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


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

 

This one created by hobgoblinkiteflier

 

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

 

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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 by The Blorenges
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Hey! :P That's mine! B)

 

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!

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Hey! :P That's mine! ;)

 

Glad you liked it...

 

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

 

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

 

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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. B) ]

 

MrsB

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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.

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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.

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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 :D 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 :P

but we are trying to find something better B)

 

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

Edited by burtsbodgers
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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! :anibad:

 

My first tag:

 

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

 

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Obviously, I used this one around Christmastime:

 

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Dropped in caches while on a cruise holiday:

 

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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

 

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Joint project for our trip to UK Mega 2

 

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

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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.

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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 :lol:

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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. :lol:

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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)

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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

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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. :blink:

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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......

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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.

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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 :huh:

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