BETTER PRIZES!!

[Pantalaimon]

I'm writing to advocate people putting a smidge bit better prizes in the caches they find. I cache in the Massachusetts area generally, and I'm tired of finding things like one chess pawn, a small plastic dinosaur, and other useless, uniteresting prizes in caches. I'm not saying you have to spend a bunch of cash on the cache, I would love to see a scratch ticket or two, a yo-yo or some other rinky-dink toy that people will get at least A LITTLE enjoyment out of. I mean, I understand that most of the fun in geocaching is in the hunt... but its disappointing to see cheesey prizes all the time. My and my cache-mates give homemade CD's, packets of Red Sox and Patriot stickers, scratch tickets, small toys, and other little impulse type items we find while we're shopping around. It doesn't take much to leave a somewhat thoughtful prize.

 

Well, that's my two cents.

 

Taz

[GrandpaCannon]

I have a actually found people's old credit card receipts in a cache. True Geotrash unless you are meant to be able to charge something on the card. I try to leave something of equal value to what I have taken. In one instance I left several small items for a large item. As far as the pawn goes could that be someones signature item? If it is it seems to me that a meaningless item has now turned into something to be sought after. On the other hand, if someone is just finding stuff in their "junk drawer" to leave for a cache trade that if pretty lame. The thrill is in the hunt but it is nice to have a prize at the end. :cool

[GrandpaCannon]

I have a actually found people's old credit card receipts in a cache. True Geotrash unless you are meant to be able to charge something on the card. I try to leave something of equal value to what I have taken. In one instance I left several small items for a large item. As far as the pawn goes could that be someones signature item? If it is it seems to me that a meaningless item has now turned into something to be sought after. On the other hand, if someone is just finding stuff in their "junk drawer" to leave for a cache trade that if pretty lame. The thrill is in the hunt but it is nice to have a prize at the end. :cool

[+Nurse Dave]

Yes I agree the main goal is exploring new places and just finding the cache, but if you also enjoy trading items it can be frustrating. I bring along a group of "low level" and "high level" items to trade depending on what I find. I would rather see the "T/L nothing" post more often if people are just going to be trading in throw-away items. If you don't have something interesting or useful, don't put anything in at all.

 

The caches are self-sustaining and self-IMPROVING.

 

---I will stand out, I am a raven in the snow.

[+jonboy]

I do feel sometimes like people just emptied their junk drawer into the caches. Old matchbooks and coasters suggests a rather uncreative or stingy cacher. There is a female cacher in out area who often leaves little items of indian jewelry in her caches and I really enjoyed those finds. I have to confess that initially I plundered these prime items from the caches I found, until I started reading these forums and realized what I was doing. I was putting the items back into circulation, but I was degrading her caches. Now that I am putting out caches myself, I try and include items I would enjoy finding. I often include books that I liked, but that I would probably not read again. I found a book of love poems, which I gave to my wife, in part to try and atone for my being gone caching so much. Some people put in emergency ponchos, and I think this is a good idea, and have started doing so myself. I also like when a cache has a map, and I try and do this now and again, but I hate giving up my maps. I have a lot of kid in me, so I enjoy stuffed animals and cute toys, so I include things like that for the other kiddies. There is a store near me where every thing is under $2, and I have found this a great source of cache nuggets. I would like to create jewelry or such, but with my skills, I think people would rather have beer stained coasters. One last thing that turns me on is the cache box itself. I love these creatively camoflaged ammo boxes with the identifing stencils. When I find a cache container that is a cracked take out container, I lose a little respect for the cacher. Right now I am using tupperware containers, but I would like to replace them with customized ammo boxes when I get around to it.

[+Team MGGPS]

I also bring out "low level" and "high level" items to exchange. I don't like leaving a leatherman tool and taking a McDonalds Happy Meal toy. Sometimes it is a good idea to take an item that is large and exchange it w/ something that is small, seems like the containers get full reaaly quick.

[BassoonPilot]

I could care less what's in the box ... I just hope the box was placed in an interesting location at the end of an interesting hike.

 

A box empty except for a logbook (and pencil )at the end of a great hike would make me happier than a dump-and-run cache full of "valuable parting gifts" any day.

[BassoonPilot]

I could care less what's in the box ... I just hope the box was placed in an interesting location at the end of an interesting hike.

 

A box empty except for a logbook (and pencil )at the end of a great hike would make me happier than a dump-and-run cache full of "valuable parting gifts" any day.

[pdumas]

I Agree with BassoonPilot

[+Ramness]

quote:

---

Originally posted by cannonlaw:

I have a actually found people's old credit card receipts in a cache

---

 

Got ya beat on that one! Found several chunks of a cut up credit card in a cache a couple months ago...

 

I usually leave my signature item of a Red Carabiner, they are pretty cheap at $0.99 each at Home Depot and are great keychains. I'll usually leave them even if I don't take anything. If I find something interesting I'll take it, and if I find something that I find really cool I'll leave a Biner and whatever else is in my trade bag.

[+welch]

is this posted in every forum?

 

[+welch]

is this posted in every forum?

 

[+Web-ling]

quote:

---

Originally posted by welch:

is this posted in every forum?

 

---

Pretty much.

 

After the first hundred caches or so, I quit really caring what's in the box. If there's something I like, I'll trade something better for it. If not, I just leave my sig item and go on.

 

Actually, I usually prefer smaller items, like pins, rather than really nice, more expensive items. This little addiction of ours can get rather expensive if you trade a couple of bucks worth of stuff at every cache, and you average more than a cache a day, especially if there's more than one person in your group. I'd rather spend my money on gas or on placing new caches than on trinkets to trade for other trinkets I really don't have any use for.

 

[+Web-ling]

quote:

---

Originally posted by welch:

is this posted in every forum?

 

---

Pretty much.

 

After the first hundred caches or so, I quit really caring what's in the box. If there's something I like, I'll trade something better for it. If not, I just leave my sig item and go on.

 

Actually, I usually prefer smaller items, like pins, rather than really nice, more expensive items. This little addiction of ours can get rather expensive if you trade a couple of bucks worth of stuff at every cache, and you average more than a cache a day, especially if there's more than one person in your group. I'd rather spend my money on gas or on placing new caches than on trinkets to trade for other trinkets I really don't have any use for.

 

[Seeker BP]

Could care less about the items in the box. Can get the same effect from a box of Cracker Jacks. I too follow Bassoon's philosophy. I like going to an interesting area, hiking some peaceful trail, and seeing the scenery!! Cache In, Trash Out

[+jhwf44]

hmm...interesting...this is posted in a lot of the forums, anyways...

 

The most important part I find is finding the cache. That's the most exciting part to me. The only reason I like to take a goodie is that it makes something to remember a cache by. I always take 1 goodie, leave a few, and put what I took in a shoe box at home. Then once in a while I can go through the box, and look at the items, and think: "Oh yeah, I remember that cache, what an adventure"

 

I do agree that *some* caches could use improvement. I've only found like 4 caches that I can think of, that needed some better stuff. This was because people started putting business cards in them, or leaving many of the same thing, or just plain junk that ain't worth a penny. When this happens, I try to improve the cache and leave something good. I refuse to take something good, and leave something bad. I normally leave alot more then I take if theres room.

 

jhwf4

[RainbowTVP]

One man's junk... is another's treasure...

 

I try to pick either unusual/interesting things or useful things.

 

I like to find things that are unique- a person's signature item, for instance.

 

I really don't care if I take anything. Just sign the book and enjoy the victory!

 

When I find something really cool in a store that is clearanced- I buy a bunch of it. That way, I get a more valuable item without going broke (having been caching long, but have been a bargain hunter for years )

 

I try to choose things that I would be excited about if I found it in a cache- but what excites me might bore someone else...

 

Tara P

[RainbowTVP]

One man's junk... is another's treasure...

 

I try to pick either unusual/interesting things or useful things.

 

I like to find things that are unique- a person's signature item, for instance.

 

I really don't care if I take anything. Just sign the book and enjoy the victory!

 

When I find something really cool in a store that is clearanced- I buy a bunch of it. That way, I get a more valuable item without going broke (having been caching long, but have been a bargain hunter for years )

 

I try to choose things that I would be excited about if I found it in a cache- but what excites me might bore someone else...

 

Tara P

[FISUR]

For me, it's all about the hunt. I really don't care what's in the cache. However, my kids clearly get excited when they find a quality cache. Obviously others do too. That's why we try to upgrade a cache that needs a few extra items, and we keep an eye on our own cache to make sure there is something for everyone. We recently added some geocoins, and they sure went quickly.

[+Eric K]

Some signature items are kind of cool. My wife and I kept seeing ones around here that the guy always says. "Left signature big red ant."

 

Eventually my wife HAD to find one. It was a big red toy ant.

[+sbukosky]

I find I'm seldom looking for anything other than the baggie that the log book is in. Sunday I found a cache that had a string around it to keep the lid on. I just lifted the corner enough to get the log book to sign it. Don't know if there were trinkets or One hundred dollar bills in it. After a couple hundred finds, I look forward to a hike in a nice area, a reasonable challenge at finding the cache and just to document that I've been there. That's not to say I don't understand those wanting good stuff in the caches. But, they are not prizes, they are like for like exchange items unless posted differently.

 

Steve Bukosky N9BGH

Waukesha Wisconsin

[triple6]

Then maybe we shouldn't call them "prizes" (which implies some level of entitlement). Personally, I call them "trinkets".

 

Spiders taste like chicken.

[+culpc]

I thought I saw this same thread in Better Prizes. Seems like one shot would have been enough

 

Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son!

[+culpc]

I thought I saw this same thread in Better Prizes. Seems like one shot would have been enough

 

Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son!

[+Mudfrog]

Finding the cache is by far the most enjoyable part of GeoCaching, but for us there is also that little bit of excitement of what we might find inside. The one of a kind, maybe homemade items are our favorites. Definitely doesnt have to be expensive at all.

 

Lots of caches are hidden in average places like city parks or just out in the woods, nothing all that exciting to see, so when you do open up the container only to find gum wrappers, 1 golf tee, broken unusable toys, used ticket stubs, an open bandaid, etc,,, then it is a little bit of a let down for us. Of course we still have a cache find and we do try to add something a bit more interesting even though we dont take any of the junk!

[+briansnat]

This thread comes up often. Personally I don't expect to get rich from Geocaching and I agree that the thrill is in the hunt. But after spending several hours traveling to and looking for a cache, it's kind of disappointing to find a leaky gladware container, containing a soaked log book and a few dirty plastic soldiers, keyrings and broken McToys. And it's twice as disappointing to any kids and novice Geocachers you may bring along.

 

Placing a nice cache, with useful and interesting items, shows that you give a crap about the sport and the people who will look for your cache. Some finders may care a lot about the contents, while many others just want to get to the log book and couldn't care less about the items inside. A cache owner has to realize that both types will be looking for their cache.

 

Anyone can take a gladware container, dump out their junk drawer into it, toss it behind a park bench and publish the coordinates. Unfortunately

some do.

 

[This message was edited by BrianSnat on August 14, 2002 at 04:17 AM.]