EcoCacher3 Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 My family and I are going to start geocaching again, but we don't know what to use for trade items. Last time we used the cheap army men figures from the dollar store and other things like that. Now we want to use some a little more valuble, but not to expensive. We also want to try to use mostly ecofriendly items. If anyone has any ideas they would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment
+ras_oscar Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 what would you like to find? Personally, I don't really do it for the swag. I started with a handfull of trinkets at the dollar store and now have a selection of things I traded for. Nothing i expect to keep, it's just swag for the next cache. The kids think it's exciting to see "what's in the box" and I teach them that they need to leave something better than they take. One good source is my kids' desk drawer. If they go with me and want to trade, i have them open up their drawers and grab a few things. Next time you're in the dollar store, or 5 below, or lowes, and you see one of those "impulse" racks that are near the check out, glance over and see if there's anything that says to you " that's cool" if the price is right pick up a couple. Quote Link to comment
+flask Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 something handmade that's distinctively yours is always a nice way to go. it don't gotta be fancy. Quote Link to comment
EcoCacher3 Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 Thanks for the advice. What I just realized is that the dollar store that we always went to just recently closed! Any way, I guess I'll just have to find somewhere else to by my geocaching tradables. Quote Link to comment
+Chrysalides Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 My family and I are going to start geocaching again, but we don't know what to use for trade items. Last time we used the cheap army men figures from the dollar store and other things like that. Now we want to use some a little more valuble, but not to expensive. We also want to try to use mostly ecofriendly items. If anyone has any ideas they would be greatly appreciated. You can have pathtags (google for it) custom made - around $100 for 50, $50 for each subsequent 50. Cheaper alternatives : custom poker chips (with stickers), wooden nickels. I've bought large lots of pins on eBay for about a quarter each. You can custom make pins too but I've no experience. Another alternative - get the pin and clasp from some place like Michaels, and glue them to buttons to make your own pins. It'll be more expensive than the bulk eBay pins though. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Right now I'm leaving hand warmers. Bought a box of them on sale and the price for each pair came out to 50 cents. Inexpensive and useful. I the summer I often leave packets Off! insect repellent wipes. I buy a few boxes of them on sale and it comes to about 60 cents per packet. Inexpensive and useful. Other favorites of mine are emergency rain ponchos (87 cents at a popular discount department store) and waterproof match containers (97 cents) . Quote Link to comment
+Water-Rats Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 We've just started and have dug through the house for suitable thingies (trying to avoid junk and Mctoys )We have a reasonable pile including some dangle-lys to attach to your GPS (we make jewelry so.... ) Quote Link to comment
+mfamilee Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 A winning lottery ticket. Quote Link to comment
+jcar Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I ask for a roll of dollar coins at the bank. I leave one here or there, and if I have my kids along I can leave a few if they actually trade. Quote Link to comment
+SerenityFound Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 What about purchasing a sheet of the latest collectible stamps from the post office and a bunch of small plastic bags. Cut the stamps individually and bag them like little collector's items. Love the dollar coin idea... I may use that! Quote Link to comment
Mr.Yuck Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 (edited) Carabiners and assorted Chinese coins, all from dollar stores. Everyone loves them. Probably not, but too bad. Edited February 8, 2009 by TheWhiteUrkel Quote Link to comment
+VO2WW Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I have left about 180 of 225 Pathtags, about the same of silver or trade dollars with VO2WW stamped on them, maybe 100 small wooden scroll sawed animal cutouts. I also left well over 100 commerative or large coins from non North American countries, a lot of crests and lapel pins. I seldom trade but often add Dollar Store items that are waterproof and won't rust. I ask friends for suitable trinkets and drop them off as well. Quote Link to comment
+BrrrMo Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 A whistle for signalling, or an inexpensive compass, in case someone forgot extra batteries. My daughter placed an approx. 2 X 2.5 X 3/8" piece of finely sanded cedar in one Cache we found. Since then we have seen it in four other Caches. I also place various items I have found metal detecting, Black powder bullets, interesting metal pieces of harness. The list is never ending. Many times I leave something but take nothing. Quote Link to comment
+BBI Dragon Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 When I first started caching, just several months ago, the concept of swag/trade items was interesting to me. I read the forums, did some research and ended up buying some Shrinky Dink material that was made to run through a PC printer. It was also thicker that the usual stuff and when shrunk, was thick and durable enough to make fobs for key chains, zipper pulls, that sort of thing. You have drill a hole through them before shrinking and after, spray them with a layer or two of clear coating to make them water resistant. These turned out nicely and you can do pretty much anything your imagination and graphic skills would allow. But after a while I realized I would be spending a lot of time just making these trade items as I was caching more often and finding hides. I also really didn't need more "stuff" around here, as in taking trade items. For the kids, I think it's a really fun idea to include trade items with Geocaching. As an adult, not so much. The most useful "adult" trade item I've takes was a small pad of Sticky Notes. Quote Link to comment
+We Gotta Hunt Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I always have a bag of "hotwheels" cars in my backpack.I put each one in a small ziplock bag to keep it from rusting.What kid dont like hotwheels?? And of course we have other stuff too but the cars you can get cheap Quote Link to comment
Crab_Soul Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I always have a bag of "hotwheels" cars in my backpack.I put each one in a small ziplock bag to keep it from rusting.What kid dont like hotwheels?? And of course we have other stuff too but the cars you can get cheap dont put transformers in caches... i will most likely keep them... Quote Link to comment
+BCandMsKitty Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I accidentally came across what I think is pretty good swag. There is a coin shop in town and he has some "misc" boxes where you can root through the old coins and take your pick of the coins in them. One box was 5 coins for $1, another was 10 coins for $1. I picked a bunch of old pennies ... the ones that are about the size of a 50 cent piece, and there were also a lot of old european coins, also about the size of a 50 cent piece. Quite inexpensive, but IMO, cool swag. I would love to figure out how I could turn these into a signature item. Maybe get some coin sleeves (like you find geocoins in) and put our logo in the second pouch ... hmmmm.... Quote Link to comment
Crab_Soul Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I accidentally came across what I think is pretty good swag. There is a coin shop in town and he has some "misc" boxes where you can root through the old coins and take your pick of the coins in them. One box was 5 coins for $1, another was 10 coins for $1. I picked a bunch of old pennies ... the ones that are about the size of a 50 cent piece, and there were also a lot of old european coins, also about the size of a 50 cent piece. Quite inexpensive, but IMO, cool swag. I would love to figure out how I could turn these into a signature item. Maybe get some coin sleeves (like you find geocoins in) and put our logo in the second pouch ... hmmmm.... would be pretty nice if you could make an old treasure box cache to put all the coins in! Quote Link to comment
+scubahhh Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Livestrong wrist bands, a $1 donation each. www.livestrong.org Quote Link to comment
+CapeDoc Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Choose the amount you want to leave, and get gift vouchers for a popular store. Why not be impulsive and leave something valuable? Random acts of kindness can only be a good thing! Pity most don't adhere to trading up/even. i have just started an experimental cache that strictly controls the trading and the value of the cache has increased quite nicely! (One of the items i put in there was a new Maglight). The cache seems quite well received too. I like useful items. Cut up a chamois leather into smallish squares to be used as glasses cleaners, packet of cable ties, a roll of string.... Quote Link to comment
GPS-Hermit Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 A deck of playing cards goes real fast, Refrigerator magnets that look like push pins - Walmart - Staples Garden hose repair part - Lowes Clever Screw driver devices / any tool Animal tracts brochure Compass that works Knot tying charts Batteries in a box of 4 from Sams - fresh ones. Golf Balls - clean and nice - not old and cut Squirt Guns for kids - parents love it. Free passes to nearby Movies. Music cds Flash Drives are getting cheaper now - FTF Melted wedding ring! Anything you think of that is useful, probably IS! Be creative! NO Food - NO LIQUIDS of any kind - no smelly items - Nothin vulgar or hateful No seeds - they smell like food to animals - I found 2 Caches trashed by animals Nothing soiled or broken Nothing pointless! Quote Link to comment
+DarkZen Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 I always hit garage sales, especially ones where they are selling kid stuff. The best thing I like to find is batteries! Quote Link to comment
+Chrysalides Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Melted wedding ring! Nothing soiled or broken Nothing pointless! Just out of curiosity, wouldn't a melted wedding ring be either considered broken or pointless? And where to get a steady supply of melted wedding rings that doesn't cost a fortune for their precious metal contents? Quote Link to comment
+manicgecko Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Amazingly I have had good responses by leaving ice cube sized re-usable ice cubes and marbles. It doesn't take much but make sure you trade equal or up. Quote Link to comment
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