More SWAG discussion

[IanNMissy]

Ok - I was readig the topic on how to tr yo keep 'ggod swag' in your caches, and this got me to thinking while I wait for Magellan to send me my unit....

 

What do you carry with you as swag? If you bring the kids, do you head to the dollar store, and let them pick a few things, or no? As an adult, do you subscribe to the 'calling card' type swag, or are you constantly looking for little trinkets and such to leave?

 

I, like many others don't exactly have a ton of cash to spend on 'nice' swag like mini mag-lights, or CD's, or what have you. I have started to read more about coins, and some of those are inexpensive enough, (once you pay for the setup, etc) but the design then becomes the problem. (And not entirely kid-friendly)

 

So it goes out to the trest of you - If you do trade, what is it? What about the kids?

[+gcfishguy]

I've had good luck hitting up my employer for swag items. I work for a phone company, and they have tons of hand-outs that they give away at functions, trade shows, etc.

 

Free advertising for my company, and free swag for me.

 

Items include, small frisbee's (about 4" across), caribeeners with a small compass and LED light on them, pins, those little retractable clip-on zip dealies for holding car keys or ID badges, little folding lawn chairs designed to sit on your desk or coffee table and hold your cell phone or remote control and so on.

 

Other places to get swag would be trade shows or home and leisure shows, boat shows, etc. Not saying to hit them all and scoop all the stuff you can, but companies are always handing out free little trinkets that would make good swag.

 

I've pretty much stopped trading since the kids are at the age where their interests include anything but caching, but I always carry a full swag-bag, and often drop a half dozen or so items into a cache that has room and is looking depleted. I remember the sad look on my little girls face when we'd open a cache and find some moldy calling cards, a golf ball and some leaves. The people that bring small kids with them sure appreciate a well-stocked cache. It's not what it's all about, but it sure goes a long way to keeping the kids wanting to go find the next one.

[+tango501]

I have asked many retailers that sell GPS units to donate anything with company logo for swag

I explain what it will be used for and I usually walk out with a bag of goodies at no cost

 

pretty cool

[+Allanon]

Personally, I carry nothing. I don't trade anymore as most caches don't have anything in them that I would want.

[Penguin_ar]

I carry some foreign coins (mostly Irish, where I am from), and I also look at garage sale for inexpensive unusual swag I have my fist pathtag in production now, so that will become my signature item to use as swag or simply leave in caches I like.

[+Chrysalides]

I carry some foreign coins (mostly Irish, where I am from), and I also look at garage sale for inexpensive unusual swag I have my fist pathtag in production now, so that will become my signature item to use as swag or simply leave in caches I like.

I was typing in a reply yesterday when I got distracted and never completed...

 

I have my own tags as well. They're a little expensive for getting started ($100 or so for the first 50, about $1 each for subsequent orders). You can get someone to design them for you for about $25. You can also order them in smaller quantities from a generic design (google for "pathtag club") but then they're just like generic swag instead of a signature item.

 

A cheaper alternative (setup cost is high though) are poker chips, wooden nickels.

 

Foreign coins - I like to leave those too. If you want to be fancy about it, get cardboard 2x2 coin holders. There's a mylar window in the center. You put the coin in, fold it over and staple it close. You can write your ID on it and make it a signature item. One cacher (sorry, can't remember his ID) leaves old Roman coins.

 

I search eBay occasionally for pins in big quantity lots whenever I run low. I left a bunch of US flag pins in caches in Asia when I was there earlier in the year.

[+Bergie Bunch]

Poker chips are cheap and easy. I bought 1500 for $50.00, and use Avery stickers for theface and reverse, they run $16.00/400. I sell custom chips for .75 each., minimum order, 25. It is an inexpensive alternative. You can also use the same decal on wooden nickles. Buy the blanks, make your own. See the wooden nickle trading thread!

[IanNMissy]

That's a great idea.. Poker Chips or Wooden Nickels... I saw that the local group in MN has had some of those made.. haven't gotten too involved yet, just been thinking about it more since my unit has been dead.. which has now been rectified Thanks REI!