Let's get personal

[+Lemon Fresh Dog]

There was a thread awhile back on "what makes a geocoin a geocoin?" - it comes up every-so-often.

 

There have also been some threads on the history of coins.

 

These have gotten me thinking.

 

When I first started caching, the concept of a "Signature Item" was (or seemed to be) more popular. The purpose of the Signature item was to basically have something that you could place in select caches to say "it was me that was here and this further proves it!" (the log does too).

 

There were some cool items! Wands, staffs, shot glasses, etc. If nothing else, there was a business card or some such item.

 

To my way of thinking - this is what geocoins started out as. Something unique to a cacher (or caching organization) that was a "calling card" and placed in caches.

 

Now, of course, they have morphed. They are signature items, they are trackables, they are collectables, they are inside jokes, they are trade items, they are.... it goes on and on.

 

The reason I mention it is that I really like the original intent of the geocoins. The personals (even non-trackable - gasp!) In fact, I might even prefer a non-trackable personal traded in person or found in a cache to a more ... um.... "commercial" coin. Even regardless of design.

 

What are your thoughts?

 

The other reason I bring this up is that I am interested in signature items beyond coins and am in the process of "shaking things up" with a plan for this spring around the idea. I'm not "handy" so I can't knit, whittle, or carve a signature item, but I have an idea. In fact, my first signature item is called a "geocoin", but it's not really - it's a "Geo-bone". For some reason it's gotten lumped into the coin world That's cool.

 

What are your favourite signature items? (is the coin forum a place to even post the question?)

[+TeamEccs21]

We have a personal coin (trackable) and some pathtags, but the thing thatwe like the most are our wooden calling cards. We were going to order some wooden nickels when we saw these and every one who gets one has said what a great item it is.

[+GATOULIS]

We have a personal coin (trackable) and some pathtags, but the thing thatwe like the most are our wooden calling cards. We were going to order some wooden nickels when we saw these and every one who gets one has said what a great item it is.

 

Wooden calling cards? What are these?? when you say calling cards... you mean phone cards???

[+Jackalgirl]

We have a personal coin (trackable) and some pathtags, but the thing thatwe like the most are our wooden calling cards. We were going to order some wooden nickels when we saw these and every one who gets one has said what a great item it is.

 

Wooden calling cards? What are these?? when you say calling cards... you mean phone cards???

 

I'm guessing not. In the past, when you called on (that is to say, visited) someone, you left them a calling card. It's like a business card, but it's personal.

[+Team Olsson]

We like tradingitems, but here we live there are not many of those.

We have made our own signature pins that we put in all caches we find.

This year we made 100 and 2 of them we have dropped in caches in Chicago.

Waiting for next years pin that are ordered.

[+Lemon Fresh Dog]

Some of my favourites are:

 

Keila's shotglass

Team 360's kokopelli rock

The Geolens (very cool)

 

In the days of HAM radio, it was common to send a "calling" or "signal" card to the folks you spoke with. In many radio rooms, the walls were filled with these cards. I'm not sure if they still do this - I haven't really ever gotten into HAM radio - maybe I should.

 

I've always wanted one of the staffs or wands that I used to see on the forums about 4 years ago.

 

Some of the "coins" that I like are ones like the Kootney Pirates wooden ones. I don't have a complete set, but they used to do 4 a year for a number of years (not sure how many years). They were lot's of fun! (actually, their "real" coin they did in 2005/6 is really stunning as well).

[+Butterfly_lady]

....

 

In the days of HAM radio, it was common to send a "calling" or "signal" card to the folks you spoke with. In many radio rooms, the walls were filled with these cards. I'm not sure if they still do this - I haven't really ever gotten into HAM radio - maybe I should...........

 

 

Known as QSL cards - mostly postcard size.

You filled one in for each long distance contact (usually on HF frequencies)

Then you collected them all up.

You handed them over to your club QSL manager.

They got sent into a national collating manager.

They got sorted and sent to a regional manager,

They then got sub-sorted to another destination national manager.

Then they got sub-sorted to an area manager.

They they got sub-sorted to a club QSL manager.

And then, if you happened to go to the club meeting you got your QSL cards.

 

Process could take years.......

I think 3 years is the longest I ever got one after a QSO (contact), but it was invalid. I never made that contact - the sender put the wrong call sign on the card!

 

 

ps......... HAM radio is still around!

[+DJ.J.ROCK]

We love sig items,, we have found alot of different types,from cards to wooden nickles to lil wooden figures with writing on them,,and also have a collection board for them,,,please refer to my "show how you cherish"thread for pics of my board.

We have also done a few in-expensave sigs for our selfs-- we used the "would you rather game quiz cards"and cut them in half and signed each one with our caching names,and a tftc and the year,, there are about 50 of those out,,and close to 100 pokerchips signed artsy style on them,,and we have about 7 sig wooden signs we ingrave and color and design each one diffferent,,each one takes about an hour or more to make, but we hope others like them....?

[8ball9ball]

I like the various wooden nickel signature items, but the one signature item that is pretty neat is Miatabug's. Although I have seen some nice laminated signature cards.

[+TeamEccs21]

We have a personal coin (trackable) and some pathtags, but the thing thatwe like the most are our wooden calling cards. We were going to order some wooden nickels when we saw these and every one who gets one has said what a great item it is.

 

Wooden calling cards? What are these?? when you say calling cards... you mean phone cards???

 

I'm guessing not. In the past, when you called on (that is to say, visited) someone, you left them a calling card. It's like a business card, but it's personal.

 

I should have said sig card, same size as a business card, but made from wafer thin wood.

[+webscouter.]

My favorite sig item was by a cacher named clatmandu. He had climbed Mt Everest and while in Nepal had some Tibetian prayer flags flown for his climb. He then brought them back to the US and would leave them with a clear calling card that explained the significance of the flags. I still have mine that I drove several hundred miles for.

[+LadeBear68]

My favorite sig item was by a cacher named clatmandu. He had climbed Mt Everest and while in Nepal had some Tibetian prayer flags flown for his climb. He then brought them back to the US and would leave them with a clear calling card that explained the significance of the flags. I still have mine that I drove several hundred miles for.

 

Clatmandu made a nontrackable coin that shows some of the flags flying. One of my favorite geocoins, I keep it with his card and flag.

[+ECplus3]

My favorite sig item was by a cacher named clatmandu. He had climbed Mt Everest and while in Nepal had some Tibetian prayer flags flown for his climb. He then brought them back to the US and would leave them with a clear calling card that explained the significance of the flags. I still have mine that I drove several hundred miles for.

 

Clatmandu made a nontrackable coin that shows some of the flags flying. One of my favorite geocoins, I keep it with his card and flag.

 

Wow! That's a great calling card! My cousin and I had planned to go to Nepal 10 years ago and climb to Everest bast camp (we didn't have the money or the inclination to climb Everest itself). But then there was the massacre in the royal family, the Maoists started bombing tourist targets, my father fell ill, I got married, had three kids...

 

It's now looking like Nepal is going to be some place I go after I retire... if I can convince my wife that it would be fun!

 

The best personal item I have is the one that was sent to me by Geo.Error. Each one is fashioned as much to be a sig item for the person receiving it as it is for Geo.Error. Mine has a Delft-style picture of a Dutch girl in traditional clothes, because I'm such a fan of all things Dutch (including my wife )

[+Cav Scout]

I have two of the wands I think you are mentioning here. These are one of my favorite signature items I have in my personal collection "wand of revelation". They are from the geocacher called worker of wood.

 

 

Some of my favourites are:

 

I've always wanted one of the staffs or wands that I used to see on the forums about 4 years ago.

[+Lemon Fresh Dog]

Nice! Worker of Wood also had a wonderful coin made with a little magnetic part that came off.

 

The prayer flags are very, very cool as well.

 

To me - these things really "speak" to the exploration part of caching that I like. I'm not sure how many of you are both armchair explorers and real-world explorers locally or when you can. Items like this remind me of the special joy I get when I read National Geographic, look at a map, check out a documentary. Caching at it's best does the same.

[+darnjoeSNARG]

I love pathtags, especially if I find them in a cache or get them personally from a cacher.

 

I'll be having some of my own made soon enough....darn house needs to sell first!

[+geocachingdragon]

The wands and flags sound were cool. They are both some serious swag.