Cheap Toy Cars

January 16, 2005

I was not gone say anything but this has been bothering Me for a while now.

I received an e-mail from the owner of a cache I logged and this person

told me that I was cheap and had no clue about the spirit of Geocaching.

And that leaving the same worthless toy car all the time is plain tasteless.

I am not gone to mention the cache or who because that is irrelevant and

i do not need to start anything there. But this was a regular cache with no take - leave

theme.

Now 95% of the time I take nothing and leave a race car and if I do take some thing I

leave something else or a few of these offending cars.

Now my question is this wrong ? I cannot afford to leave Rolex's and besides the toy

cars fit just great in my pockets. I just don't want to PO others because of my

ignorance.

2.7k · January 16, 2005

I think toy cars make wonderful cache items. They are (obviously) kid-friendly and (assuming they are new or at least in like-new condx) are easily worth as much as the typical cache junk you will commonly find.

A genuine Matchbox car sells for a buck. That is a fair price for a cache goody.

Rich people (or people who don't cache a lot) can leave ten-dollar or twenty-dollar items in caches if they want, but they shouldn't be ridiculing those who cannot afford to buy expensive items or just don't care to give away that kind of money to other cachers (or muggles).

Trade relatively even. Use common sense. And don't let people get under your skin about being cheap. (Unless perhaps you DID trade one of your "worthless race cars" for a Rolex!) :blink:

I would bet the person who complained would probably complain if you took nothing and left a "worthless race car". Maybe if you find any more of that person's caches you should just TNLNSL.

Keep on caching and don't let it get to you.

January 16, 2005

Toy cars, golf balls, coins, McToys, erasers, stickers . . .

The list goes on of items that many people find obnoxiously common and others, especially kids, find absolutely delightful. Cache conscientiously, trade fairly to the best of your conscience, and log your visits with care and appreciation. Those of us that don't share your taste can just deal with it. Those that share your taste will be delighted. I would would never have the gall to tell off another cacher to trading conscientiously, but against my taste.

1.3k · January 16, 2005

I received an e-mail from the owner of a cache I logged and this person told me that I was cheap and had no clue about the spirit of Geocaching.

And that leaving the same worthless toy car all the time is plain tasteless.

From the sounds of it - this person has NO clue what the true spirit is himself. Many people can't or don't trade. I don't trade anything. If you're leaving an item when you're not even taking anything (most of the time) why is this a problem.

Ignore this person. You've done nothing wrong.

Sending emails telling people that they're tasteless is... well... tasteless.

southdeltan

3.5k · January 16, 2005

You sign logs...leave nice online logs...leave something that says you were there...sometimes take something and give back when you do.

Sounds to me like you've got it down.

Bret

2k · January 16, 2005

You've done nothing wrong. Keep having fun..

January 16, 2005

As long as what you leave isn't trash or junk, i.e., wheels missing, parts broken, then I see nothing wrong with what you leave. Just shrug it off and keep on 'caching.

Hank

January 16, 2005

Hi Waldo. No one seems to want to touch this one so I'll give you my take on things. If you do a little searching, and I won't markwell you here, you'll find a multitude of threads debating the whole trading aspect of caching. In the most part it seems that virtually every cache out there seems to eventually get "traded down" to nothing/ junk/ brokin toys and such.

I hardly ever trade when I'm alone. My kids are the ones in it for the excitment of seeing whats inside. The items I leave behind are usually with a child in mind. I carry a variety of things in the $1 to $3 range I pick up at the dollar stores and places like that. I get some great items from Liquidation World from time to time

I try and follow a well versed phrase of TRADE UP, TRADE EVEN OR DON'T TRADE AT ALL.

Outside of the home made sig items that some people use as trade items I can only suggest that you trade" monetarily" equal. You know what you've paid for the cars,select things from the cache that seem to fall within the same range.

There are a few cachers in my neck of the woods that I detest for what they take and leave behind in my caches and others but I've never said anything to them.

I don't know but my guess is you might of caught the person in question on a bad day . Maybe he had to log a DNF or something. :blink:

(while typing this up I see there have been several replies but I'm not going to edit this whole darn thing)

2k · January 16, 2005

I think someone telling you that you are cheap is very rude. Keep trading and have fun. Don't let the fools bring you down!

1.3k · January 16, 2005

Well if toy cars are a problem with the person they can stay the heck away from one that is soon to be placed in our area!!

We are specifically aiming to make it a very kid friendly trading cache!

Gonna fill it with Hot Wheels/Matchbox cars for the boys & plastic princess tiaras & jewelry for the girls.

(I say that, but my daughter would just as soon have a car on some days :blink: She's a die hard Jr. 8 fan, and jumps at anything NASCAR related. Especially if it has an 8 on it!! )

It's a large ammo case that has been cammo'ed very well, but we want to place it in or near a park where the chance for Muggling will be minimal but at the same time have it easily accessible for even a child to get to (with help from Mom & Dad).

The logistics of the final spot are being investigated as we speak!! :lol:

Hopefully we'll have it placed by the end of the month.

D-man :lol:

24.7k · January 16, 2005

Hmmm...

I would actually trade for Toy Hummers, Avalanches, Unimogs, and Blazers.

In the end if you are leaving behind 88 cent hotwheels, or 100 for a dollar Oriental Trading Company swag and taking nothing you are elevating the game.

I actually would not trade for the Rolex.

January 16, 2005

As other posters have said "someones bad cache item is anothers treasure". I cache with my 2 kids ( 7 & 5 ). The 7 year old's last pick was a used golf ball. These have whole threads stating how bad of a trade item they are - yet she was very happy to find it. She can't wait until spring so she can hit her golf ball around the yard.

If you are caching and TN/L toy car then you are better than all of the TN/LN cachers.

Edited January 16, 2005 by mattt

4.1k · January 16, 2005

I was not gone say anything but this has been bothering Me for a while now.

I received an e-mail from the owner of a cache I logged and this person

told me that I was cheap and had no clue about the spirit of Geocaching.

And that leaving the same worthless toy car all the time is plain tasteless.

I am not gone to mention the cache or who because that is irrelevant and

i do not need to start anything there. But this was a regular cache with no take - leave

theme.

Now 95% of the time I take nothing and leave a race car and if I do take some thing I

leave something else or a few of these offending cars.

Now my question is this wrong ? I cannot afford to leave Rolex's and besides the toy

cars fit just great in my pockets. I just don't want to PO others because of my

ignorance.

Listen up...you can go back to said cache & move it about 10 feet or so & hide it really good. Then post a DNF. :blink:

Then go sit where you can watch the cache... :lol:

O.K. .... Just joking.

Just let it go & do not let it get to you... That is just how some people are.

Go out & have fun. You are welcome to find our caches anytime!

Shirley & John~

3.8k · January 16, 2005

As long as what you leave isn't trash or junk, i.e., wheels missing, parts broken, then I see nothing wrong with what you leave. Just shrug it off and keep on 'caching.

Ditto. Just ignore it.

January 16, 2005

I'm new to caching too. 16 finds in 2 weeks. I really never take anything. maybe signature items. The only time i take anything else is if my kids are with me. they love the "treasure" they find in the caches. my son took what ended up being a ear form a broken bunny statue. The kids love the "junk" or the "cheap stuff" i also leave matchbox cars cause i know some kid will be thrilled.

keep on keepen on.

Happy caching!!!!

steve

Edited January 16, 2005 by st3roadking

January 16, 2005

When you place a cache and fill it up with swag, it's with the understanding that you'll probably never see the stuff again. If a cache placer wants "quality" trades, they should go to a pawn shop, not put their treasures in the woods. To single out people who make the effort to visit your cache and ridicule them about their trades is stupid and wrong. It's too bad we can't vote such people off the island...they really don't belong in the game. :blink:

Edited January 16, 2005 by [MTB]_Intrepid

22k · January 16, 2005

I wouldn’t ignore the cacher, just the perceived offense.

Start a dialog with them I say.

Something like: Thanks for the note, I’m sorry you feel this way, but I enjoy leaving cars. It’s kind of my signature item and I do know that kids enjoying finding them.

I am curious what do you normally like to leave for trade. Do you have a signature item yet ? Are you planning on making the next event, etc, etc

Who knows, it may help cut down on the angst that cacher is generating.

January 16, 2005

Throwing a fit about what someone chooses to leave in trade seems pretty silly and childish to me! I would think the kids I go caching with would like those little cars very much. Sorry someone was so rude to you

38.2k · January 16, 2005

I received an e-mail from the owner of a cache I logged and this person
told me that I was cheap and had no clue about the spirit of Geocaching.

And that leaving the same worthless toy car all the time is plain tasteless.

Actually e-mailing someone to complain about the quality of the items they leave in a cache is just plain tasteless and shows they have no clue about the spirit of geocaching.

3.9k · January 16, 2005

How about that dude who placed 5001 identical little yellow jeeps ? What a loser :blink:

22k · January 16, 2005

How about that dude who placed 5001 identical little yellow jeeps ? What a loser

:blink:

January 16, 2005

find all of his caches and then take out the logbook and leave a little car. then go onto GC.com and write that you took someting left something and if he insults you that you will bring the sky crashing down on his head

2.7k · January 16, 2005

Um, I don't think that is such a hot idea camo... :lol: Just because someone has done something you don't like, don't ruin the cache for other future finders. (If I read your post correctly, anyway).

Waldo, I buy dollar store items to leave in caches. Granted, they are new items, but they still cost me a -whole stinking dollar-. I usually trade for small things that amuse me, or nothing at all. I -like- polished stones that people leave, yet other people complain about. What people have said here is dead-on. One cachers trash is another cachers treasure!

It sounds like you are leaving little matchbox cars for people to take if they want, and taking nothing for yourself in return. I can't find anything to criticize in that.

Keep caching and leaving those cool little cars Waldo! Enjoy yourself, and know that someday somewhere some little tyke is gonna pop the lid of a cache you've hit and squeal with joy at your car!

Incidentally, Waldo, one of these days I will find you! You can't hide from me forever, no matter how many books you put out! :blink:

January 16, 2005

Um, I don't think that is such a hot idea camo... Just because someone has done something you don't like, don't ruin the cache for other future finders. (If I read your post correctly, anyway).

I was joking.

I guess you could email them the url for this forum tread and ask for an apology

January 16, 2005

Hmmm, Toy Cars .... my brother a few years ago sold his small box of old Hot Wheels. He made over $500 from those cheap cars, none of which were newer than 10 years old.

January 18, 2005

Thanks I already knew the answer I just needed it reaffirmed.

I was just a little shocked by the e-mail because everyone that I have met and

conversed with since I started Geocaching has been awesome and just down right

cool.

Thanks again

5.3k · January 18, 2005

I almost always do a trade, from time to time we just leave one of our Signiture buttons and take nothing, While we recently started collecting Sig items from other cachers, we also collect small animal figures, key chains, and cars.

I would send the guy an e-mail, but that is just me.

January 18, 2005

I have never been on a hunt where I didn't bring my kids and they love toys like that. Me and mine are in it for the hunt not the Booty.

January 18, 2005

Carry on leaving toy cars :huh: . My son always goes for them whenever we find one. We also try to leave toy cars in caches we find. I feel the goodies are mainly for the kids and for me anyway, the whole idea of geocaching is to get out in the countryside, see something you otherwise wouldn't, and create a point to going for a walk.

Although we haven't been caching too long, or have been too far from home, every cache attempted so far has taken us to somewhere where we almost certainly wouldn't have otherwise gone and have seen something we otherwise wouldn't.

January 18, 2005

I took my nephews (ages 3 & 6) to their first cache after Christmas and made it a pretty big deal for them to pick out a small toy to exchange. When we got to the cache they were thrilled to take some stickers while, in my opinion, left much better than they took. But here’s the deal, they loved every minute of the hunt and sorting through the swag in the box. They thought they got the better end of the tade. It wasn’t about the value of the swag for them. I very rarely take anything and try to leave something in every cache I visit, but to see the whole trading thing through the eyes of a child has changed how I view swag. If you have placed a cache to see what people leave then I feel you have lost site of what it is all about. Don’t let some rude cacher make you feel bad if you did what you thought was best. The fact that you posted here and were worried about this shows that your heart is in the right place. :huh:

January 19, 2005

Well said....er....typed Slapshot. :huh:

January 19, 2005

Their comment says more about them than you.

Many folks cache with their kids, I did with my in-laws kids once and they were very happy about the caches contents. Toys, toy cars, McToys are cool though I know many cachers disapprove.

Most of the stuff I trade is stuff I have found in other caches. Lately I have been hoarding odds and ends that may be cool to trade.

Caching is about having fun, if you want to shop-go to Target or Wal-Mart.

January 19, 2005

The way I see it, I am not into this for "stuff". While I am new to the hobby, I am having a great time. But getting out with a purpose and a place to go is my adventure.

And like others said the "stuff" is more for the kids. And kids love toy cars. My son just grabbed a beat up old motorcycle that looks like it has had years of play from a cache. But he loves it! It is sitting on his nightstand right now.

What is trash in one man's eyes is glorious treasure in a child's.

So keep 'em coming!

January 19, 2005

I think BlueDeuce has made a wonderful suggestion. Great way to difuse the situation!

Cheap Toy Cars

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