When searching for a letterbox, I came across a geocache. The letterbox was well-hidden, but the geocache was somewhat exposed and not more than 4 feet from the letterbox. The letterbox had several geocache treasures in it, including a store-bought stamp in a plastic baggie with a note saying “Happy Geocaching.” I put all the treasures except the store-bought stamp in the geocache, re-hid the letterbox really well (better than before) and put the geocache back in its half-covered position. I figured the store-bought stamp might serve as a “decoy”; that a geocacher may take that stamp instead of the hand-carved stamp.

Later, I was thinking that maybe I should have left several treasures in the letterbox. Maybe a geocacher might not want a store-bought stamp but instead would take a marble or a comb.

So the question is whether or not to leave geocache treasures in a letterbox in the hopes that the geocacher takes one of those items instead of the hand-carved stamp. I'm guessing it might work once in awhile.

It may make a difference or not depending on if the geocacher is educated to there being another hobby similar to theirs and knowing the difference. Either way it was good of you to think about it. Happy trails.

The letterbox was well-hidden, but the geocache was somewhat exposed and not more than 4 feet from the letterbox.

Nature of the beasts. Letterboxes are supposed to be fully hidden, as finders should have clues that lead right to their precise hiding place. Geocaches are supposed to be somewhat exposed because the GPS only leads the finder to an area and the finder has to hunt around for it. If fully hidden, he'd have to scratch around, which would be damaging to the terrain. Ideally, he should either be able to see it if he knows what to look for, or the hiding spot should be obvious.

the question is whether or not to leave geocache treasures in a letterbox in the hopes that the geocacher takes one of those items instead of the hand-carved stamp.

I would think not. Having more swag in there will only confirm his misconception that he's found the geocache he's looking for.

In this case, the most important thing to do is contact the planters of both the letterbox and the geocache. One of them needs to be moved.

It might not hurt... unless the box owner doesn’t want trinkets in their box! 🤪

Also I think a lot depends on the location. If it will be visited by children it might work. I’m not sure adults trade geo-swag that much anymore.

So the question is whether or not to leave geocache treasures in a letterbox in the hopes that the geocacher takes one of those items instead of the hand-carved stamp. I'm guessing it might work once in awhile.

I wouldn't leave any "trade items" in a letterbox, especially not in one that is close to a geocache. I have seen several boxers have started to label their stamps as "Not a Trade Item, leave in box!".

You could move the items to the geocache and leave a note in the letterbox stating that this not the geocache and to keep looking...

I have seen several boxers have started to label their stamps as "Not a Trade Item, leave in box!".

Geocachers (at least around northern Utah) do the same thing in their letterbox hybrids. Sometimes (rarely) the stamps still go missing.

In this case, the most important thing to do is contact the planters of both the letterbox and the geocache. One of them needs to be moved.

Agreed! I know of two instances in northern Utah where the letterbox was there first. In both cases, the geocache was moved. In the second case I convince the geocacher that he should move the geocache; I even found a better place for the geocache in the process.

In this case, the most important thing to do is contact the planters of both the letterbox and the geocache. One of them needs to be moved.

Yup, since when these two cultures collide, the letterbox invariably loses.

We had a geocache move in next to our Aerosmith Rocks box that had existed nicely in its hiding spot for two prior years. The Geocache planter hid the cache 18" (yes for all you Spinal Tap fans, that is inches not feet!) from our box and even referenced the letterbox in his listing. We incurred multiple boxes and/or stamps missing or the box thrown down a steep riverbank.

We miss that box

The geocacher should have respected your box and moved his cache since you were there first. This is one reason to find a geocacher in your area who can be an advocate for letterboxes, even if they don't letterbox. It helps to have someone who is known in the area, and knows others in the area. I'm such in my area.

I'll add to Kirbert's post, too. Both owners should definitely be informed.

The rules for geocaching are pretty well spelled out that you can't log the geocaching find unless you have physically signed into the actually geocache. If they are signing into the letterbox, then technically the people who have found that LB didn't find the geocache and shouldn't be logging it.

I worked with a local geocacher who had a cache close to one of my letterboxes (which was part of a series so the logbook was in a different box.) Even though the cache owner mentioned the letterbox in the cache information and I had a label on my box that said "Not a Geocache," people kept logging into my box. She had asked me for the trailnames of the folks who logged into the letterbox and removed their finds from the cache (GCer's can be really strict about that rule.) I kept taking the paper out of my box they logged themselves in on, and new ones kept reappearing.

The amazing thing is that the lived happily together, about 25 feet or so from each other for about 8 years, before my stamp was purged by a cacher and I ended up pulling the entire series because it had just run it's course.

Jiffy

Well being a letter boxer who has have a great many of my boxes "cached" out, I can tell you that having a decoy item does help, but most cashers are not paying attention. They find a container and take what they find and even log in in the log book. I had several boxes that had only a plastic lizard left in it, everything else gone. For one whole summer every box I planted I actually had a vindictive casher take everything out and leave that blasted lizard. The last year or so I do leave a first finders prize, but it also doubles as a decoy item if a casher find it. So far, it has worked. I even used the lizards from that summer as a FF prize.

The rules for geocaching are pretty well spelled out that you can't log the geocaching find unless you have physically signed into the actually geocache. If they are signing into the letterbox, then technically the people who have found that LB didn't find the geocache and shouldn't be logging it.

Correct! There are even geocachers who find the first stage of a multi-cache, put a log in there and count it as a find. These are few and far between, but it does happen.

Years ago there was a difficult "gadget cache", but before that term was around. I quickly found out how to open it properly. However, some people would sign the outside of the box (it was raw wood) because they couldn't get it open. The cache owner became very frustrated with this. Eventually, someone used a crowbar to get it open, so the cache owner archived (retired) the cache.

Some people (including some cachers) are so clueless.

The amazing thing is that the lived happily together, about 25 feet or so from each other for about 8 years, before my stamp was purged by a cacher and I ended up pulling the entire series because it had just run it's course.

That is unfortunate that your stamp went missing. Some cachers (and people) are just clueless. I still think that this is almost always newbies who don't know what is going on, but there are some "old timers" who are still clueless.

As long as you consider that it had run its course then it has served its purpose. It is still unfortunate.

Even though the cache owner mentioned the letterbox in the cache information and I had a label on my box that said "Not a Geocache," people kept logging into my box.

I've said it before: Geocachers don't read. It's an open question whether or not they can read, but it's established fact that they don't.

I actually had a vindictive casher take everything out and leave that blasted lizard.

Does this guy plant any geocaches? Because I'd be tempted to clean out the swag and leave them full of excrement.

I've said it before: Geocachers don't read. It's an open question whether or not they can read, but it's established fact that they don't.

We know, as a matter of fact, that they can read. They couldn't load coordinates or find their way to the cache if they couldn't read. The problem is a matter of understanding what they read.

I still think it is (almost exclusively) newbies who find out about geocaching and head out to see if they can find one of these things, a geocache. Mostly, these newbies find a dozen or two then stop geocaching. These newbies barely understand what a geocache is, let along any other thing hidden on purpose.

I still think that there is probably some other hobby about hiding physical things for others to find besides munzeeing, geocaching, letterboxing and rock stashing that we just haven't found out about yet.

Does this guy plant any geocaches? Because I'd be tempted to clean out the swag and leave them full of excrement.

Now, now. Believe me, I have the same feelings sometimes. You don't need to do unto others what you think they deserve. We need to treat others better than we would like to be treated.

crap.

You're working on becoming my Jiminy Cricket.

They couldn't load coordinates or find their way to the cache if they couldn't read.

Actually, yes, they could. Geocaching.com includes functions where you can simply download geocache coordinates -- by the thousands -- directly to your GPS. And a modern GPS will happily give you voice commands to get you there.

You're working on becoming my Jiminy Cricket.

I have my moments.