Do you keep what you find in caches?

Horus · Post by **Horus** » 17 May 03 1:42 am

G'day guys,

Having only found a few caches myself, I've tended to keep everything I've found so far - but I live on an island with only 28 caches! I was wondering if there are other anally retentive cachers out there that keep all the cache items they find? Or do you throw the items in your swaps bag for future use?

Papa Bear_Left · Post by **Papa Bear_Left** » 17 May 03 8:15 am

We tend to only take something if it appeals to us as an item that we'd actually use. Often these end up being used as swaps later anyway, cos they're still in a caching backpack weeks later ("useful" things are like that!)

If there's nothing that appeals, we'll usually leave something anyway. There's rarely a cache that's so well-stocked that another item won't add to it's appeal!

swampgecko · Post by **swampgecko** » 17 May 03 11:30 am

With three girls on Team Gecko, It is a rare item that goes back into another cache for swapping. We have a sort of rotation system for when we find a cache for who decides what to take and swap. I stay out of it as I do a lot of caching solo due to work committments so I leave the fun of swaps to the girls. So naturally when we(the team) do swap items the natural inclination leans to the feminine style goodies, like nail polish and beauty soaps. When I am by myself I may swap items only if they appeal to me, but I have managed to keep my golf ball supply in good stock since taking up this hobby

riblit · Post by **riblit** » 17 May 03 1:14 pm

If I have inherited any rug rats at the time, then anything in the hair and nail line quickly disappears and won't make it to another cache. I am left to replace what they take from my swaps. If I am by myself, then usually anything I swap out will eventually appear in another cache unless it comes under the unique heading.

maccamob · Post by **maccamob** » 17 May 03 6:54 pm

Nearly all of our finds get recycled to other caches. Occasionally though, we come across something particularly interesting that stays with us as a souvenir, or something useful that will be pressed into service.

Gunn Parker · Post by **Gunn Parker** » 18 May 03 9:56 pm

I have a five year old girl Rhiannon and she takes what she wants, we started a treasure box for her at home and most things go into it. today we found a cache and she took 15c, she was happy with that.
I always try and buy new things from red dot to trade with. some things I keep for my self.
Andrew & Rhiannon
Rhiannon has picked this emoticon

bmac · Post by **bmac** » 19 May 03 12:25 am

Can there be an option for sometimes? If it's a useful item I will keep it, though often it gets put in the bag.

I always try to trade up, but sometimes when I have traded for an item I think is not particularly great, I will trade it for a better item in another cache. Sometimes I feel bad about this

, but in reality I feel I have traded up overall.

dohertys · Post by **dohertys** » 13 June 03 6:34 pm

With 4 kids, each cache is a "keeper" and the children always do the selecting. Only one child gets to select something from each cache and they take it in turns. As a consequence we have a steadily growing collection of cache bits and pieces around the house. We make regular trips to Crazy Clarks and have a bag with items to swap.

Ebenezer · Post by **Ebenezer** » 16 June 03 10:15 am

Generally I only take things that I am likely to keep. (I almost have a complete set of SES give-aways now.) I think my favourite find is a bright orange and blue shark thing that I found in The Maze. My finds do tend to go into the caching bag, but I try to place only new items in caches.

Slider & Smurf · Post by **Slider & Smurf** » 16 June 03 7:52 pm

Most of the time cache finds go into the bottomless camelbak to be recycled at a later date, but occasionally you find something that just says "keeper"!

SNIFTER · Post by **SNIFTER** » 18 June 03 9:36 pm

The 2 Dogs usually keep the items that have been taken out of a found cache. Each item has a story and I can tell you that no one will be getting my little pig out of Bullseye. Some caches that we have found haven't had any meaningful items so we have just placed an item and not taken a thing. This is part of the fun of caching.
Other items never to be returned to the caches are..
The snow dome from Ideology
The crystal vase from One for Bec
The matchbox cars that my grandsons now play with.
The geocaching.com shirt
The tennis balls that our dog plays with.
Chocolates that are long gone.
There are many more and each has a story.
Next time you see me in my little red car check out the rats, spiders, lizzards etc on the dash and deck.
A saying goes...What is one mans trash is anothers treasure.

Slider & Smurf · Post by **Slider & Smurf** » 18 June 03 10:02 pm

Agree completely ... but I'm yet to find anyone that thinks rocks or leaves are treasure!! I don't leave anything in a cache that I wouldn't be willing to take as an exchange, unfortunately some others don't see the same way

Geocaching Australia