Caches filled with trash

April 9, 2003

I suggest making a specific request for NO McD toys or similar exclusions. My "theme" cache has held up well without junk being deposited.

She said, "Give up caching, or don't come home." Dang I am gonna miss her!

[This message was edited by geofred on April 10, 2003 at 05:21 AM.]

2.7k · April 9, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by pater47:
I guess I must be weird. I relish in finding the worthless, tacky stuff and trading for it. s

I enjoy finding wierd stuff too. In one recent cache I found a plastic toilet keychain with a wad of plastic poop in it. I thought it was a hoot. Brought it home and showed Murasaki (my daughter) and then put it out in a new cache of my own. Thought about travel bugging it, but I didn't.

They make stuff like this for kids and it seems to sell I guess. It is something I would never imagine anyone making.

Wierd stuff like this (which is obviously worthless) adds to the thrill of the unknown.

Even if it is a broken toy, if it is unusual, I will trade for it.

BTW Murasaki likes Homies and we live in Indiana. HINT

Caint never did nothing.

GDAE, Dave

April 10, 2003

Just thought I would drop a line to say "Hi Folks!" As you can see, this is my first post. Geocaching (and this site) was recommended via another forum...The Full Size Jeep Forum.

And it is good to know that the FSJ forum isn't the only one where bickering and whining runs ammuck!!!

I look forward to participating in this Forum as well as Geocaching.

Ya'll have a wonderful day!!

April 12, 2003

I've met other cachers at cache sites, and after seeing their kids' eyes light up when they see the toys, I now gear the items I leave toward kids.

The fun for adults is (or should be) in the activity. Those who think they "deserve" some valuable reward for their efforts should sell their GPS, use the money to buy a metal detector, and scrounge for beachgoers' lost watches and rings.

We enjoy finding the worthless little knickknacks and trinkets. We have a large wall unit filled with small items we've collected over the years: gumball machine items, Crackerjack prizes, fast food restaurant kids' meals toys, etc. Some we bought and some we found geocaching. We trade them when caching and our display is always changing.

1.7k · April 12, 2003

Perhaps I am seeing two conversations here:

One concerns trash - actual trash, worn/broken stuff, dirty chewed on toys and the like. Stuff no one would want.

The other seems to concern expensive goodies taken and cheap goodies put in, the number of kids toys vs. adult toys, etc.

I am all for kids toys. My daughter loves them. He favorite was a wooden tic-tac-toe game from the dollar store (still had the tag on) and a glass paperweight from somewhere.

I am against trash - one had a beanie my daughter wanted, but it was so dirty and foul not even she wanted it.

Some down-trades are inadvertent - someone took a silver Canada $5 coin I left, and left a couple of dollars. Little did he know that such a coin was worth more than $5. That is life.

DustyJacket

Not all those that wander are lost. But in my case...

April 14, 2003

I'm new to this hobby, but thought I would share my thoughts.

I'm riding both boats here.

1st boat: Even though I have found only 1 cache, it's the suspense of what may be hiding in the cache that has me wanting to complete the hunt (there is a little kid in everyone). Equally, it's a GREAT way to spend a day with the kids! It's Christmas all summer long for them; there is a free treasure upon completion of finding it!

2nd boat: It's obvious you can't make a living Geocaching. However, it IS nice to see something of actual use (for us adults). For the future, when I take an item, I will be replacing it with the same importance, e.g. A toy for a toy, batteries for a pen, etc.

Thanks everyone.

April 15, 2003

I agree with the statement that you don't want to put truly valuable things in caches. People not interested in caching will soon take an interest in emptying out caches on a regular basis. However, I think it is more of a challenge to put in interesting things that do not have significant monetary worth. For instance, in the last cast I found some geocache cards- actually looked like negatives of scenary around caches with the coordinates of the cache and its name. Came in a little envelope that said take one and move the rest to a far away cache.

April 15, 2003

"what are your experiences/"

my most recent find had a logbook (which asked finder to take the 'token blue notebook') and a beat up old small blue notebook. so i took the blue notebook and left about four new small toys, erasers, things like that. i think i improved that cache. jmo.

my first hide's first finder "took $2 and french-english dictionary and left pencils and a pen." go figure.

peace

"i am but mad north-nothwest...when the wind is southerly, i know a hawk from a handsaw."

April 17, 2003

I am totally new to this whole scene. However, I think that the BEST treasure a cache owner could leave me would be a location worth visiting. I would rather find a great woods, or a beautiful brook, than any of the stuff any of you mentioned, whether it is worth 10c or 10$. No matter who depletes a cache once it is placed, the location itself cannot be stolen, nor can my memories of a fun day.

May 24, 2003

I'm certainly no expert at this, just getting started in fact, but what I love and what has me going back out tommorow is the log book! We use a high tech computer coupled with the power of the world wide internet to get coordinates to enter into a high tech gadget that uses multibillion dollar satellites in outer space. All this technology so we can hike out into the desert to find a plastic tub with a pencil and piece of paper, squat beastlike on our haunches like our forefathers fathers and scribble messages.... To goofy people...we know they are goofy cuz they were here too....they are just as goofy as me. That just fascinates the heck outta me.

My question: how does a broken Mc toy, used candy wrapper or even an expensive gift figure into the gaggle of irony and pure unadultrated fun of that experience?

We have found us........uh-oh.

someday we'll look back on all this and plow into a parked car.

May 24, 2003

Something to contemplate ...

I am new to this, but going in I expected to find small, tacky items that simply verified the hunt; and further would more highly value the cache for it's destination than contents ...

Yet as I read the posts here regarding 'value' I'm left to wonder about today's find.

I too let my kids 'make the trade' at the cache and today, my yougest daughter (5yrs) liked and picked up a pin ...

"United We Stand ... So many lives lost, so quickly, We will miss you all..." An American Flag superimposed on the WTC

Obviously she has no idea about the origin or events that created it ... but I'd like to think (and hope) that whoever put it there didn't think it 'trash' ... despite it's unlikely monetary value.

... just something to think about.

1.7k · May 24, 2003

I just placed 2 caches (awaiting approval) and will monitor the quality of "the goods" just for fun.

DustyJacket

Not all those that wander are lost. But in my case...

May 25, 2003

I did my first search yesterday, and was successful. I knew beforehand that the cache was empty, except for a notebook and pencil, but took 2 AA batteries in a zip-lock bag to leave. The cache was in a forest preserve that I had passed many times, but had never stopped there. I couldn't believe what I found in this preserve. A climbing wall, two rope bridge areas, and a nature center. I'm going back when I have more time to explore this place. Today, I'm going to do a little benchmarking and look for a couple of other caches. Geocaching has opened my eyes to the nature that has been all around me this urban area I call home.(Right next to Chicago) I'm not looking to find items of value, (although a winning Powerball ticket would be nice), I'm enjoying the outdoors in a way I never did before. I am planning to introduce others to this "sport" as well.

It's 5:00a.m., the sun is coming up, and it's time to get moving.

There's caches out there that need to be discovered!

May 25, 2003

I just started as well but here is what I have been putting in the ones I have found.

My kids love finding the toys. I let them take a toy if they leave one. They went through their toy boxes and brought me a bunch of things that they have tow of or dont want. I rejected the broken/junky stuff and had them place the rest in a zip lock to use for trade stock.

For more adult fare here is what I found around the house:

A&W tokens good for a free root beer

Subway cards full of stamps

Old roman coins bought on Ebay a couple years ago.

Foreign coins of assorted kinds.

Mini Tupperware thingys (wife sells Tupperware)

Airline logo stuff (pens, buttons, etc.)

Keychains

Wheres George dollars.

I figure that these things, while not very valuable, will appeal to someone. The fun is more in the hunt than the loot. But if we happen to find something nice once in a while it is a welcome bonus.

May 25, 2003

We like a good find as we are somewhat new to this and enjoy showing others our finds. We've found some pretty unusaul items and it's always much fun explaining where we found it, etc. We have found a few caches with junk, but found something to take regardless. We enjoy our little "collection" and look forward to adding to it!

We recently moved and restocked a cache we had placed with very nice items (flooding in area), hoping there will be even trades, but if not, it will be fun reading the posts!

When we find a cache with trash, we try to leave a couple good items for trading.

What bugs us is when people don't mention a trade...but that's another story that we've posted already!

May 26, 2003

Personally, I like the odd stuff, it doesn't have to be expensive. I would love the arrowheads, or homemade jewelry, but would be a bit afraid of it if it looked expensive. If a cache was filled with expensive stuff, I would be dissapointed, since I like unusual dimestore items that I don't feel guilty about trading for.

On the other hand, stickers and McDonalds Happy Meal toys are garbage, not trade items. There are far too many of them for them to make good trophies, and that's what I want. I like something unusual to put on a collection on my mantle.

For me, little toys and interesting gadgets are the best way to go.

DrMemory

May 28, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Huntnlady:
(snip)

Until then, I want to leave a piece of myself

(snip).

Gosh. And which cache is that going to be in?

I came, I cached, I fell over in the mud

1.7k · May 28, 2003

I like collecting signature items, like the wooden nickel courtneyofeden left, and the button I leave.

No value, other than my memories......

DustyJacket

Not all those that wander are lost. But in my case...

May 28, 2003

I am a new geocacher, and I do it just for the fun, sign the log and TN/LN. My one placed cache has a few plastic rings that were laying around, but otherwise, just the log and pen/pencil. The hunt is the thing, not the loot.

Batteries are short life, here in the hinterlands, they would rust before being found and used.

2.7k · May 30, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Huntnlady:
Sorry FS, I just can agree with you. The hunt I really enjoy has the possibility (however remote,) of venison at the end of it. That is a real challenge; this is just a treasure hunt during the off season. Compared to something like an elk hunt, this is really easy stuff, if you really want to know the truth- no flames, please!

Early to bed, early to rise,

Hunt all day and make up lies.

I hunt deer myself...yeah, hunting for caches is definitely easier than bagging deer or an elk. I've never gotten an elk, but killed a couple of bucks...blacktail and a muley. 15 years between the two...so yeah cachin' is easier. Going deer hunting with my Dad once a year is a great way for us to bond and enjoy the outdoors. Either hunting gets me outdoors and thats what I enjoy!

May 30, 2003

We've just started at this, so I am no expert, but, since most of the adults say that it's the hunt the counts, and the ones who like the treasure are the kids, why put down the kid's toys? A McToy can be a real treasure to a kid. Even my 13 year old too a whizzer whistle the other day--probably valued at $.10 or less, but she wanted it and was happy with it. I have seen some trash, I'll admit, and seen logs where the person leaves a golf tee or a used golf ball, but most caches we've seen have had some good things in them, too. And maybe some of the junk are really signature items that need to be identified as such, which would make it more desirable to people. Or maybe if someone has a low value signature item, they should leave it in a baggie with something else as a combined item. And our dog loves to find a small stuffed animal in the cache (often a McToy), to use as a play thing (I found this out last weekend when I tried to take a Winnie the Pooh for me, and she gave me that look that told me it was hers!--LOL! So, what is one person's trash is often another person's treasure (not candy wrappers or squashed ketchup packets, though!)

May 30, 2003

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess. If I found actual trash, gum wrappers, half a Balance bar etc, I'd probably clean it up myself and be glad it wasn't left somewhere else in on the trail. If I found a silly toy I'd probably think about the person who left it there. Maybe it was an adult with a Happy Meal toy collection (I had one in college). Anyway, when ever a person leaves something behind it's like they are leaving a part of themself behind. No matter how silly seeming the toy or trinket is, SOMETHING made them leave it behind or trade it out. I had no clue there were people doing this for more than the fun of finding the cache... Silly me...

24.7k · May 30, 2003

The other day I found some burger wrappers in a cache. It made the McToys look good. It was probably a weak prank by a muggle who happened on the cache. At least they didn't pluder the cache.

=====================

Wherever you go there you are.

May 30, 2003

quote:
... a couple of stickers, or plastic bats, or sponges are not a fair trade for those things, in my opinion.

Man, I'd love to find some plastic bats. If they're the glow in the dark kind, I'll be beside myself with joy. But a tennis ball? Blah.

May 30, 2003

Personally, I really like the Letterbox concept. Take a stamp, leave a stamp. If you don't know what Letterboxing is, check out: http://www.letterboxing.org/

The only "hard" part is making your own stamps (and that would probably be fun too, if I had any talent :-)

I wish more caches did that sort of thing -- because I like the GPS/hike aspect of geocaching better than the clue-following of letterboxing. They're both quite fun though.

-BeachBuddies

Yes I'm lost, but at least I know my coordinates!

June 2, 2003

one more vote for the love of the tacky stuff.

i like getting a laugh from the items in the cache more than I'd like seeing something valuable.

it's pretty weird to compare geocaching with hunting... at least IMHO. Although I've never hunted before, I think of it as something you don't just do JUST for the hunt but also for the product (how many hunters just leave a deer out there? most i've known have a freezer full of meat. plenty of geocachers just 'leave it there' (TNLN) -- the "catch and release" form of geocaching, if you will)

I just plain don't expect to take anything at home. Taking home the fact that I made it there, and logging it on the site is plenty satisfying.

Leaving something fun can also be cheap. I have a boat load of computer games i've beaten at least once, and they're nothing more than plastic accumulating on my desk now that I'm done with them, but, although they're dated maybe to someone else it'd be fun to take home. I'm sure plenty of other people have the some kind of 'sort of valuable' items around.

2k · June 3, 2003

I am Renegade Knights stage 3. I very seldom take anything out of a cache anymore. I always leave something in hopes of improving the cache. The problem I have is when I take someone new out and whos them the hobby. They look in most of the caches and can't believe some of the junk they see in them. I have to spend a lot of time trying to explain that it really is the fun of the hunt and finding new places rather then the contents of the cache that makes this hobby fun.

Lost? Keep going. You're making good time anyway!!

June 4, 2003

Hey everyone! This is my first post! I'm still in the "THIS IS SOOOO COOL" stage, but I figure I'll probably stay there awhile. Here's how I see this whole thing.

I've always been an adventurer at heart. I've played all the RPG's, and I've longed to be a knight, and I've read all of the adventure books and seen all of the adventure movies. I was going along, doing my job, and feeling very happy about life. I don't want anyone to get the impression that I was a sad sack before, or that my void is suddenly filled with the glorious game that is Geocaching. But here is the thing that made Geocaching cool to me, and the reason I don't mind finding useless trinkets:

We all live in a world where we go about and doo things that are regular and normal. Life moves along pretty well for most of us and we are happy with out lives. The cool thing about Geocaching is that it happens right there with the rest of your life, but underneath the rocks, or behind the trees, or taped under the picnic tables. It is a real life adventure that coexists with the other things you do, and those who don't 'Cache', don't even know it! We are participating in a real live treasure hunt, and that, is why I do it. Today I found my second cache, and I was overjoyed by the seeking. When I found it, I connected with that other parallel, adventurous life, and with a person who took the time to create an adventure for me. To me, it doesn't matter if I find gold boullion or an old key, because I'm all about the adventure.

June 5, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Huntnlady:

Personally, I have been putting my signature authentic Indian obsidian arrowheads into caches, .

never seen an indian arrow head...native american on the other hand...

June 5, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by motoXman:
I'm certainly no expert at this, just getting started in fact, but what I love and what has me going back out tommorow is the log book! We use a high tech computer coupled with the power of the world wide internet to get coordinates to enter into a high tech gadget that uses multibillion dollar satellites in outer space. All this technology so we can hike out into the desert to find a plastic tub with a pencil and piece of paper, squat beastlike on our haunches like our forefathers fathers and scribble messages.... To goofy people...we know they are goofy cuz they were here too....they are just as goofy as me. That just fascinates the heck outta me.

you my friend are a friggin artist!

June 6, 2003

I agree...that was well said MotoXman.

Here's my take (and yes, I'm new, but..):

This is a game. Like any other game, you aren't forced into it. Rather than continually putting it down, HuntnLady, either stop playing or make it better (uptrading, TNLSomething, or making your own caches). If you didn't like Monopoly, would you play it? Probably not... Would you go on and on about how The Game of Life is so much harder than Monopoly? Probably not. There is joy in this thing for some!!

Some love the "hunt"...some love getting lost in the woods...some love the exercise...and some just love getting outside. Sure, I could wander around the neighborhood to get exercise, and get out of the house...but I prefer to have an aim to my wanderings. Personally, I LOVE finding all those little parks and out of the way places that I have driven past for decades and never knew were there.

It's all about preferences. We're all here for a different reason, but the important thing is we're all here. I enjoy finding tacky little trinkets, if I wanted to find gold coins I'd dive for shipwrecks, you know? I enjoy finding toys I can take to my nephews to play with, etc. I've left small (yes, likely worthless) things, but to me they meant something. A parking stub from my first cross-country road trip. Maybe next it'll be my niece with me, who'll want to leave her Hello Kitty doll for some keychain or toy. Are you implying that for her to part with her Hello Kitty toy has no place in caching? For her to do that would be like me leaving my cell phone or GPS (my adult security blankets) in that cache. I think we just need to remember that while we're off hunting treasure...everyone's idea of 'treasure' is not the same, and not everyone's treasure is INSIDE the cache. Good day and good caching all!

~~King

Caches filled with trash

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