G506 Geocaching?

[forestry4evr]

Okay, so with all of the not-so-great things happening in the world right now, it’s high time for a “good” story.

A few weeks ago, a not too far away fellow known G506er asked me for a part for his project truck. We set a price and he paid me via PayPal. All was good and all that was needed was for him to drive out to my place and retrieve his new part. The problem is that we both work and the logistics of meeting up somewhere would be a hassle as time off work and lost time driving would have been incurred. As it turns out, I have some work obligations that take me considerably closer to a decent mutually beneficial meeting place. The problem is that I would be at this location at a very different time of day than the buyer. Here is where it gets interesting… I was thinking (yeah, I know this might be dangerous), how could I deliver this part without creating an undue inconvenience for either of us? The thought of geocaching came to mind, and I sent the buyer a text and asked him if he was game to what I would call an untraditional transfer of G506 parts. He texted back saying “sure, lets do it”. Last Thursday, I dropped off this said G506 part out in the woods at a secret undisclosed location (actually it was leaning against the back side of a big yellow-poplar tree 30 feet from a rural road) and sent the buyer the geocoordinates of the “parts drop”. No more than a few hours later, the buyer had picked up the part and the transaction was a success!

This method was inspired by the old-school way that Appalachian moonshiners once sold their product while avoiding actual contact. The method was simple, drop some cash in a hollow log at a mutually known “spot” and a day later go back and a mason jar of “product” would be in the same hollow log. Elegantly simple right? We did much the same except with no illicit behavior...pretty neat.

This old WW2 Chevy hobby has led me to seek multiple different paths to move parts, and this is yet another means of getting things done. As you all know, many of the pieces we need for our hobby are heavy and bulky so transport can be quite difficult and expensive. In the past, I have bailed on potential deals as I couldn’t find a way of moving them.

So far, I have moved pieces though: 1) USPS…boring, 2) FedEx…boring, 3) UPS…equally boring and brown, 4) Contracting a tractor trailer truck, 5) Fastenal, 6) What I like to call the “underground railroad”, where one bumps a part along to another mutual enthusiast and eventually the part gets to its destination (hopefully), 7) Opportunistically find a friend that just so happens to be going in the desired direction and entice them to haul or pick something up (this one works better if you have some really good friends), 8 ) Met another collector somewhere midway and swapped parts at a gas station parking lot or rest area, 9) Driven to get parts, 10) and lastly, a new one for me…G506 Geocaching.

I am sure you all have also moved parts in less than traditional ways, actually I know you have as I have jockeyed pieces and parts to several of you guys that are reading this thread! If you all have any different methods of transferring needed parts to other fellow enthusiasts, please share.

Anything can happen if you want it to happen.

Hope you enjoyed, and take some time to play with your trucks.

Paul

[D.R.H.]

I like it a lot!!

[M35a2duece]

Neat idea!

[Tonywan Kanobby]

Yer right my friend, that was a good story. Way to go ! You backwoods boys just got it in yer blood, I guess.

[Scratch]

Sounds interesting and fun!