Diminishing Quality Of Contents

[+Hoppingcrow]

Reading sdveirs' post about cache items being largely for kids makes me wonder: Why, when we are supposedly trading up, does the quality of swag seem to go down the longer a cache is in place?

[+Bjorn74]

It just happens. My solution to that is to start new caches with stuff totaling a value of about $3 unless it's a puzzle or hard to reach MOC. Then I'll add some DVDs and decent swag. Most adults I know only trade Sig Items, so they don't mind an absence of high quality swag. My caches rarely degrade over time. Usually they gain in swag value. And it's not that I'm cheap with stuff. I used to fill the caches too full to close them without taking something. I stocked up on Tupperware trinkets when I sold it a few years ago.

[+Miragee]

I guess it would be hard for some people to "trade up" depending on what they find in the cache.

 

I've only placed two caches, with swag inside them, so far, but I spent from $1.00, to $2.00, to $4.00 on some of the individual items in those caches.

 

If a finder was "trading up" and they found 15 caches in one day, all of which had "quality swag" in them, that would be a very expensive caching trip.

 

So, even though someone shouldn't trade at all if they can't trade up or even, I guess it is human nature to take the cool stuff and leave whatever they happen to have . . .

[+Yamahammer]

Although my numbers don't prove it, I like the hunt more than the trade. Just finding it is enough for me. I sign 'tnlnsl' and I'm outta there.

 

[+StarBrand]

Part of the problem is perception. One man's junk is another man's treasure and vice versa.

 

For example - I spend $5 and think itemA is cool so I leave it in a cache. Next guy comes along and thinks itemA is too common and somewhat worthless but maybe his kids will like it so he trades it out and leaves a 50 cent itemB. Not trying to trade down but in his mind was worth 50 cents or less. Next guy comes along and only finds 50 cent items so doesn't trade or leaves a quarter and it doesn't take long for junk to fill the box.

 

In addtion (Example 2), some people just take all the good stuff and leave a 25 cent squirt gun in its place.

 

Some of us just keep trying to trade up but too many don't. I always try to leave new items still in the package but I think perceptionis the bigger problem.

 

Just my thoughts....no imperical proof.....

[+Hoppingcrow]

I'll readily agree that the hunt is the game, but when I've read that so-and-so cache started out stocked with a $2 bill, a GI Joe figure, a polished geode, a box of crayons and a dog collar, and discover five broken McPlastics when I get to it, I figure something's gotta be wrong, y'know? I try to leave better than I find (sometimes several items) or else just sign the log and go.

[+sTeamTraen]

I've started quite often dropping nice-ish items without taking anything out; that way I reckon that the quantity and overall quality of goodies goes up.

 

As to why the contents go downhill, it's called "the economic imperative", or, for the more world-weary, just plain "entropy".

[+briansnat]

I'll readily agree that the hunt is the game, but when I've read that so-and-so cache started out stocked with a $2 bill, a GI Joe figure, a polished geode, a box of crayons and a dog collar, and discover five broken McPlastics when I get to it

 

Not that its a good example, but I just checked on a cache of mine. The idea was for the cache to have one and only one "very nice item". I started it out with a new Petzel head lamp and since then its contained a nice new Leatherman and some other cool great things including a Garmin Geko 201. I checked it today and it contained a used deck of cards that were freebies given away at a recent event .

Edited May 19, 2005 by briansnat

[+Siberian Cacher]

Not that its a good example, but  I just checked on a cache of mine.  The idea was for the cache to have one  and only one "very nice item". I started it out with a new Petzel head lamp and since then its contained a nice new Leatherman and some other cool  great things including a Garmin Geko 201.  I checked it today and it contained a used deck of cards that were freebies given away at a recent event  .

Did you (or even can you) post the cache with a certain dollar level? I don't know if that is allowable or not, but I wouldn't mind doing some $50.00 item caches or so. Of course, $50.00 would buy a lot of "McToys"

[+Geovius]

Simple question, ho do you define quality swag?

[+Miragee]

It is what you yourself would covet. Or what a child would covet . . .

 

I guess.

[+RLNuts]

I prefer snagging sig items (the infamous Cheeseheads here in Northern IL/ Southern WI, buttons, etc) and trade up when I do (we don't have a sig item of our own yet).

 

But it is a little disheartening when there's very little in the box and the pickings are slim for my four-year-old. But then again, he was pretty excited about the dinosaur he grabbed last weekend when there was like 3 or 4 tiny items in a cache we found.

 

But like others, I find "joy in the journey" rather than the cache box. Last weekend we explored a forest preserve that is about 10 minutes from the house and I had no idea how interesting it was beyond the parking lots.

[+Joypa]

I would guess that a lot of people who claim to trade up---don't. It is human nature to trade down and then rationalize it to yourself. Nobody wants to be thought of as one of "them".

[+briansnat]

Simple question, ho do you define quality swag?

I don't think the issue is so much as having quality swag, but more not having trash. As long as things are new and clean or gently used, I think nearly anything is suitable.

 

Its when you get to long expired Sanka coupons, metro cards with no rides left, dirty diaper covers, filthy work gloves with holes in the fingers and toy soldiers with teeth marks and missing heads (all stuff I've found), that some people get annoyed.

[+Team Cotati]

New Jersey............what a shock.

[+Hoppingcrow]

Mr. Snat hits the nail right smack on its little head again! That's precisely what I was gettting at. When I find junk -broken, defunct junk- I don't see how the person leaving it can walk away with a clean conscience, whether they exchanged an item or not.

[+briansnat]

New Jersey............what a shock.

Actually, I found those things in California. We have pretty well stocked caches in New Jersey.

Edited May 20, 2005 by briansnat

[+cudlecub]

As was said....one person's junk is another person's treasure. When I start out a cache if it's large enough I include my sig FTF prize which is a FTF sticker that many cachers proudly display on their vehicles around here. If it won't fit, I hand the stick off to the cacher at our monthly gatherings. It gives em an incentive to get to the meeting. Other items include various items from the dollar store and often items I've uncovered around the house that I no longer use. Many people are shocked that the dollar store items came from there. But it goes to the junk vs. treasure view.

[+DaveA]

As was said....one person's junk is another person's treasure. 

This is true, but I think most adults are going to regard kid items as junk.

 

One thing I have seen is that a person will put out a cache with just kid stuff in it. That cache is unlikely to attract adult swag.

 

The other thing I see is a cacher go find a cache with their 6 kids. All 6 of them take something from the cache and leave a kid item in it's place.

 

Yes, there is definitely junk/trash, but I think the sheer number of kids who get taken caching end up resulting in caches with contents only a kid would love.

[+briansnat]

As was said....one person's junk is another person's treasure

 

I think thats a cop out. Some of the stuff I've found is garbage, plain and simple. What's the treasure in a rusty key ring from Manny's Car Wash or a half used Chapstick?

[+brodiebunch]

I didn't know geocaching was about shopping?! I thought it was about the hunt.

 

Who cares whether the contents are crap as long as the contents are dry and safe.

 

You want quality items, go to Target, Wal-Mart of Neiman Marcus.

[+DoodleCat & MisterKrrk]

Since people don't expect to find good stuff in caches they often don't carry good trade items with them.

 

Also, people will take out a good trade item and put in a travel bug thinking that is a fair trade but other people think travel bug trading is separate from other trading. So for example someone will take a 4.00 gc.com patch and puts in a TB.

The next person takes out the TB and doesn't leave anything so the cache is now worth 4.00 less than when it started.

 

We stock our caches pretty well and sometimes restock them but don't get too anxious about what is in them. Best way to think of it and stay sane is to remember that if you put stuff in a box in the woods you can't be upset if someone takes it.

Edited May 20, 2005 by DoodleCat & MisterKrrk

[+briansnat]

Who cares whether the contents are crap as long as the contents are dry and safe

 

Kids do. If you saw the look on my young nephew's face when he opened a cache filled with garbage, you'd understand.

 

Also, a lot of noobs get into this expecting to find some neat things (see the OP).

[MagicMeeko]

I was over at the "Kids stuff in caches" thread. Most of what I want to say, I said over there. It did after all as the OP stated, inspired this one.

 

That being said;

 

I wanted to state this over in that thread, but did not.

 

I used to work at a game store (The Game Keeper) before Wizards of the Coast(Wotc) and later Hasbro acquired us. Hasbro closed all Game Keeper stores a few years back.

 

Given that we were owned by Wotc we had nice promotional items. Pokemon was at its peak then, and Wotc (At that time) made pokemon cards, and still makes the original Collectible Card Game "Magic:The Gathering" (MTG).

 

The plan Wotc had was to include 10 card sampler packs of MTG into each bag of product sold. The idea was to get the children who bought the pokemon cards to get interested in MTG (A game that is 12 years young) and buy those cards as well.

 

The store had to close before most of the promotional items (the sampler packs of MTG, and "rare" pokemon cards that we had) were sent out. My boss told me that they would have to be thrown away. At the time (Holiday 2000) I had no real reason as to why I wanted the promo items, other than I actually played the games, and could make use of the cards. ((You need certain card type more than others, and I could never find those certain cards -- each sampler pack had 5 cards of this type))

 

So to me, basically the packs of cards are useless, as I have tons. The cards are playable, in mint condition, and in original packaging. They can be traded like baseball cards, and each pack has a total value of $1.00 (the other promotional items I have go for a little bit more per unit)

 

So, I drop a couple of promotional items and some of the sampler packs off in the non micro-caches I find. ((Each pack having exactly the same cards as any other sampler pack)) I figure that given what I provided, I at least trade even, if not up.

 

Case in point: if you have a lot of something that other people (Magazines/Price Guides) have a stated value for trade those items. The marginal utility the finders have will be greater than the marginal utility you will have on those items.

 

And, if your real lucky, you might end up using those items as a psuedo signature item.

 

MagicMeeko

[+Birdsong-n-Bud]

What's the treasure in a rusty key ring from Manny's Car Wash or a half used Chapstick?

 

My worst find was an old, disgusting used tube of mascara. I was wishing for a tissue to pick it up with. We threw it away, and replaced it with several dollars worth of good stuff.

 

We always try to "leave the box better than we found it." We almost always leave a signature item, a toy, and for the adults (or kids) we throw in a few world coins. Oriental Trading Post has become my best source of trinkets.

 

That said....as a mom, my biggest concern is that my 8 year-old son will continue to be excited at what he finds at the end. So, BRING ON THE McTOYS! I could care less what's in the box, as long as he likes it. Without him, I can't cache. All I care about is the walk with him and the time we spend, and adding as much as we can to the hobby by the time we leave. The walks have been great, he's been excited, and I've yet to keep a trinket for myself. For myself, as said above....I go shopping!