Geo-Trading Cards, the next signature trading item?

[+GeoLobo]

First there were geocoins, then path-tags, and now geo-trading cards.

 

More and more people and organizations are creating geo-trading cards.

 

Myself and Bluegirl have been creating them since 2008. We now have 7 cards of our own. Here are some of them:

 

GeoLobo - 2008

Bluegirl - 2008

GeoLobo & Bluegirl get married!

Blueline Geocachers - 2010

 

You can view all of my cards as well as those i have collected here

 

A number of template series of cards have been made as well. There are over 100 unique 2011 Going Coastal...arrgh event cards now, and plans to create a 2012 series is in the works as we speak.

 

There are a series of cards called the Louisiana Legends, and the FTF Geocacher magazine has started a series oc cards as well.

 

Click the link above or go to my collection page on Facebook to view my entire collection.

 

If you decide to create a card, let me know, id be happy to trade with you.

 

Happy Caching!

Edited April 17, 2012 by GeoLobo

[+TeamTwoStar]

It is a nice idea and I like them. Personalized swag is better than any Mc Donalds swag I have ever found, but I kinda think it isn't a good idea. Too many caches aren't as waterproof as they should be. I have seen many people leave baseball cards and NHL cards as swag only to have the card turn to mush by the time we get to the cache.

 

But Path Tags! I love path tags! More cachers need to put them out!! We have only found 7 path tags in 449 caches. We need some more path tags. They are my favorite kind of swag.

[+GeoLobo]

It is a nice idea and I like them. Personalized swag is better than any Mc Donalds swag I have ever found, but I kinda think it isn't a good idea. Too many caches aren't as waterproof as they should be. I have seen many people leave baseball cards and NHL cards as swag only to have the card turn to mush by the time we get to the cache.

 

But Path Tags! I love path tags! More cachers need to put them out!! We have only found 7 path tags in 449 caches. We need some more path tags. They are my favorite kind of swag.

 

Geo-trading cards are coated with a water resistant gloss, like most cards are. They can be placed in a sleeve (3000 sleeves for $3.00), and then placed in a ziplock bag.

I like to put the card in a sleeve, and then when I sign the log book, place it on the page I sign, close the log book and place it in the ziplock bag. Common sense tells you not to place a card in a cache container that is not water proof or will not hold up to the elements over time. I have been placing cards in caches since 2008 and haven't heard a complaint yet. Pathtags, like geocoins are not being placed in the caches, becuase of their price. They have become so expensive to make, people can't afford to just place them in caches and have them taken instead of traded. With a geo-trading card, made at approximately $0.20 - $0.30 cents a piece, there is no worry of stolen cards. Besides, the cards are soon becoming a craze, and like coins and path-tags, i expect when people order 100-300 cards, they will mostly be doing online trading or trading at events vs. placing them in caches.

Edited April 18, 2012 by GeoLobo

[+wimseyguy]

Next thing? Last fall I found a vintage 2004 fishingfools card in a cache. He's one of my best geopals and gave me one as a gift years ago when he first printed them. But to find one out in the wild after all of these years was waaay cool.

 

[+Straight-Cache-Homey]

But Path Tags! I love path tags! More cachers need to put them out!! We have only found 7 path tags in 449 caches. We need some more path tags. They are my favorite kind of swag.

 

Oh my goodness couldn't agree more! Found one last week. So so so cool. Once my girlfriend graduates and gets a full time job I definitely see us making some up! I mean $110 for 50 pathtags? That's great!

[+Arnàutil]

I love the idea behind those trading cards!! Great work. Will try to import it here! :-D

[+GeoLobo]

But Path Tags! I love path tags! More cachers need to put them out!! We have only found 7 path tags in 449 caches. We need some more path tags. They are my favorite kind of swag.

 

Oh my goodness couldn't agree more! Found one last week. So so so cool. Once my girlfriend graduates and gets a full time job I definitely see us making some up! I mean $110 for 50 pathtags? That's great!

 

Thats $2.20 a tag.

 

You can have 500 geo-tradingg cards made for less than that price, and it includes shipping!

[+StarBrand]

But Path Tags! I love path tags! More cachers need to put them out!! We have only found 7 path tags in 449 caches. We need some more path tags. They are my favorite kind of swag.

 

Oh my goodness couldn't agree more! Found one last week. So so so cool. Once my girlfriend graduates and gets a full time job I definitely see us making some up! I mean $110 for 50 pathtags? That's great!

 

Thats $2.20 a tag.

 

You can have 500 geo-tradingg cards made for less than that price, and it includes shipping!

 

Where? how?

[+BAMBOOZLE]

Hello Lobo ( or as we say Ware Yat )

 

Enjoyed meeting you and agree that we have had a good time withe the trading cards......LSUFAN started it in Louisiana and they were so few done that they were very popular and folks would run out to grab them....I have a complete set of the original ones he made sealed in plastic. We then designed some and had them mass produced ( several LA cachers).....they have been fun.

[+kunarion]

Geo-trading cards are coated with a water resistant gloss, like most cards are. They can be placed in a sleeve (3000 sleeves for $3.00), and then placed in a ziplock bag.

I like to put the card in a sleeve, and then when I sign the log book, place it on the page I sign, close the log book and place it in the ziplock bag. Common sense tells you not to place a card in a cache container that is not water proof or will not hold up to the elements over time. I have been placing cards in caches since 2008 and haven't heard a complaint yet.

I've sometimes placed my card in my own cache, and in a ziplock bag. The paper cards will get bent, beat-up, and water damaged (even in a plastic bag, go figure), but for "collector cards", I operate on the principle of "snooze ya lose". The longer it festers in a container, the worse it will be. If you want a pristine card later, do some trading at an Event.

 

I'd much prefer a card specifically designed for Geocaches. Something in a thick plastic like credit card style, which actually could travel cache-to-cache and still hold up. The paper ones just plain don't seem well thought out. But I bought a pack anyway.

[+Straight-Cache-Homey]

As a pretty avid sports card collector, you geo-trading card guys might want to invest in some soft penny sleeves and hard toploaders. The cards won't get bent and will be well-protected in a penny sleeve inside a toploader.

 

You can usually get 100 penny sleeves for about a buck and 25 toploaders for a couple bucks.

 

Moisture though? Yeah, good luck...

[+GeoLobo]

It is a nice idea and I like them. Personalized swag is better than any Mc Donalds swag I have ever found, but I kinda think it isn't a good idea. Too many caches aren't as waterproof as they should be. I have seen many people leave baseball cards and NHL cards as swag only to have the card turn to mush by the time we get to the cache.

 

But Path Tags! I love path tags! More cachers need to put them out!! We have only found 7 path tags in 449 caches. We need some more path tags. They are my favorite kind of swag.

 

Geo-trading cards are coated with a water resistant gloss, like most cards are. They can be placed in a sleeve (3000 sleeves for $3.00), and then placed in a ziplock bag.

I like to put the card in a sleeve, and then when I sign the log book, place it on the page I sign, close the log book and place it in the ziplock bag. Common sense tells you not to place a card in a cache container that is not water proof or will not hold up to the elements over time. I have been placing cards in caches since 2008 and haven't heard a complaint yet. Pathtags, like geocoins are not being placed in the caches, becuase of their price. They have become so expensive to make, people can't afford to just place them in caches and have them taken instead of traded. With a geo-trading card, made at approximately $0.20 - $0.30 cents a piece, there is no worry of stolen cards. Besides, the cards are soon becoming a craze, and like coins and path-tags, i expect when people order 100-300 cards, they will mostly be doing online trading or trading at events vs. placing them in caches.

Edited April 18, 2012 by GeoLobo

[+GeoLobo]

But Path Tags! I love path tags! More cachers need to put them out!! We have only found 7 path tags in 449 caches. We need some more path tags. They are my favorite kind of swag.

 

Oh my goodness couldn't agree more! Found one last week. So so so cool. Once my girlfriend graduates and gets a full time job I definitely see us making some up! I mean $110 for 50 pathtags? That's great!

 

Thats $2.20 a tag.

 

You can have 500 geo-tradingg cards made for less than that price, and it includes shipping!

 

Where? how?

 

If you have a facebook account , you can go to the FB page here

 

At the top, yo will see a notes section. One of the notes lists the vendors you can use.

Edited April 18, 2012 by GeoLobo

[+GeoLobo]

Next thing? Last fall I found a vintage 2004 fishingfools card in a cache. He's one of my best geopals and gave me one as a gift years ago when he first printed them. But to find one out in the wild after all of these years was waaay cool.

 

 

That looks like the Business card size - usually printed on a printer. Is this the case? Prossionally made ge-trading cards are 3 1/2" X 2 1/2" in size and are printed by a professinal online vendor, with water-resistant gloss, and come with a protective sleeve

Edited April 18, 2012 by GeoLobo

[+DragonsWest]

I have 3 Joe Shlabotniks, anyone want to trade?

[+GeoLobo]

As a pretty avid sports card collector, you geo-trading card guys might want to invest in some soft penny sleeves and hard toploaders. The cards won't get bent and will be well-protected in a penny sleeve inside a toploader.

 

You can usually get 100 penny sleeves for about a buck and 25 toploaders for a couple bucks.

 

Moisture though? Yeah, good luck...

 

Again, I never had any problem with moisture. Place them in quality caches! Common sense tells you not to put one in a tupper ware container that already has a moist log.

A good ammo can, with a good seal, with a good ziplock bag, and the card will be safe. When you open a container, you can tell whether or not it is a safe container, from the contents inside. Another good thing to remember is too not place it in a cache that doesn't get visited often. The idea is to get your card out there. You want someone to pick it up. Therefore, look at the log book. if it gets lots of visits, then you should feel comfortable leaving your card there.

 

Like coins and tags though, i would assume you would trade the majority of your cards, or like i do, hand them out at events

[+KyleYankan]

Can I ask a question? I wanted to do a signature item with a rubber stamp mark on the back to identify it as mine. I was thinking a large rubber stamp that said something like:

 

KyleYankan and AlexaNahas
Geoswag Tradeable
[i]Please enjoy this piece of swag,
that we custom took, printed,
and waterproofed for you. Keep one,
or pass it on.
www.xx.com/geocaching[/i]

 

Would it be wrong to link to a website that is partially business related? say xx.com is to a business,, but the specific site mentioned - is about geocaching. Opinions?

[+GeoLobo]

Can I ask a question? I wanted to do a signature item with a rubber stamp mark on the back to identify it as mine. I was thinking a large rubber stamp that said something like:

 

KyleYankan and AlexaNahas
Geoswag Tradeable
[i]Please enjoy this piece of swag,
that we custom took, printed,
and waterproofed for you. Keep one,
or pass it on.
www.xx.com/geocaching[/i]

 

Would it be wrong to link to a website that is partially business related? say xx.com is to a business,, but the specific site mentioned - is about geocaching. Opinions?

 

You can put what ever you like on your signature item. There is nothing that says you can't. People tend to not like things that are not geocaching related though. In your case, it looks like your promoting the business of making that particular swag item for others to puchase? is this the case? Seems fine to me, especially if its a great signature item, that others might like.

 

having said that, this thread is about trading Cards. You may want to start another thread and get others input, since you wont get much here, as geocachers only interested in trading vards are reading this thread - good luck!

[+KyleYankan]

Can I ask a question? I wanted to do a signature item with a rubber stamp mark on the back to identify it as mine. I was thinking a large rubber stamp that said something like:

 

KyleYankan and AlexaNahas
Geoswag Tradeable
[i]Please enjoy this piece of swag,
that we custom took, printed,
and waterproofed for you. Keep one,
or pass it on.
www.xx.com/geocaching[/i]

 

Would it be wrong to link to a website that is partially business related? say xx.com is to a business,, but the specific site mentioned - is about geocaching. Opinions?

 

You can put what ever you like on your signature item. There is nothing that says you can't. People tend to not like things that are not geocaching related though. In your case, it looks like your promoting the business of making that particular swag item for others to puchase? is this the case? Seems fine to me, especially if its a great signature item, that others might like.

 

having said that, this thread is about trading Cards. You may want to start another thread and get others input, since you wont get much here, as geocachers only interested in trading vards are reading this thread - good luck!

 

My mistake, Just didn't thikn it needed a whole topic and here's some educated people discussing something similair, etc, etc.

 

And no, I do photography as a side business, and want to make small photo-prints. I don't want to market my photo business, but also don't want to pay for a second website.

[+cfbush2000]

I'm an amature photographer, wild life mostly, and I have business cards with some of my photos on the back (nope, not a business, too busy geocaching). I put them in baggies with small swag. I got the cards free as a promotion online. I just ordered more with 4 different pictures on the back. I just started geocaching, but now I'm looking forward to finding others' cards and collecting them.

[+GeoLobo]

Do you have a photo or scan or one you can share?

[+KyleYankan]

Do you have a photo or scan or one you can share?

Here's 2 random ones that have been sitting on my work PC. Not a final selection, just coming up with ideas at this point.

 

[+cerberus1]

Cool pics!

I think if you plan to use them as a sig item it's a great idea!

There is a company with the name "Geoswag" though (an approved Groundspeak vendor) that sells trackables.

"Geoswag tradeable" sounds similar ...

 

I don't believe you can offer an item representing a business, or for sale, in these forums without it being approved by Groundspeak first.

- But we find pathtags in caches, so I guess you could have a company name on the back of your sig card, just not advertise it here.

Email Groundspeak and ask to be sure.

[+KyleYankan]

Cool pics!

I think if you plan to use them as a sig item it's a great idea!

There is a company with the name "Geoswag" though (an approved Groundspeak vendor) that sells trackables.

"Geoswag tradeable" sounds similar ...

 

I don't believe you can offer an item representing a business, or for sale, in these forums without it being approved by Groundspeak first.

- But we find pathtags in caches, so I guess you could have a company name on the back of your sig card, just not advertise it here.

Email Groundspeak and ask to be sure.

 

Thanks, I'll e-mail them tonight. Also, I was hoping to make it into a self-evolving process. The camera goes caching with me usually, so maybe this can all come together in a nice way.

[+GeoLobo]

Do you have a photo or scan or one you can share?

Here's 2 random ones that have been sitting on my work PC. Not a final selection, just coming up with ideas at this point.

 

 

Sorry, i was referring to cfbush2000

[+cfbush2000]

Here's an image (front and back) of the card I use now. The new ones will be slightly different.

[+lamoracke]

as a trading card collector, I like the idea of geocaching cards. However, I personally think collecting just average cachers I do not know not for me. However, if there was a set which highlighted general caching stuff or famous caches or coins or something like that, I would think that would be cool. Maybe a few cards for certain caching pioneers, but ugh, nothing for FTFs or most finds or anything like, blech.

[+GeoLobo]

as a trading card collector, I like the idea of geocaching cards. However, I personally think collecting just average cachers I do not know not for me. However, if there was a set which highlighted general caching stuff or famous caches or coins or something like that, I would think that would be cool. Maybe a few cards for certain caching pioneers, but ugh, nothing for FTFs or most finds or anything like, blech.

 

You mean like these two (from a set of ten) of the geocaching history series

 

 

Edited April 22, 2012 by GeoLobo

[+Team Jensen 1]

This geocaching history series is SO cool!

[+Team Periwinkle]

post deleted

Edited May 10, 2012 by Team Periwinkle

[+res2100]

Just a few of the cards I made for a game I worked on many years ago.

 

[+mymren]

I leave Pathtags and would love to find more. They are closer to $1 each if you order 100-150 so are as cheap as average swag and doesn't matter if they get wet either.

[+GeoLobo]

I leave Pathtags and would love to find more. They are closer to $1 each if you order 100-150 so are as cheap as average swag and doesn't matter if they get wet either.

 

And trading cards can be 1/5 the price for each.....and a properly placed trading card won't get wet either. Place the card only in water tight containers, and only if the container also has a ziplock bag. The trading cards can also be placed in sleeves which purchased in large quantities cost about 0.01 each. I can get 1000 trading cards for the price of 100 path tags. Each is their own though. Trading cards are just another alternative to other signature items such as geocoins and pathtags.

 

My trading card collection:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Geocache-Trading-Cards/136759573036417

 

if you dont have a facebook account here is one series example from the page:

 

Blueline Geocachers series

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/73677254/geolobo_2008.jpg

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/73677254/bluegirl_2008.jpg

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/73677254/blueline_geocachers_2009.jpg

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/73677254/blueline_geocachers_2010.jpg

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/73677254/geolobo_1000_2009.jpg

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/73677254/bluegirl_1000_2009.jpg

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/73677254/geolobo_bluegirl_get_married_2011.jpg

[+GeoLobo]

Just a few of the cards I made for a game I worked on many years ago.

 

 

How were these printed? On a standard printer, or by a professional printing service? Do these have water resistant coating on them?

 

Id be interested in seeing one in person

[+GeoLobo]

here are a few more from the geocaching history series....

 

 

 

 

[ll JK ll]

I like the idea of trading cards, or anything personal for that matter. I'd much rather trade for items like that than anything else. I've only been caching for a month or so and I've seen a few personalized items - wooden nickels, bottle caps with a caching team's name, etc.

 

I designed a geocaching sticker with my home state and icons of cache types as a sig item to leave. If the log book is big enough I'll place a sticker by my name and leave a few in a bag for others to take. It was a quick design I threw together for an all-day caching run I did yesterday.

 

I'm in the process of putting some other designs together but free time is hard to come by these days. The good thing is I can get stickers printed for nearly nothing. I work for a screenprinting company and we also print banners, signs, etc. so I can experiment without investing much money.