View Full Version : Premium Only Caches



pm28570
04-09-2010, 08:22 AM
Prompted by an earlier thread, allow me to pose this question to those who place caches.
If you choose to place a cache that is available to only to premium level members, why? Is it to limit FTF frenzy? Is it to reduce possible coin/TB theft?
When you place several caches and perhaps only one is premium level only, why is that?
Or, why do you choose not to make them premium level only?

Hikenfish
04-09-2010, 08:53 AM
I have changed the only cache that I have to a Premium Membership cache for a few reasons. I do not know how valid they are, but I did it anyway. The first reason is one that you mentioned, Theft. The other is vandalism. Think about the bored high school kids with nothing to do. If they look online and find geocaching, and they know that their parents have a gps used for hunting. They might join the sight for Free, use the Free GPS and have Free entertainment by vandalizing caches. This does not seem to be much of a problem around here, but by requiring them to pay some money they may pass the cache up as one to vandalize.

Those are my reasons, I am sure that there are many others.

WhereRWe?
04-09-2010, 08:55 AM
If you choose to place a cache that is available to only to premium level members, why? Is it to limit FTF frenzy? Is it to reduce possible coin/TB theft?


We've never placed a "premium only" cache, but if we did, the reason would DEFINITELY be an effort to reduce TB/coin theft. (Don't get me started on that subject, though!) :D:D

LaughingTerry
04-09-2010, 09:14 AM
Actually you don't need a GPS anymore to geocache. A lot of cell phones have the GPS built right in. There are a few people out there caching with only their cell phones. As technology keeps advancing geocaching (and a lot of other hobbies) are becoming a lot less exclusive.

That said, I haven't done a member only but the only reason I can think of that I would is if there have been a lot of caches muggled in the area I places it.

brdad
04-09-2010, 09:29 AM
I have never placed a MOC, but LaughingTerry brings up a good point. Cache information and access is much more available with the capabilities of cell phones, and more and more people own then, including those pesky kids! :eek:

We have had issues with bored kids vandalizing caches as early as 2003, So with the increase in the number of caches as well as the increased ease of access, cache owners should be prepared for problems at some time.

cano
04-09-2010, 10:26 AM
Geocaching should be free, I will never post member only cache. I post hard puzzle caches instead, that should prevent vandalizing them by retards :)

brdad
04-09-2010, 10:33 AM
Geocaching should be free, I will never post member only cache. I post hard puzzle caches instead, that should prevent vandalizing them by retards :)

That is partly why the loophole was left so non-premium members could log MOCs. Anyone can log a MOC without paying.

TeamHorwich
04-09-2010, 05:31 PM
but it isn't free...computer, internet connection, gps receiver, gas, locknlocks, etc...BTW, you are a premium member so you support GC.com, but don't think other people should?

shuman road searchers
04-09-2010, 05:41 PM
Prompted by an earlier thread, allow me to pose this question to those who place caches.
If you choose to place a cache that is available to only to premium level members, why? Is it to limit FTF frenzy? Is it to reduce possible coin/TB theft?
When you place several caches and perhaps only one is premium level only, why is that?
Or, why do you choose not to make them premium level only?

The last few caches that I placed I placed as premium only for a short time. I did it only to be able to see who was looking at them. I thought it was kind of cool! They are no longer premium and available to all.

masterson of the universe
04-09-2010, 06:56 PM
While I like the fact that MOCs might reduce the theft of trackables, I think the site and most caches should be open to the public. If it weren't free, think about all the people that you've had to explain caching to that thought it was cool and wanted to get into it but the cost of a GPS and a membership scare them away. I know if I had to pay just to try this game, I would have said forget it...thats stupid. I feel exactly the same way about internet games like World of Warcraft or any of those. You'll never get me to even try it because the game itself has a monthly fee right from the start. Using the analogy that lots have used, caching is like a drug. Having them open to the public allows people to try, then get hooked, then they want more....After a while, they want the toys that everyone else has like a premium membership and GSAK. It took a while for me to pay for the membership but I was hooked. If all the caches were MOC, it certainly would be more exclusive but would be way less fun.

Mapachi
04-09-2010, 06:57 PM
Geocaching should be free, I will never post member only cache. I post hard puzzle caches instead, that should prevent vandalizing them by retards :)

If one were a Vandal, wouldn't one automatically be "mentally challenged"?

brdad
04-09-2010, 07:33 PM
but it isn't free...computer, internet connection, gps receiver, gas, locknlocks, etc...BTW, you are a premium member so you support GC.com, but don't think other people should?

Well, by free it refers more to Jeremy's comments back as far as 2002 stating the service will always be available free. It still can be free to log a cache.

Many of the rest of the costs are optional if a person so chose. There re cachers who have found hundreds of caches without a GPSr, others who have logged them via free PC access at the library, etc., etc.... Now most people would not bother without some of the high tech stuff including myself, but it is possible.

Regarding whether other people should support gc.com... hmmm... I think it is the right thing to do, but I also would hate to deny the joy of caching to a family who truly cannot afford to pay for membership. and before anyone says it, I agree, $30 a year is pretty darn minimal - but I am not going to judge those that feel they can't. On the other hand, if everyone had to pay for membership to cache, it probably would lessen many of the situations which I feel are bad for caching - There would probably be far fewer cachers, caches, less vandalism, and possible less caches placed haphazardly.

So my vote is, don't force people to support the site, but when you can support it you should do so.

LaughingTerry
04-09-2010, 08:02 PM
Using the analogy that lots have used, caching is like a drug. Having them open to the public allows people to try, then get hooked, then they want more....After a while, they want the toys that everyone else has like a premium membership and GSAK.

I can relate. When I started I had an Etrex Legend I bought for snowmobiling. $135. Then I got into geocaching. Once I figured it out and had some caches under my belt I got the 60CSX. Then came the premium membership, Palm PDA and CacheMate. Then I got GSAK. Then came the NUVI to make it easier to get to the caches. Now I have the Oregon 550T which cut out the need for the PDA and 60CSX. Where does it end? LOL

1,750 caches, thousands of miles, who knows how much money........

I don't regret a minute or a dollar.

cano
04-09-2010, 09:44 PM
but it isn't free...computer, internet connection, gps receiver, gas, locknlocks, etc...BTW, you are a premium member so you support GC.com, but don't think other people should?
That's not what I said. I said I'm not going to force players to pay money to some private company just to find my cache. Geocaching is free if you want. You can go to library if you don't have computer or internet, you don't need special GPS, I use cellphone. You don't even need that, I found some caches without GPS. You don't even need a car, you can walk too :P

firefighterjake
04-12-2010, 12:35 PM
Prompted by an earlier thread, allow me to pose this question to those who place caches.
If you choose to place a cache that is available to only to premium level members, why? Is it to limit FTF frenzy? Is it to reduce possible coin/TB theft?
When you place several caches and perhaps only one is premium level only, why is that?
Or, why do you choose not to make them premium level only?

Well I can't really answer all of these questions since like Bruce I have never had any premium caches and doubt I would ever go that route . . . about the only thing that could possibly get me to list a cache as a MOC is if I was having problems with vandalism.

Maybe I'm been lucky . . . being in a rural, low cache density area probably also helps . . . but I've had little to no vandalism and my experiment with two high-value caches (everything is $5 or more and folks are expected to trade equally) has worked out well with most folks adhering to those trade rules . . . in fact I ran into Moxie H the other day and they said they ended up with one of my new smoke detectors . . . they may not realize this but they probably ended up saving $20-$30 by trading a $5 item for that smoke detector -- which they wanted to buy anyways -- since it is a really nice detector.)

Like others I like the concept of this sport being "free" to most folks. Like Laughing Terry I got hooked into this hobby after buying an expensive (to me) GPSr unit for ATVing after getting tired of getting lost in the woods -- OK, maybe not exactly like Terry . . . he got it for sledding, I got it for ATVing.) However, while researching GPSrs I learned about geocaching and after buying the Magellan figured I would see what it was all about -- and after plugging in my local zip code was astonished to see all of the caches hidden in my area.

I figured I would try looking for a few -- if nothing else to justify the expense of buying a GPSr . . . and well . . . I got hooked and now use my GPSr more for caching than I do for ATVing or sledding.

If, way back when, I had plugged in my zip code and found little to few caches listed due to the caches in the area being MOC I am guessing I would probably not have started caching . . . or only have done a few. Instead I did one . . . liked the experience and went looking for a second a few evenings later . . . and then did another local one . . . and then . . . well you get the idea. It was having local, available caches that got me hooked. If I had to travel a good distance away I probably wouldn't have gotten so addicted to the hobby.

So why am I a premium member? Honestly, it's not so I can get MOC. In fact I rarely notice whether a cache is a MOC or not . . . the reason I am a premium member is also not to be a good cacher and support GC.com . . . rather it is because they offer a service that I value and will pay money for -- the ability to go paper-less and use GSAK and get the PQs. For me personally, that service alone is worth the expense.

WhereRWe?
04-12-2010, 12:54 PM
1,750 caches, thousands of miles, who knows how much money........

I don't regret a minute or a dollar.

The mileage on my "personal travel bug" is up to 29,239 miles, and we've done a LOT more caches than have been logged by the TB, so the actual mileage is a lot higher.

But like you - we don't regret a minute or a dollar! LOL!

Team V3
04-14-2010, 09:52 AM
I must say that I love being a premium member. I love being able to do my PQs and all. I honestly do not have any problems with people hiding member only caches. I mean, with every member only cache there are how many free ones? Regardless of whether you are a paying member or a free member, there are so many caches out there to find. Also, the premium member only caches aren't always any more special than the free ones. I just don't see the big deal with a few member only caches. However, I do not see myself placing any in the near future.