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What Do You Want To Find In A Cache


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I had another thread that started to lead to this and I decided to close it and make this a thread in its own. What do you want to find in a cache? Personally I like camping type stuff. Everyone is different though. What are your thoughts?

Now I will ask the follow up question. You can answer one or both I don't care. What do you bring with you swag wise to a cache and what do you usually leave?

I am looking for new ideas of what to leave in caches so I would love to hear everyones input. One last thing as a reality check though. Did what you answered for question one equal what you answered in question two? If so way to go if not reconsider question two. All input on what to leave to make the masses happy is appreciated.

 

KRN187

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I had another thread that started to lead to this and I decided to close it and make this a thread in its own. What do you want to find in a cache? Personally I like camping type stuff. Everyone is different though. What are your thoughts?

Now I will ask the follow up question. You can answer one or both I don't care. What do you bring with you swag wise to a cache and what do you usually leave?

I am looking for new ideas of what to leave in caches so I would love to hear everyones input. One last thing as a reality check though. Did what you answered for question one equal what you answered in question two? If so way to go if not reconsider question two. All input on what to leave to make the masses happy is appreciated.

 

KRN187

All I want to find is a dry logbook.

 

I don't trade.

 

I care much more about the hunt.

 

southdeltan

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I ALWAYS pray for a dry log book and a million dollars. I would trade some perfectly good, cool, worthless crap for that million bucks too.

 

Like the first two posters to this thread, as soon as I run out of worthless cool crap, I'll trade only for sig items and leave the broken toys and expired coupons alone.

 

Sn :DB) gans

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Nothing applies more to geocaching like the old saying different strokes for different folks. I know some people are out for the hunt some just want the stats and some people want to find a hidden treasure. I started this post to get an idea of what the people who like to trade things like to find. I will admit a side bar for this post was to get people to stop leaving crap when taking better things. My main reason for this post was for new ideas on what to leave besides my calling card. Personally I'm in this for it all I want the stats (no bogus ones it makes me feel good to get high numbers.) I would like one day to beat the guys to a cache who seem to always get first to find in my area. And most of all I want to enrich caches that have crap in them. The only way I know to do that is to ask the people who show up to them what they want. Not everyone can say " I expect nothing out of a cache. There are too many threads complaining about crap in caches to believe that. So I ask what do you want in a cache and as a side note think " Is what I am asking for equal to what I leave." I am done on this post. (I may stay up and post more who knows I still have 8 hours till work.

krn187

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I take dollar store trinkets and I leave nicer dollar store tinkets.

I usually leave cheap 'biners and new die-cast toy cars.

I have some nice trade items if I find a use for them, but I would normally only leave them in a tough to find high quality cache (hate to see them muggled). Otherwise they will end up in my own caches as FTF. By nice items I mean a snake bite kit, a Starbucks $25.00 gift card, free pizza gift certificates, and a nice shoulder pack perfect for caching.

Edited by Chris S
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Well, a FTF prize of say $1 million would certainly be nice, but I too generally settle for a dry logbook. Travel bugs are a nice bonus. Other than that I TNLN. Generally the only thing I bring to leave in a cache is a travel bug, because I have no intention of taking anything other than a travel bug out of a cache...........

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#1: Items with a personal touch, such as signature items or unique items. I have found polished rocks in some caches, and I have taken those. They are unusual, and may have been polished by the trader rather than bought at a store. Even if they were bought, they are still unusual. One cache i visited had finders buttons (bunches of them) that had a picture of the park and some text about the cache. Those were cool, too. Another cache i went to was a 'lighthouse'. In it was a miniature lighthouse. Unique! Basically, anything with thought put into it. I have some stuff coming via UPS that will allow me to make signature items, so I hope to have those out soon.

 

#2 I currently bring with me NEW dollar store items. The last few caches I have left battery operated personal fans (with batteries, no less). I have also left hair bands/brushes and hand tools. That's all I can remember right now. i try to be unique with my selection. It doesn't always work, but I try at least. And, as I said above, i'll be making some signature items soon, so that'll be included in my trade package.

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I don't take anything unless the kids are there, then they pick something. I generally leave old GPS stuff, such as cases for units I traded up from, and it's always trading up.

I did leave an old MP3 player in a cache today, it was the nicest stash of stuff I've ever seen, so I added to it without taking anything. My philosophy is that if I left $100 in a junk cache to better it, the next finder would take the $$ and leave junk behind, so the cache would still stink.

I just like to find it and ease around in the woods anyway, you wouldn't believe the therapy I've gained from caching for the knee operations I've had :D

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We did our first 5 hunts and found them all this weekend. We did everything from a 35mm cannister to an ammo can. The best stuff was way up in the mountains that required an hour drive off of a rural highway. Everything in it was nice. I took a key chain that had a tape measure on it and left a compass key ring and a slinky. The ammo can was full of junk, but I took the only cool thing in it.... a geocaching pencil. I think something that refelcts the sport like the pencil or a compass key ring, a pin or a signature item are the coolest things. Some of the hand made items I have seen on the forum are nice. The most exciting thing to find is a TB, but I realize there can't be a bug in every cache.

 

I think after a long trip, or a really intensive search it is nice to find something to take with you as a momento, besides poison oak or sore feet.

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One thing I have yet to see in a cache log is Took piece of crap left something really good. All I ever read is took something really good left piece of crap. This is my point. Everyone complains about crap in caches, as menial as this sounds I guess I am trying to start something by this thread. Leave great take good. Leave good take crap. I and many others who I have read your threads don't want to take crap and leave good. It is a never ending cycle. I started myself in my first two finds. Only I took nothing and left crap. Crap stinks literally and figurality speaking.

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I quit doing that and am wanting others to stop also. When new you do not know any different when seasoned you are not playing the game well

you are fighting a loosing battle. if you do a search you will find this has been beaten to death here. i leave good and take nothing, or i leave nothing or take nothing.

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Sometimes what is crap to us 'adults' (used loosely) may be treasure to a child. And some toys left in a metal box that gets banged around while retrieving it get broken. I have some dollar store items (biners and such) and some mini tool kits (screwdrivers sets with multiple bits of different kinds) that I carry, plus one or two nicer items for well stocked caches. I like items that are actually useful. Mostly what I take (and I don't trade every time) would be items that stike my fancy (to keep) or items that I would trade in another cache (i.e.. nice enough I would leave if I bought it).

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I like to trade and have no problems giving better than I get. I have started a collection of signature items and keep some of the unique finds in my sock drawer for a future project.

 

Like to find: Personal items; homemade buttons, pins, logoed stuff fron your work or town, --- Dollar store stuff; pencil sharpeners and oher cache supplies, canping supplies, lighters and matches, candles - - - Misc. stuff; polished sfones, Mardi Gras beads, books

 

Hate to find: unbagged paper items, golf balls, "pretty rock I found near the cache" , empty snail shells, parts of toys, wore out toys

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Signature or unique items. I had a really great idea for a sig item that would (could) actually be used (a common item with the geocaching logo on it), but it would cost nearly $500 for a run. :D I would spend $200 max.

 

One item I found that I liked was a casino chip from Reno. It was really nice looking.

 

Another thing I like is the tungsten carbide shapes left by SecretSpy.

 

The custom patch I got from ty_donley in Four Cache Loop is one of my favorites.

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It may be a losing battle, but in every one of the 46 caches we have found (minus the 5 or 6 micros), we have left everyone in better shape than we found it in. It may not change the world, but hopfully the next cachers who find it may say "Wow...cool" and not "Awww...more crap". I figure I won't change the way anyone else plays the game, but I will do my part to better it.

 

What I like to find? Sig items, travel bugs and dog toys. Anything unusual. It's always fun to make the find and open that box/container. May not have a darn thing in it I want, but it's still fun! :D

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One thing I have yet to see in a cache log is Took piece of crap left something really good. All I ever read is took something really good left piece of crap. This is my point. Everyone complains about crap in caches, as menial as this sounds I guess I am trying to start something by this thread. Leave great take good. Leave good take crap. I and many others who I have read your threads don't want to take crap and leave good. It is a never ending cycle. I started myself in my first two finds. Only I took nothing and left crap. Crap stinks literally and figurality speaking.

I never leave crap in a cache. Normally if the items in the cache have thinned out or are "crap" , I will leave one or two nice things and take nothing. At least I am helping the cache get a little better for those who find it after me.

 

For me, it's not about the items. Every once in a while something will catch my eye and I will do a trade. More often though, I leave something and take nothing.

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i used to be more fussy about what i liked to see in a cache; a dry log is #1, but after that i like to see a variety of things that i think people in general might like.

 

this includes nice little knicknacks too hideous for me (some people LIKE picture frames with litlle floral patterns or cute puppies. i do not. into a cache they go.)

 

clean, unbroken cheap toys (i like some of these. others i'm not wild about but as long as it's in good condition i'm happy to see it.)

 

cheap sparkly rings and bangles. (i hate these but thay are PURE GOLD to some kids.)

 

useful items (tape, first aid kits, blank recording media, flashlights, compasses, firestarter, 'biners, blah blah blah)

 

here's what i personally like to take:

 

books

music (not pirated. i feel strongly about this. do not flame me; i know the arguements)

round things (coins, tokens, marbles...)

some toys (that squishy rubber yo-yo thing with the water stuff inside..)

puzzles

tools

signature items

handmade art

TBs (i always trade for these. yeah, i know that old hack too.)

 

mostly what i like to find is a variety of stuff. i don't always need to take anything, but i really like to paw through the stuff. it's like a small museum for me.

 

yesterday i took some beads and left a pair of binoculars. i took a signature ballpoint and left a rare earth magnet cube. i saw some really cool entomology warning cards (have YOU seen the asian longhorned beetle?). they were probably handed out free and dropped wholesale somewhere, but i liked them all the same.

 

sometimes if a cache is thinly stocked AND poorly maintained AND (in my opinion) likely to go missing, i will leave some cheap stuff rather than leave nothing, just so it isn't empty.

 

i know a cacher who often leaves somethng good in a cache and makes a log entry that he left a scratched-off lottery ticket. me, if i leave something really good, sometimes i don't mention it. nobody needs to know that i gave away the crystal window ornament that for some reason didn't look so great in my window, but that somebody paid a fair amount for and thought i'd like it. so into a cache it goes, i don't own up to it, somebody who likes it gets to have it, and no one's the wiser.

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I can't resist marbles....

and frogs....

and shiny trinkets, but only if they are cute or cool, not the mcToy variety. I leave that for the kidlins.

 

I ordered some small stuff to leave, decals with outdoors theme, and buttons that honeychile makes, they are the coolest because they are nice, come in small sizes too, and are geocaching related! :rolleyes:

 

I don't usually take stuff though, unless it is a marble, then I can't resist...I just can't help it.

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We also like to see signature items, travel bugs & dry log books! Since we have small children, we also appreciate the McToys & $store toys, too.

 

We recently adopted some caches and overhauled them. For starters, we tried to have a little of everything - a compass, a plastic matchbox container, carabiners, star wars & star trek figurines, wheresgeorge$, glow sticks, magic 8 balls, squirt guns, deck of cards (in plastic containers), some dollar store stuff & either of the oval geo stickers or gc.com stickers that the site sells.

 

We've put all kinds of swag into caches from dollar bills to dollar store toys to McToys depending on what the kids want to swap. We always try to trade up or even. Usually when the kids dont tag along, we don't trade at all.

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I like to take TB's :rolleyes:

 

Unless my son is with and wants to take something out to trade I won't take anything other then a TB.

 

If I don't take anything I won't leave anything. Just sign the book and log it.

 

If it was a really good cache to hunt down and I or the others with me really enjoyed themself I will put some cold hard cash ($1-$5) in the cache.

 

A good hunt is worth something to me.

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One thing I have yet to see in a cache log is Took piece of crap left something really good. All I ever read is took something really good left piece of crap. This is my point. Everyone complains about crap in caches, as menial as this sounds I guess I am trying to start something by this thread. Leave great take good. Leave good take crap. I and many others who I have read your threads don't want to take crap and leave good. It is a never ending cycle. I started myself in my first two finds. Only I took nothing and left crap. Crap stinks literally and figurality speaking.
The term for "crap" is gumf. ie.. "I found a cache today and it was full of gumf. If your going to take something good dont leave gumf!"
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I agree with dampeoples, some of the junk I've seen traded is just that. I've traded in every traditional cache, and found too many micros, cuz I like tradin' cool stuff. Used to think people traded, now I know that some log and go! An mp3 player or a pouch for a gpsr, what a generous cacher!

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QUOTE (krn187 @ May 31 2004, 06:00 PM)

Ill add to this informal survey I started and ask this besides a million dollars and a bunch of other stupid stuff I can come up with what do you the person reading this want to find. Go ahead somebody say I really want a barbie doll arm.

 

Believe it or not, yes, the barbie arm is probably exactly what I'd take. I tend to trade for the weirdest thing in the container. My Wall of fame now holds among other things, a spent bullet casing, an elephant with two legs, the head of a stuffed turkey, a british red cross chiropodist badge, a bar of soap (Irish Spring if you're curious), a used fish stringer, a rather risque' coin ,and a stuffed flea.

 

Small radios and the such sound like great trade items. Don't forget though, the ultra cheap and ultra tacky are just as fine for those of us for whom the trade isn't the thing but the laugh we can get out of it.

 

Yes, I do expect some of the locals who read this are going to start peppering me with doll arms!

 

I tend to leave a wide variety of items including old coins, 70s and 80s baseball cards, and the like. For the turkey head, I left a $40 pair of binoculars, which the owner of the cache promptly took.

Edited by pater47
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Ill add to this informal survey I started and ask this besides a million dollars and a bunch of other stupid stuff I can come up with what do you the person reading this want to find. Go ahead somebody say I really want a barbie doll arm.

Well I see your point but I once found condums in a cache and rocks in another. This stuff I consider gumf.

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People always talk badly about the loose pocket change... I would never leave it... but my 3yr old and 20month old think they've hit the jackpot when they see a quarter in a cache.

 

I usually don't get to pick what we take out of a cache. The kids generally pick the goofiest piece of junk in the box. When I do get to pick, I enjoy finding geocaching related stuff, a compass, a flash light, something I can actually use while caching. I'd really like to find a GC.com patch or cap sometime.

 

What do you all think about these trade items?

 

Emergency Ponchos

Hand warmers

Small first aid kits

 

**edited for spelling**

Edited by GentleWhisper
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I don't look for anything in particular, except travel bugs :).

 

I look at what's in the cache and if something looks interesting to me I'll trade for it. Donna and I struggled trying to find something unique that we could trade. Originally we started out with red/white fishing bobbers (kind of lame, I know) but now I trade mini carabiners. I figure if nothing else someone may want one to hold their keys while out hunting.

 

The primary thing I really want to find when hunting for a cache is the cache :)

 

Zack

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We have a bullitin board where we put our finds up and gaze at them now and then. When we visited Maui we enjoyed finding a post card from Germany, an individalized magnet from Pensylvania, a Hawaii key chain, and a Canada pin. We tend to trade up too, and leave a couple of things in lean caches. TeamSK

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I'm fairly new at this geocaching craze (15 finds). But I usually take nothing and leave nothing (I like the hunt).

 

However, recently I saw my first "wheresgeorge" $1 bill in a cache so I took that and left a different $1 bill. A few times now I have taken $1 bills and placed them in zip lock snack baggies with a lable saying that this bill has been recorded at "wheregeorge.com" and then leave these bills in various caches, taking nothing in return. Hopefully, down the road, I can see where all these dollars are traveling to.

 

LazyCat

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The only problem with leaving the WheresGeorge.com dollars in caches, is that it defeats the purpose of that site, because its purpose is to track the natural travel of money through transactional exchanges. They have a whole page there about it.

:D

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I'm totally new to geocaching. I'm looking forward to finding caches and doing trades. I always attend the outdoor retailer conventions and have tons of trinkets that I have collected. I am going to use these as trade items since they are kinda hard to come by I think. This is going to be my key to getting rid of some of the MANY trinkets I have from outdoor manufacturers. What would I like to find? Don't know. Don't have any experience finding a cache quite yet. I would want to rade for something I could actually use once or twice and then re-trade.

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The only problem with leaving the WheresGeorge.com dollars in caches, is that it defeats the purpose of that site, because its purpose is to track the natural travel of money through transactional exchanges. They have a whole page there about it.

;)

the thing about leaving a george$ is that if you leave one in trade for something, it could be natural movement. it is especially natural movement if at some point not too many people down the road, somebody trades it in for snack food. that's what i do.

 

"hmmm", i says to myself, "snacks onna way out. bonus."

 

now if i could get you folks to leave WG$20's we'd be alllll set.

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the thing about leaving a george$ is that if you leave one in trade for something, it could be natural movement.

 

Too bad the WheresGeorge.com people don't agree. Myself, I have decided to respect their wishes, as it is them who put the effort in.

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In the swag bag now - from cheap to better.

  • Mint Lewis & Clark nickles. Mostly because most people I've met don't even know the nickles have a whole new back.
  • Pack of 3 baby screwdrivers
  • Tiny 3D animal puzzles
  • Misc foriegn coins and chinese good luck coin like trinkets.
  • one small puzzle. This is kind of like the old horseshoe puzzles. I really like them but no one else seems to so this probably won't be replaced.
  • Scheels all sports ferris wheel tokens (good for a ride on the indoor ferris wheel
  • Euro coins.
  • Inactived travel bugs still in the package

So, lots of junk and one decent item. Everything except the foriegn coins are new though.

 

I've found some better swag in stores (such as a really nice small toolkit for $5 and some nice bike multi-tools [no knife blade]), but I'm saving that for the next cache I place. Note that all the swag I'm carrying is small and light. Too many decon containers and overstuffed ammo boxes have led me to look for small items to take with me.

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In the swag bag now - from cheap to better.

  •  
  • Mint Lewis & Clark nickles. Mostly because most people I've met don't even know the nickles have a whole new back.
     
  • Pack of 3 baby screwdrivers
     
  • Tiny 3D animal puzzles
     
  • Misc foriegn coins and chinese good luck coin like trinkets.
     
  • one small puzzle. This is kind of like the old horseshoe puzzles. I really like them but no one else seems to so this probably won't be replaced.
     
  • Scheels all sports ferris wheel tokens (good for a ride on the indoor ferris wheel
     
  • Euro coins.
     
  • Inactived travel bugs still in the package
     

So, lots of junk and one decent item. Everything except the foriegn coins are new though.

 

I've found some better swag in stores (such as a really nice small toolkit for $5 and some nice bike multi-tools [no knife blade]), but I'm saving that for the next cache I place. Note that all the swag I'm carrying is small and light. Too many decon containers and overstuffed ammo boxes have led me to look for small items to take with me.

Hey sweetie, be sure to check the Nobbies bag in the dining room for additional swag. My current inventory (help yourself to the anything) includes:

 

animal sippy cups

paper fans

smilie face flashlight keychains

mini Rubik's cube keychains

laquered chopsticks

small craft kits

small beach balls

jax&ball sets

single serve Coppertone sunscreen packets

McD's bucks

 

I noticed that my swag bag is sort of geared towards kid caches, so I think I'll try to pick up some more adult themed goodies next week. (Hey! Not from Dr. John's- that's NOT what I meant..ha ha!)

 

Raggedy Mandy (the former Prairie Rose)

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I hope to find something that my 4-year-old daughter thinks is cool. This keeps her in the game.

 

I used to leave a lot of chem lights. Then I ran out of those.

 

Mini-caribiners were my next trade item.

 

I did just see a place that had a good deal on some old buffalo nickels. Think I might pick up 20 or so to leave for trade items. Those would be cool, huh?

 

Otherwise I just keep an eye out for useful things that don't cost a bunch: tape measures, flashlights, camping items. Did you know Walmart has $5 wristwatches?

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My goal is to find a great location I've never explored before, or a new adventure in a place where I have been before but never went there to geocache. I used to feel like I should take something, after all, someone went to the trouble of picking out something to leave. My favorite item so far is a small jade fish. It's pretty, and it's in my fountain at home so I look at it daily and it reminds me when I'm slacking off on caching ! But mostly I just leave something. Travel bugs go with me if I'm lucky enough to find them !

 

Small stuffed animals ( horses )

Glow sticks ( for night caches)

geocaching patches, lanyards, keychains, etc

water balloon grenades and hose attachments to fill them

Silver jewlery, small pieces, rings, charms

Dog balls

keychain combos

biners, rarely

Interesting book marks

Funny refridge magnets

pot holders

baseballs

whistles

fun keychains

I never do mctoys, but they had these little pound puppies for a while, and I could't resist...so cute. I put those in my new cache though, I wouldn't leave them in someone elses because of the stigma !

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