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Degregation Of Cache Contents (ga?)


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While I'm sure that this has been discussed before, I'm posting in spite of being Markwelled/ignored by those outside of the GA area.

 

Preface: If a hike is less than .5 miles in, I normally don't carry my pack, but will stuff a goodie or two in my pockets. On longer hikes (> .5), I'll take the pack, packed full of goodies and the like.

 

I'm a northwest-metro-Atlanta cacher. One thing I've noticed over the past couple of months of finds is lack of stuff in caches. Most often, I either TNLN or leave something without taking. While not yet reaching epidemic proportions yet, the propensity of said "barren caches" is beginning to alarm me.

 

I always try to upgrade whatever I take from caches - usually in value from $1-$10, depending on the stash, and it's difficulty in getting there. However, it would appear that some folx take the idiom "take an item, leave an item" quite literally, regardless of trade values, thereby decreasing the "value" of the cache they visit.

 

This is where I'm not sure whether to be peeved, or surprised. Sure, the spirit is there (take/trade), but leaving a 25 cent gumball prize and other cheap gizmos doesn't necessarily equivalate to a swiss army knife AND a toy for the child in attendence.

 

Question: Where does one draw the line, and where (outside of this post) does one bring attention to it?

 

I like to find decent stuff in caches, and I'd like to think that I've put some good stuff in the two (2) caches I've placed (yes, I've found 150+, the area is quite saturated where I live).

 

Does the axiom "Trade fair/trade up" still apply, or will I continue to be welcomed by plastic rings and other gumball fair on my future finds?

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I feel your frustration! I feel sorry for those coming into the game and hunting the older caches. The degradation of caches seems to happen so quickly. If you aren't one of the first 5 people to a new cache, you won't find anything worth trading for by the time you get there. I believe this is why so many people compete for the FTFs, to get to the good stuff first.

 

If more people went by the axiom, Trade Up, Trade Equal or Don't Trade, this problem wouldn't be so bad. It's more of a mindset than a rule, therefore I don't think there is much that can be done about it. I try to instill the Trade Up or Don't Trade axiom into new geocachers I introduce to the game. I tell them that McDonalds toys and rinky-dink stuff at the dollar store is not trading up or equally for a CD, DVD, a swiss army knife or anything else of value that they might find in a cache. Hopefully it sticks with them.

A good way to know if you are trading up or equal is to imagine that you were doing a face-to-face trade with the owner of the cache. I'm sure there would be no way he would trade you a McDonalds toy for a swiss army knife. Even 15 McDonalds toys wouldn't be enough.

 

There are gonna be a few that say it's not about the cache contents, more about the trip to the cache. But there are people that do enjoy the bonus of finding a cache as well as the hike.

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I've only been doing this a week and I noticed the same thing. It's not that big of a deal I suppose. I try and leave the cache in better condition than when I found it. I just try to think of signing the log as the most important thing on the hunt and take pride in that.

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I feel for ya. I had the same thing happen to 3 of my caches last year. I just restocked them, the next day they got [raided, my term] found and cleaned out. A group found all three and took 3 items each aand left junk [McD toys] as replacements. I was ugly, to say the least. I goes to show ya, people will hunt for the good stuff, and leave trash inside! Blow off your steam here, and continue to play the game. SF1

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Another "fact" is that Multi-caches seem to hold their quality better. Yes, they are found less frequently. Maybe its the quality of the find that inspires....or the quality of the Cachers. I have found this to be true on my caches, and the ones I have found. Set up a very simple Multi, and see if it makes a difference.

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I've only been doing this a week and I noticed the same thing. It's not that big of a deal I suppose. I try and leave the cache in better condition than when I found it. I just try to think of signing the log as the most important thing on the hunt and take pride in that.

Same with me. Travel Bugs I generally consider to be the best thing you can find in a cache; very rarely will I do a swop for anything else.

MarcB

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Its a shame to find junk, but that is the way it is!! The greater percentage of my plants are in the hills and they still have stayed fairly well stocked. Except one and I even think it was found by a non cacher and one who looks at our web site to find old coins etc. and that cache is quite difficult to find and it was degraded, and I'm having a hard time wanting to resupply it. And if I do it wil be moved and the difficulty for the muggles will increase.

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I have gone caching with friends and other cachers before, and the one thing I hate is when they remarkt hat the cache only contained junk. I just shake my head silently and keep my comments to myself, as I feel they are totally missing the point of geocaching. To me it's not about what you find, but the adventure you have in finding it, which also therefore makes a Virtual cache just as rewarding than a traditional cache. Getting to some awesome area, finding a hard to find camoflaged container, solving a puzzle cache, or even just enjoying the hike with my son, is all more rewarding than any material item we may find in a cache.

 

Even though we do trade at probably half the caches we visit, that certainly isn't why we geocache. And what if you find a $10 item in a cache...how many of us actually have something of equal or better value to trade for it? I think the area I am from and looking at my cache when I pay them a maintenance visit, it looks like people just trade, and it really doesn't matter to me if they trade up or down. If they liked something from one of my caches and it puts a smile on their face to take an item from my cache, that is all the satisfaction I need and I would not be upset if they didn't leave anything in return.

 

But for those that do like trading, one question I ask myself when I leave an item in a cache is, would I trade for this item if I were another cacher...if the answer is no, then I won't leave it. I usually leave similar types of items that I know people like to trade for, since I see that people say in their logs that they took items that I left, so that makes us feel good too.

 

I figure it's just a game and no one is going to get rich off of any trade item they may find.

 

Best thing we ever found...a camera case that I use for my GPS...probably worth about $5.

Worst thing we found (in my opinion, not my son's) a rock, which looked like someone picked up from the trail, but he wanted it and it made him happy.

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