signature swag

[+Tyger4]

My daughter and I are kinda new to geocaching. We have been making beaded keychains with a tag that states 'swag made by...'. Do people really like signature swag, I mean is it worth the trouble? What kinds of signature items are out there? What do you like to find? TIA.

 

Also, if you do leave signature swag...do you leave it at all caches that have room for swag, or do you pick and choose where you leave these items?

Edited August 29, 2007 by Tyger4

[+StarBrand]

I would LOVE to find such a sig item in a cache. I leave a mini golf pencil with our user name on it. But homemade/handmade items are the best.

[+wesleykey]

Many folks collect sig items. I place my item in any cache it will fit in.

[+nekom]

Yes, your efforts are certainly not wasted. A lot of people get a kick out of signature items, ESPECIALLY if they are homemade. I've seen pencils and keychains, custom wooden nickels, one guy leaves $2 bills, and another leaves small buddahs. Adds a little bit more personality into the mix.

[+Thrak]

Many people leave sig items. When I leave mine I don't consider it swag to be traded for. If someone wants it then they should just take it. I don't leave it in all caches. Right after I started using it I did but I no longer do that. Now I generally only leave it if I'm caching in another town or state.

 

[+TheDreadPirateRoberts&Crew]

I am actually working on a signature swag. I found a button company that is really reasonable and they look really nice too. I would love to find signature swag in a cache too that is why I am working on one of our own.

 

~Erica

tdpr&c

[+Nochipra]

I really enjoy the peronal swag too, my boyfriend just got me the new print shop program and I came up with this signature card for us

[+mtngoat1979]

I am doing the wooden disc type signature swag. I am still working out how to put something interesting onto the wood, I am not sure if I should burn it on there, or use some kind of ink and stamp type of deal. If any crafty people out there have an idea, let me know.

[jarvis's]

i bought some wooden stars from wallmart.. couldnt find disc's ... i started buy painting them ... then i remembered i had a dremel so i have been using my dremel and engraving into the wood then painting them they look really nice...

[+OverTheEdge]

I love personal items. I am currently working on a personal coin. I want people to be able to keep the coin, and not worry that they have done something wrong - so I plan to not activate many of the coins, so people can keep them (and hopefully enjoy them). I'll send you a PM if I am ever lucky enough to find one of your signature swag items.

 

 

Happy caching!

[+simpjkee]

I have absolutely no problem with sig swag and don't mind people leaving it in my caches.

 

However, I like that some people use items that are tradable as their sig. Some sig items just end up sitting in caches because no one wants or trades for them. Other sig items are reminders of who came by, but inevitably turn into trade items.

[+rnrgrl]

We have sig items. For me, it is a runner charm and my daughter, Froggy girl, leaves tiny plastic frogs. We sometimes out them in our caches for FTF prizes. I also will take them and leave them in faraway caches. Some cachers have started to collect them and that is fine. That is why we left them in the first place. I like to grab some sig items if i see something unique.

[+SMOKEATERLT]

We love sig swag! We are currently using poker chips with a custom sticker with our caching name and city and state on them. They are kinda coll but we are looking for something a little more personal, interesting and cheap. Something we could make our selves would be even better. We leave them in any cache that they will fit but i think we may stop this and narrow it down a little.

Edited September 1, 2007 by DJH Cobb

[+dark_onyx1982]

I am doing the wooden disc type signature swag. I am still working out how to put something interesting onto the wood, I am not sure if I should burn it on there, or use some kind of ink and stamp type of deal. If any crafty people out there have an idea, let me know.

 

Tip: if you use an ink stamp you should put a clear "sealant" layer over it. Clear nail polish works well. Not all caches are waterproof and you don't want moisture to cause your ink to smear

[+Too Tall John]

I am doing the wooden disc type signature swag. I am still working out how to put something interesting onto the wood, I am not sure if I should burn it on there, or use some kind of ink and stamp type of deal. If any crafty people out there have an idea, let me know.

Tip: if you use an ink stamp you should put a clear "sealant" layer over it. Clear nail polish works well. Not all caches are waterproof and you don't want moisture to cause your ink to smear

Ditto to that.

 

Maybe I'm just partial to the idea, but I really like the look of a hand carved stamp. I did a pair of circular stamps that I have stamped onto wooden disks. You can buy the coin blanks at your local craft store, or for a while I was cutting blanks from fallen branches. I like the rustic look the coins have, a little rough around the edges.

[+SLO Trekker]

Having run across so many caches filled with worthless trash/junk, I now look almost exclusively for signature items. I collect them, and always treat them as a trade item. I will usually pass on the paper or business card type of item, but very much enjoy finding just about anything else. I recently had my first sig item produced (wooden nickels), and it has been fun placing them in caches. I hope others enjoy finding them to add to their own collection or to move to another cache.

 

[TopangaHiker]

Having run across so many caches filled with worthless trash/junk, I now look almost exclusively for signature items. I collect them, and always treat them as a trade item. I will usually pass on the paper or business card type of item, but very much enjoy finding just about anything else. I recently had my first sig item produced (wooden nickels), and it has been fun placing them in caches. I hope others enjoy finding them to add to their own collection or to move to another cache.

 

 

SLO-Those nickels are really nice. They make me want to go hunting in CenCal just so I could get one. Really man, nice job. The message is great!

[jarvis's]

here is a pic of the handmade stars i just got done with... i have the geocache emblem on one side and " JARVIS 07" on the other side ... i think i really like the wood stained one and will make more of them

i will probably be dropping all of these off tomorrow on my labor day run to the hocking hills area in SE OHIO

[+Lil Weed Pot and Flower]

I started geocaching with a friend then got my own gps (almost immediately) and since I turn wood and make bowls and weed pots to give away to friends, I started making little weed pots and putting them in caches where there was room. I called myself Lil weed pot. My wife started with me and enjoys geocaching as much as I do. I bought some plastic flowers from the Goodwill store and glued them into the weed pots and changed my name to include my wife so we are Lil weed pot and flower. I leave them in every cache I find if there is room and occasionally take something that catches my eye. One geocacher found a couple of my weed pots and his wife liked them so well that he started following me around and gathered all the weed pots he could find, photographed them and show them on their geocache site. That makes me proud. I do make these to take by others who find them attractive.

[+elmuyloco5]

We're waiting for ours to get delivered, but the pic in is my avatar. It's just a small novelty compass (but fitting to the subject of geocaching, I think) and we will place a sticker on the back with our moniker and the site address where you can track them.

 

We're trying to figure out something inexpensive and fun for each of our three kids as well. They sometimes find something in a cache that they want to keep and we thought they would have fun placing their special stuff in as well, instead of just basic swag items. We've found a few more "compass" items that are different, like a compass ring, for our daughter. We're throwing around the idea currently, so we'll see.

 

We always look for sig items and like to collect them as the make the sport more personable. To us, it is most definitely not a waste of money.

[+EngMaxx]

I am going to make some signature swag! Cool!

[jmundinger]

They aren't signature, but they are handmade - I have left flies that I have tied in caches. Considering this thread, perhaps I should do that more often.

[+onfire4jesus]

I like the idea of custom made keychains. I would probably grab one and send it to my daughter who collects keychains.

 

However, I've never understood people who leave business cards. Personally it seems like they just clutter up caches. Poker chips and wooden nickels, no matter how well decorated seem just as bad to me.

 

I guess some people like them, though, so I just ignore them.

[+MakoKidd]

I guess after reading this post that my "signature" item isn't really a signature item at all. I had picked up a bunch of keychains that are relevant to the area and have a real Geo-Caching look and feel to them. But I never put my name on them.

 

I am blessed with living in the state of Hawaii and we have visitors that geocache here from all over the world. So my Sig Swag is a keychain that says "Paradise on Earth - Hawaii" and it has a little marble sized globe on it that spins. It's a nice heavy pewter piece and I will try to leave it in all the caches that I come across. My only hope is that the locals will leave it for our visiting guests.

 

That's my 2 cents,

 

MakoKidd

[+krinks]

My wife and I had a bunch of pens made up for our wedding. Since we had to order bulk, and that came out to WAY more pens than guests, we take the pens caching with us and leave them in caches. We figure, if people want them, they can take them, and if not, they can always use them to write on.

 

We've left them in a number of caches in Ontario, as well as in France and Scotland.

 

The pens just have our names, and our wedding date on them, but it's enough to say "We were here."

[+CTYankee9]

Simple plastic poker chips with water resistant labels placed on the with graphics of your choice, these are mine, my caching K9, and my Son's:

 

 

Fairly simple to make and graphics are limitless, so they can be unique to you. I also do two "series" of 6 each of them in a fantasy and a fish motif, for those that like to try and collect them by going to caches that I have visited.

[+Snoogans]

My daughter and I are kinda new to geocaching. We have been making beaded keychains with a tag that states 'swag made by...'. Do people really like signature swag, I mean is it worth the trouble? What kinds of signature items are out there? What do you like to find? TIA.

 

Also, if you do leave signature swag...do you leave it at all caches that have room for swag, or do you pick and choose where you leave these items?

 

Sigs are all I collect from caches.

 

I try to leave a sig item in EVERY cache I visit.

 

I have 13 new sigs. I bought a coin smasher and it's loads of fun.

 

Here are my favorites:

 

 

The rest of my designs can be seen in my profile gallery.

Edited September 5, 2007 by Snoogans

[+muddy frogs]

We make things like this out of bakeable clay.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v469/Dug...nt=af88bd11.pbw

[+Shriekback]

I personally collect the wooden nickel sigs that people have. I have my own, of course and am definitely going to take up the habit of sealing them! Great idea! Thanks!

[+mothramom]

I was thinking about making hemp GPSr lanyards but I hate to leave in just ANY cache, maybe just the "good"ones....

[dssoren]

I've started leaving the same thing in each cache I find (that can hold it). I'd like to hear some feedback if anyone has found any of these or if they would find this interesting.

 

I have a limited # of 20mm shell casings that were shot from an F-15E in combat in Iraq back in November 2004. They were used to support coalition ground forces as they swept through the Iraqi town of Fallujah.

 

We live in NC and this part of the country is pretty big into the military with all the bases nearby so we thought some of the folks might like this unique item.

[jarvis's]

where can you get a penny smasher at?? ebay dont have any.... and if they dont have any i dont know where to turn ... lol

[+GSVNoFixedAbode]

 

Folding geocube just under 3cm on a side although many caches these days are too small to fit them

That reminds me - I must put time aside to make some more.

[+kd7ctv]

I am going to start using the wooden nickels, I had two stamps made. One is of a compass rose for one side, The other says "You've been swagged KD7CTV" on it for the other side. Cost me 17.00 to have the stamps made for me. The look pretty good, and I am going to put a sealer on them. I'll get pics soon..

[+LDove]

I love collecting signature swag too and also making it. I have made inexpensive jewlery pins with beads with the geocaching colors, see this link for a CAT to go with your Tiger name. With Tiger, you could also use tiger's eyes beads or stones for something in your hand made items, then they would go with your name. tiger pin

We made very inexpensive small first aid kits (a safety pin, bandaid, paperclip, rubberband and an alcohol wipe/handwipe), dove pins, and now pathtags. One suggestion to anybody who leaves swag including the business cards that always get ruined, put them in some 2x3 plastic baggies - available at any hobby store. They even come in larger size for bigger swag. We print out stickers with our name on them, put them inside the bag (so they don't get wet), seal them and then the person knows who they are from. We have also seen those 2x3 bags used for "cache cash" where a team put assorted change in rather than just dumping it inside the cache. We also brought back foreign coins from Mexico worth only a penny, put a note in about where it was from along with a printed Mexican flag and leave those. Whatever you decide to do, just make sure to protect your hard work with the plastic and very inexpensive baggies! Have fun and I would love to find one of your handmade items!

[+Redcap the Druid]

I love collecting sig items, short of geocoins, they are my favorite item to find in a cache. I even have one of those awesome little black "Thrak" buttons

 

I have ordered some personal geonickels of my own in the past but they went too quickly! I recently ordered two stamps so that I can make wooden nickels on my own that look sharp.

 

Sig items are the best... especially the handmade ones!

Edited September 12, 2007 by Redcap the Druid

[+Redcap the Druid]

I've started leaving the same thing in each cache I find (that can hold it). I'd like to hear some feedback if anyone has found any of these or if they would find this interesting.

 

I have a limited # of 20mm shell casings that were shot from an F-15E in combat in Iraq back in November 2004. They were used to support coalition ground forces as they swept through the Iraqi town of Fallujah.

 

We live in NC and this part of the country is pretty big into the military with all the bases nearby so we thought some of the folks might like this unique item.

 

I recently found some spent 20mm casings in a cache at Hell's Half Acre in Idaho. The keeds and I thought that they were great and they came home with us. I think that military stuff being left in caches is a great idea, especially with a history of service in Fallujah! Good stuff.

Edited September 12, 2007 by Redcap the Druid

[+Cryptid]

I leave these, I make them myself

[+Tyger4]

Back on this signature swag issue again...sorry to drag it out. I have looked at making poker chips, wooden nickels, pathtags, etc. Most of those are a bit expensive. We have a group of 3 adults and 4 kids....that is alot to do. Each person wants their own signature item.

 

Right now daughter Lil_red and I do beaded lizard keychains. I have also made some hemp cord, leather lace, rex lace keychains. My friend and I both have made handmade beaded keychains as well.

 

Many times our items will not fit in the smaller cache containers.

 

Ok, so...should we just stick with the beaded lizard keychains? Should we stick with the variety of handmade stuff? Should we get some sort of signature coin (wooden nickel, pathtag, etc)? Should we do a combo of all of the above? What do you think? What would you like to see in the swag?

 

ttfn

Donna

[+LDove]

Try orientaltradingpost.com and put in the word tiger. They have everything from pencils to sunglasses to 12 tiger print coin purses for 5 bucks! They have tiger/animal print slap bracelets - cheap. I also saw zoo animal charms 36 for 5 dollars. Tiger eye beads/chips which could make some cool bracelets or necklaces. Design a neat "tiger" sticker and put each item in a bag so they know who left them, that is what we do! Have fun!

[+Scare Force One]

I have these wooden "coins" with my name and info on it. I leave it anywhere I can and the best part is, they fit into 35mm film canisters for all the wal-mart micros I can find. They cost about 20 cents percoin.

 

~.~Scare Force One

[+VirginiaGator]

Currently, we use pencils. I don't usually take anyone's sig item. But the ones that drive me nuts are the business cards. They seem to usually be tucked in the log book. Seems they always fall out and on the ground when I'm signing. At that point, I just toss them in the bag with the log book. Maybe business card people could carry a mini stapler and staple in the log book?

[+Jackalgirl]

Great topic!

 

I love the idea of the 20mm casings. It's cool when there's a story like that attached to an item. : )

 

My signature items (at present) are copies of photos of areas near the caches I've found (you can see some of them in my gallery); I bought some small zip-lock baggies at the local 100 Yen store and the photos are sized to fit darn near perfectly into the bags. I then label the back with the name of the cache near which the photo was taken. I've got grand plans to make shrinky-dink versions of them, and think I might end up making either keychains or bookmarks by combining them with the pathtags I just ordered. I've also thought about making shrinky-dink earrings based on the various species of dragonflies in Misawa -- I want my items to tie into the thing I like about geocaching, which at present is the fact that I get to discover really neat places.

 

I have also enjoyed looking over sigitem.com and its picture list of stuff. There are some good ideas in there (and, sob, I see that shrinky-dink photos have already been done!). : )

[+trail hound]

Here's mine, Golf pencils and dog tags

 

[JASTA 11]

We are big supporters of the CITO thing. We take small plastic containers and put in a trash bag and a latex-free glove inside. Then we put a label on the outside that has a CITO logo and our Avatar on it. Our hope is that it will be used to do some CITO on the way out and will then be a sort of 'collectable'. We also put special CITO kits in our caches. Both our caches are level 5's, so the CITO kits have a special photo of the terrain on one side, our Avatar on the other, and include the GC waypoint number and coordinates. Kind of a 'Proof we were there Prize'.

Edited November 7, 2007 by JASTA 11

[+PlantAKiss]

I leave (when I remember to) handmade signature cards with photos I've taken on woodland travels and on the back there is a paragraph telling a little about the animal/bug/plant/fungus on the front of the card. I'm hoping to teach someone something they didn't know about nature.

 

Lots of very cool sig items in this thread....talented, creative people.

[+gargamouse]

I sew draw string bags and place hand drawn/marked wooden objects in them. I love to find signature swag! I used to place my signature swag in every cache but now I only trade for other signature swag. I like to hear from anyone who likes it. So far I have only heard from two people.

 

[+Jackalgirl]

Had an idea, one that I can't execute here in Misawa: if you've got a local paint-your-own-pottery place, get yourself a custom rubber stamp (or two) made at the local Kinko's, then use it at the aforementioned PYOP place to apply glaze to pottery pieces. The stores in my hometown (Columbus, Ohio) would usually sell smaller pieces such as to be made into tree ornaments, and I imagine that if you wanted to go for micro pieces the store could probably order you some small bisque squares used for mosaic.

 

We won't be back Stateside for another couple of years, but I'll probably play with the idea when we're back.

[NightShift79]

lately we have been toying with the idea of starting to leave signature swag. i found some cow keychains online that have caught my eye and i was wondering this: is it enough to leave the item in each cache as it is, or should it have our name and location printed on/attatched to it to be considered "signature" swag?

[+Rontro]

I leave "Rontro" lizards in caches as my SWAG. I have quite a few comments on them. At least people know I was there.