What to swap?

[alisonandsprogs]

Hi - hoping someone can help.

 

My children and I are looking forward to trying to find our first cache this weekend. They seem very excited by the thought of there being "treasure" in the woods.

 

I've explained all about the fact that they need to take things to swap but kind of at a loss as to what to take (never having done it before). We could of course just have a peek inside our first one and not take anything but somehow I don't think that idea is going to go down well.

 

So, I was interested in what sort of things people take to put in a cache. Daughter insists she's taking Barbie heads but would you be happy if you opened a cache to find those?

 

Alison

[+briansnat]

Some caches start off stocked with all kinds of nice things and eventually become filled with junk. Other caches start with junk and just get worse so don't expect any sort of "treasure". If you find something nice it will be a pleasant surprise, but keep the kid's expectation low.

 

So as long as you're making a somewhat even swap don't worry about it too much. Just don't take that new Mini Mag Lite and leave a toy figurine chewn by your dog.

 

Try to make it something that you would enjoy finding. I like searching stores for cheap, useful items to leave in caches. Walmart sells an emergency rain poncho for 97 cents. Every once in a while I'll buy a dozen to use as cache swag. Another favorite of mine are individual packets of Off! insect repellent wipes. Sometimes I'll find them on sale and buy a few boxes and leave one or two packets in a cache. Judging from some logs I've seen, some finders have been very thankful to find them.

 

Some other things I like to leave. Hot Wheels or Matchbox cars (I wait until they are on sale and can usually get them for under a buck), pads of Post It notes, interesting pins, foreign or collectible bills and coins, boxes of colored chalk (crayons may melt in some climates), DVDs and CDs.

 

If its garbage throw it on the trash, not a cache. I'd call a Barbie head trash, but if your daughter really, really wants to do it, who are we to spoil her fun? Just throw in a little extra along with it so the trade is somewhat even.

Edited August 4, 2010 by briansnat

[+randco]

Beads, key chains, small rubber animals, toy cars, crayons, playing cards, plastic figurines, poker chips, small salt and pepper shakers and the list go on and on.

 

The best thing to take with you - a good attitude.

The best think to bring back home with you - a big smile on your face.

 

Be safe & have fun...

[+benderoos]

I am new to caching as well, but have found a few already. What I usualy do (I go caching with my kids as well), is go to a Dollar Store, and stock up on whatever I can find that is small that I think someone wouldn't mind finding.

 

Usually all the caches I have found so far have matchbox cars, Boxes of different types of kids card games, bracelets, stickers, plastics bugs, key chains, small action figures/dolls ect. I did find a "Large" once that was stocked with CD's, Scrapbooking paper, Burnt movies, paper lanterns, ect. Luckly that one was near the road, so I had to run to the car and find something a bit better to put back. But for the most part, don't expect to find any "real" treasures, as everyone knows it is only so long before the "muggles" come and grab it all.

[+roziecakes]

We just discovered the clearance $1 bin at target as having some waaaayyy nifty swag for caches. We've found some pretty high quality stuff there.

[+Printess Caroline]

When we have taken my nephews caching, I've given them each five dollar coins and told them that they can choose to keep the coins or trade them for swag that they want in the caches we visit. They generally find something that they will trade for one of their coins, but they tend to keep most of the coins. I know that, either way, they will be happy and so will the cachers who happen to find one of those dollar coins in a cache.

[+Sol seaker]

I like to leave foreign coins for swag.

I like to collect them, they are waterproof for those leaky caches, small enough to fit in small caches, and small enough to fit in my pocket.

they do go fast when I find good swag though. I left about ten of them for one item I took once.

 

When i first started caching I did a search of my house.

 

All those junk drawers were good sources.

 

I found a lot of stuff that was worth a lot (sometimes ten bucks for one item) but I really didn't need it anymore.

 

Working watches, flashlights, calculators, and other stuff that I wasn't using anymore.

 

Geocaching has helped me declutter my small stuff!!!

[hoosier guy]

Always nice to come up with a signature swag item. Something that says alisonandsprogs have been there. I have seen painted rocks, poker chips with photos glues on, etc. Have fun stay cool

[+Merlin-K]

I find looking for sales at county shows and at some trinket shops can be worth while. I have a number of welsh love spoons, pretty keychains, as well as some nice jewellery that I will leave in secure and dry caches. Some of these items turn into my trackables.

 

Attitudes to sigitems is slightly harder. I believe that they are seperate from swag, in the same way that trackables are seperate. Sigitems can be collected, and don't have to be swapped out. I make my own sigitems and they have slight variations in colours used although the design remains the same, just so people could collect different ones if they wanted. Personally I don't collect sigitems of others. The temptation is very VERY strong, but it would just be another collection to add to the masonic jewels, the geocoins, the pathtags etc etc.

[+Bear and Ragged]

We could of course just have a peek inside our first one and not take anything but somehow I don't think that idea is going to go down well.

Alison

Not doing 'Swaps' when you first start is a good way to see what is considered a 'Swap' in your area.

 

Don't build up young ones expectations of the 'treasure' as a cache gets older the 'treasure' usually becomes 'tat' in most peoples eyes... However, sometimes the 'tat' is what excites the youngsters!

 

Look for the bigger caches, they usually have more room for better swaps.

 

Welcome!

[alisonandsprogs]

Thanks all for the ideas.

 

Our local town has just opened a new Poundland so we're off there for a look. It's fate/karma/whatever you want to call it.

 

Alison

 

P.S. Have just about managed to persuade daughter to leave the Barbie heads at home. She won't accept they're tat but has admitted it might be too scary for the person who finds the cache after us.

[+briansnat]

We just discovered the clearance $1 bin at target as having some waaaayyy nifty swag for caches. We've found some pretty high quality stuff there.

 

Earlier this year Target had small 1st Aid kits in the dollar bin. I bought about 20 and put those in caches.

[hoosier guy]

We just discovered the clearance $1 bin at target as having some waaaayyy nifty swag for caches. We've found some pretty high quality stuff there.

 

Earlier this year Target had small 1st Aid kits in the dollar bin. I bought about 20 and put those in caches.

 

Now that is a great idea.