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Prizes For Ftf


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While browsing some recent logs I found a cache which promised a "surprise" for the FTF; turned out it was a bottle of Champagne

 

Some questions:

- Is it common to have special rewards for the FTF ?

- Is it appropriate to offer champagne ? (BTW, this is in Europe, we don't have to be 21 :P)

 

PS: I imagine a champagne bottle would be a bit big. I'm thinking of doing the same thing, but the prize will be a certficate good for a bottle at the nearby winery. Saves space, avoids breakage, and allows adults to check that the winner is old enough ;)

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It's pretty common to have something special for the first finder, usually something a bit cooler, or of greater actual value.

 

I think over here in the states, leaving Champagne would definately be looked down upon, but with no limit on drinking in Europe I don't know, but I still think that would be against the Groundspeak cache policies...

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Well it still falls under the Groundspeak Cache Placement Guidelines

 

Cache Contents

 

Use your common sense in most cases. Explosives, fireworks, ammo, knives (including pocket knives and multi-tools), drugs, alcohol or other illicit material shouldn't be placed in a cache. As always respect the local laws. Geocaching is a family activity and cache contents should be suitable for all ages.

 

Food items are ALWAYS a BAD IDEA. Animals have better noses than humans, and in some cases caches have been chewed through and destroyed because food items (or items that smell like food) are in the cache.  Even the presence of mint flavored dental floss has led to destruction of one cache.

 

If the original cache contents list any of the above items or other questionable items, or if a cache is reported to have the questionable items, the cache may be disabled, and the owner of the cache will be contacted and asked to remove the questionable items before the cache is enabled.

 

 

Added my own emphasis on parts of guidelines that this falls under...

Edited by TeamK-9
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Well it still falls under the Groundspeak Cache Placement Guidelines

I know, and I agree with them. Your first post just indicated there is 'no limit on drinking in Europe', and I just reminded that the limits on drinking in the 44 countries in Europe vary a lot. Granted, the age limit of 21 is probably quite rare.

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Sorry Divine, I didn't mean to step on your toes, I just assumed by what the poster said that there was no limit in Europe, but anyway, my second post was just a continuation of what I said.

 

It falls under the big no-no list that is the Groundspeak Cache Placement/Maintenance Guidelines.

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Sorry Divine, I didn't mean to step on your toes

No problem there. :P This is actually the second cache I've heard with Champagne (or just ordinary sparkling wine) as FTF prize. Guess these things happen a lot. People just don't mention them on the logs or cache descriptions. ;)

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I like the advice I read in another thread regarding what to leave in a cache. It was: would you give your 6 year old child that item? - If not then don't leave it in a cache.

 

A bottle of champagne? NO

 

A gift certificate for a bottle of Champagne? YES - I trust that the clerk wouldn't accept it from a child.

 

EDIT: speelling(sp?) ;)

Edited by mattt
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I see nothing wrong with what the guy has done. It's not to say that the GF has to be redeemed. If you don't condone the use of alcohol, then leave the gift certificate for the next cacher or pass it onto a friend.

 

lol I'm guessing TeamK-9 would be too young to claim that FTF Gift-Certificate B)

 

It's pretty common to have something special for the first finder, usually something a bit cooler, or of greater actual value.

 

just what are you finding as FTF gifts?? ;)

 

on another note:

would you give your 6 year old child that item? - If not then don't leave it in a cache.

now we know why all the caches are full of McToys B)

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just what are you finding as FTF gifts?? B)

I've only had one FTF of my own, but it had a Geocaching.com t-shirt in it. That's not something that you buy 100 of and put in every cache, so I thought it was cooler, and it was definately a bit more expensive.

 

I've seen caches in the area that had DVDs or CDs as FTF prizes...

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I think I will decide to agree B) with the people who OK'd the gift certificate.

 

Of course, as those of you who have memorised "Wayne's World" will know, not all "champagne" is really "Champagne". In this case the prize will be a bottle of pink "Crémant d'Alsace", a champagne-method wine made round here from (mosty) Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir grapes. I can't tell the difference between this stuff and real champagne after a glass or so anyway B).

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Champagne sounds very appropriate for a 6 years old visitor. It is the teenagers which you may have to worry about B)

Obviously Groundspeak has no control over what items are placed into a cache. It has control, however, over what is posted about the content of a cache. So you may have problems getting your caches approved if you mention the champagne, or a swiss army knive, or a cigarette lighter. And why indeed mention all that? I find it kind of silly when a cache description mentions all the trinkets which used to be there when it was placed a long while back.

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Guess these things happen a lot. People just don't mention them on the logs or cache descriptions.

That's the way I'd go about it. "Hmm. I didn't put that in there when I stocked the cache. Wonder where it came from? Maybe someone left it. Hmmm. No one signed the log or the web saying they left it. Must be some rogue cacher trying to get my cache archived, so he can put one here."

 

If leaving banned items, make sure you wear gloves, since a fingerprint will be required for all accounts starting 1 July 04, so that contraband leaving miscreants can be identified and banned.

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I like the advice I read in another thread regarding what to leave in a cache. It was: would you give your 6 year old child that item?

Many of the cache hunts I've experienced, I wouldn't dream of bringing a 6 year old along. On the other ones, I would open it and if there was something inappropriate for my 6 year old, I would tell her "this is not appropriate for you". Not too hard.

 

As far as the alochol issue, in the US, booze in caches is asking for trouble. In other countries, it may not be, so use your judgement. A split of Champagne in France probably would be a very welcome find. In the US or Iran, that's a whole 'nother story.

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...and I can't imagine, with the assortment of "treasures" to choose from, that your typical 6-yr-old would dive for the champagne gift-certificate. You're six... piece of paper with big words on it, or toy truck? Hm.

 

I like the GC idea -- if the first-finder's not a drinker, could leave it for the next guy. Saw a GC for nine holes of golf in a Seattle cache a few weeks ago, and thought that was a great cache prize!

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might leave coordinates to, and a token for a free drink at a favorite local bar (at least I know you can buy a chip for a free drink at most bars around here)...

 

then it's to the discretion of the finder on how to use the token (on drinks hard or soft!), and i don't believe it wouldn't go outside the boundaries of geocaching rule set.

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