"Captured Swag"

[+TEAM HARTSOCK]

Just curious what you do with the swag you get...

 

I know a few people who will drop it off at other caches, some that give it to kids, others who donate it to Goodwill/Salvation Army. I had just thrown it into an ammo box till tonight. My wife went out with one of her friends and I was sitting here thinking about all that swag and the fact that we have an old hutch out in the shed with stuff we were going to yardsale. It is an antique and not in the best shape, but not terrible. She doesn't like it so it was removed from the living room when we got married.

 

Well, I got to thinking, wouldn't the swag (along with some geocoins and other special caching items) look awesome in that old hutch if I was to drag it out of the shed and stick it in the office we share (on my side of course.) I have a light to add to the inside of it so it could be properly displayed and as I kept thinking about it, I found myself down at the shed, forcing the rusty lock open and carrying this up here in a rain storm. Couldn't ask any of the kids for help for fear that there might be quick text messages sent her way alerting her of what I was doing. Well, I still have yet to add the light, but I think it is looking pretty darn nice.

 

Right now I got normal sway on the top shelf (the very top of the hutch has my cache bag and other stuff thrown up there for now, that will be changed shortly to help lessen the shock when she gets home. Should probably clean the dirt off of that too.). On the middle shelf I have a small Lock n Lock with sig items I have collected. Wooden personal sig coins, some plastic ones, other little things made in molds. Basically the stuff that people leave behind that makes it a more personal thing. On the bottom shelf, I have 4 empty ammo cans, a few other Lock n Locks and a shoe box full of swag to trade in caches. I know I have more "captured" or "found" swag somewhere....should be another ammo box of it, but not sure where I have that right now.

 

Now I have to figure out how I want to put the geocoin and pathtag collection in there...

 

I am actually enjoying it. Does anyone else display their swag???

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 12, 2009 by TEAM HARTSOCK

[Clan Riffster]

I think your hutch would make a neat ice breaker.

Guest: "What is all that stuff?"

Team Hartsock: "Lemme tell you about Geocaching..."

 

I don't trade very often. Maybe 1 cache in 20?

When I do trade, it's usually 'cuz I found something my wife or rugrats would like.

Those items go to them, to be admired, played with, etc..

On very rare occassions, I find something so kewl I add it to my collection, which is in an ammo box in my truck.

[+jasondulac]

I love what you done with that it is awsome

wonder what your wife will think

[+Don_J]

Just curious what you do with the swag you get...

 

I know a few people who will drop it off at other caches, some that give it to kids, others who donate it to Goodwill/Salvation Army.

 

Please understand, I do not mean to be critical, but that statement really jumped out at me. I have worked for The Salvation Army for 18 years, and there is nothing that I have ever seen in a cache, nor anything that is in you curio case that should ever be considered to be donated to charity. In our case, the items that are donated to us are put into our thrift stores. We would never, ever, take a chance that a child in our stores could come across any of the small, (chocking hazard) toys, that are typically found in a Geocache. When these items are donated, they go straight into the dumpster. We then have to haul it to the dump and are charged by the county for our efforts. This takes away from our efforts to help those that are truly in need.

[+Knight2000]

Now I have to figure out how I want to put the geocoin and pathtag collection in there...

 

I am actually enjoying it. Does anyone else display their swag???

Please consider using the resize feature when you host your images with imageshack. It makes the pages look tidier.

 

My kids display it all over their floor. Then I pick it up and leave it in more caches.

[+hydnsek]

Just curious what you do with the swag you get...

 

I know a few people who will drop it off at other caches, some that give it to kids, others who donate it to Goodwill/Salvation Army.

 

Please understand, I do not mean to be critical, but that statement really jumped out at me. I have worked for The Salvation Army for 18 years, and there is nothing that I have ever seen in a cache, nor anything that is in you curio case that should ever be considered to be donated to charity. In our case, the items that are donated to us are put into our thrift stores. We would never, ever, take a chance that a child in our stores could come across any of the small, (chocking hazard) toys, that are typically found in a Geocache. When these items are donated, they go straight into the dumpster. We then have to haul it to the dump and are charged by the county for our efforts. This takes away from our efforts to help those that are truly in need.

I'm glad Goodwill doesn't have that policy. I buy swag for my caches there, and a lot of it looks like what's in those pictures. Get some great deals on bags of small stuff for a coupla bucks.

[+The Blorenges]

Team Hartsock, I love your display cabinet - it looks great!

 

MrsB

[+TEAM HARTSOCK]

Just curious what you do with the swag you get...

 

I know a few people who will drop it off at other caches, some that give it to kids, others who donate it to Goodwill/Salvation Army.

 

Please understand, I do not mean to be critical, but that statement really jumped out at me. I have worked for The Salvation Army for 18 years, and there is nothing that I have ever seen in a cache, nor anything that is in you curio case that should ever be considered to be donated to charity. In our case, the items that are donated to us are put into our thrift stores. We would never, ever, take a chance that a child in our stores could come across any of the small, (chocking hazard) toys, that are typically found in a Geocache. When these items are donated, they go straight into the dumpster. We then have to haul it to the dump and are charged by the county for our efforts. This takes away from our efforts to help those that are truly in need.

 

It is interesting that you state that because I noticed something the other day when I went to the Salvation Army Store in Altoona, Pa. Salvation Army stores are rare around here, at least as far as I have seen. Altoona is the only one that I know of, I think Lewistown might have one that is open at certain times, but that is in the basement of the meeting building (I think) and not a seperate store like the Altoona one. But what I noticed is that in the toy section everything was individually bagged and hanging on hooks. At Goodwill, everything is placed on shelves. The Salvation Army's stock looked alot nicer and I assume would be more presentable as far as it being cleaned and properly cared for before going out to the floor. And the selection was not as much, assuming that comes from the policy that you stated above. However, there were games and such that would pose just as much as of a choking hazzard as any little McToy would but that could come down to a tit for tat thing.

 

One thing that did really stick out to me was the prices. Things there at the Salvation army seemed to be priced much higher than what Goodwill does. Probably to help cover the overcost of what you stated. Now I am not being smart, but if the purpose of these two stores is to make a profit to help people in need and to provide a product where people who don't have much can afford things, then the issue you mentioned actually seems to be counter productive to that mission. Personally, if the Salvation Army doesn't want to deal with those items then instead of throwing them out, why not take them over to your Goodwill drop off station, let them deal with it, and at the very least those items will be used to help someone instead of ending up in a landfill. Those people who donated those items will have the fulfillment of thier desire to help someone instead of it going to a landfill. (and before anyone says anything, yes, I realize some people will use the donation and drop off points to get rid of junk instead of properly doing it themselves.)

 

All in all, both groups do alot to help others and I am glad for both of them. I take no offense to your comment above and feel that both groups serve a purpose in what they do. Thanks for being a part of an organization that is dedicated to reaching out and helping others.

[+Don_J]

Just curious what you do with the swag you get...

 

I know a few people who will drop it off at other caches, some that give it to kids, others who donate it to Goodwill/Salvation Army.

 

Please understand, I do not mean to be critical, but that statement really jumped out at me. I have worked for The Salvation Army for 18 years, and there is nothing that I have ever seen in a cache, nor anything that is in you curio case that should ever be considered to be donated to charity. In our case, the items that are donated to us are put into our thrift stores. We would never, ever, take a chance that a child in our stores could come across any of the small, (chocking hazard) toys, that are typically found in a Geocache. When these items are donated, they go straight into the dumpster. We then have to haul it to the dump and are charged by the county for our efforts. This takes away from our efforts to help those that are truly in need.

 

It is interesting that you state that because I noticed something the other day when I went to the Salvation Army Store in Altoona, Pa. Salvation Army stores are rare around here, at least as far as I have seen. Altoona is the only one that I know of, I think Lewistown might have one that is open at certain times, but that is in the basement of the meeting building (I think) and not a seperate store like the Altoona one. But what I noticed is that in the toy section everything was individually bagged and hanging on hooks. At Goodwill, everything is placed on shelves. The Salvation Army's stock looked alot nicer and I assume would be more presentable as far as it being cleaned and properly cared for before going out to the floor. And the selection was not as much, assuming that comes from the policy that you stated above. However, there were games and such that would pose just as much as of a choking hazzard as any little McToy would but that could come down to a tit for tat thing.

 

One thing that did really stick out to me was the prices. Things there at the Salvation army seemed to be priced much higher than what Goodwill does. Probably to help cover the overcost of what you stated. Now I am not being smart, but if the purpose of these two stores is to make a profit to help people in need and to provide a product where people who don't have much can afford things, then the issue you mentioned actually seems to be counter productive to that mission. Personally, if the Salvation Army doesn't want to deal with those items then instead of throwing them out, why not take them over to your Goodwill drop off station, let them deal with it, and at the very least those items will be used to help someone instead of ending up in a landfill. Those people who donated those items will have the fulfillment of thier desire to help someone instead of it going to a landfill. (and before anyone says anything, yes, I realize some people will use the donation and drop off points to get rid of junk instead of properly doing it themselves.)

 

All in all, both groups do alot to help others and I am glad for both of them. I take no offense to your comment above and feel that both groups serve a purpose in what they do. Thanks for being a part of an organization that is dedicated to reaching out and helping others.

 

Thanks for your reply, (and I didn't mean to hijack your thread).

The customers in PA must be more respectful than what we have in Southern CA. We have tried many times over the years to put small toys in bags. The results are always the same. Someone will open the bag, examine the items and then put it back on the shelf. The next thing you know, the stuff is everywhere.

 

We have had to take toys completely out of some of our stores. People were actually dropping off their 5 and 6 year olds at the store to play with the toys while they did their grocery shopping, down the street. I'm glad that the bag solution works in your area. It simply creates more problems around here.

[+briansnat]

I rarely trade, but if I do it's usually for something I can use or I think would make a nice trade item in one of my caches.

 

I like the display idea, but it could get a bit out of hand after a couple thousand finds.

[+BlueDeuce]

Right now I'm only trading for sig items. I don't keep them on display. Some day I'll donate them to the Iowa Geocachers Museum.

 

[+George1]

You only have one jar of money I'll have to leave some more around the area

[+BlueDeuce]

[+BlueDeuce]

You only have one jar of money I'll have to leave some more around the area

 

One of these days I need to get off my butt and make my own sig item. Maybe a button with a blue duckie head. with writing around the edge. - BlueDeuce says "Move Them Bugs!"

 

BlueDeuce says "I want a Pony!"

 

BlueDeuce says "mmmm Bacon!"

 

BlueDeuce says "...eh, nevermind"

Edited September 12, 2009 by BlueDeuce

[+TEAM HARTSOCK]

You only have one jar of money I'll have to leave some more around the area

 

LOL. i have passed up other jars of money so others can enjoy it!!

[+Ms.Scrabbler]

"Now I have to figure out how I want to put the geocoin and pathtag collection in there..."

 

When you talk about geocoins to display, are you talking about ones you pick up or ones you buy?

We've had a few coins and TBs disappear and have always wondered if they were in a collection somewhere...

[MenisCrew]

When we go out we usually have the kids with us for the ones that have trades in them. They pick something they want and we put something in it's place, so they have their little collections of trades.

[Luckless]

I always try to trade for something. I like taking a trophy, for that reason I particularly like plastic figurines or matchbox cars- usually something that will make me smile. It sits on the table for a few days as a symbol of my accomplishment- finding the cache- where it can be admired by all then it goes into my swag bag to be placed in another cache. I'll also take dirty items that I'll bring home, clean up and return to caches.

[+katie w]

I love what you done with that it is awsome

wonder what your wife will think

I just know what his wife will think- aaarrrg!!!!!!!!!!!!

[+Clothahump]

I circulate it. In my backpack, I have a swagbag that I seeded with items that I bought. I now make it a point to take one, leave one wherever I can.