"Named" signature items used by U.K. cachers.

[+The Blorenges]

Whilst in Scotland a couple of weeks ago we came across two "named" signature items in caches.

 

This one created by hobgoblinkiteflier

 

 

 

and this smiley rock (there's writing on the reverse that reads, "Happy geocaching - Nuala Hoops.")

 

 

 

I was just wondering what other named signature items have been found around the U.K. I'm aware that certain cachers leave specific little swap items (e.g. the well-known LED torch keyrings, latex gloves, gecko toys etc) but what other ones do you know of that include the geocaching account name?

 

MrsB

Edited September 4, 2009 by The Blorenges

[+figures]

I do think that if Dr Solly ever stops caching the company that makes those LED torch keyrings is gonna go out of business

[+SidAndBob]

One of our local cachers has a thing about fruit.

[+*mouse*]

One of our local cachers has a thing about fruit.

Got three of these now! The decorate the dashboard of the car beautifully

[+hobgoblinkiteflier]

Hey! That's mine!

 

Glad you liked it. I got the idea from Renzo's Custom Cache web page. He has loads of ideas for cheap but interesting and worthwhile swag.

 

The epoxy resin I used wasn't the best (from Poundland...) but I am going to buy some water-clear polyester resin from eBay to make some more higher quality hobgoblin trademark items. I am alsho shlowly building up a shtock of bottle capsh..., hic!

[+The Blorenges]

Hey! That's mine!

 

Glad you liked it...

 

Yep, it's very neat... and small so you can fit it into most caches.

 

I forgot to add this one, which is the Cornish cacher Gribbin's sig item...

 

 

Signature items seem to have caught on more over in USA than here in U.K. I saw a post from an American cacher who uses old British coins as his sig item: He bags up a few pennies/threepences/sixpences etc, includes a small card with his caching name and drops them into caches. From now on I'm going to look out for named signature items and swap them out when I find them in caches.

 

[Re. those orange segments, they'll soon be collector's items because I can't get any more of the same (at least, not cheaply enough). I'm putting my mind to creating a Mk II version. ]

 

MrsB

[+maw, paw + the piglets]

We always put in a piglet keyring which has been made by Piglet 2. They are the same design (more or less) as our signature piccie. Never thought to put our name on the back though. Will get her to do that on the next batch....6 blocks of Fimo just been delivered!

[+Gushoneybun]

Tizzie used to paint a Staffordshire Knot on a glass bead, I will find one as all our kids have one, each!

[+tonibunny]

Oh I'm glad you mentioned Tizzie's little bugs, they're lovely! I have two of them. I've also got a little thingybob made by Bunny Seal and a badge painted by the Boat People, which is really very special. It's so nice to find things that people have made.

 

Mrs B, I very much admire your orange too! I'm glad you've started this thread, as I was wondering what other signature items there are out there.

[+*mouse*]

This does sort of inspire me into using sig items again. I used to leave little toy mice in caches, but stopped a coulple of years ago.... I just need to think of something cheap and original.

My favourite sig item so far are The Geko's gekos. Although they're not labelled with their team name, I always think they are such a nice quality cache trade.

[+SidAndBob]

My favourite sig item so far are The Geko's gekos. Although they're not labelled with their team name, I always think they are such a nice quality cache trade.

A gecko from The Gecko's.

[+Munkeh]

One of our local cachers has a thing about fruit.

 

they has a ping pong ball fettish

[+SaltercreaseRangers]

We have gone down the PathTag route for sig items

[+grand-moff]

How much do path tags work out at and where do you get them from? I recently picked one up by Slogger 007 and they are pretty cool.

[+The Slaughter Family]

We have a keyring from Bella's Pack on the zip of our tom tom case. Want to make something for us too.

[+burtsbodgers]

Around these parts we have been visited by Tim & June, who leave there sig item.

Theirs is a TJ Bear these are purpose made teddies and are real collectors items, and are very good indication of quality caches as they only leave them in good ones. They have a new batch every year or so and are coded accordingly. We are lucky enough to have collected a couple Current stock i believe is the MK7, they have a web page dedicated to these as well.

 

As far as ourselves go at the moment, is our caching card

but we are trying to find something better

 

Here's a link hopefully www.geocaching-bears.co.uk

Edited September 5, 2009 by burtsbodgers

[+SaltercreaseRangers]

How much do path tags work out at and where do you get them from? I recently picked one up by Slogger 007 and they are pretty cool.

 

PM'd

[+Dorsetgal & GeoDog]

I tend to leave pathtags in caches I really like as my personalised signature item.

 

I designed them myself and hence not master works of art!

 

My first tag:

 

 

One I tend to leave in London for tourists or when caching abroad:

 

 

Obviously, I used this one around Christmastime:

 

 

Dropped in caches while on a cruise holiday:

 

 

I then made one of the Cerne Abbas Giant, in Dorset, but as this is a family friendly site and the tag is authentic, you'll have to imagine what it looks like!

 

Keep this one on the keyring of my trike and if I do an urban micro or something without a pen I leave this tag

 

 

Joint project for our trip to UK Mega 2

 

 

The actual tags look much better than the blueprints ... every time!

[+smstext]

where did you get them made? and how much for how many?

[+Dorsetgal & GeoDog]

where did you get them made? and how much for how many?

 

PM'd

[+drdick&vick]

I would be interested in the details as well please.

[+SaltercreaseRangers]

I would be interested in the details as well please.

 

PM'd

[+Pharisee]

where did you get them made? and how much for how many?

 

PM'd

I would be interested in the details as well please.

 

PM'd

Why the secrecy?... Why not just post the details so that anyone who's interested has the information?

[+keehotee]

Tag Qty: 50

Order Cost: $99

Excludes shipping & discounts

[+SaltercreaseRangers]

Why the secrecy?... Why not just post the details so that anyone who's interested has the information?

 

because TPTD don't seem to like mentioning these alternative 'coins' which are not Groundspeak products

[+Mr Hedgehog]

Why the secrecy?... Why not just post the details so that anyone who's interested has the information?

 

because TPTD don't seem to like mentioning these alternative 'coins' which are not Groundspeak products

 

 

Can somebody let me in on the secret too please.

Thanks

 

Richard

[+tonibunny]

This thread has inspired me, and I have just bought some bits and pieces to make my own signature items with! Watch out for them in caches around Shropshire and London soon

[+molfrew-mosstoad]

This does sort of inspire me into using sig items again. I used to leave little toy mice in caches, but stopped a coulple of years ago.... I

 

My little one used to love finding these

 

We leave a badge with our Avatar on which we get made at UKGeocachers but maybe I will look into these tags a bit more for next time.

[+martlakes]

Go on then - why are they called path tags?

[+SaltercreaseRangers]

Go on then - why are they called path tags?

 

it's their theme of Who Have You Crossed Paths With

[+muttoneer]

Can't believe I haven't seen pathtags before! Might be time to get some of these floating around the northwest

[+martlakes]

Go on then - why are they called path tags?

 

it's their theme of Who Have You Crossed Paths With

 

Thanks, I'd never heard that before - I was thinking something to do with gardening!

[+welsh_gal]

Ooohh can you let me know too please, love yours! So colourful

[+The Slaughter Family]

please pm me too as I am longing to find out now

[+Dorsetgal & GeoDog]

please pm me too as I am longing to find out now

 

PM sent.

 

Google is your friend and the number 1 offering from them will take you right to where you wish to be

[+reddeeps]

We found a tim and june bear, the kids loved them.

[+NickandAliandEliza]

We found a tim and june bear, the kids loved them.

 

We've got about 8 of the bears - from every edition I think.

[+Team Sieni]

What's accepted form with these sig items? Do you leave them where they are? (as a kind of physical log signing from the person who left it). Do you move them on? So the person's sig gets moved around? I found one of those Gribbin tags a while ago and having taken it, it sat in my caching goody bag for ages (because I didn't go caching for ages) and recently I dropped it off in another cache (in another country). But I did wonder if I'd done the right thing.

[+The Blorenges]

Treat them just like any other swap item. If you take one because you like the look of it just try and trade fairly for it - you don't have to replace it with a sig item of your own. Yes, you can move them along and drop them into another cache if you want.

 

They are not an alternative to signing the physical log - we'll always do that as well. I view them as simply an additional way of saying, "We were here - TFTC."

 

MrsB

[+Dorsetgal & GeoDog]

Treat them just like any other swap item. If you take one because you like the look of it just try and trade fairly for it - you don't have to replace it with a sig item of your own. Yes, you can move them along and drop them into another cache if you want.

 

 

I think many people think pathtags are coins and move them on, which personally I see absolutely no point in... unless the idea is for it to be seen by as many people as possible.

 

If you find one of my pathtags in a cache, AND trade fairly for it then you are welcome to keep it. (A fair trade for a pathtag made by a British cacher would be about £1 to £1.20 cost price) If you don't want it, then please leave it where it is.

 

I see absolutely no popint in moving swag from cache to cache.

[+Team Sieni]

They are not an alternative to signing the physical log - we'll always do that as well. I view them as simply an additional way of saying, "We were here - TFTC."

I didn't mean as an alternative to signing - just an adjunct - like a calling card. So I just wondered whether I should've left it in place.

 

Anyway - no harm - I swapped it on. (Rather slowly)

[+tonibunny]

I'm delighted, I started dropping my new signature bunnies in caches at the weekend and someone has just contacted me to say they picked one up and they really like it

[+ChannelFadge]

Can't believe I haven't seen pathtags before! Might be time to get some of these floating around the northwest

 

Found on here in manchester the other day...came all the way from a guy in Texas

BTW, going for your Sidetracked- Piccadilly on thursday

Edited September 16, 2009 by ChannelFadge

[+ChannelFadge]

EDIT: double post

Edited September 16, 2009 by ChannelFadge

[+minstrelcat]

There used to be a lot more named sig items around a few years ago, we collected loads, but the number had really reduced recently. It might be because the average size of cache has reduced - most wouldn't fit in a micro. Also there are a lot more caches to find now, so not many people can afford to leave a sig item in every cache they find like they used to.

 

Lisa

[+Dorsetgal & GeoDog]

There used to be a lot more named sig items around a few years ago, we collected loads, but the number had really reduced recently. It might be because the average size of cache has reduced - most wouldn't fit in a micro. Also there are a lot more caches to find now, so not many people can afford to leave a sig item in every cache they find like they used to.

 

Lisa

 

Yes, I think you are right. I do still occasionally find them though, was delighted to find a poker chip from a US cacher in Sweden earlier this year, left a pathtag in its place!

 

I have some really nice hand crafted sig items from caches in USA and have been lucky enough to find a T&J bear here too.

 

There are a few more pathtags about now than there were though, but a lot of people find them and think they are coins, I must get round to doing a little intro card with mine to explain more. However, that rather defeats the opbject of them being able to fit into most micro caches.

 

I've found 4 pathtags in the wild, and all of them were in micros.

[+Bambography]

I used to leave hand-burned wooden coins with my name etc on it. Then I realised how many caches I was doing and it became too time consuming to make lots so I stopped. I was actually thinking this morning of whether to rescue the idea and produce something new - Maybe I will.

[+*mouse*]

I used to leave hand-burned wooden coins with my name etc on it. Then I realised how many caches I was doing and it became too time consuming to make lots so I stopped. I was actually thinking this morning of whether to rescue the idea and produce something new - Maybe I will.

 

Where did you get your coins from? I thought of doing something quite simular but most of the wooden tokens are from the states and I can't find a cheap UK supplier......

[+Bambography]

I used to leave hand-burned wooden coins with my name etc on it. Then I realised how many caches I was doing and it became too time consuming to make lots so I stopped. I was actually thinking this morning of whether to rescue the idea and produce something new - Maybe I will.

 

Where did you get your coins from? I thought of doing something quite simular but most of the wooden tokens are from the states and I can't find a cheap UK supplier......

Urm, I actually got mine as blank wooden discs from Hobbycraft then used a soldering iron to burn on my logo and name. I've no idea how much they cost but in the large numbers I'd need to do them properly now I would look elsewhere.

I hear there are various places over t'pond that make/print custom designs on 'wooden nickles'. But i've never fancied that, preferring the hand-made look.

[+muttoneer]

Urm, I actually got mine as blank wooden discs from Hobbycraft then used a soldering iron to burn on my logo and name. I've no idea how much they cost but in the large numbers I'd need to do them properly now I would look elsewhere.

I hear there are various places over t'pond that make/print custom designs on 'wooden nickles'. But i've never fancied that, preferring the hand-made look.

 

What you need is a branding iron! I know you can get custom ones made in the states (for branding logos onto wood, leather etc) but I wonder if anywhere in the UK does custom ones... would save a bit of time