Thrasher22 Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 (edited) I was thinking about making a nice laminated FTF certificate to place in my cache for the first cacher to keep. Has anyone of you done this before? I am thinking of inputs, how it should look like. If would be cool if it had some ornaments and looked like some official document, like a diploma or a savings bond or something.... It would be nice if you could be rewarded for being the first and keep a memory at home, possibly frame it and put in on your wall . Edited December 23, 2005 by Thrasher22 Quote Link to comment
+Chuy! Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 Unless you have the reputation for 5-star rated caches, I just don't see the appeal of an FTF certificate. Maybe an FTF button. Quote Link to comment
+Ed & Julie Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 I know lots of cachers to collect and display ftf certificates, sig items, and other items in collections. The collections are quite a hit at events. Ed Quote Link to comment
+Jamie Z Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 Unless you have the reputation for 5-star rated caches, I just don't see the appeal of an FTF certificate. I printed up 20 5-star terrain cards to place in one of my caches. They were all gone within a couple of weeks (I expected them to last a year!). I had to go restock today. they are very popular. Almost everyone mentions that they got one in their log. You can see one here with a coin: Jamie Quote Link to comment
+Davispak Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 I put a little certificate that I made up myself that proclaims them as the First to Find and has the cache name on it. Kinda silly I know, but I think that most of the stuff you find in caches are not that memorable and I feel that the cerificate at least gives them something they can keep to remind them of the first to find Quote Link to comment
+bobbarley Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 I too am interested in FTF Certs. Does anyone have a template? Quote Link to comment
markandlynn Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 I desgined my own in word and then created a PDF Send me the name of the cache and your caching name via my profile and ill send you an A4 pdf with it and your caching name on.. Ill add the template to my website when i get chance. Quote Link to comment
+bobbarley Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 (edited) Thanks MarkandLynn I will probably whip one up in Word myself. I am looking more for formatting suggestions and ideas. (Borders, watermarks, wording) Edited for spelling Edited January 18, 2006 by bobbarley Quote Link to comment
+halffast Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 (edited) I found a nice certificate here in the forums that I used a couple of times.sorry I dont know how to put a link here for it but I can email it if you like http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/2562/certificate6vx.th.jpg[/img] Edited January 20, 2006 by halffast Quote Link to comment
+Confucius' Cat Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 I'm starting to use Wal-Mart smiley shopping cards with $5 on them. I know it's kinda crude, but I write the cache name and "First finder's prize" on them. It is a real reward and can be kept for souvenir, too. I think the smiley is appropriate. I'm a fan of first finder's prizes, though I seldom find them in my FTFs, I like to put them in my caches. Quote Link to comment
Thrasher22 Posted January 23, 2006 Author Share Posted January 23, 2006 This is the FTF certificate I made and placed in one of my caches: Quote Link to comment
+team moxiepup Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 We just placed our first cache last week. We made up a FTF token, a handmade woodburned wooden nickel in a similar design to our signature tokens, but with the cache name and FTF inscribed on it as well. We tried to fill it with quality items, so the FTF would have first pick. Quote Link to comment
+The Blue Quasar Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 (edited) I have not made a FIRST TO FIND certificate or similar BUT.... I have had three Geocaching Series placed over the last three years. The final cache in each series had a "Completion Prize" for those that did the entire series. From the feedback I've received, people really like getting the Plaque or Buttons or Map for the effort they put in to visit every cache. The other thing is that, I always list that the first 25 Finders of the Final Cache in the series will get a prize... so people know what to expect. I however NEVER tell anyone what the prize is, but it costs about $1-$2. When I consider the effort that people go through to find all 7 to 10 caches in a series, and the time, the gas, everything... it's the least I can do. We have FTF prizes around... but often it leaves some people annoyed by 'sprinters' and it makes it too competative... For me, and others I know, we like the prize at the end, not the beginning. The trophy is awarded at the end of the World Series, Stanley Cup, or Superbowl... not for the first point scored. The Blue Quasar edit - adding "Besides, this way everyone gets to share in the feeling of accomplishment. We cache to share the experience, not out perform each other... that's what the Profile Page is for " Edited January 24, 2006 by The Blue Quasar Quote Link to comment
+Xangxa Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 I use blank certificates//diplomas (like this) that you can buy at office supply stores. You can also purchase these certificates in a packet that includes gold seals or buy the seals separately (like this). I buy blank, flat gold seals, with "starburst" edging, and use a custom embosser (like this) after I attach it to the certificate. The embosser is circular and fits the blank gold seals perfectly. When I attach the seal I use the seal to also affix a piece of red satin ribbon, folded, with the ends either "fishtailed" or pointed. With a Vivaldi or blackletter style font it looks very nice. The lettering can be done inside a wordprocessor, but since I have CorelDraw that's what I use to get lettering on a curve. Below is a photo of my "Ambassdor to Kinomem: The Six Thrones" cache (my first ammo can) under construction. It has half of the FTF certificate showing. FTF certificates are important if your cache uses/requires a FTF confirmation code. The "Media Play" gift card is covering the FTF code for this TerraCache and I include some kind of gift card in the protector that holds the certificate. With Media Play out of business, I'll have to switch to Sonic Drive In cards. Quote Link to comment
+dblrngr Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 This is the cert I use for my FTF's. I laminate them and hook them to the back of my sig key chain (they are the same size) FTF Cert Quote Link to comment
+SNSPRT Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 I did something similiar in my second cache. Devil's Kitchen. I included 1st, 2nd and 3rd place ribbons. I picked them up at the local dollars. I thought it would be something different. Who knows? Pete Quote Link to comment
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