBoys&Me:

Eric, I'm new, but I'm not a dunce. What I'm asking is soooo temporary it doesn't make a plunk in the lake, but it will send ripples that benefit geocaching in general because people will LEARN about it. THAT's my main goal.

 


 

Great! Since your main goal is to benefit Geocaching in general, you can proceed without

any problem at all. Just ditch the yard sale part of your plans, and everyone (including you, since you state the yard sale is not the main goal) will be happy.

 

Problem solved. Go ahead and have a great event cache. Just don't try to promote your yard sale with it!

 

-Paul

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This is from SunCrush: You should have placed a cache in your garage or yard, and then wait to see if anyone came to it and named it an event. Then closed it the night it ended, and for all those who came out to see and meet, would have found it what it was and walked away with more geocaching supplies.. and probably happy faces!!! Let alone more new friends!!! All in all I think it was a good idea!! icon_biggrin.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by MyBoys&Me:

No, I've never done CPR on a horse, but I would try if I found myself in that situation.


 

Please don't save the horse; glue is way too expensive as it is. icon_wink.gif

 

I'm relatively new here too, and from what I see is there are not a lot of rules restricting geocaching, and that's the way it should be. With that in mind, don't get upset if the powers that be at geocahing.com decide you are not within those rules. If it was me, I'd definately attend an event before I hosted one, just to get the feel of it.

 

Never date a girl whose father calls her princess - chances are she beleives it.

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What you are planning is a commercial cache, commmercial in the sense that you may make a profit from Geocachers who may purchase items from your garage sale. If you want to do this as an event cache so you can meet other local Geocachers than drop the garage sale. Otherwise this just becomes another way to get more people to come to your garage sale.

You asked for an opinion and clearly most people sees this as a problem. Listen to what they have to say, your not going to be right everytime, no matter how good you think your intentions are.

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I'd already planned the yardsale.

 

So how do you propose I get local folks to attend an educational event about geocaching if they're not allowed to come?

 

Was I not clear enough in my objectives? my plans? my format? Did you read all the threads?

 

The yardsale will get people in my driveway - they'll see the info on geocaching. They'll meet the local cachers who are there at the time, including me. They'll learn about our sport, the local parks, etc.

 

Without getting too specific, some of the largest local employers recruit people from all over the planet, and they (those international employees) live HERE or very nearby. MOST are involved in chemical, biological and ecological research: hmmm? they might LIKE the idea?

 

I'm NOT GETTING PAID to do this (but I'll accept any checks signed by Jeremy or Eric - LOL! just kidding).

 

Don't understand the whole hype here - it's only 3 days, if I'm lucky I'll get 10 people each day, and it's not going to be a world-changing event, no matter WHO shows up.

 

I just wanted to help - now my party's turned into a whole ISSUE.

 

All I wanted to do is post a 3-day cache event to atract local cachers to get together with new recruits in the Cincinnati area, and now I'm arguing definitions to get it done?

 

This is preposterous.

 

icon_razz.gif MyBoys&Me

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I'd just drop the issue. If it were to get approved you'd have mostly Geocachers there anyway....who wouldn't need to be told about the sport.

 

I like going to garage sales as much as the next guy, but from my expierence, most of the people that I've seen at garage sales don't exactly look like the 'outdoorsey' type that would go spend $100 or more on a GPS. I'm sure there are exceptions to that observation though.

 

It's not worth the argument and you're not going to get 'the powers that be' to change their minds.

 

You cold always take a bunch of that stuff you're going to sell, assuming it's small enough, and make several new caches for your area. I'm sure that would benefit geocaching in your area much more than trying to 'recruit' new people to the activity through a garage sale.

 

Chip

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quote:
Originally posted by MyBoys&Me:

 

So how do you propose I get local folks to attend an educational event about geocaching if they're not allowed to come?

 

icon_razz.gif MyBoys&Me


 

I propose that you don't.

 

I think, frankly, that the last thing that the Geocaching community needs is someone who apparently doesn't know much about it hosting an educational event about it.

 

Especially someone who clearly is not willing to *listen* to what people who are much more experienced are saying.

 

I've actually been in two particle accelerators: should I now go out and teach a class on how to build them? icon_frown.gif

 

I echo the advice that has been given to you before. Find more caches. Learn more about the sport. Learn what you're doing before getting into a big argument over a particular cache, and especially before trying to teach others about it.

 

Shannah

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quote:
Originally posted by SunCrush & Traumajunkie21:

This is from SunCrush: You should have placed a cache in your garage or yard, and then wait to see if anyone came to it and named it an event. Then closed it the night it ended, and for all those who came out to see and meet, would have found it what it was and walked away with more geocaching supplies.. and probably happy faces!!! Let alone more new friends!!! All in all I think it was a good idea!! icon_biggrin.gif


 

I do not think it is a good idea to encourage people to lie about the cache they place. I don't think people would walk away with Geocaching supplies. They would walk away with the stuff from your house that you do not want that they bought for five cents on the dollar.

 

A garage sale cache is a bad idea. Most event caches are held outdoors in parks... sort of like the way caches are placed!

 

One more thing... with all the kooks out there today, are you really sure you want to publish the coordinates for your driveway on the Internet? icon_rolleyes.gif

 

I support the Georgia Geocachers Association, or the GGA!

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As well as my house, it's general measurements, room counts, our lot, easements, taxes, sales history, and a picture!

 

How much do you know about your county's Auditor's office and what they've published online about your property?

 

(This would make a great new topic - I've given up the fight for my yardsale).

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MyBoys&Me:

 

Welcome to Geocaching! Just a few things to note:

 

You are welcome here - and it's great that you've discovered GeoCaching.

 

It kind of stinks at any time, for anyone, when they have an idea that sounds great to them, and it seems like everyone is stomping on it.

 

What's really hard to remember at these times (and I've been there, in other settings, not in Geocaching), is that the people who you think may be hitting you pretty hard with their comments right now, or who may seem to be petty or close-minded, have faced a whole range of situations trying to protect this activity you have begun to love. Jeremy, Eric and the others probably get all sorts of things thrown their way, and the only way to keep the insane from happening is to give no quarter to well-intentioned small things, that may give those outlandish uses of Geocaching an excuse to claim things like "You let her do it! Why not me?!" Imagine: Hey! I want a Geocache that ends up on the sales floor of my car dealership (I can say this, my dad's a car dealer!)? What, I can't have one! But you let the garage sale through - tell me, what *exactly* is different except that her sale lasted only a few days? Well, then how about my 2-day used-truck clearance sale I'm holding down the road? That seems about the same - just bigger and more organized." Believe me, from my own experience, I can guess (don't KNOW) that Jeremy and Eric face this sort of stuff.

 

So, this means they have to stay firm.

 

Now, the Groundspeak crew neither asked for my 'apologistic' note here, and may not appreciate it. It's just that I think they are doing a great job, and I don't want their execution of doing that turn off a new fan of GeoCaching! My wife and I are so in love with this new activity that we want everyone to be enjoying it now! icon_smile.gif

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Most of the people that would see your cache post are allready familiar with GeoCaching anyways, no need to promote to them, so to me it does seem like you are in affect, advertising your garage sale on the site. But i know what you are saying about this being a good opportunity to meet some of the Cachers in the area. That sounds good too, but set up a seperate event for that.

 

Promoting GeoCaching is great! I would think you could make some GPSr buying money and tell others about our hobby during your garage sale!

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Our thanks. We read and considered all opinions, official or otherwise. The yardsale will happen, and so will the cache event, but not on the same dates or in the same locations.

 

I hope I didn't offend anyone with my newbie fresh attititude-in-defense-of-my-own-ideas.

 

If I did, I apologize. I was energized (still am, actually), but I didn't focus it correctly.

 

The MWMBO have spoken. My torch has been extinquished.

 

icon_razz.gif MyBoys&Me

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