+jeeptp75 Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 Im just wondering what different things people out there trade when they find a cache. I have found 4 now and most of them seem to have key chains or some form of small toy in them. What does everyone look at as acceptable? Thank You Quote Link to comment
+Knight2000 Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 I always try to think "What would a kid like"? Havent really left anything for adults, although i do have a Ipod to FM adapter to listen to tunes in the car NIP that we are saving for the right time & size. So far we have left things like: Cool pencils Bubbles (with a seal under the cap) Lip Gloss Whoopee Cushion 8 packs of crayons Jigsaw puzzles Erasers Pencil grips Of course we have only done 25 but more to come! Is that stuff junky? The kids pick em out when we go shopping. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 Here is a partial list of things I've left in caches. Many are under a buck and most are under $3: Small US flags US flag pins modeling clay individual packs of insect repellent wipes carabiners Energizer squeeze lights stickers Ckip on ball and zipper pull compasses bags of toy soldiers water colors mini screwdriver sets allen wrench sets gel pens boxes of crayons or colored chalk emergency rain ponchos packs of AA batteries collectable coins (buffalo nickels, indian head pennies, SBA or Sacagawea dollars) music CDs blank RW CDs cassettes (blank and recorded) calculators clip on safety strobes bungee cords LED key lights "euro" stickers & other decals mini sewing kits maps (hiking & road) software travel packs of Wet Ones or Baby Wipes Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars key rings packs of Hefty Handi Sacks bags of balloons rolls of camo duct tape velcro fasteners interesting buttons padlocks foreign money rolls of film electrical tape Slinky Jrs. kazoos movies on VHS & DVD office supplies (packs of paper clips, thumb tacks, Post-Its, etc...) Mylar emergency blankets decks of cards wallets Pick Up Sticks individual packs of Armor-All & Rain-X wipes survival whistles travel packs of facial tissue Wheresgeorge bills and stamps Geocaching.com hats, pins and patches Quote Link to comment
+jeeptp75 Posted March 26, 2007 Author Share Posted March 26, 2007 So after reading those two replies im assuming its safe to leave just about anything lol. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 So after reading those two replies im assuming its safe to leave just about anything lol. Try to leave things that are interesting or useful. They don't have to be expensive. One of my favorite trade items are packs of insect repellent wipes. I get a box of 10 for about $3 and leave 1 or 2 in a cache. If its trash throw it away, not in a cache. Too many people seem to think caches are garbage cans. Quote Link to comment
+Celtic_cacher Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 Briansnat, thank you for that list. I've been doing this for about a month and have been having trouble thinking of things to leave in caches. You've given me some very good ideas. Now if just I can find more time to go get out and look! -CJ Quote Link to comment
+Roc34ky Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 I usually look into my kids over stock of un-wanted toys. They have several boxes that contain miscl. trinkets that they no longer play with. We take the small ones along to trade for "new to us" trinkets. I tell my kids, make sure that you leave something that you would be interested in, not stuff you consider junk. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 Briansnat, thank you for that list. I've been doing this for about a month and have been having trouble thinking of things to leave in caches. You've given me some very good ideas. Now if just I can find more time to go get out and look! -CJ Just take a stroll through the toy aisle and camping ailsle of WalMart. You'll find plenty of possibilities. Quote Link to comment
chuckr30 Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 I have used the following: - McDonalds gift card with $2 left - Keychains - McD toys (including video games) I think it would be neat to find one of those deformed pennies from a tourist park. You know, like you put in the penny and your $1, and turn the crank, and the penny comes out oval with a picture on one side. Disneyland and Disneyworld has them (even though it's a federal offense to modify money), along with SeaWorld. My son also got some from several places in Guatamala. Quote Link to comment
+Miragee Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 I like carabiners . . . I ordered some little ones in bulk and then found a merchant on eBay who had the carabiner/compass/keychain combo. I'll leave those in trade for some item, often silly, that catches my eye that will be a memento of that cache. Quote Link to comment
+PlantAKiss Posted March 28, 2007 Share Posted March 28, 2007 I know I'm missing something here. I haven't been able to figure out the popularity of carabiners. What do you do with them other than a key ring or using them to hook to something? Anyway, I like to leave useful things. I found some nice small Johnson & Johnson First Aid kits at the dollar store. Bought several of those. You know how you can get torn up bushwhacking...especially when someone hides a cache in a briar patch. I've bought rain ponchos, socks, flower seeds, puzzles, etc. I also drop mineral specimens to encourage an interest in rocks and minerals. I do keep kid items handy too but I see SO much stuff for kids in caches and sometimes not so much for adults that I try to leave items for older folks whenever possible. Although I don't cache for SWAG, I still think its fun to see what's in a cache if its not a micro. I only trade if there is something I really like. Like silly putty and magic towels. I just love those magic towels! Quote Link to comment
+StarDoc Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 I like to browse the clearence racks at Wal-Mart and Target. Also done the bug wipe thing mentioned above (got the idea from here). I especially like the $1 bins right inside Target. I've found flashlights, batteries, first aid kits, bug bite kits, mini playing cards, carabiners, and other fun trinkets for only a buck. They tend to have seasonal items there, and at the end of the season they sell them for 3/$1. We also have a discount hardware store here, where they have various tools for a dollar or so. If I'm heading to an out-of-the-way cache (i.e. several mile hike), I'll leave a pair of lithium AA batteries or something similar. Quote Link to comment
+Jedi Cacher Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 I was also kinda wondering about some cool things to leave. I think that briansnat has come up with a very interesting list. Thanks for that, you have given me some ideas. It seems like most of the stuff I have come across has been junk and it is hard to leave something of equal value. On occasion I have picked up a few really cool items. I try to leave something for kids and something for an adult. I collect coins and am a rockhound so I mostly leave polished agates and foreign coins. When I hide my first cache I will leave a bunch of really cool items for the first cacher. I am also a woodcarver so I will leave a one of a kind carving, some CD's, coins, hotwheels, agates & fossils. Quote Link to comment
+randyinaloha Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 I like the idea of the smashed pennies. Have some extras from trip to Maui Hawaii, and some from Oregon beach tourist places. Carabiners used for keys and a quick lock so my ice chest doesn't slide all over the bed of my pickup. Garage sales have small toys. What is a "magic towel"? Quote Link to comment
+Lovey Pigs Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 I have found some cool cloth patches from different fire depts, military patches, etc... and this adds to something that you would not find everyday. pins, odd coins, and even mini-bungee cords are fun! Normally nothing paper that will get damp, tear, etc.... Oh yea, PEZ (without the candy)! Quote Link to comment
avelina Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 What is a "magic towel"? A 'magic towel' is a towel (usually washcloth size) that is compacted really small (about the size of a tic-tac container). Then when you add water it becomes a towel. I have seen them for sale with the various small toys at the Disney Store. I read somewhere that "Handmade items" were good trade items. Anyone seen good handmade trade items? Quote Link to comment
Deceased Acorns Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 I went by one of the local 99 cent stores, found a lot of neat stuff........... Quote Link to comment
+Team JSAM Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 I keep a few small toys as the kids like to trade toys, but if I do any trading its usally geocoins. We allways leave unactivated ones to, those are always a treat to find. Quote Link to comment
+JockoPablo Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 (edited) I'm totally new to this. Is it perfectly acceptable to leave nothing and take nothing? It's not the trinkets that interest me -- it's just the hunt. Will it offend cachers if I just sign the log and leave everything else as is? Maybe eventually I'll come up with some sort of "calling card" to leave around, and if I'm still doing this when my daughter is old enough to participate with me I'll probably let her exchange trinkets. Edited April 1, 2007 by RedZeppelin Quote Link to comment
+capn-jack Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 It helped me to read through the logs for each cache...just to see what folks took, and what they left. My first find all I had was a dollar.....so I left it! Since then I found one cache with a five dollar bill in it. And of course, if you have nothing to leave you can TNLN (took nothing, left nothing) I'm thinking I should whip up something that reflects my alter ego. The geo coins and pins (click the ads in the left margin!) are fantastic. After finding a nano smaller than the cap from a chapstick, I wrote "took lawn mower, left box of Cheerios" gosh I crack me up. Quote Link to comment
+goldcoin Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 i have a signature item that nobody else can leave! *glares at anyone getting any ideas of stealing said item* it is...a plastic gold coin! or on *REALLY* good cashes an actual gold dollar! you know the new ones? but ya thats all we've left...well that and a handwarmer...but it was for a little eraser Quote Link to comment
+TeamBarstool Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 (edited) I read somewhere that "Handmade items" were good trade items. Anyone seen good handmade trade items? A friend of mine lets me use her studio to create these magnets.I stamp them out, She fires them for me , I glaze them, She fires again, then I glue a magnet to the back Edited April 1, 2007 by TeamBarstool Quote Link to comment
+redcoyote12 Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 Will it offend cachers if I just sign the log and leave everything else as is? Nah, I don't think so, I have done that many times, and I see lots of logs saying TNLN (took nothing, left nothing). Just sign the log and that's your reward, the hunt is the best part of it. Quote Link to comment
+michigansnorkelers Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 I read somewhere that "Handmade items" were good trade items. Anyone seen good handmade trade items? A friend of mine lets me use her studio to create these magnets.I stamp them out, She fires them for me , I glaze them, She fires again, then I glue a magnet to the back That's fantastic! I wish I was that talented and creative. Quote Link to comment
+TeamBarstool Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 I wish I was that talented and creative. I'm not It's really nice to have very patient friends that are. Quote Link to comment
KABarash Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 Maybe eventually I'll come up with some sort of "calling card" to leave around, and if I'm still doing this when my daughter is old enough to participate with me I'll probably let her exchange trinkets. I've had the same thought, maybe something that has to do with your profession, I'm a Land Surveyor and probably because I always have them in my pockets I've left behind a PK (Parker-Kalon) nail however, that is no real find. I've thought of small compasses, key ring carabiners, but seems like lots of people are doing that, and I've not been having much luck and been only findine micros and onlt 2 of them! Quote Link to comment
+JockoPablo Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 Maybe eventually I'll come up with some sort of "calling card" to leave around, and if I'm still doing this when my daughter is old enough to participate with me I'll probably let her exchange trinkets. I've had the same thought, maybe something that has to do with your profession... Well, I'm in the IT business so I guess I could leave old RAM chips or video cards. Hehe. I've actually considered leaving swag we've had made for trade shows, but I work for an insurance company and I don't want anyone to think I'm trying to sell them insurance. Quote Link to comment
+Airhead-kb Posted April 2, 2007 Share Posted April 2, 2007 I've been leaving scratch-off type lottery tickets - I know kids are not supposed to play, but they love doing the scratch-off thing. I keep hoping to read that someone won a grand from one of them...... Quote Link to comment
+teribear68 Posted April 2, 2007 Share Posted April 2, 2007 I try to leave useful things: Pencils w/sharpener (in case the finder forgot a writing instrument) Small Carabiners (great for attaching water bottles to back packs and other tasks) Cylume sticks (useful if it gets dark while caching but mostly because dd loves them) I like the bug wipes and mini first aid kit ideas. I'll be on the lookout for those. I'm also working on a design for an embroidered patch as a sig item that will be making its appearance sometime this spring. Quote Link to comment
+mstetz Posted April 3, 2007 Share Posted April 3, 2007 We have a store in the Cleveland, Ohio area called Big Fun. They have all sorts of cool, inexpensive toys like the traditional wind-up clacking teeth and the Chinese Finger Traps. Stuff like that works well. We went through a fossil collecting phase a while back and we have more fossils than we know what to do with. They are interesting, so we decided to start leaving some of them in the caches we find. Linda and Marty Quote Link to comment
+JockoPablo Posted April 3, 2007 Share Posted April 3, 2007 How about something like a card from a CCG such as Magic The Gathering? I have a bunch of cards from the Harry Potter CCG. Would anyone still find those interesting? Quote Link to comment
+Thrak Posted April 3, 2007 Share Posted April 3, 2007 I keep hoping to win $70 million or so in the lottery. I think it would be fun to leave a share of Microsoft stock in caches. Quote Link to comment
+sylamore Posted April 3, 2007 Share Posted April 3, 2007 How about something like a card from a CCG such as Magic The Gathering? I have a bunch of cards from the Harry Potter CCG. Would anyone still find those interesting? What is a CCG??? I feel so dumb whenever I read these posts.......guess I've been to sheltered all my life Quote Link to comment
+JockoPablo Posted April 3, 2007 Share Posted April 3, 2007 What is a CCG???I feel so dumb whenever I read these posts.......guess I've been to sheltered all my life Heh. Sorry. Collectible Card Game (e.g. Magic The Gathering, Yu-Gi-O). Quote Link to comment
+sylamore Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 What is a CCG???I feel so dumb whenever I read these posts.......guess I've been to sheltered all my life Heh. Sorry. Collectible Card Game (e.g. Magic The Gathering, Yu-Gi-O). OK..........Thanks...I've learned something today. Now I can take a nap Quote Link to comment
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