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Bad Trading Items


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As a CO, has anybody ever experience having a bad trading item? Once, there was money in one of my caches. I guess someone really wanted it, so they traded it for a leaf. (even worse, the leaf was from a plant like 1 foot from the cache <_< ). We need rules like that. Having a connection to that story, I think I read a post on the Help Center, that said that 'nature' shouldn't be trading items. For example, a leaf. <_< Doesn't it really bug you?

Any stories? Comments? Opinions? Ideas of other bad trading items excluding food, smelly items, or something that is dangerous?

Edited by curlingfan11
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It's already a rule to trade even or up. The problem is that humans are human - some are selfish, some are inconsiderate, some are thieves. Unless there's an armed guard at the cache site watching the trades, how does the CO enforce it?

 

I love the Found It logs that mention that the CO should come out and refill a cache with swag, because it's running low. Ummm, it's not a prize box; it's for exchange. :rolleyes:

 

As to bad swag: I've thrown dog biscuits out of caches, removed what I assume is vape fluid (I guess? It was like cough syrup but said it contained nicotine) and cigarette lighters from caches, etc. All these things are listed as not allowed in the rules, but who reads and follows rules anymore?

 

*Edited for really bad composition*

Edited by TriciaG
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my kids and I visited our cache today for the first time in 3 years. they were very disappointed, all that was in there was a dental appointment card, and a sticker. we filled it with kid friendly stuff, as we try to do when I find other caches filled with junk. people suck.

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It's already a rule to trade even or up. The problem is that humans are human - some are selfish, some are inconsiderate, some are thieves. Unless there's an armed guard at the cache site watching the trades, how does the CO enforce it?

 

I love the Found It logs that mention that the CO should come out and refill a cache with swag, because it's running low. Ummm, it's not a prize box; it's for exchange. :rolleyes:

 

As to bad swag: I've thrown dog biscuits out of caches, removed what I assume is vape fluid (I guess? It was like cough syrup but said it contained nicotine) and cigarette lighters from caches, etc. All these things are listed as not allowed in the rules, but who reads and follows rules anymore?

 

*Edited for really bad composition*

 

Agreed.

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my kids and I visited our cache today for the first time in 3 years. they were very disappointed, all that was in there was a dental appointment card, and a sticker. we filled it with kid friendly stuff, as we try to do when I find other caches filled with junk. people suck.

Yeah, can't remember when trade got replaced with take.

Like yours, we get hit with an equal amount of pms, so can't just be another thing to blame on the newbs.

The only caches that seem to retain swag is our couple "5s", but it appears those folks rarely trade anyway...

Weird, huh ?

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It's already a rule to trade even or up. The problem is that humans are human - some are selfish, some are inconsiderate, some are thieves. Unless there's an armed guard at the cache site watching the trades, how does the CO enforce it?

 

I love the Found It logs that mention that the CO should come out and refill a cache with swag, because it's running low. Ummm, it's not a prize box; it's for exchange. :rolleyes:

 

As to bad swag: I've thrown dog biscuits out of caches, removed what I assume is vape fluid (I guess? It was like cough syrup but said it contained nicotine) and cigarette lighters from caches, etc. All these things are listed as not allowed in the rules, but who reads and follows rules anymore?

 

*Edited for really bad composition*

YES YES YES we need armed guards

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It's already a rule to trade even or up. The problem is that humans are human - some are selfish, some are inconsiderate, some are thieves. Unless there's an armed guard at the cache site watching the trades, how does the CO enforce it?

 

I love the Found It logs that mention that the CO should come out and refill a cache with swag, because it's running low. Ummm, it's not a prize box; it's for exchange. :rolleyes:

 

As to bad swag: I've thrown dog biscuits out of caches, removed what I assume is vape fluid (I guess? It was like cough syrup but said it contained nicotine) and cigarette lighters from caches, etc. All these things are listed as not allowed in the rules, but who reads and follows rules anymore?

 

*Edited for really bad composition*

YES YES YES we need armed guards

 

My "favorite" items to find are empty gas station loyalty cards and expired coupons. Really?

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I've thrown dog biscuits out of caches...

I once found a big bag of about 50 dog biscuits that had been left by a cacher with only 9 finds. This was a cache in a semi-rural area with tons of forest around where bears are common. That was a really bad idea for swag.

 

I've found money in caches many times (albeit usually in small amounts, like a few small-denomination coins), and I consider that to be a bad idea. If muggles stumble upon a cache and find money in it, they could get the false impression that all caches are sources of cash.

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"I think I read a post on the Help Center, that said that 'nature' shouldn't be trading items."

 

I've seen, and left, nice seashells in caches away from the ocean. I think those are cool. Also some polished, shiny stones you can purchase at a gem/rock store. Those are great swag in my opinion.

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"I think I read a post on the Help Center, that said that 'nature' shouldn't be trading items."

 

I've seen, and left, nice seashells in caches away from the ocean. I think those are cool. Also some polished, shiny stones you can purchase at a gem/rock store. Those are great swag in my opinion.

 

That is acceptable, because those aren't thing like a mysterious shoved in poison Ivey in a bison tube

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All trade items are bad, an container that just holds a log is good.

 

I feel just the opposite. I don't bother looking for caches that only contain a log.

 

Dido...just a log is boring...

Especially when you have little ones along, they just don't see the point of a container with only a log, but even myself I like to see whats there and enjoy leaving fun toys in my caches for kids. I get really really tired of just a small container with a paper...sig items are especially cool.

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I remember tossing out a wet lolly once. However most caches in my area have a habit of accumulating water, so most people don't leave anything. I like to leave erasers, since they don't go bad and work even if left in an ammo box, where most things get mildewed after a time. I also replace old pens with golf pencils.

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I found a cache this week that had the word "cigarette" in it. (Fun fact: there are 15 active caches with the word "cigarette" in them.) Inside the cache I found...cigarette butts. Yuck. Sadly, I did not have anything in which to dispose of them. (Or maybe not sadly, since I had no interest in touching them.)

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I found a cache this week that had the word "cigarette" in it. (Fun fact: there are 15 active caches with the word "cigarette" in them.) Inside the cache I found...cigarette butts. Yuck. Sadly, I did not have anything in which to dispose of them. (Or maybe not sadly, since I had no interest in touching them.)

 

I would have tossed it in a waste container.

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I found a cache this week that had the word "cigarette" in it. (Fun fact: there are 15 active caches with the word "cigarette" in them.) Inside the cache I found...cigarette butts. Yuck. Sadly, I did not have anything in which to dispose of them. (Or maybe not sadly, since I had no interest in touching them.)

 

I would have tossed it in a waste container.

 

The whole cache?! :blink:

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I found a cache this week that had the word "cigarette" in it. (Fun fact: there are 15 active caches with the word "cigarette" in them.) Inside the cache I found...cigarette butts. Yuck. Sadly, I did not have anything in which to dispose of them. (Or maybe not sadly, since I had no interest in touching them.)

 

I would have tossed it in a waste container.

 

The whole cache?! :blink:

Maybe another NM, with a note to the Reviewer this time.

With a history of being wet, and no history of ever having an OM, those cig butts are gonna get that container gross in no time.

CO not active in a year, looks like visitors have kept it going. :)

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I found a cache this week that had the word "cigarette" in it. (Fun fact: there are 15 active caches with the word "cigarette" in them.) Inside the cache I found...cigarette butts. Yuck. Sadly, I did not have anything in which to dispose of them. (Or maybe not sadly, since I had no interest in touching them.)

 

I would have tossed it in a waste container.

 

The whole cache?! :blink:

 

Yes. The whole cache. I threw one away that had part of a pot joint in it and reeked like weed.

 

I would leave a "repair cache" in it's place and alert the CO. :anibad:

Edited by Manville Possum
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Last weekend I found a cache with a full-size deodorant stick, a tube of lip-balm and several other similar items.

 

CITO'd it all. I suppose people THOUGHT leaving that stuff was a thoughtful, good idea; it all looked new!

 

They DO, however fall under the category of 'smellies'; a term used in Scouting to denote the stuff we remove from our tents and hang up high in bear-bags when we're not in camp. Includes stuff like toothpaste, too.

 

Can you think of ANY situation where you'd take one of these items that you found in a box in the woods and apply them to sensitive, porous, gland-covered, mucous-membraned parts of your anatomy?

 

Nooooo, thank you.

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Last weekend I found a cache with a full-size deodorant stick, a tube of lip-balm and several other similar items.

 

CITO'd it all. I suppose people THOUGHT leaving that stuff was a thoughtful, good idea; it all looked new!

 

They DO, however fall under the category of 'smellies'; a term used in Scouting to denote the stuff we remove from our tents and hang up high in bear-bags when we're not in camp. Includes stuff like toothpaste, too.

 

Can you think of ANY situation where you'd take one of these items that you found in a box in the woods and apply them to sensitive, porous, gland-covered, mucous-membraned parts of your anatomy?

 

Nooooo, thank you.

 

Yeah, we CITO the soap, the candles, the candy, the lip balm, etc.

 

Over the summer we found a cache filled with soap (bars made to look like Popsicles). It had only been there for a week or two and it was already melting and the scent had transferred to everything else in the cache. That cache gets three or four visits a year at most so I'm glad we got to it before it had been there long, but the damage was already done, really.

 

This seems to be an issue caused by very casual cachers with small kids. It's difficult to reach them with communications about best practices.

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Last weekend I found a cache with a full-size deodorant stick, a tube of lip-balm and several other similar items.

 

CITO'd it all. I suppose people THOUGHT leaving that stuff was a thoughtful, good idea; it all looked new!

 

They DO, however fall under the category of 'smellies'; a term used in Scouting to denote the stuff we remove from our tents and hang up high in bear-bags when we're not in camp. Includes stuff like toothpaste, too.

 

Can you think of ANY situation where you'd take one of these items that you found in a box in the woods and apply them to sensitive, porous, gland-covered, mucous-membraned parts of your anatomy?

 

Nooooo, thank you.

 

Yeah, we CITO the soap, the candles, the candy, the lip balm, etc.

 

Over the summer we found a cache filled with soap (bars made to look like Popsicles). It had only been there for a week or two and it was already melting and the scent had transferred to everything else in the cache. That cache gets three or four visits a year at most so I'm glad we got to it before it had been there long, but the damage was already done, really.

 

This seems to be an issue caused by very casual cachers with small kids. It's difficult to reach them with communications about best practices.

 

I'm thinking in many cases not necessarily cachers with kids, but cachers with 'best intentions', albeit misdirected.

 

I'd bet most people would stop once you explained BEARS and woodchucks.

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Last weekend I found a cache with a full-size deodorant stick, a tube of lip-balm and several other similar items.

 

CITO'd it all. I suppose people THOUGHT leaving that stuff was a thoughtful, good idea; it all looked new!

 

They DO, however fall under the category of 'smellies'; a term used in Scouting to denote the stuff we remove from our tents and hang up high in bear-bags when we're not in camp. Includes stuff like toothpaste, too.

 

Can you think of ANY situation where you'd take one of these items that you found in a box in the woods and apply them to sensitive, porous, gland-covered, mucous-membraned parts of your anatomy?

 

Nooooo, thank you.

 

Yeah, we CITO the soap, the candles, the candy, the lip balm, etc.

 

Over the summer we found a cache filled with soap (bars made to look like Popsicles). It had only been there for a week or two and it was already melting and the scent had transferred to everything else in the cache. That cache gets three or four visits a year at most so I'm glad we got to it before it had been there long, but the damage was already done, really.

 

This seems to be an issue caused by very casual cachers with small kids. It's difficult to reach them with communications about best practices.

 

I'm thinking in many cases not necessarily cachers with kids, but cachers with 'best intentions', albeit misdirected.

 

I'd bet most people would stop once you explained BEARS and woodchucks.

 

I don't think it's cachers with kids. I think it is a specific segment, very occasional / casual cachers with small children.

 

They're low engagement cachers who rarely find caches and don't really pay attention to the game on an ongoing basis. Once in a while they seek out a traditional on a family excursion, and while they are enthusiastic about the swag aspect of the game because they have young children, they aren't aware of more nuanced guidelines for playing the game properly.

 

You can't explain the problem to this segment because they're low engagement, so communications don't reach them.

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Today I found one with a condom inside. I would have taken it and tossed it, but I probably would have forgotten about it, and ended up in a weird conversation with my wife when she found it.

 

Quick thinking! :ph34r:

 

There was actually a thread a year or two ago, where a cacher argued forcefully that this should be okay, it's part of life, and it's family friendly. :rolleyes:

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Today I found one with a condom inside. I would have taken it and tossed it, but I probably would have forgotten about it, and ended up in a weird conversation with my wife when she found it.

 

Quick thinking! :ph34r:

 

There was actually a thread a year or two ago, where a cacher argued forcefully that this should be okay, it's part of life, and it's family friendly. :rolleyes:

 

Well, the point's really kind of "anti"-family.

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I used to carry multi-coloured pens to geocache with, and left them in swag caches when I could

That doesn't sound like a bad trading item. But perhaps you didn't see that the title of this thread is "Bad Trading Items." :anibad:

Edited by hzoi
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Movie ticket stubs, soda can tabs, used hair bands, perishables are not good times in my opinion.

 

However, I like finding some items most would consider bad swag, such as golf balls, Coke product caps with My Coke Rewards codes, coupons to restaurants (how I discovered my favorite Indian food joint in town) and dice and marbles (two weird items I collect en masse.)

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Movie ticket stubs, soda can tabs, used hair bands, perishables are not good times in my opinion.

 

However, I like finding some items most would consider bad swag, such as golf balls, Coke product caps with My Coke Rewards codes, coupons to restaurants (how I discovered my favorite Indian food joint in town) and dice and marbles (two weird items I collect en masse.)

 

I used to collect dice too. Not sure why!

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I use to collect little plastic animals. Made the game more interesting for about a year. When opening up a cache I hoped there would be a plastic animal in there that I didn't already have. After collecting a shoebox full I donated them to Goodwill. I still occasionally can't resist a rare plastic animal find. But mostly I like finding trackables, signature items, disney pins, and handcrafted stuff.

 

Edit to add...I suppose I should list stuff that I don't like: rusty stuff, moldy erasers, deteriorated paper stuff, bits of broken stuff, micro seed caches (grrrr, they are always cheap leaky dollar store containers, I hate when crappy micro container hides are encouraged).

Edited by L0ne.R
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Yeah, we didn't create a cache (yet) but we certainly know which items are not good to be placed in a cache. When we find some of them in caches, we take them to trash. For example food, alcohol (in little bottle), cigarettes, lighters, but most often we see trash like used bus/train tickets and tickets from cash register <_<

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Last Saturday, I found a Geocache that was part of the Houma GeoTour and the only thing it had in it was the log, the special stickers for the cache, a log, and a cell phone that look like it was run over by a tank.

 

So I took the old cell phone out and left a bunch of SWAG in it.

 

I found it on Saturday and somebody else found it on Sunday. So whoever found it on Sunday, I hope they enjoyed the SWAG I left in the Geocache.

 

For the newbies, SWAG meands ""Stuff We All Get." Trade items left in caches by geocachers.".

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