Good Trading!

[evilrooster]

I've just pulled my Dean Bridge cache for maintenance (the splash-box type container needs replacing and the contents drying out). I had some swag set aside to upgrade the contents, but, looking at what's currently in the cache, I don't have much to do!

 

So thanks to everyone who's traded into the cache. Well done. And, if this is representative, then the comments in this thread are true. This is something to be proud of, fellow UK cachers.

 

Enough back-patting - I need to paint a splash box to look like a rock.

[+Haggis Hunter]

Thanks evilrooster and it is nice to see Dean Bridge back up and running again. Even if it is near enough impossible to find. Which is the way some caches should be.

 

Haggis Hunter

[+Simply Paul]

Now here's a thought. Or possibly an excuse: I have to admit I tend to trade down at caches, but not 'maliciously'. If there's something I fancy for myself, I'll typically swap a candle for it. Unless it's a more valuable item, in which case I'd leave two candles. I know, I'm rubbish.... However, I sometimes leave an item (probably a candle) but take nothing from any particularly understocked cache to help balance this out. I also have a high placed-to-found cache ratio (23 placed/52 found at the moment) so a lot of the things I might collect go straight back into circulation...along with a couple more candles! And a party popper and Bucks tourist attraction flyer. And a thing for cleaning the fluff out of your keyboard. I've yet to see anything desperately valuable in a cache, and if I ever do, I'd leave it there. That's unless I've got an awful lot of candles with me.

 

Ultimately the chance of a cache being plundered by oiks means nothing *very* nice should be left in them - to my mind. If it gets out that really worthwhile stuff is up for grabs, we can expect much more pilfering by evil muggles. Some of those McToys are getting collectable you know...

 

The target, I believe, should be finding the cache with swapping being merely the icing on the cake. The moral of this story is this: Give the gift of light. Nothing says 'I love you' as much as a candle. Plus it's a present you can burn without feeling guilty...

 

SP

[NeilFord]

Some of those McToys are getting collectable you know...

You just need to make sure it's out of it's original bag and possibly marked in some way (maybe with a tracking number) and then it won't be "mint" and therefore a lot less valuable. Makes Happy Meals a good source of cache stock :-)

 

- Neil.

Edited March 26, 2004 by NeilFord

[+spioradsaor]

heheh I,ve yet to see a McToy in any caches...it must be a south of the border thing. Most of the caches up her(Scotland)e are jam packed with highly desirable things...especially the west coast caches.(perhaps cos they dont get visited as often.)

 

On a personal level I try to make sure I leave a swappy thing suitable for kids as well as one for the "big " kids., whether or not I take anything.

[+Pooter]

Mind you, a lot of us "big" kids are getting on a bit now

[+Lassitude]

I have a few rules I go by with exchanges:

 

1- Never swap for the sake of it. If there is something you want then swap.

 

2- Always swap equal or better value.

 

3- If the cache is low leave a couple of items anyway to help top it up.

 

4- Don't swap an item with the intention of using it as a swap later. All this does is move the same old swaps from cache to cache. I am pretty sure I have seen items I have placed in caches in new caches I have found.

 

I am not saying this is how I expect everybody to behave. It's just the way I do it. I would say I spend about £1 per swap but have some higer value stuff in my backpack just in case I find something good. I have been known to leave PC games in caches that I am done with these usually retail at £30 but they are of no real value to me 'cos I have completed them.

 

It's not essential that a cache is well stocked but I think it is icing on the cake. I particularly like it when the cache has souvenir items. Lets face it a cache with a crumby logbook and a couple of plastic McToys is a little disappointing.

 

As for high value items- It is not a good idea to leave high value stuff in an easy to find cache however I am going to leave a couple of 'Vouchers' in a cache I am going to place in the next week or so. All I will ask is that the team who claims them sends me an Email via geocaching.com after logging the find to claim the prize. It may be cash -say £5 or £10. Only one claim per team. This will mean I can verify they a legitmate team and not one of these malicious Geo-Muggles.

 

Chris

[+Gary & Jane]

I have a few rules I go by with exchanges:

 

1- Never swap for the sake of it. If there is something you want then swap.

 

2- Always swap equal or better value.

 

3- If the cache is low leave a couple of items anyway to help top it up.

 

4- Don't swap an item with the intention of using it as a swap later. All this does is move the same old swaps from cache to cache. I am pretty sure I have seen items I have placed in caches in new caches I have found.

Well said Chris! If you're not interested in the contents of a cache please leave them alone for someone who is. It's bad enough when people make unfair swops but when they do it for no reason it's even more annoying.

 

We hardly ever take anything from a cache but we nearly always leave something as a thank you to the cache owner. You'll know we're not that impressed with the cache if we don't leave anything!

 

Jane