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Do You Have a Calling Card?


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Topics seem very serious around here.

Geocaching is serious business, and the forums are just as much. Be sure to keep that in mind during your time here.

 

I have a little pouch thing of trinkets and small toys. Most of it is stuff my dad picks up at trade shows. There's the usual stickers and temporary tattoos, plus a few LED flashlights, but we've never found something valuable enough in a cache to trade for those.

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I've got a selection of items - a couple of badges, some LED key rings and usual odds and ends that accompany the parent of a toddler.

 

I try and replace like for like - if Toddler chooses something for him from the cache, I'll leave something child friendly. If I take something for me, I'll leave something an adult might like - I love the little LED key rings, surely everyone would like one of them!

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I currently have on hand for trading...

 

  • playing cards
  • small calculators
  • matchbox cars
  • foriegn coins
  • rubber ducks (various)
  • Collectible Marbles
  • small screwdrivers
  • mini flashlights
  • beanie type stuffed animals

 

...and my little golf pencils with my caching name - I leave those anywhere they will fit.

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I bought a variety of things in bulk last summer that I'm still using now. I have little devil duckies, a couple different types of lanyards, mini decks of cards, bracelets, ohhh there's some other toy type things but I can't think of them off the top of my head. For micros I have tiny glass lady bugs that I may leave behind if it won't mess up the cache.

 

Then I have the mish mash of stuff bag stuff I pick up randomly when it's on sale. So some holiday items (tiny note pads, toys, pencils, etc.). And in that bag is the stuff I don't particularly want from conferences I go to. I pick up a lot of swag at conferences (make a few rounds for it) and some I'll keep, some I'll give to clients and what's left goes into the cache bag. So like chip clips, rubbery things to help grip lids, ice scrapers, blinky lights fro runners, and a variety of doo dads like that.

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I am usualy dissappointed in the swag I find in the caches around me so I have a pretty good assortment of stuff that I carry with me. I pick up stuff at yard sales and the dollar stores, the flea market is another good place to find quality swag. The Wife is a potter and has been designing some ceramic keychains with our cache names on them, we will be leaving those next summer while traveling across the country.

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I plan on getting a few Signature Items made in the coming future when I'm a little flush. I like the thought of items related to my personal life. I remember a poet I hung around with would always give out a small chapbook instead of a business card. I might do something of the same, or create an item a little more in tune with my addictions.

 

As for general stuff I've got some Monster Rancher figures from my childhood that have been first trades, a few mini model kits, toys that my little brother has never opend (McToys and arcade prizes), and other innocuous items that kids find fascinating. For adults I've yet to put out anything. That may be where my sig item comes into play, although adults seem just as happy with kids stuff as anything.

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It's not so much as what you leave in there but what you shouldn't leave in there or what is lame to leave in there.

Shouldn't be:

weapons

matches

liquids of any kind

items that if broken could cut like glass

food of any kind

fireworks

another words anything that would create a mess or something you don't want your kids to have.

Lame items

rocks off the ground

pop tabs

items that get moldy if it gets wet

bottle caps

etc

If you have something nice you want to put in a cache bring a baggie to protect it.

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What do you normally leave in a cache - if anything at all? Do you leave random stuff you have on hand? Useful things (hand sanitizer, hand warmers, matches, etc.)? Toys for the kiddos? Do you have a theme or leave the same thing every time?

 

Topics seem very serious around here.

green pieces of paper with numbers on it. traded for broken mc toys of course.

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Trading Cards.....like the style many of you collected when you were a child ("TOPPS"), can be a great signature item if done well.

 

They should be laminated or printed by a professional printer with the correct gloss and come with a protective sleeve.

 

You can have 500 trading cards printed for $100.00 or less if you shop for the right vendor. This beats the price of a geocoin and//or path tag, hands down.

 

You can get creative as you like. You don't have to be an artist - because may of the vendors will help you for free with your ideas.

 

http://www.bluelinegeocachers.org/images/tradingcards/

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No one will mind as no one really cares on the contents

 

Many many cachers care about the content. There are many forum topics generated with regard to swag. It's a shame when geocachers dismiss that enjoyable part of the geocaching experience.

 

Some comments from our cache hides:

 

Thank's so much. I found this cache this evening with my daughter. It was my first cache and a great one. Wonderful treats inside! Although our treats were not themed, we left three for others to enjoy.

My mom and I went to this one, it was her second cache and she was the one to find it! Wow what a beautiful area, thanks so much for helping us find it! This is a STELLAR cache with some really good trinkets for once. I took a manicure set and left a basketball keychain, my mum took some stickers and left a mini adress book and a rubber toy snake. TFTC!!!! :):)

I love these ammo. boxes!! This one was in really good shape, everything nice and dry. Signed the log, took the TB, I left a dog shaped magnet, a CITO bag, and a dog stuffy toy, as a thankyou.
Great hiding spot. You put some effort into hiding this one. I took soomething and left something. My 4 year old daughter loved selecting from the box.
Found it!! It was so fun! Went with some friends who had never hear of Geocaching! It was also my first find!! It was a great one and had some great "stash" in it!

Thanks!

On an afternoon cache run with Water*&**. Nice to see a well stocked cache! TFTC.
Awesome cache! Great walk out through the woods, and an easy find once we got there. I took the stamp-making thing - I'm going to make it my own, and hopefully I'll come back to stamp the log! TFTC!!!

TFTC! Great trip with two little kids. They thought they had hit the jackpot with this cache!

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If I find a cache, but then have trouble closing the lid because the cache is overloaded with tat, I will decide very quickly which item inside has to be discarded so I can then close the lid. No one will mind as no one really cares on the contents, apart from a useable logbook and /or trackables.

 

My cache swag has been well received! Not sure where you cache, but maybe someone needs to take some initiative and start policing caches. Remove the junk. Ask CO to do routine maintenance on them.

Ask Geocachers to trade up accordingly. There is many things you can do , rather than complain.

 

Happy geocaching

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If I find a cache, but then have trouble closing the lid because the cache is overloaded with tat, I will decide very quickly which item inside has to be discarded so I can then close the lid. No one will mind as no one really cares on the contents, apart from a useable logbook and /or trackables.

 

My cache swag has been well received! Not sure where you cache, but maybe someone needs to take some initiative and start policing caches. Remove the junk. Ask CO to do routine maintenance on them.

Ask Geocachers to trade up accordingly. There is many things you can do , rather than complain.

 

Happy geocaching

ive found when i used to do larger containers it seems that bag o garbage most people have in their cars was dumped into my caches. I pretty much now only do micros or smalls.

never really got into the swag game.

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If I find a cache, but then have trouble closing the lid because the cache is overloaded with tat, I will decide very quickly which item inside has to be discarded so I can then close the lid. No one will mind as no one really cares on the contents, apart from a useable logbook and /or trackables.

 

My cache swag has been well received! Not sure where you cache, but maybe someone needs to take some initiative and start policing caches. Remove the junk. Ask CO to do routine maintenance on them.

Ask Geocachers to trade up accordingly. There is many things you can do , rather than complain.

 

Happy geocaching

 

I take the initiative. I police. I remove the junk. I don't complain. I don't waste time contacting the CO. It only takes a few seconds. Job done. Happy caching for the next finder.

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I have only found 1 actual cache so far (just barely started) but I didn't find anything I was interested in trading. However, I do have a small plastic Eeyore (super cute) that I plan on trading when I find something in a cache that I like. As I can't afford to buy all sorts of stuff for all of the caches I (plan to) visit I was thinking I would continuously trade the swag I get from other caches... kinda bringing swag from one cache with me to another cache as a good luck charm, and trade it with another piece of swag that I will bring to the next cache for good luck.

 

It seemed like a good idea when I first came up with it, but now I am wondering if it is tacky... what do you guys think?

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I have only found 1 actual cache so far (just barely started) but I didn't find anything I was interested in trading. However, I do have a small plastic Eeyore (super cute) that I plan on trading when I find something in a cache that I like. As I can't afford to buy all sorts of stuff for all of the caches I (plan to) visit I was thinking I would continuously trade the swag I get from other caches... kinda bringing swag from one cache with me to another cache as a good luck charm, and trade it with another piece of swag that I will bring to the next cache for good luck.

 

It seemed like a good idea when I first came up with it, but now I am wondering if it is tacky... what do you guys think?

 

It's done all the time. Many times I've discovered a signature item I left at another cache in a new cache I've found. At first it makes me wonder if I had already visited the cache and forgot to log it. Personally, I never move cache from one cache to another. If I don't want to keep the swag I leave it.

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I've been trying to figure out what to leave for caches. In the past, I've left pens, pencils, & small toys. One of my favorite finds was a deck of cards that was actually advertising for local merchants. The person who left it may have picked it up cheaply or maybe even for free but I thought it was a nice momento of my visit to the area. For the last few months, I've been leaving crocheted items that I make (it's been snowflakes but now I'm thinking I need to switch off to a spring design--maybe a butterfly). On the one hand, I thought that others might enjoy hand crafted items as I know I would. On the other hand, I've worried that some might think handmade/homemade is tacky.

 

Would appreciate any opinions. I like the idea of a signature item and these are definitely personal.

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What do you normally leave in a cache - if anything at all? Do you leave random stuff you have on hand? Useful things (hand sanitizer, hand warmers, matches, etc.)? Toys for the kiddos? Do you have a theme or leave the same thing every time?

 

Topics seem very serious around here.

 

I leave the same thing everytime my signature.

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Trading Cards.....like the style many of you collected when you were a child ("TOPPS"), can be a great signature item if done well.

 

They should be laminated or printed by a professional printer with the correct gloss and come with a protective sleeve.

 

You can have 500 trading cards printed for $100.00 or less if you shop for the right vendor. This beats the price of a geocoin and//or path tag, hands down.

 

You can get creative as you like. You don't have to be an artist - because may of the vendors will help you for free with your ideas.

 

http://www.bluelinegeocachers.org/images/tradingcards/

 

Love the idea. We were thinking of doing something similar as well.

For now I have been making small key-chains, tokens, miniatures from polymer clay. I use a biz card & write (until we get printer going again LOL) a little note to place with the item inside a small zip-lock style baggie.

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Take only pIctures. Leave only footprints. Low impact. Caching.

I take the initiative. I police. I remove the junk. I don't complain. I don't waste time contacting the CO. It only takes a few seconds. Job done. Happy caching for the next finder.

I have only found 1 actual cache so far (just barely started) but I didn't find anything I was interested in trading. However, I do have a small plastic Eeyore (super cute) that I plan on trading when I find something in a cache that I like. As I can't afford to buy all sorts of stuff for all of the caches I (plan to) visit I was thinking I would continuously trade the swag I get from other caches... kinda bringing swag from one cache with me to another cache as a good luck charm, and trade it with another piece of swag that I will bring to the next cache for good luck.

 

It seemed like a good idea when I first came up with it, but now I am wondering if it is tacky... what do you guys think?

I like all of these! I'm closest to GeoCacheKat in that I'll move swag around sometimes, especially if the cache is loaded up. Sort of like cycling the stock, don't want it to get stale. I love TB's, so cool. I've just ordered some trinket "calling cards" from oriental trading company that I plan on leaving in any cache that it will fit in. I also plan on getting a few items from a dollar store for dropping off. I doubt I'd ever find swag I'd want to keep and use, just like to trade stuff.

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I just ordered some geocaching calling cards. They are the oversized ones. Indestructible paper. Think I may have made a mistake. Have our GC name and a yahoo email address that I use only for geocaching. Now here's my concern. I list both of our real names on the front with a message that says Greetings from Powhatan, Virginia. No phones numbers or address. Was going to leave it in caches as we travel around out west in October. What do y'all think? Don't want to clutter up caches or tick anyone off. Just started geocaching last Friday. Already love it!

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I just ordered some geocaching calling cards. They are the oversized ones. Indestructible paper. Think I may have made a mistake. Have our GC name and a yahoo email address that I use only for geocaching. Now here's my concern. I list both of our real names on the front with a message that says Greetings from Powhatan, Virginia. No phones numbers or address. Was going to leave it in caches as we travel around out west in October. What do y'all think? Don't want to clutter up caches or tick anyone off. Just started geocaching last Friday. Already love it!

 

Unless you are trying to cram it into a micro or a nano (that would be a neat trick) I can't imagine this will tick anyone off. In other words, if it's an appropriate sized container and there is space - shouldn't be a problem unless the CO has specifically prohibited it - which I have never heard of.

 

Of course I am pretty much still a newb so take that with a grain of salt... :lol:

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I just ordered some geocaching calling cards. They are the oversized ones. Indestructible paper. Think I may have made a mistake. Have our GC name and a yahoo email address that I use only for geocaching. Now here's my concern. I list both of our real names on the front with a message that says Greetings from Powhatan, Virginia. No phones numbers or address. Was going to leave it in caches as we travel around out west in October. What do y'all think? Don't want to clutter up caches or tick anyone off. Just started geocaching last Friday. Already love it!

 

Unless you are trying to cram it into a micro or a nano (that would be a neat trick) I can't imagine this will tick anyone off. In other words, if it's an appropriate sized container and there is space - shouldn't be a problem unless the CO has specifically prohibited it - which I have never heard of.

 

Of course I am pretty much still a newb so take that with a grain of salt... :lol:

Do you think there is a problem putting our real names?

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Typically I leave dinosaur toys of reasonable quality, I've been looking to find some rubber or plastic mammoths in bulk to have as a kind of a signature item.

 

I'm also considering having a plastic token type calling card made up to trade for other calling cards as I've seen some excellent ones that I think keeping a catalog of would be fun.

 

In a pinch where I haven't had any dinos or other trinkets, I've left or traded things like sunglasses, local ferry tickets, various coins, free coffee coupons.. etc

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Typically I leave dinosaur toys of reasonable quality, I've been looking to find some rubber or plastic mammoths in bulk to have as a kind of a signature item.

 

I'm also considering having a plastic token type calling card made up to trade for other calling cards as I've seen some excellent ones that I think keeping a catalog of would be fun.

 

In a pinch where I haven't had any dinos or other trinkets, I've left or traded things like sunglasses, local ferry tickets, various coins, free coffee coupons.. etc

There's no longer a working ferry here but I sure would like that coffee! Trade you a card :)

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I dont think too many Geocachers are serial killers.

 

Mine, my missus and childrens Geocaching name is Lowther Gang . That is our surname and i have no issue at all with other Geocachers seeing that.

What about all those zombies I keep hearing about? Thanks for responding. I no longer fear the unknown! Mary Ann

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I like the idea of trading cards. There's a flea market I frequent that has a coin seller, oddly enough this guy has boxes upon boxes of old, sealed trading cards for about 3 bucks for a full sealed box. I'm talking Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cards from the 90's... the wax pack kind that came with sticks of gum. Young Indiana Jones, New Kids on The Block, and all sorts of other ridiculous trading card series. Think I'm going to pick up some boxes next time I'm out and start distributing some of my childhood nostalgia in caches.

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I have a "calling card" of sorts that I really like. I've been using for a few years now. Unfortunately anytime the name is brought up in the forums the topic is locked and/or removed shortly afterwards. Let's just say it is one word, two syllables, 1st syllable begins with the letter P and is something that geocachers commonly walk upon, 2nd syllable begins with the letter T and is a game that children like to play, and it sounds a lot like Math Mag.

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I go to the Battleship Texas gift shop and purchase items there to leave in caches. Have done it since the begining. I also load up any caches I've placed with Battleship Texas swag to begin with as well. Not that I've done any of that in a while, but my cache pack still has a lot of those items in it awaiting my urge to cache some more, lol.

 

Mac

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I've often left 1 oz. tubs of Play-doh with my and my caching partner's geonames written on them. Lately I had the idea to start leaving polymer clay tokens with our names on them, and in fact dropped the first of them just a few days ago. The shiny thing in the picture is a quarter, to show scale.

 

7926440290_374c018ce6_z.jpg

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Geocaching Trading cards are cheap to make and are fast becoming the next fad of signature items used to place in caches and trade at events.

You can see all the cards people are creating here on my personal FB page set up for those interesting in trading. *NOTE* this is not a commercial site!

 

Geocaching Trading Cards

 

Those of you not on facebook, i have uploaded some of my personal cards to my dropbox account

 

Personal cards

 

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/73677254/personalcard_links.txt

 

History Series

 

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/73677254/History_Series.txt

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Geocaching Trading cards are cheap to make and are fast becoming the next fad of signature items used to place in caches and trade at events.

You can see all the cards people are creating here on my personal FB page set up for those interesting in trading. *NOTE* this is not a commercial site!

 

Geocaching Trading Cards

 

Those of you not on facebook, i have uploaded some of my personal cards to my dropbox account

 

Personal cards

 

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/73677254/personalcard_links.txt

 

History Series

 

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/73677254/History_Series.txt

Those are incredible! Maybe when I become a legendary cacher I will have one made. Meanwhile I will keep an eye out for them and continue to leave my cards, too.

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