Junk Cache Contents - An Insult

[+Mastifflover]

Maybe I am lucky in my area as most of the caches are very well stocked. I think some of that has to do with the fact that most are in pretty remote places and geocachers around here are pretty hardcore. What I like to find in caches are signature or handmade items. One of my favorite things that I have found in a cache is a tiny wooden mouse left by Atmousebusters. It still sits right on my cable modem. It probably only cost them a few cents to make but it is unique to them. I do agree though that most of the people that read these forums are not the ones guilty of trading down. They seem to be the people that are dedicated to the advancement of the hobby, and the enjoyment of the search.

[GPSCache]

Trash to one, is not necessary trash to another. Someone may need work gloves and appreciate them in a cache. Another may say that's a nice penny in a micro. Someone else may say that's a nice toy plastic figurine of Mickey Mouse. It's in the eye of the beholder. Before you go and dump the contents of a cache in the trash-be sure you realize that you're not the only cacher out there APPRECIATING that people are giving ANYTHING away at all..

 

Spoiled people belong in the trash.

[+Rav 4 Raiders]

It might be an education thing. Those who read the forums are aware of the issue, but others may not.

 

What we could use is a "Trade Fairly (or Don't Trade)" logo similar to the CITO logo. Stick it on the site's main page, maybe even on cache pages. Just a thought. Feel free to modify the wording as needed.

I know here in OZ there are a number of seasoned cachers that have created a Trade Fair Business card and they insert this into their seal locked bags with log books to try and discourage trading down.

 

I will look into doing the same thing as it is discouraging to look at others cache's and see what has become of them. I suppose that is why 'Virgin' Caches are so popular.

[+Shoebugs]

As a new person on the block...it has taken me a few months to get all of this figured out. I think the idea of a "Trade Fair" type card is a great idea. Before I found the message boards, we were going out, finding caches and using the existing contents as an example of what we were supposed to leave. Of course, we have a lifetime of keychains, tiny mag lights and just cool doo-dads in general. Not everybody really gets it unless they have read the opinions of others here in the discussions. I like leaving something and not everybody is crazy about going out and looking for nothing. We do it all the time....rocks, fossils, antique bottles from the dumps of old ghost towns. But a lot of people don't pay any attention to things like that and really need to find that "treasure" they have pictured in their minds. While introducing some family from the east to caching recently, I had a huge 'wake up call". My sister-in law thought it would be a great idea to leave the quarters from the state she is from. She meant ONE quarter. To her...it was cool to let other people know that she had been here from so far away. She was just caught up in the excitment of it all. A trade up or trade fair card would have been very appropriate in this case and she would have figured out for herself that her state quarter is still a quarter instead of me telling her. I would appreciate some kind of template to print out like the Official Geocache letter. It doesn't have to be put in the cache by the owners...I would put them in every new cache I go to if there isn't one already there.

[+Imajika]

Trash to one, is not necessary trash to another. Someone may need work gloves and appreciate them in a cache. Another may say that's a nice penny in a micro. Someone else may say that's a nice toy plastic figurine of Mickey Mouse. It's in the eye of the beholder. Before you go and dump the contents of a cache in the trash-be sure you realize that you're not the only cacher out there APPRECIATING that people are giving ANYTHING away at all..

I think you are right about pennies, gloves, etc. Stuff people might like to use.

 

But obvious trash (receipts, broken pens, broken cell phones, scratched lotto tickets) are horrible things to leave behind. Who would possibly even think about considering wanting those????

 

The caches I have found so far have been good. But if I ever found one with items like the ones mentioned above, I might remove those items and leave behind replacement items in equal amounts (ie - I took 6 pieces of trash, left 6 cool items). I don't think any cache owner would be offended. I even carry spare log books to leave if the original is full (and no, I don't take the original!).

[+bob393]

You know this makes me want to go back to grass roots letterboxing,

[+Sparky-Watts]

My sister-in law thought it would be a great idea to leave the quarters from the state she is from. She meant ONE quarter.

 

This just brings up the argument again that one person's trash is another's treasure. I collect state quarters, and would love to find one in a cache. Especially if it were written about in the logs as actually coming from a person from the state it represented. I've seen worse!

[+WalruZ]

LeChuck found two somewhat abused toy cars in a cache we were FTF last night. There was undisguised joy in his voice. I found an emergency poncho - something I need. Left some brand new trinkets. Life is good!

[+ADKcachers]

I collect state quarters, and would love to find one in a cache.

That's a great idea!

[+RockyRiver]

To a point, but I think what the original poster was referring to was the real trash you find in caches. Toy figurines, half chewed by the family dog, candy wrappers, bent paper clips and the like. Stuff that really belongs in the trash. I once found a filthy, used pair of work gloves with holes in the fingers. Gimme a break! If its garbage throw it away, not in a cache.

Amen

[+Shoebugs]

I agree...I've seen worse. The state quarter and a note in the log book is a cool thing to me too...Especially since we found another Indiana person had been to that cache. They left a patch in the cache so my brother and his family took that patch and made a note that they were taking it back home to Indiana. It was a beer patch and didn't say anything about the state on it. The thing is...after reading these boards and learning a little more about the game than you get in the FAQ...you become afraid that people will think you are a bad cacher if you don't trade up. I don't know if a quarter for a beer patch is a trade up or not. What I told my family is that the quarter is good...but leave something else too. I have read over and over again that a "state quarter is still a quarter". I guess it's part of the learning curve and you can't take everything you read on these boards to heart. The best thing that I have learned from these boards is 1. pick up any trash you see and take it out with you. 2. be a good citizen and help your fellow cacher out by replacing log book baggies...removing anthing that shouldn't be in there....generally making sure that the cache is in good condition. (we replaced a container for a lady that had a broken lid and lives about 90 miles away). 3. Have fun.

[+Go JayBee]

Who am I to decide what's "junk" and what isn't in someone else's cache? I don't leave "junky" things (In my opinion)....someone else may think: whazzup with this crap?

 

I say, let the cache owner decide, after all, they put the cache out there in the first place. And, I agree with others "Trade Even-Trade Up-Or Don't Trade"........but the whole point of GeoCaching is the "hunt" for me.....I would be totally satisfied only signing the logbook if the cache was empty.

Edited January 25, 2004 by jbhooker3

[cwoper]

I try to set an example with the Cache's that I have placed.However,it never fails that some bozo will come along and take a nice item(Elvis CD) and leave some dirty ,broke and nasty piece of worthless crap in my Cache box.More often than not, it seems that when crap is left or nothing at all, in exchange for a cool,but not necessary overly valuable item,the person responciable tends not to sign the log.They may not even be registered to this site.I Cache by example,maybe this is the answer.JMbellas Cache logo rules!!!Check it out.

[+bigredmed]

Fundamental rule for trading is to trade even or up.

 

Corollary to the rule: If the trade item is cool, then you should put something cool in its place. If the cache has a theme, you should stick to it. If you don't have something that fits these conditions, then TNLN. If the cache doesn't have something that you want, then consider leaving a small cool item and taking nothing (this will improve the cache by 1 neat item).

 

Cool is in the eye of the beholder, but categories are not. A cool leatherman tool is not the equal of a toy that to a kid is cool. A cool toy is the equal of another cool toy. A cool tool is the equal of a different cool tool, and so on.

 

The state quarter for the patch was probably an uneven cash value trade, and the state quarters would not be an item I would use as a trade item as they are easily mistaken for random loose change, but I don't think anyone would fault you for the trade.

 

Hope this helps.

[+briansnat]

Trash to one, is not necessary trash to another. Someone may need work gloves and appreciate them in a cache.

 

Agreed. A new pair of work gloves only cost about $3 and would be nice to place in a cache. A filthy pair with holes in the fingers is garbage...and that is what I was referring to..