Expensive Caches

March 16, 2004

Ok, Here in the Provo, UT area, most caches are pretty crappy (as far a content goes). Not to discredit anyone who has placed a cache here- I have seen some clever stuff hidden. What i'm saying is that since everyone here likley is a student, most caches have stuff like baseball cards and pens...Not too exciting. Anyway, I'm looking to see what kind of cool (more expensive than a pen) caches people have found? The nicest stuff I have seen around here are travel bugs...

March 16, 2004

One of the coolest things we ever found was from a Salt Lake cache- a benchmark pin for MT Baldy (I think that is the Mountain). Other cool things we like to find and leave are tumbled semi-precious stones, crystals, and coins.

-Jennifer

3.1k · March 16, 2004

So why would content matter to you anyway? You planning on upgrading your swag or something?

No crappy caches, only crappy cachers

March 16, 2004

understandably, the fun lies in the hunt. but it would seem to me that you'd have far less TNLNSL if the cache has things other than McTrinkets, pens, or baseball cards...

7.2k · March 16, 2004

There was one cache where we found a knife that retailed for well over $100. Needless to say, we didn't have anything worthwhile to trade for it.

March 16, 2004

We recently found a cache that had mini-radios, geocaching stickers, a clock/carabiner/flashlight, tongue glow tabs, and some other cool stuff. You could tell the placers had spent time and money to make it great.

It had recently been placed, though. They disintegrate to baseball cards over time, and I hate to tell you, but it's not limited to poor college students. It's a part of the game.

Your best bet for getting good swag is either finding a relatively new cache or going after someone who leaves cool things themselves. And, as you seem to be someone who values good swag, make sure the stuff you leave is great too.

Jaime

3.1k · March 16, 2004

understandably, the fun lies in the hunt. but it would seem to me that you'd have far less TNLNSL if the cache has things other than McTrinkets, pens, or baseball cards...

My first 50 or so hides had some good items in it. I've gone back and checked on all of them and they've all degraded a lot. I'm not going to supply the geocaching community with more nice items for free any longer.

Now usually I'll just put a few toys in a cache box or at times just a logbook. You want nice stuff? Go shopping

March 16, 2004

I usually spend $10-$15 (once as much as $20) for swag to start out a regular sized cache. Sometimes it's quantity, sometimes it's fewer items that cost $2-$3 each.

Nobody is going to get rich off my caches, but I like to think they have a better start than a bunch of broken dirty toys, frozen chewed-on pens, or the contents of someone's junk drawer.

March 16, 2004

To me a crappy cache is a poorly located cache and has nothing to do with content.

I love the adventure and challenge more than the booty-nuggets.

That said . . . the things I like most to find are pins, patches, travel bugs, Geocoins, cool coins (ie Indianhead nickels, wheat pennies, foreign coin, etc), Where's George and anything Smiley.

That is my opinion . . . such as it is.

Happy caching and stuff!

March 16, 2004

When I commented on that a few years ago boy did I get an earful. The fact of the matter is the complaints are the same as they were two years and nothing has changed. The fact is that if people where to put enough thought into the four methods everyone would be happy.

1. Good cache good location

2. good cache bad location

3. Bad cache good location

4. Bad cache bad location

I vote for number number. We all know what they are

The opinions I hear Ad nauseum Is that the stash doesnt make the cache. ok but some people get it both ways.

See Tre-sure, Tre-sure 2 and Treasure 3 placed by yours truly. I would love to say coming to a neighborhood near you I travel a lot) but that silly 25 mile guideling, and of course the no one time rule

4.7k · March 16, 2004

there's a 25 mile guideline?

March 16, 2004

You want nice stuff? Go shopping

I have thought of swag as a way for one cacher to do bargain basement shopping for other cachers. As an example, I the other day I was walking through the closeout section of my local Walmart and saw a bunch of fanny packs marked down from $5 to $2. So I bought all that they had. Not for myself -- I only have one fanny -- but as swag. Ditto everywhere I go. If there is a deep discount on a nice item not only will I purchase one for myself but a bunch for all my fellow cachers.

I understand why people get burnt out on putting nice stuff in caches. All too many people "trade down" instead of "trading even". But someone has to trade up otherwise why bother trading at all? Of course Geo-Ho has the right attitude:

To me a crappy cache is a poorly located cache and has nothing to do with content.

Ditto!

March 16, 2004

I am, of course, biased. But, I always envy new cachers in the Utah County area. In my opinion the best trade items are signature items and we have a lot of gret one around here. Unfortunately I already have a lot of them so I am constantly searching for that elusive "new" signature item. Okay, I haven't had a chance to cache in a while but with the spring weather we are having I think this weekend is it. Football Freak (my son) and I are already planning a trip out to stretch our legs and bag some caches.

4.8k · March 16, 2004

I like to try to stock my caches up pretty well because I like the idea of giving some neat stuff to people around here. It doesn't have to be expensive either. I constantly watch for things on sale and pick up items here and there.

In terms of finding, I like to look at the things in a cache, but I don't care what the monetary value is. Often I don't trade. When I do, it is often for cheap stuff that I bet alot of people would consider junk, but that I like.

March 16, 2004

I try pretty hard to have good swag in my caches and for trade. Unique items, like fossils, art glass by local artist, a jaw harp, nice puzzles, mineral specimins, baculums, lots of chemlights, antique trinkets, etc etc. Once in a while I have to trade down, but usually it goes the other way. I feel obligated to leave good stuff, cuz I figure there are other people out there with kids, such as myself. The swag is usually for them. It never hurts to get extra credit in the karma dept, either.

I figure good swag is cheap, and makes it fun for the kids. Did you know a nice harmonica is $2 at walmart?! I notice great trade items all the time now, and have a backpack full and ready to go.

Nice swag is a good bonus to find, too! I like my geocaching pin, and compass!

Ian5281

March 16, 2004

I have never seen caching as a way to get rich but at the same time, crap is crap is crap!

Never mind trade up or trade even - TRADE FAIR says it all. I don't do the TNLN thing coz I like to have a small memento of each cache. But things like a partly used lipstick or a soggy paper pack of band aids don't fit my idea of what I want as a memory jogger. I haven't started up again yet this year. (it's still snowing and I have a few health problems) Perhaps when I do I will just use my digital camera and start going the TNLN route.

Most cachers will start a cache with good items. Perhaps not your choice of items, or mine, but good stuff. Degradation seems to be the rule rather than the exception. OK, that has to be accepted as part of placing a cache. It follows then, re-stocking is part of maintaining it. With that said, what does p*$$ me right off is things like finding a sheet of stickers in a damp cache - they had detached from the backing and were sticking to everything in there. Things like finding a pre-loaded ink stamper which had leaked and stained everything in the cache container.

Dunno about you but, if someone is not prepared to THINK about what they leave, I would rather they left nothing. Take something - leave nothing if you have to, but don't leave something that will actively destroy a cache.....

2.2k · March 16, 2004

A New England cacher set up a magellan style treasure hunt called Captain Kidd's Treasures. Completely on his own, he made up small treasure chests full of fake pirate treasure and hid 4 of them throughout New England. Someone who found one got to keep both the chest and the contents.

He also set up a Bonus Chest that was about 4x larger than the others. I dont know how much he spent out of pocket, by judging the quantity, size and quality of the chests, it had to be in the hundreds of dollars.

March 16, 2004

there's a 25 mile guideline?

The territory in which a geocacher is able to maintain caches responsibly will vary from one person to the next. An active geocacher who regularly visits areas hundreds of miles apart can demonstrate their ability to maintain a cache 100 miles from home. A geocacher whose previous finds and hides are all within 25 miles of their home would likely not see their cache listed if placed 250 miles away from their home.

taken from GC.com listing requirements/guidelines

March 16, 2004

[edited to remove double post]

Edited March 16, 2004 by Pto

2.1k · March 16, 2004

understandably, the fun lies in the hunt. but it would seem to me that you'd have far less TNLNSL if the cache has things other than McTrinkets, pens, or baseball cards...

It doesn't really matter what the quality of gifts are at the beginning of a cache's life. The quality drops quickly after placement. The time it takes for a significant drop in quality appears to me to be directly related to the number of visitors and that number is relatively low.

I have found this to be true with my 75 regular cache placements and I find it to be true in the parts of California, Oregon and Washington where most of our caching is done. There is some kind of human nature element in play here. It seems best not to fight it.

It would appear that TNLNSL is as much related to number of caches found as it is to quality of gifts. We went into TNLN mode a long time ago. It is the stimulation of "THE HUNT!" that interests us. Good cache locations definitely make the game worthwhile but I'll wander into any old dump site to find a cache filled with junk and be happy.

March 16, 2004

Ditto to Bugs&Snakes. I have taken the time during non-caching days/nights to get my trades ready. I have lots of zip baggies and have packaged each trade item and my card. That way, should the contents of the cache get wet, it doesn't destroy my item. Likewise, if I do put something in that could break or leak, it will confide the mess and not ruin other good stuff. )I try not to put things in that will easily break or ruin, but we all know, s*** happens) I didn't do this my first few times out, but after seeing some of the mess’s leakage and breakage can make, I am getting better. If everyone would take a bit more prep time, maybe the contents wouldn't degrade so fast. I also will say I don't think those of us who visit the boards are the ones who tend to trade down and trash a cache. Seems like those here are very considerate and responsible about their trades. But there will always be the ones who are going to leave the trash and broken toys. When I find these I simply remove them and leave a few extra items to help upgrade the contents. Makes me feel good and I am not finding so many each week that I can't afford to help the cause when I can.

March 16, 2004

I'm relatively new to Geocaching, bought my first GPS the end of Jan. '04. I usually try to have unusual, though not expensive swag to trade. Many times already, either my son or myself have forgotten to take the swag bag with us, so we did a TNLNSL.

Reading the forums the last few weeks, I found good ideas for swag, like the mason jar full of foreign coins I have gathering dust. I picked up most of them 25+ years ago when I was all over the globe with Uncle Sam's Navy. Mostly English coins, but there are some from all over. They will fit in my pockets real well, too. Thanks for the ideas, people.

Back to the issue here, and sorry for the rabbit trail, but I odn't really care about the swag, I like the hunt. My son (12) is a little more caring of swag, though not much. He gets up early every Sat. morning to go to an early meetignwith me so we can cache our way home. The women will probably join us a little more once the weather warms up.

March 16, 2004

I'm not going to supply the geocaching community with more nice items for free any longer ......................You want nice stuff? Go shopping

Ah yeah, I never considered finding anything I wanted to keep and should that day arrive, I believe I would turn it over into a new cache.

I'm always looking for swag that I wouldn't be embarassed dropping off in another cache because most swag can be traced through the logs anyway. I carry some extra items that I might need to combine with others to make a fair trade and/or up the item count in a rundown tired old cache.

As for finding something to keep, go to the store and buy it, the economics make much more sense. Eg, with my $300 plus GPSr I went out and picked up a $4 wigget for free!!! What a deal. ????

March 17, 2004

Not to step on your toes, buddy, but the name of the star is PROXIMA CENTAURI

March 17, 2004

Not to step on your toes, buddy, but the name of the star is PROXIMA CENTAURI

Right, but I wanted to go with Proximus, which being translated means "the next"- i just didnt want to conjugate or steal the star's name...but anyway- kudos to you for actually knowing!

March 17, 2004

Sure. I left a $40 pair of binoculars in a cache once. The hider of the cache took them.

2.2k · March 17, 2004

Not to step on your toes, buddy, but the name of the star is PROXIMA CENTAURI

Right, but I wanted to go with Proximus, which being translated means "the next"- i just didnt want to conjugate or steal the star's name...but anyway- kudos to you for actually knowing!

isn't proxima centauri the star that orbits around alpha centauri? they call it proxima because it is closer at times to us than alpha centauri.

Edited March 17, 2004 by uperdooper

2.2k · March 17, 2004

Sure. I left a $40 pair of binoculars in a cache once. The hider of the cache took them.

In my opinion, thats in very poor taste. With the exception of TB's, I think its wrong to return to a previously logged cache just to grab an item someone left there.

March 17, 2004

in the Provo, UT area, most caches are pretty crappy ...The nicest stuff I have seen around here are travel bugs...

I think you are blessed with pretty cool caches in Utah County. And you've got Cach-U-Nuts and sig items galore over there too. But you wanna find a cache which rivals a good garage sale, you should go for CoolCache's Survival series. He's got all the leftover outdoor gear there, and all items used to cost at least $5 each when he was silly enough to buy them. Prepare to trade fairly or get your a** kicked though. And these caches are not too great in terms of geocaching experience. Tucked away mid-slope in American Fork tributaries, in the brush, far from trails but also far from ridgelines. Not to mention that they are all within Lone Peak Wilderness boundaries and so they could yet cost Utah geocachers some totally unnecessary flack from the Forest Service.

Bottom line: obsession with pricey swag often doesn't go hand in hand with good caching experience.

8.4k · March 17, 2004

The whole Southwest side of the Houston area is just infested with expensive, cool, and inventive caches. I have cached 5 states and nothing compares to home with the exception of the view.

If you're coming to town, anything by Geowyz, Geek-Qualizer, SigJ, or Dreamcachers would be the place to start.

Sn gans

March 17, 2004

When I put something nice in a cache I try to look at it a little differently... I look at it as entertainment expense. If I went to the movies, it would cost me $9, I would sit for two hours on my butt, and MAYBE be mildly entertained.

For $2 - $3 I can hike into an area I have probably never been, see things that people should get out and see more of. And if I'm lucky, have a story to tell the guys on Monday morning. So even if I spent the whole $9 on schwag for just one cache, it's a good value. Plus it makes other cachers happier when they find something really nice. ANd don't forget that walking/hiking is one of the best excersises there is.

Everybody wins.

Ohgr

March 17, 2004

This has been one topic that can always get me hot quickly. I spend a lot of time researching my cache locations and building great caches. As a result I usually stock the cache with some really great stuff. That all ended a year ago when I placed a cache and stocked it really well. The first person to find the cache took a $40 pair of binoculars and left silly putty. I was really hot and emailed the cacher and asked what was up. He told me if I didn't want it taken I shouldn't have put it in the cache.

Recently I started putting out swag rich caches again, one as recently as ten days ago. I checked it yesterday and every bit of the "good stuff" was gone. There was originally 19 items in the cache totalling $42, now there are 4 items totalling about $0.35. It is very disappointing to go to all the work for the caching community only to be screwed over like that.

I guess human nature rears it's ugly head again.

Vent over!!!

A182pilot

March 17, 2004

I may have stated this before in another thread but I too was tired of spending decent money on good cache stuff just to find garbage in the cache a month or two later.

I now create cache specific cards or tokens for the finders to take as a prize. I don't ask that anything be left in exchange. It seems to have gone over well since there is a growing number of cachers that like to trade and collect signature items.

Just an idea :lol:

7.2k · March 17, 2004

Just an idea

Actually, it's a great idea!

March 17, 2004

I dont know if this is worthy of its own thread, but what kind of signature items are floating around out there. My sig. items are computer parts (usually old RAM, but the occaisional processor has made its way out). The only onther sig. items i have come accross are a bag of marbles form SirGerald...

March 17, 2004

I now create cache specific cards or tokens for the finders to take as a prize. I don't ask that anything be left in exchange. It seems to have gone over well since there is a growing number of cachers that like to trade and collect signature items.

As I said above, I like to have a small reminder of each cache. Cache specific items would work very well for me. I can see a time when caches will contain cache specific cards as the main item and possibly they will all be of a standard size so that they can be placed into a collectors book. How does it sound if say they were the same size as baseball cards so that existing binder pages could be used?

Now, I am just thinking on the keyboard here - I still have enough of the kid in me to enjoy swag! But with my own experience and that of others I read here, I can see changes, long or short term, coming for sure.

March 17, 2004

One "signature" item I've thought of but have yet to implement was to make a mold out of steel (I'm a machinist) that looks like a benchmark, but has sort of a geocaching background with the lettering to have my name and hometown. I'm not sure how big I'd make them (about 2" I'm thinking), and would cast them in aluminum.

I thought about sandcasting, but that seems to leave a too rough surface for my taste.

Too bad I couldn't make them out of lead, that would be WAY simpler with an aluminum mold.

John

March 17, 2004

Has anyone created a baseball card type trading card for their cache? If you have could you share it? It could have information like the cache page on the web. Then people could collect them. You could even place yours in other caches sort of like advertising your cache or for the owner of that cache to collect.

If anyone is doing this I would love to see some examples.

I can see it now Geocache Trading Cards

March 17, 2004

I like the idea :lol:

March 17, 2004

I have been placing numbered laminated cards in my caches since I started 3 years ago. They are very popular around here until someone started taking all 30 cards out of my caches at a time. I created them in MS Publisher under the business card size and the usually contained the coords, ratings description and pic of the area. Now I place a piece of paper in each cache and they can be redeemed for at cache card at one of our local club meetings, sorry I know it doesn't help the folks from out of town.

A182pilot

24.7k · March 17, 2004

There is someone out there who creates trading cards based on local cachers that seem to be pretty popular.

March 17, 2004

Sure. I left a $40 pair of binoculars in a cache once. The hider of the cache took them.

In my opinion, thats in very poor taste. With the exception of TB's, I think its wrong to return to a previously logged cache just to grab an item someone left there.

I don't think there is an absolute law that this is in poor taste. Dudeface and I found a cache down here back in December. In February, someone else found it and left a $10 off coupon for our fave restaurant. So we went to retrieve it and left in its place 3 quality trade items. Is that poor taste when we offered a 3 to 1 trade? No. If we had just taken it - then yes. It's all about leaving the cache the same or better for the next finder.

2.2k · March 17, 2004

Sure. I left a $40 pair of binoculars in a cache once. The hider of the cache took them.

In my opinion, thats in very poor taste. With the exception of TB's, I think its wrong to return to a previously logged cache just to grab an item someone left there.

I don't think there is an absolute law that this is in poor taste. Dudeface and I found a cache down here back in December. In February, someone else found it and left a $10 off coupon for our fave restaurant. So we went to retrieve it and left in its place 3 quality trade items. Is that poor taste when we offered a 3 to 1 trade? No. If we had just taken it - then yes. It's all about leaving the cache the same or better for the next finder.

So then if your goal was to improve the quality of trade items within a cache that youve previously visited, then why not just leave your items and not take anything? If the restaraunt coupon hadnt been in there, would you have returned to the cache?

With the exception of TB's, when someone stops by a previously logged cache just because theres an item in there they want, its no longer about the hunt, its about the things you can get. While you are correct that there is no specific rule banning such a practice, doing this only discourages others from leaving nice trade items if they think there just going to be grabbed by a previous finder just because they like it.

Just my opinion, take with a grain of salt.

Edited March 17, 2004 by WH

March 17, 2004

I now create cache specific cards or tokens for the finders to take as a prize. I don't ask that anything be left in exchange. It seems to have gone over well since there is a growing number of cachers that like to trade and collect signature items.

This is where I think caching will be in a few years. And when the finders take a token from the owner, they leave a token in return- for the cache owner. The trade should be between the owner and the finder.

The exceptions: 1. travel bugs and such 2. kids trading toys

When somebody takes the time to make a cache, I'd like to be able to leave them a token of my appreciation. I'd also like to be able to take a memento specific to that cache.

March 17, 2004

MHO at work. But i've seen several caches with good swag and some with crap. The things we trade are almost never very valuable but they are new and usually clearence/sale items. If just my BF and I are caching we frequently TNLN. If my 7 yr old son is along then its a diff story lol. It is very unfortunate that people do "rob" caches. I love the hunt and some small trinkets have been fun! Nothing show stopping though we did get a mini radio at one and left a Geo pin, and New CD in its place.

March 17, 2004

Does anyone know if pre-perforated, baseball card size printer sheets are available? I mean, same style as those business card sheets that are around.....???

I am seriously thinking of going this route.

March 17, 2004

Too bad I couldn't make them out of lead, that would be WAY simpler.........John

Why not??? I'm also toying with the idea.

March 17, 2004

.................So we went to retrieve it and left in its place 3 quality trade items....................we offered a 3 to 1 trade?

You should hvae listed the items. It would have helped your case had we been allowed to judge.

March 18, 2004

In regard to geocaching trading cards, check out (1) Fredric's Cache Cards, and (2) Creekbed Trading Cards. There are also finder pins that are unique to a cache such as the Chargoggagoggmanchauggauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg finders pin.

For some other nice signature items, go here or here.

Hope this helps.

FISUR

March 18, 2004

.................So we went to retrieve it and left in its place 3 quality trade items....................we offered a 3 to 1 trade

You should hvae listed the items. It would have helped your case had we been allowed to judge.

I was not asking for a judgement. I spoke up to offer a differing opinion. We routinely trade up, often leaving multiple items and taking nothing if we decide the cache needs some extra help. We cycle Travel Bugs through caches that haven't been hit lately in increase traffic.

I love the forums and the open discussion. I just wanted to toss in my two cents and decline the soapbox.

Expensive Caches

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