Couple Newbie Questions

[CamoCachers]

just a couple quick questions.

 

first, is it improper to email an owner of a cache and ask for a better hint if youve looked a time or two with no luck?

 

and a question regarding sig items. is it improper to remove a sig item from a cache?

 

i guess ill explain in detail what i mean by that cause at first glance i think most people will say its fine to trade sig items. but ive seen to have noticed people leave 2 kinds of sig items. some leave just the same trade type items at all caches. and it gets kinda known as their sig item because they always leave it. but it seems some leave an item for the purpose of marking their visit to the cache, and as well as that item, theyd leave their normal trade items.

 

thats the kind of sig items im referring to. and the reason i ask is this past weekend while caching we come across a few caches with geode hunters sig item in them. which is a small stone with a discription of its properties in a small baggie. my girlfriend liked them and traded them out. i was kinda hesitant, thinking maybe some people wouldnt like their sig items to be taken? or maybe i think too much

[+tirediron]

If you have made a very thorough effort to find the 'cache with no luck, you can email the 'cache owner. Whether he responds, or gives you a hint is up to him/her. Some owners are very paticular about that sort of thing. Have you logged a DNF(s) on it?

 

As for the sig items, my personal take is that sig items that are meant to mark the 'cachers visit belong to the 'cache. I don't trade for them, but that's just me...

[CamoCachers]

thanks for the reply.

 

as for the first question, im not referring to any specific one. i was just curious in case we happen to come across one we cant find in a few times out. so far weve only had a few dnfs, and all that weve tried to find a second time, so far weve found on the second time. /knocksonwood

 

your answer on the second question is kinda how i see it. i was hesitant to let her trade them out. but we all know how women are, if they want something, their gonna get it. so i just shut up. hope no one gets mad.

[+PeachyPA]

There was one geocache that was only 14 miles from me that I visited four times with DNFs each time before I e-mailed the owner. His clue didn't help as I had figured it to be in that general area anyway. I just had to sit and figure where it might be that I hadn't looked before, and there it was.

 

As to trading signature items, I do.

[gridlox]

I haven't OFFICIALLY placed any hides as of yet, but I do have at least 4 ready to be put in play in the next few weeks. (Just verifying the co-ords before submitting )

 

I don't know about others, but I personally have placed a couple of my sig items in my caches to be traded for, plus one goes to the FTF, whether they trade or not (if they want it).

 

My view on the sig items is, if the sig item is from the cache hider then it is there to be traded.

I normally check the cache's page before I go out on my hunts.

If someone has logged that they have left a sig item in the past few days, I make a mental note of it and will leave those, just in case the cache hider wants them.

But if the sig item hasn't been retrieved by the cache owner within a week then it is fair game for all.

 

This is what I feel I am doing, when I leave one of my sig items in someone elses cache.

I am offering it to the cache owner as a "Thanks For The Hide" gift and list it as left in the cache when I log my find. If they want my sig item then they can go and retrieve it. But, if they don't, then any other cacher is welcome to them.

 

D-man

[geode hunter]

Cool! we are getting famous. We feel the items we leave are fair game to trade and get pretty excited when others think they are worth trading for. Otherwise an ammo box would eventually contain nothing but signature items and have to be cleaned out.

 

Thanks for the interest

[+Lunaverse]

I want people to take my sig items. I make them for who ever likes them. Some people collect sigs, so I think it's fair to expect a sig to be taken by a finder.

 

I've noticed on some puzzle caches, that the owner indicates you can email them if you're really stumped.

 

Luna

[CamoCachers]

talk about coming back from the dead

 

geode hunter, im glad you dont mind. ive read some who do though so i figured id ask this back when she took her first geode hunter sig item. since i think shes gathered 3 or 4 diff ones since.

 

weve since started leaving sig items. we also intend for our sig items to be traded out. but back when i posted this we were pretty new and dint know much. just didnt wanna step on toes

[+captnemo]

Sure go ahead and email the cache owners, I have done it a few times and had it done to me a couple of times. I got and gave help.

 

I have one multi cache that the first three or so people couldn't find, so after checking the cache I sent them extra clues as requested. Funny thing is that a another cacher found it with out any help, and none of those who got help went back and found it.

 

As far as Sig. items, if you have a special item for a special person or purpose best to ID it as so when you leave it or it's far game IMHO.

[+Thot]

Mine are so easy few people email me for help but some do, and if it's not a puzzle cache I am always willing to give hints.

[+Miragee]

I had six DNFs last Sunday on caches placed by people who don't include hints on their caches (or rarely include them).

 

After I posted all my DNFs, I emailed the cache owner.

 

It turned out the cache container was something I had never seen before so I did not know how they were hidden.

 

They were NOT under "artificial piles of rocks" and the areas where they were hidden just had too many hiding spots.

 

I wrote about that disapponting day in my blog. . .

 

The cache owner wrote back with hints and now I think I can narrow my search and actually find those caches when I return.

[+JavaDuck]

In my area, a few people collect signature items. I have a small collection on my desk myself. I leave small plastic green ducks with "JavaDuck was here!" written on the bottom. I have no problem with another cacher grabbing one of my ducks without trading. People in my area that want a signature item to remain in the cache just leave a note with the item stating their request.

[gridlox]

This is what I feel I am doing, when I leave one of my sig items in someone elses cache.

I am offering it to the cache owner as a "Thanks For The Hide" gift and list it as left in the cache when I log my find. If they want my sig item then they can go and retrieve it. But, if they don't, then any other cacher is welcome to them.

OK, now that I have hidden some caches, I can view this thought from the eyes of a cache owner.

 

I had someone place a "really nice" signature item in one of my caches.

(I had seen one when found by another cacher at a cache event)

 

I REALLY wanted it.

 

But first I email them and asked if it would be OK if I grabbed it.

 

They said it was my cache I could do what I wanted to, but that they'd prefer it be left for a future finder.

 

I email them back and told them that I would respect their wishes and leave it there, but I'd like a chance to find one on my own.

 

They told me where they had recently placed some more and now I'm off sometime in the next few days to seek them out.

 

Hopefully since it's during the week, I will have a better chance of nabbing one!

 

Wish me luck!!

 

D-man

[+Ladycacher]

I'm kinda both ways on the sig item, as I have my own I leave. I would prefer my item goes to the owner of the cache, since they put it togather. But, if I have done three of their caches, then why shouldn't my item be traded? My sig item is a wooden nickel and would be great for someones collection.

[+StarBrand]

I agree - as an owner of 50 + hides, I really don't need 50 of your signiture items. So I encourage everybody to trade with them. I leave a sig pencil - leave it, take it - I don't care. Most visitirs to this area will hit 5 or more of my caches and I just don't need to collect all of those. Just my thoughts.