Ultimate Bad Trade List

January 18, 2004

:huh: Quoted from a log in one of my micro-caches, "Interesting spot. Very quiet except for the 'noisy neighbors' to the north. No problems finding this one. The cache log shows Took Nothing, Left a Dime, but as I was putting the cache back our 'Small-Fry' decided she just had to have something, so we let her pick out the bowling pin charm (?). Made for a nice diversion in a day of running around."

When our cat won't take no for an answer the ol' squirt bottle between the eyes works great... I don't know how this would work with small children. But I'll find out in a couple of months.

January 18, 2004

Hi I'm new here and this is the 1st time I'm responding to any posts. ( not the best place to make my debute) I started out with low expectations to the " treasure" within the caches but do hope there will be something there to amuse the kids.

It's when I read logs like this and I quote " We left a small notebook on a keychain and a small slinky. We took the two Snow Valley lift ticket passes. Thanks for the fun!" that some people arent taking the " trading fair" aspect of caching to heart. Really now, you're going to tell me the two dime store items left behind compares to two lift tickets to a ski hill ,if the guy was to go out and buy them?!?

It will be interesting to see if I can keep the interest up, in the kids, for the hunt rather then the "treasure". I have a feeling they'll rather keep the items they picked out in the dollar store then what they will find in some of those caches.

There I vented and feel so much better

ps : I live in alberta, flame me and I'll go shut the tap off to the pipeline

also excuse the speeling :huh: as we inbreed red necks had a hard time in school, but I swear grade 10 was the best 5 yrs of my life

January 18, 2004

Heres a link for ya to a previous "unusual" trade. The trader is a nice fella, but had an unorthodox sig item when he started.

That link didn't take you to the right site. sorry, will have to try again.

animal bones

I have a couple of bear penises, but I would NEVER consider trading them.

Just a quick question...I see your name is bigkodiak, so it would seem you must be a bear enthusiast, but what in the world are you doing with bear penises? Oh Well, i guess it is no weirder than walking around with a freshly spayed dog's uterus in your purse...Long story involving my mom...won't go into details here...

4k · January 18, 2004

Oh Well, i guess it is no weirder than walking around with a freshly spayed dog's uterus in your purse...Long story involving my mom...won't go into details here...

I'm so glad you didn't! :huh:

January 18, 2004

I forget where I saw it but someone traded a picture of a babe for a picture of a wet cat.............

4k · January 18, 2004

I forget where I saw it but someone traded a picture of a babe for a picture of a wet cat.............

ROFL!!!!! I swear it wasn't me!!!

January 18, 2004

This one time, I found a baby food-sized jar full of nail clippings. I mean come on. NAIL CLIPPINGS? Gah. And another one, someone left a purple heart badge (why anyone would give that up is beyond me, they must have been drunk) and the guy who took it left....get this: a small container claiming to have been used to capture a fart, yes a fart, from Harrison Ford. What the hell.

2.7k · January 19, 2004

<snip>
Up to now I TN but leave nice goodies:

NEW items from sporting goods store s and the dollar store and target.

<more snip>

I have left well over $325 worth of stuff (not counting my signature buttons). I can't afford to keep doing that.

<more snip>

People take items worth anywhere from $2.50 to $15 and leave crap, or a dollar.

People who take ALL of the goodies (when I leave multiple items to freshen a cache) and leave one lousy item.

So now, all I trade are signature items.

I'll leave something if my wife or my daughter take something.

</snip>

I agree with this assesment.

I see this as an evolution of sorts.

As time goes on, trading will diminsh because of just these kinds of problems.

There seem to be a lot of "treasure seekers" who expect to gain from their finds. They miss the point, which is to perpetuate the thrill of finding something cool for everyone who caches.

I too, am considering going TNLN for the most part, although I think that diminishes the enjoyment of the sport.

Many of the things I take have no real value- they are just cool. Replacing them with things of greater value gets REAL expensive if you add it up over a year.

My current policy is to buy a few NICE things ($1-$5 value) as well as keeping on hand some very small junk for very small caches just so they will have something.

Unless I find something really cool, I'll TNLN. If one of the kids just *has* to have some trinket or if the cache itself is really first class, I'll donate one of my NICE things.

I see the sport becoming more similar to letterboxing where they trade stamp impressions on thei log books, only we will trade physical signature items as well.

January 19, 2004

Does anyone think that those with premium memberships and those caches only visible to those individuals will resolve this problem to that degree? If so, I hate to say it but pay as you go may be one way to cease the treasure thefts. I'm just getting started and though trading neat thing for neat thing of nearly equal value is apparently the way its supposed to have been but is getting away from due to misguided people, I'm still looking forward to doing this with my sons just for the sport of being able to find them and get the exercise and the outdoor activity.

Thanks for all the insight and thoughts from those very much experienced here.

1.7k · January 19, 2004

Does anyone think that those with premium memberships and those caches only visible to those individuals will resolve this problem to that degree? If so, I hate to say it but pay as you go may be one way to cease the treasure thefts. I'm just getting started and though trading neat thing for neat thing of nearly equal value is apparently the way its supposed to have been but is getting away from due to misguided people, I'm still looking forward to doing this with my sons just for the sport of being able to find them and get the exercise and the outdoor activity.

Thanks for all the insight and thoughts from those very much experienced here.

No, I don't think so.

People who pay aren't any better, nor worse, than those who don't.

I would hate to see GC.COM ever become a pay-only site.

Jeremy got gobs of caches listed here because he said it would ALWAYS be a free site.

Just pay for enhanced features.

And that is the best way he can maintain the trust folks have put in him by listing their caches here, and not elsewhere.

4k · January 19, 2004

Does anyone think that those with premium memberships and those caches only visible to those individuals will resolve this problem to that degree? If so, I hate to say it but pay as you go may be one way to cease the treasure thefts. I'm just getting started and though trading neat thing for neat thing of nearly equal value is apparently the way its supposed to have been but is getting away from due to misguided people, I'm still looking forward to doing this with my sons just for the sport of being able to find them and get the exercise and the outdoor activity.

Thanks for all the insight and thoughts from those very much experienced here.

No, I don't think so.

People who pay aren't any better, nor worse, than those who don't.

I would hate to see GC.COM ever become a pay-only site.

Jeremy got gobs of caches listed here because he said it would ALWAYS be a free site.

Just pay for enhanced features.

And that is the best way he can maintain the trust folks have put in him by listing their caches here, and not elsewhere.

If I had to pay to use the site for caching, I would find another hobby. Just my point of view.

January 19, 2004

If I had to pay to use the site for caching, I would find another hobby. Just my point of view.

I have mixed emotions on this. I upgraded to premium membership to contribute to the expense of running the site. I get enough enjoyment that $30. a year was trivial. I do not feel you should be REQUIRED to pay, but a contribution to assist in the upkeep of the site is a nice option to keep the sport alive. I do feel having a cache members only for a couple weeks allows those in it for the long haul first dibs before the cache goes to junk. Then release to all. But once again, that is anyones OPTION at this time and should remain one.

4k · January 20, 2004

If I had to pay to use the site for caching, I would find another hobby. Just my point of view.

I have mixed emotions on this. I upgraded to premium membership to contribute to the expense of running the site. I get enough enjoyment that $30. a year was trivial. I do not feel you should be REQUIRED to pay, but a contribution to assist in the upkeep of the site is a nice option to keep the sport alive. I do feel having a cache members only for a couple weeks allows those in it for the long haul first dibs before the cache goes to junk. Then release to all. But once again, that is anyones OPTION at this time and should remain one.

I can see your point about supporting the website.

One more thing that I think people tend to overlook when they talk about paying members, and you mentioned it yourself: You implied that paying members are "in it for the long haul", and others have implied that paying members are more trustworthy, which is why this current discussion of MOC's is going. That is not at all true. Just because someone paid the monthly fee doesn't automatically make them a more trustworthy person, nor does it mean they are in it for the long haul. Being a paying member means only that, you have paid. How many newbies, or long-time cachers, for that matter, have jumped on the site, immediately paid their fee to "be part of the gang" and then dropped off the face of the earth after trading poorly, not rehiding well, or walking off with someone's TB? It happens all the time, so I don't think having MOC's will really solve anything. Just because someone pays $3 a month to the site doesn't mean they will be a better class of cacher, by any means.

EDIT: Added line about long-time cachers so as not to single out newbies.

Edited January 20, 2004 by Sparky-Watts

January 21, 2004

I don't think you will have any argument about why this person left nothing!

I was browsing nearby caches when I saw this recent entry in one of them:

"Yuck! Someone thought this location would be a good depository for their canine's excrement. Fear not, the cache is intact and not defiled, I just had to remove a bag of the aforementioned to reach the cache. Lookout for land mines of the canine type too, my left foot managed to find one of those too. I suspect there is a single resident of the neighborhood who is delinquent in his social responsibilities. The log (no pun intended) is nearly full, so if you're going, bring a sheet for this micro.

Took the dog poop. Left nothing."

I think he deserves a medal for "actions beyond the call of duty!"

February 2, 2004

just caught this in a log

"Took lion clip and ZZZ travel bug, maybe we can help it out. Left starr and jimmy neutron band-aid"

Band-aid??

1.2k · February 2, 2004

Found a paperclip, broken fridge magnet and restaurant mints this weekend.

February 2, 2004

Just a thought, since so far I have mostly TNLN (I've bought a lot of stuff to leave, I just can't seem to get my act together enough to remember it). But, maybe we shouldn't be posting in the online log what we leave. That might help eliminate some of the 'following' around of people to 'grab the good stuff'. I don't know, I kind of like the element of surprise on what I'll find in the cache.

February 2, 2004

As a new geocacher, I don't really expect to get anything valuable from a cache, nor to leave anything valuable. Generally I'll take something to put in the next cache. I look for caches that seem interesting from their descriptions, not from what someone logged as having left.

When I've been out with my kids, it's a "treasure hunt," so we have to find some treasure. They also have to bring some toy to trade, and I try not to let them go overboard.

The ones I do solo I usually will TN/LN, unless I have a carry-over in my car.

I don't regard TBs as trade items, and have taken the ones where I intended to advance them towards their goals.

February 2, 2004

Just a thought, since so far I have mostly TNLN (I've bought a lot of stuff to leave, I just can't seem to get my act together enough to remember it). But, maybe we shouldn't be posting in the online log what we leave. That might help eliminate some of the 'following' around of people to 'grab the good stuff'. I don't know, I kind of like the element of surprise on what I'll find in the cache.

Hmmm, I actually kinda like this idea. Just write in the logbook what you tade for but don't post it on the website. Just log that you found it.

February 2, 2004

Check out this log. 8 cents for a geocoin! At least they made good on it (well, put it in another cache) after Nurse Dave emailed them.

3.5k · February 2, 2004

Travel bug motels seem to have the worst logs on averge.

A log from one of my caches on Saturday ~

"Took two travel bugs, left nothing"

Ummm.... if you don't have a TB to trade then sign the log and move on!

February 3, 2004

I found a river rock in a cache that was six feet from a dry stream bed (yes, the rock matched those in the stream). I don't know what the "cacher" traded the rock for.

February 3, 2004

The worst things I've found, all found in Phoenix urban caches

used Q-Tips, used ear-plugs, used disposable gillette razor, @ silly mtn

golfballs - what a joke

u-bolts

more ear plugs

dog bisquits and treats

kotex

rocks

you people are sick, especially when elmentary school children are caching.

useless trades and cachers who left that stuff.

MHO

6.5k · April 7, 2004

Saw this entry in a log of a cache I visited last Saturday:

T-$1 and computer chip

L- 1971 penny, sharks tooth and a rock

Am I missing something-was 1971 an especially valuable year for pennies? :lol:

Or did they trade fairly since they took two items and left three?

April 7, 2004

Going to WI on Saturday for family stuff and was searching out caches when I saw this one....

"Took the Batman tin and $5 subway certificate, left Laa Laa TB and an Eye ball. Thanks from all of us."

Yeah, that's a real even trade. :lol:

1.6k · April 7, 2004

Wow, I hadn't expected my old post to ever see the light of day again, but I guess it did, so I'll post another bad trade I'd seen lately..

First you just need a short backstory, I was FTF for a cache, and so I took the t-shirt left for first finder. I then left $7 in trade for the shirt.

The dork who found the cache next left a couple keychains and took all of my dollars...

April 8, 2004

I just did a maintenance visit to a cache of which I am a caretaker.
Cleaned out cigarette butt, empty matchbook, candy wrappers, and a mouldy hunk of plastic that I think was a cell phone case.

Some poor trades went on, there.

You're the caretaker? Is this cache in a casket? :lol:

Get that &&^%$ warning off my post!

Edited April 8, 2004 by RoyalRed

April 8, 2004

Travel bug motels seem to have the worst logs on averge.
A log from one of my caches on Saturday ~

"Took two travel bugs, left nothing"

Ummm.... if you don't have a TB to trade then sign the log and move on!

I'm a newbie (7 found) but I never knew that a travel bug motel needed bugs traded? If I found one I would have taken a TB unless it said specifically in the description that it was expected to trade bugs. Even then I'd question it because its not fair to the bug owner for his bug to be stuck in a hotel when it has some other mission. Is there somewhere that stuff like this is documented or are newbies like me gonna tick people off because I didn't know.

I don't like travel bug prisons other. I know of one that was discussed at length here in the forums. It doesn't seem fair to me if my 4yr old neices bug gets put into a particularly difficult and dangerous cache for the sole purpose of keeping it from its mission.

2.5k · April 8, 2004

I'll admit to not trading equally at one cache. I took a handmade item and traded something that cost me 50 cents... But I've only done it once. And I've traded up or left something and taken nothing in every other cache I've been to.

2.5k · April 8, 2004

I don't like travel bug prisons other. I know of one that was discussed at length here in the forums. It doesn't seem fair to me if my 4yr old neices bug gets put into a particularly difficult and dangerous cache for the sole purpose of keeping it from its mission.

It could be worse. My friend's aunt had a TB attatched to a little stuffed bear.

Someone found it and posted a note saying that her daughter liked the bear so they were keeping it.

Just a thought, but you know the game, you know how it works... If you're going to be that stupid, either stick the tag on something else and keep it going, drop the unattatched tag into a cache at the very least, or at least be nice enough to spend a whole stamp and send the tag back to its owner.

38.2k · April 8, 2004

It could be worse. My friend's aunt had a TB attatched to a little stuffed bear.
Someone found it and posted a note saying that her daughter liked the bear so they were keeping it.

Just when you thought you heard it all <_<

April 8, 2004

"It could be worse. My friend's aunt had a TB attatched to a little stuffed bear.
Someone found it and posted a note saying that her daughter liked the bear so they were keeping it. "

Pretty lame, IMHO.

"But Mommy, I WANT it!"

Sigh...

Edited April 8, 2004 by CT Trampers

April 8, 2004

One time I took one of those button-sized compasses and left a pepsi cap for a free 16oz Pepsi. The compass didn't work. Fair Trade?

1k · April 9, 2004

One time I took one of those button-sized compasses and left a pepsi cap for a free 16oz Pepsi. The compass didn't work. Fair Trade?

Thats a much better trade then a Pepsi Cap for $10 off a $50 purchase. I found that in a micro that was preventing the lid from closing. I threw out the cap. Cache lid closes now. What a concept! <_<

April 10, 2004

I am affraid this problem of trading down has really gotten to my two caching partners and I. We try to stock our caches with half way decent items. Then here comes the trouble. The people who take two or three of the items and leave JUNK. I am tired of this crap: Took padlock with key and a key chain, left 2 dominoes. Took headphones & toy car set and left a trading card.

I understand that the fun "should" should be the find, but try and explain that to an 8 year old that has trecked through head high weeds for half a mile only to find that his "treasure" is an acorn and a bread twisty tie. I mean if people can't afford to trade with reasonable "stuff" then maybe they should just TNLN or stick with micro's and virtuals.

Thanks for listening and NO that horse still isn't dead yet.. Flame away.

2.3k · April 11, 2004

Took headphones & toy car set and left a trading card.

only to find that his "treasure" is an acorn and a bread twisty tie.

LOL :tired: That's the sad truth about fullsized caches, and the reason why you see so many more logbook-only micro-caches these days....

April 11, 2004

The dead monkey post had me LMAO. :tired:

On the trade thread. The more discussions like this the better things will get.

Some of MY trades weren't the greatest. Every time I find a thread like this it reminds me to trade up. I'm trying to stock my bag with a variety of items to suite any trade. I've been trying to leave every cache as good or better than I find it.

On the subject of travelers... We are only moving them along. Not trading them, unless it's a TB hotel that requires a 1 for 1.

April 11, 2004

On the subject of travelers... We are only moving them along. Not trading them, unless it's a TB hotel that requires a 1 for 1.

Where is the rule that says travel bug hotels require to leave a bug to take a bug? This seems unfair to the bugs.

April 11, 2004

Mean people suck!

Trade up, trade equal or Don't trade!

I saw that phrase when I first starting doing this and am going to stick by it at every cache.

I'd be so ticked off and put off about hiding anymore caches if I went to do maintenance and found out all that was in it was trash.

Before you put in an item for trade, think about how you would feel if someone put it in your cache. If you wouldn't like it, don't do it to someone else.

I am getting ready to hide my first cache and it's been pretty disheartening and discouraging to read most of these stories.

April 11, 2004

I am still new and so far I have been forgetting my stuff to trade. I have mostly TNLNSL. I think that the reason I forget is because I am only in it for the hunt not the swag. Oh well. If I don't have something to trade then I don't take anything. All the stuff that I have to trade is worth at least $1 or more...if I can just remember it! Geez.

Happy caching.

April 11, 2004

I once seen a Matchbox helicopter in a cache that had it's rotors chewed almost completly off. Kinda gross in my book.

April 11, 2004

Well, a partly used lip stick, a partly used lip gloss and a completely used bandaid all together in one cache was bad. I took them out, needless to say, and left some good stuff. Not a lot I admit but it was a small round 'T'-ware type of box. Finding the cache involved a lot of scrambling through thorns - I was wondering if the bandaid was a comment - but no. It was just some mean spirited a**-hole.

April 11, 2004

Does anyone else think dirty, unwrapped happy meal toys are annoying? We get that alot around here. Anything free from restaurants seems like cheating to me. But I know some people collect those things...

We've found that the city caches that are low in difficulty are the most packed with junk. The harder ones to get to that are outside of the main metropolitan areas seem to maintain having nicer items. People seem to care more about trading fairly if it took alot of work to find the cache.

Our policy is to TNLN on caches where we don't find anything worth trading. And if there is something really gross in there (once it was used chapstick) we remove it.

April 12, 2004

Mean people suck!

I was embarrassed for the whole geocaching community at what all we found today. It's a disgrace at what people will put in a cache as a trade. It's like taking a diamond ring and leaving a used toothpick! Did I mention that mean people suck? :rolleyes:

April 12, 2004

I have been doing maintenance on the caches I have placed and noticed that the really bad trades aren't logged. In one of my hides, "Bling-Bling" I had to remove old band-aids, a half used bottle of unidentified liquid and a cheap, old, broken, plastic watch.

None of these items were noted in the log book.

I think if you are too embarrassed :rolleyes: to log what you leave....you shouldn't be leaving it!

38.2k · April 12, 2004

I understand that the fun "should" should be the find, but try and explain that to an 8 year old that has trecked through head high weeds for half a mile only to find that his "treasure" is an acorn and a bread twisty tie. I mean if people can't afford to trade with reasonable "stuff" then maybe they should just TNLN or stick with micro's and virtuals.

I've been saying the same thing for almost 3 years now. You just said it better than I could have. Thank you!

Anything free from restaurants seems like cheating to me. But I know some people collect those things...

Its the dirty, unwrapped McToys that tick people off. Most people have no quarrel with new ones, in the wrappers. Kids love them. Who cares if they are free. There are a lot of freebies that make great cache items.

April 12, 2004

This one irritated the crap out of me. So much so that I felt compelled to e-mail the cacher, a newbie, and let him know I thought was he did was bad form. He sent me a nasty reply to my e-mail and promptly edited his log . . . so what I'm quoting here is not a direct quote but enough to give the flavor of the original posted log . . .

(Original Log)

Found it this afternoon. Took that WG$ to buy candy bar because I could use a snack and left nothing.

:rolleyes:

(Edited Log as it currently reads)

Found it this afternoon.

He did , however, log the Where's George on the site. Heh!

Anyhoo . . .

Happy caching and stuff!

1.6k · April 12, 2004

That's bad, but not to bad, I mean it's not like taking five bucks, or a cool item worth five bucks and leaving nothing...

4k · April 12, 2004

Quoted from a log on a cache I recently found:

Took Kennedy Half Dollar and Susan B. Dollar. Left Felix the Cat keychain and hose clamp.

How's that for trading even? :rolleyes:

April 12, 2004

I took Nurse Dave to a cache at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk the first time he visited here, back in August of 2003. He left an Oregon geocoin in the cache. This log followed:

We took the Geocoin and left 8 cents. Sorry we didn't bring anything else.

ND wrote back to the person, pretty annoyed at this very uneven trade. The log was amended:

Update 9/18 I have been notified that the Geocoin was NOT to be taken. I will drop this coin off at another location so I won't offend anyone.
Update 10/25 I placed the Geocoin at <snip>.

I think the guy kinda missed the point... The Geocoin could have been taken but sheesh, 8 cents!?

Ultimate Bad Trade List

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