[Az-Geocaching] Cache contents Rant

[RopingThe Wind]

>From: "Steven Stringham" <sstringh@stringham-family.org>
>Reply-To: listserv@azgeocaching.com
>To: listserv@azgeocaching.com
>Subject: [Az-Geocaching] Cache contents Rant
>Date: Tue, 8 Jul 2003 06:52:00 -0700 (MST)
>
>I love the trading aspect of this game.
>
>I am really curious as to what others see as valid things to "trade" in a
>cache. While not all the things I put in a cache are really useful, at
>least they are not (in my humble opionion) pure junk.
>
>A marble in a micro,  for example is fine. I also like to see personalized
>cards. Dollar stores are my friend.
>
>My kids have taken to collecting some of the items found in caches (my
>oldest daughter has started a keychain collection - and has found some
>interesting ones!)  And, I try to make sure that I don't trade down. Some
>stuff is just cool (the navy lanyards from Team AZCOWilliams). I love
>these kind of trademark items. Or the Team sanddollar's token.  Other
>stuff is great too. I have taken some items from caches and turned them
>into travel bugs. I love it.
>
>But, I have seen some really junky stuff in some caches. What the heck are
>some people thinking when they put a used movie ticket or a used gift card
>in a cache?  Or broken parts of some old electronics?  This is what I have
>found in caches recently. I really don't get it. Do they really think that
>somebody will want a used movie ticket to some third rate movie from
>months ago? I have seen logs of others that say they have "cleaned out a
>cache" and replenished it, because the contents were so under par. I
>should have done this on these, but I was low on cache stuff. So, I ended
>up TN/LN/SL.
>
>Are others surprised by these kind of items as well? Should I have at
>least cleaned out the junk, so that the next person didn't have to?
>
>StringCachers
>Steven Stringham
>


It doesnt matter to me what I find in a cache. I simply geocache for the 
cache itself.... the hike (if there is one and that is the way I prefer it), 
the search and the find. I do trade items whenever I can as that is really 
part of the game too (take something, leave something and sign the logbook). 
So, I try to trade when I can.

I dont care what the contents of a cache are. I simply take something and 
leave something that I had found in another cache. Everything I leave in a 
cache is something I found in another cache. That is just simply how I 
started when I began geocaching and just kinda the way it has continued. I 
have found some nick-nacs here and there (maybe around the house) that have 
become useful trading items as well. So, if you ever read a log of mine that 
says I left some kind of junk, it is just junk that I took from another 
cache! :)  Of course, on a rare occasion, I see a well stocked cache and I 
usually have one or two nice things in my trading stash to trade with. But, 
if not.. I will TN/LN.

I started my cache with all new items. These were items that I pretty much 
got out of pilot packs (balloon competitions that I participate in). The 
pilot packs always contain nice stuff from sponsors and such. So, most of 
the stuff in my cache was from these packs I get when I attend balloon 
races. There is usually nice stuff in the packs, but yet stuff that would 
just end up laying around the house. But, yet would be useful to someone 
else. I once got a GPS in a pilot pack (two years in a row!!!). They were 
cheapie Magellan GPS 300's. But, that is still a very nice gift IMHO!!!

I also like the geocache team items. I have Sand Dollar's little wooden 
nickels, a keychain from Team My Blue Heaven and a couple others. I have 
been wanting to make something like this for Team RTW. But, havent really 
looked into it yet. I have found some really cool promo items that I can put 
my team name on though. I was using old brochures, but I guess a few thought 
this was commercial crap and it had no place in a geocache; although that 
wasnt my intent. Hey, I had a few thousand of those old ones laying around 
and had to do something with them!!!  hehe :)

Scott
Team Ropingthewind

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