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The Worst Trade I've Ever Seen


Pantalaimon

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I know there have been numerous threads about poor trades, trading down, not trading at all, etc., but today I came across a trade that I just can't let slip by without comment.

 

My caching partner and I did an extensive multi-cache which consisted of going to various locations in our city to gather coordinates for the final cache. It took us two days to do, I think it took others even longer.

 

Anyhoo, when we made it to the final cache to trade, I found the following entry in the log book:

 

"Took pocket knife, left receipt and comic."

 

Okay, now, I know that knives are generally frowned upon as trade items, and maybe it should be removed even if you're not going to trade... but did this person think that the tattered, very non-funny comic cut from the newspaper, and the receipt from good will were valuable trade items? Why would someone admit to this. These things couldn't even be mistaken for valuable. At first I looked at the receipt and the comic trying to discern even the most rudimentary value that could come of these items. The comic was in tough shape and it wasn't even funny. The receipt, I though, was for dropping off items at good will, and could conceivably be used as tax deduction... but then I noticed it was a reciept for BUYING stuff at goodwill. It was useless.

 

I'll post a picture of the two items once I get it taken sometime tonight. I just wanted to vent.

 

Again, I know this has been beaten pretty hard (maybe not to death yet), has anyone seen any really bad trades admitted to lately?

 

Pan

 

P.S. By the by, we took the "receipt and comic" and left a coupon for a Friendly's sundae and a geocaching keychain. - P

 

Fact is that there is nothing out there you can't do,

Yeah, even Santa Claus believes in you...

Floyd of Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, from "Can You Picture That?"

 

[This message was edited by Pantalaimon on October 26, 2003 at 02:03 PM.]

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i did the worst trade today...

 

i was doing cache maitenance on a water logged cache of mine... a new box, new multi clues... replaced some of the ruined contents... new log book... took TWO WG's and $1.65 in change out of the cache since i am flat broke till friday.

 

--log excerpt

 

left new container and new stuff for inside

took cash

 

end log excerpt--

 

icon_wink.gif Now where did I set my GPS??? icon_wink.gifplanetrobert.net

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Worst trade I've seen happened to one of my caches. A visitor traded something (I don't remember what), and left a clear red flashlight with batteries in it. The next visitor took the flashlight and left a rusty allen wrench. If youve never seen an allen wrench, they ar an "L" shaped piece of steel with a hexagonal cross section. They often are packaged with items that require their use for assembly. I think I still have the wrench somewhere from a maintenance trip. If the cacher ever puts out a cache it will fit in, I'll TN, leave rusty wrench and see what happens. bad_boy_a.gif

 

[This message was edited by Bloencustoms on March 32, 1999 at 25:60 PM]

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You'd never believe what happened to me while caching the other day! I had just purchased a "Bear-B-Gone" whistle so I could go after this multi I had been working hard at getting the coordinates...When I was at the final cache, I was attacked by a BEAR! The whistle worked like a lead lifejacket but fortunately, someone had left a pocket knife in the cache! I fought the bear off with the knife (having to bloody it in the process) but he tore apart my vintage copy of the "Dewey Beats Truman" front page that I was going to put in the cache! All I had left was a very lame comic strip that was even salvagable. I couldn't leave the bloody knife in the cache for obvious reasons, so I had to take it with me...when I got home, I fully intended on returning that dud of a whistle...but it seems the receipt for Goodwill that I had from when I bought it has been lost somewhere...so I'm stuck with it now. I wish I knew where I dropped that receipt.

 

 

(okay, no more jokes, on with the thread!) icon_biggrin.gif

 

--

 

http://healinghearts.freeservers.com/pandee.html

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Wow. I can't believe you took the time to look through the cache whilst the bear was attacking you.

 

Talk about dead-ication.

 

Pan

 

Fact is that there is nothing out there you can't do,

Yeah, even Santa Claus believes in you...

Floyd of Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, from "Can You Picture That?"

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maybe its not the worst trade, but it certainly annoyed me. On a cache I recently hid a person two two items (decent ones too mind you) and left one item, which they half used on the way. Now I understand why they used it, but if you're gonna leave a used item, dont take 2 new ones. (if you knew what the item was, you wouldnt want it used...)

 

I'm not naming items, or caches since I'm not completely pissed. I'm just really... I can't even say annoyed. This person seemed really nice, so I just don't get why they would do a 2 for half... Anyone who is that curious can easily find out who and what from what I have said...

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quote:
Originally posted by ju66l3r:

You'd never believe what happened to me while caching the other day! I had just purchased a "Bear-B-Gone" whistle so I could go after this multi I had been working hard at getting the coordinates...When I was at the final cache, I was attacked by a BEAR! The whistle worked like a lead lifejacket but fortunately, someone had left a pocket knife in the cache! I fought the bear off with the knife (having to bloody it in the process) but he tore apart my vintage copy of the "Dewey Beats Truman" front page that I was going to put in the cache! All I had left was a very lame comic strip that was even salvagable. I couldn't leave the bloody knife in the cache for obvious reasons, so I had to take it with me...when I got home, I fully intended on returning that dud of a whistle...but it seems the receipt for Goodwill that I had from when I bought it has been lost somewhere...so I'm stuck with it now. I wish I knew where I dropped that receipt.

 

 

(okay, no more jokes, on with the thread!) icon_biggrin.gif

 

--

 

http://healinghearts.freeservers.com/pandee.html

 

That is quite possibly the funniest thing I've seen today! Hee hee hee!

 

And BTW Pan, I thought you were talking to yourself with a quick glance... those avatars are WAY too similar!

 

Joel (joefrog)

 

"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for ye are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!"

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quote:
Originally posted by ju66l3r:

PS - You have prolifically posted to 500 with that response! May your next 500 be continuing examples for the community to understand how to post intelligent, cohesive arguments and views in the future! Toast!


 

ju66l3r: Thank you for the kind words, although I fear there are many who would disagreew with your characterization of my arguments and views. But I thank you nonetheless.

 

joefrog: On occasion I do talk with myself, just not on THIS occasion.

 

ju66l3r's current avatars and mine are very similar. Sometimes I ask myself "Wait... did I write that."

 

ju66l3r has a unique sense of humor when it comes to his avatars. As far as I can tell, he combines two avatars, and then provides a link to some site that uses the combination of the two names.

 

For example, right now, as of the date of this posting, he has an avatar that combines mine (Pantalaimon) with Hydee's. Judging by the link provided in his posts, he calls this creation Pan-dee. And he has provided a link to tell us who Pandee is.

 

A strange game, and not one that I fully understand. icon_smile.gif

 

Pan

 

Fact is that there is nothing out there you can't do,

Yeah, even Santa Claus believes in you...

Floyd of Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, from "Can You Picture That?"

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quote:
Originally posted by Pantalaimon:

ju66l3r has a unique sense of humor when it comes to his avatars. As far as I can tell, he combines two avatars, and then provides a link to some site that uses the combination of the two names.

 

For example, right now, as of the date of this posting, he has an avatar that combines mine (Pantalaimon) with Hydee's. Judging by the link provided in his posts, he calls this creation Pan-dee. And he has provided a link to tell us who Pandee is.

 

A strange game, and not one that I fully understand. icon_smile.gif


 

Not to totally sidetrack here, but:

 

When I first came up with this one, I wrote a post that explained why I called it Pan-dee...I couldn't find any links to Hy-talamaimon. icon_smile.gif

 

But it stems from my first avatar where I used a rapping Gollum (old posts have the sig link to the flash animation). I got a lot of crap from other vocal Gollum users (even tho mine was sporting a microphone and knit cap instead of a GPS in a cave). So, I changed it. I found a smurf figurine online that was Pirate Smurf...GPS wasn't amused. I was. An idea was born. Enticed by zuuk's girl..I sought out this avatarous Siren and in the midst of the Pirate Panic of post-August, I photoshop'd her an eyepatch and dew-rag (link to the singer's website for others also enticed by her beauty). I then combined Jo5's and Doc-Dean's eye of Sauron in homage to the new LotR trailer being released.

 

I needed something new though. I mapped JollyBGood into Woodster's son(?)'s place...but what would I call this wonderful creation?? Why, Good...Wood...lol, nice. Is there anything on the web that isn't dirty that I could link to? Amazingly, the Audoban (sp?) Society describes non-bird harming logging results as Good Wood...beautiful. That went weeks...but I wanted something else. Both Pan and Hydee had been big posters recently...and I thought a Pant-ee link would be funny. Admittedly, it was the least amount of editing I had to do yet...which is why they are more similar than most of my others (plus Pan's av is so big and monocolor, the fly and tongue are lost on the eye quicker). But all of my "Pant-ee" links were nothing I wanted to hear about from anyone clicking on it. So, Pan-dee the lovable counting dog who brings God into your heart when you're down would have to do.

 

I'll think up a new one soon enough.

 

--

 

http://healinghearts.freeservers.com/pandee.html

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If a cache is just general in nature, it's annoying but not THAT big a deal. When you see huge trade disparities, or when you see themed caches get ranked, that's maddening.

 

My proposed solution:

 

name who put what items in the cache. Make it big & public ont he description.

 

i.e.

 

ITEMS CURRENTLY IN THIS CACHE INCLUDE:

 

.67 by Johnbigguy

a matchbook from some reetaurant by Phillybuster

hot pocket hand heater by JessMe

a Mctoy by Singsallnightlong

several WG

pocket knife by CacheWench

 

etc

etc

etc

 

(if those are real usernames then forgive me I was trying to just make up names. if real, no aspersions were meant)

 

hell I think every cache should be like that or you could take it even further:

 

johnbigguy: took $2 WG, left .67

Phillybuster: took car compass, left matchbook from some restaurant

JessMe: took nylon rope bag, left hot pocket hand heater

Singsallnightlong: took rare vintage newpaper Dewey Defeats Truman, left a Mctoy

several WG

CacheWench: took nothing, left pocket knife

 

those who trade fairly (or trade up) will be appreciated, those who dont will be much more exposed....

 

besides it kinda nice to have a headsup on what's in the cache anyway....

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My son and I just went last weekend. On a particular cache, it was about a 1+ mile hike, very steep, and took quite awhile to reach. Not a whole lot of stuff in the cache, but I can handle that. What I found disappointing was one particular item: A plastic toy airplane that was smashed flat/sideways. I kid you not, it looked like it had been run over by a car, and then placed in the cache container! I don't know of any kid, anywhere, that would consider it anything other than trash, and it had to be alot of work to haul that trash all the way up that mountain. Why do people bother?

 

Please, people: Trade up, trade even, _or don't trade! It's really not that difficult of a concept. Yes, I know, geocaching is supposed to be about the hunt, not the treasure, but it's still annoying that caches seem to go downhill as far as contents go. The older the cache, the more worthless the contents, yet if the "trade up" rule was followed, it should be the exact opposite. Heck, I'm still looking for that $100 bill that I'm sure will eventually be placed in a cache due to "trading up"!!icon_biggrin.gif

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Maybe it would be fun to have a Trading Down cache...hmm...your goal would be to put something in the box that would not damage it or others(nothing wet, over-sized, food, bodily fluid, etc) BUT you must put *something* in that is lower in value than what is currently in it.

 

Maybe call it the Limbo Pole cache...how low can you go...

 

--

 

http://healinghearts.freeservers.com/pandee.html

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quote:
Maybe it would be fun to have a Trading Down cache...hmm...your goal would be to put something in the box that would not damage it or others(nothing wet, over-sized, food, bodily fluid, etc) BUT you must put *something* in that is lower in value than what is currently in it.

 

Maybe call it the Limbo Pole cache...how low can you go...


 

At long last! I can now share my love of navel lint collecting with the world!

 

I got a few nice ones from 1976. A little chewy, but they'd make great trade items!

 

---------------------

It wasn't me.

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Looking back at some of the caches from the "early days" you can see that things squared up a lot better. Two packs of fresh batteries for a knife, three souvenier impressed pennies from around the country for several Olympic pins...

 

With the proliferation of the sport, this was bound to go by the wayside. We start our caches with small but enjoyable items (silly putty, travel game cards) and just try not to be disappointed with the results. Just shine it on when someone leaves a rock for a toy...ya know?

 

Sometimes we are happily surprised, and we just enjoy that. Our caches are about location more than anything else, and we hope that everyone enjoys being at a spot they might not otherwise see. We lean toward accessible locations as well, so folks that can't hike five miles can enjoy them.

 

But I do agree: folks shouldn't just look at this as "GeoPlundering." If yer in it for the goodies, you've missed the point.

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quote:
posted October 26, 2003 07:58 PM

maybe its not the worst trade, but it certainly annoyed me. On a cache I recently hid a person two two items (decent ones too mind you) and left one item, which they half used on the way. Now I understand why they used it, but if you're gonna leave a used item, dont take 2 new ones. (if you knew what the item was, you wouldnt want it used...)

 

I'm not naming items, or caches since I'm not completely pissed. I'm just really... I can't even say annoyed. This person seemed really nice, so I just don't get why they would do a 2 for half... Anyone who is that curious can easily find out who and what from what I have said...

 


Is your real name Clark Kent? This is the most mild-mannered entry I have read in the forums in ages. Wow.

 

"Thank you for calling Mom's Travel Service. Guilt Trips our specialty. Where would you like to go today?"

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Last week I deployed 4 TBs. I did a cache maintenance run on my string of caches, and encountered three more TBs along the way, which I said "HMM, my TB Motel is empty lets move them all there."

 

So I did. Low and behold this week the cache is ash. Not the TB Hotel, I rescued it and the 7 tbs before the fire got it, but the one that HAD the TBs in it previously.

 

I sadly report that "Over the edge" is ash. The Grandprix fire left half of the concrete plug, a german Pfennig, and a burn't off Geocaching button, with two carbonized seashells. I did recover the burnt sunglasses frames...Perhaps I will TB the cremainder.

 

Unfortunately rehiding a replacement cache is out of the question, there is nowhere to hide one, looks like the MOON. The burning of the two layers thick pipe was so complete it took thirty minutes to find ANY remains. Completely cremated.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS is the PUBLIC face of Geocaching, when someone learns of the sport this is where they come to

learn more, what are YOU showing them?

http://blacksheep.rootsweb.com/

International Black Sheep Society of Genealogist

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OK, The container was a 3 foot length of 4" abs pipe painted an coated in red concrete, it was capped with a fake concrete plug. The pipe was left in a vertical position about forty feet off old route 66. It appeared to be an official "post" for preventing someone from striking a low visability object, or like a capped off well pipe.

 

Inside the outer pipe was a 2.5' length of 3" abs pipe with a cap at one end and a removable cap at the other for the contents.

 

The container (outer) was made as follows:

 

The pipe was coated with wood glue and rolled in mortar mix, when dried, it was painted with RUST colored paint. It had the appearance of a painted rusty iron pipe.

 

The plug was made from a 4" expansion plug cast in concrete to match the top end of the casing, so a seamless fit was achieved. Intentional overspray was put on the concrete of the cap to aid in the seamless appearance.

 

The result was a "pipe" that appeared to be filled with concrete, sticking up in a field.

 

Homeless people were living about forty feet away, under a tree, and they never caught on that it was there.

 

I have a replacement made that is painted bright glossy yellow that will appear in a parking lot somewhere in southern California. Still looking for a good spot.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS is the PUBLIC face of Geocaching, when someone learns of the sport this is where they come to

learn more, what are YOU showing them?

http://blacksheep.rootsweb.com/

International Black Sheep Society of Genealogist

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I feel I should reply as this post is about me. I admit I took the $100 casino chip and left a GeoHack card.

Was it a real $100 casino chip? Hardly. Rather an advertising chip from a chip-making company with '$100' printed on it. I could just as well print $100 on a wooden button and be just as rich. So what is the actual value? A few cents over what the GeoHack card cost to make and much less interesting (plus the coin eventually made it back into a different cache)!

 

Yeah, it was still a crappy trade. It was my first cache and I was under the impression that the idea was to take something from the cache that appealed to you in that particular instance and then to leave something personal or something that expressed your individual interests rather than try upgrade a cache from a collection of junk to a collection of nicer junk!). To me that coin represented a job well done, the spoils of victory, worth all the thorns and puddles.

 

Of course the trade did sound more humorous the way you put it! icon_wink.gif

 

I've been planting GeoHack cards in all the caches I visit (along with other more tangible items). The game seems like a terrific concept that might draw more people into the hobby. My hope is that people will get more enjoyment out of the Geohack cards than they ever could out of a wet sock, a rusty Allen wrench or a newspaper clipping. icon_wink.gif

 

Anyone else try the GeoHack game yet?

 

[This message was edited by bbmagic on November 03, 2003 at 10:53 PM.]

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quote:
Originally posted by bbmagic:

Yeah, it was still a crappy trade. It was my first cache and I was under the impression that the idea was to take something from the cache that appealed to you in that particular instance and then to leave something personal or something that expressed your individual interests rather than try upgrade a cache from a collection of junk to a collection of nicer junk!). To me that coin represented a job well done, the spoils of victory, worth all the thorns and puddles.


 

Don't sweat it -- in this case, you did fine.

 

quote:

Anyone else try the GeoHack game yet?


 

not yet... what's it about? Tell us!

 

Joel (joefrog)

 

"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for ye are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!"

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quote:
Originally posted by bbmagic:

It's a game created by Jeff Aldrich (Jared's Seekers here in geocaching land) and presented in http://http:www.kenzerco.com magazine #83.

It combines elements of a card game and an epic role-playing game (i.e. Dungeons and Dragons) with geocaching!

For more information, check out my GeoHack encounter pack (waypoint http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=3c57b55d-c987-46b5-9115-500635f32ca7) for more information and links.

 

Cheers!


 

That actually sounds kinda fun, if you're into fantasy gaming. You should post that as a new topic in the General forum & spread the word!

 

Joel (joefrog)

 

"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for ye are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!"

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Oh man. I guessed wrong. My guess was that it was a $100 casino chip from a casino that wasn't open any more. I recall seeing some available when I was in Vegas.

 

Oh well, my bad.

 

I like Geohack but I just don't see it working out. Racking my brain trying to think of something better, which is at least leading to some fun theme cache ideas.

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quote:
Originally posted by bons:

Oh man. I guessed wrong. My guess was that it was a $100 casino chip from a casino that wasn't open any more.

Oh well, my bad.

 

I like Geohack but I just don't see it working out.


 

I have to agree with you on that one. I think I'm the only person in the Northwest that has tried to get it going. I've had some sucess with the themed cache (a few people have asked where they can learn more about it) but at this point I have to wonder how long I can keep it up. Playing with yourself is not as much fun as it sounds...wait, that didn't sound right... icon_frown.gif

 

There's is a GeoHack thread in the forums, but only three or four of us have posted to it.

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For those of you who complain about trades, do you carry a variety of items in a range of value to exchange? For example, if you find a new CD player, do you trade a new Leatherman? I know that you should leave equal or better, but how do you gauge what to take with you?

 

PeachyPA

 

Quilter, Cacher, Cubmaster

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quote:
Originally posted by PeachyPA:

For those of you who complain about trades, do you carry a variety of items in a range of value to exchange? For example, if you find a new CD player, do you trade a new Leatherman? I know that you should leave equal or better, but how do you gauge what to take with you?


 

We try to keep a range from 50 cents up to 3 or 4 dollars. If we don't have what we consider a fair trade item-for-item, sometimes we'll leave more than one item to get the one we want, but more often we will simply not trade. More often than I like to admit, we lose value in the deal because we want to leave the cache better than we found it (old scout rules?).

 

Happy Trails!

 

quote:
... I can quit any time I like ... really, I CAN!!

 

Candy (Moosiegirl)http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CentralTexasGeocachers/

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We always try to leave more than we take.

 

I generally leave things like new sunglasses, new FM radios, signature items, A geocan if there is room, WE are pretty well stocked wiith off the shelf trade items.

 

Of course most people just move stuff from one cache to the next.

 

icon_razz.gif

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS is the PUBLIC face of Geocaching, when someone learns of the sport this is where they come to

learn more, what are YOU showing them?

http://blacksheep.rootsweb.com/

International Black Sheep Society of Genealogist

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I was researching some logs the other day and found this: (I'm not sure if this is a good trade or not, or who actually came out on top!) icon_eek.gif

 

quote:
MagnumXL logged a find for In 'E' We Trust : A GreenMap Collaborative (Traditional Cache) Saturday, February 08, 2003

 

Great cache - beautiful day, crisp morning. Not too many aliens at 9am on a saturday, 'cept for those enjoying their coffee at the nearby cafe. Was easy to find, and had interesting items enclosed. I did not have a pen, and there was only a yellow hilighter in the container - maybe the next cacher can bring a pen/pencil to leave behind? Also the notepad is full - needs more paper added, or an additional log enclosed. (must make it small as the can is tight with enclosed items.)

 

Took: Employee of the Month lapel pin

 

Left: One puck of Mr. Zog's Surf Board Sex Wax - the best for your stick

 

 


 

bad_boy_a.gif

 

 

==============="If it feels good...do it"================

 

**(the other 9 out of 10 voices in my head say: "Don't do it.")**

 

.

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quote:
Originally posted by sept1c_tank:

I was researching some logs the other day and found this: (I'm not sure if this is a good trade or not, or who actually came out on top!) icon_eek.gif

 

....

_Took: Employee of the Month lapel pin

 

Left: One puck of Mr. Zog's Surf Board Sex Wax - the best for your stick


 

Seems like a pretty good trade to me based on this ad for Mr. Zog's Sex Wax

 

I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me.

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