Jump to content

What do you leave in the caches?


bonniesueroberts

Recommended Posts

That's a great idea. Geocaching decals. Or even something that represents you (some geocachers have a profile pic that actually represents them, not just a picture. That would be great as well. Honestly I'd love to find a decal, and it's one of the few things I would actually take.

Link to comment

We don't have much interest in swag although the wife gets excited about something once in a while. Occasionally we'll move something from one cache to another and that the reason for taking something. We don't cache often and many caches don't have swag but when I leave something we often left $1 coins. Lately I've started dropping the cedar cut outs from Christmas ornaments I make on a scroll saw - angels, Wise Men, Bethlehem, stars, etc. Recently started making rings out of coins and dropped one of them in a cache.

Link to comment

We don't have much interest in swag although the wife gets excited about something once in a while. Occasionally we'll move something from one cache to another and that the reason for taking something. We don't cache often and many caches don't have swag but when I leave something we often left $1 coins. Lately I've started dropping the cedar cut outs from Christmas ornaments I make on a scroll saw - angels, Wise Men, Bethlehem, stars, etc. Recently started making rings out of coins and dropped one of them in a cache.

 

I like this. I've been trying to come up with some type of signature is item to leave. Shamrocks are very popular in these parts I notice. But one can only have so many silly bands and bouncy balls. I need something unique and fun.

Link to comment

I left a kinda cool bracelet/cuff in one...hoping it would find a good home. Honestly, I think it was the most interesting thing inside (just being honest, so far, I've seen a lot of stuff you would find in quarter vending machines for kids and that seems to be the norm). A decal would be cool if you wanted to leave something. I am new to the game too and so far, I haven't swapped anything and probably won't unless I stumble across something really interesting - but I won't hold my breath. Right now, I'm enjoying finding them (or not finding them). :P

Link to comment

I feel like SWAG items are more important to kids than to adults, so we'll usually leave some simple plastic toys in caches that are big enough. I did come across small carabiners that we'll leave in some caches, as those might actually be useful and be something adults would be interested in.

 

Rarely do we take anything out of caches.

Link to comment

If it's one of my caches? Gold, Diamonds, chocolate from Belgium or Switzerland, good red wine or cash.

 

I usually find great swag items at thrift stores or yard sales cheap. Buttons, Pins, Magnets, key chains. Anything cool that's safe for kids and will fit in a small cache. Your decals would be one of those cool items. I'd grab one if I found one.

Edited by justintim1999
Link to comment

Personal swag items, like your decal idea, are the one thing that really interests most adult cachers. Once you've been caching a while, and if you're sure you want to spend the money, pathtags are a REALLY cool item to find. It is rather pricey to order your first batch, and even re-orders will still cost about $1 each... you won't be dropping one in every find, that's for sure.

Link to comment

I just think of caching as fun..nothing serious and with three young boys of my own that thoroughly enjoy finding a 'good' cache (one with stuff in) I always leave a toy in a cache if there's room - usually a small Halo figure (was gonna call myself HaloDude) or if that won't fit a lego guy...they make small ones now that fit in bisons :D

I figure if an adult finds it they'll leave them..if a kid finds them I hope they get a smile out of it and a swap too :)

Link to comment

Decals are a great idea! I love leaving home made items. I make Necklaces and bracelets. But if I don't have those, I also have left handmade magnets, little cars, stickers, markers...just really anything small and fun and/or kid friendly.

 

My mom Jayne leaves things like Bubbles and handmade things also. My Brother Beaverboy leaves handmade paracord bracelets.

Link to comment

We love seeing what is in caches. I carry a baggie of stuff to leave if there is room. On a Star Wars theme cache I left a Star Wars Angry Birds bottlecap. In a cemetery cache I left a little cross on a mini clasp. Some other things we have left were, rubber ball, mini flashlight, small baggies (jewelry bags)Handmade pins, locket charms, anything I think someone would find cool to find.

Link to comment

I am new to geocaching. I was thinking about leaving cool looking raw gems or crystals, polished gem spheres, etc. Is this something that other people would like?

 

Husband and I (ok mostly me) would like to start a little swag collection as we begin geocaching and I want to make sure that I am trading on an appropriate level.

Link to comment

I am new to geocaching. I was thinking about leaving cool looking raw gems or crystals, polished gem spheres, etc. Is this something that other people would like?

 

Husband and I (ok mostly me) would like to start a little swag collection as we begin geocaching and I want to make sure that I am trading on an appropriate level.

I'd think many would find your trade items very cool (and some I might swap geocoins for), but don't be surprised if someone trades that awesome raw gem for a free GoArmy lanyard they got in the mail, if they "trade" at all. :)

In theory, folks are supposed to trade up or even.

If our (loaded by us) ammo cans are an indication, when it's so empty even the pencil sharperner's missing, it sadly seems to be just take around here.

Link to comment

As long as it is family friendly, not too valuable, will fare well in the cache and not edible - the world is your oyster (don't leave oysters)

Decals are a pretty neat idea, I haven't come across them before.

 

^That thread has some awesome ideas!

 

If it's one of my caches? Gold, Diamonds, chocolate from Belgium or Switzerland, good red wine or cash.

 

...

 

Let's see, how many violations can we find here? :ph34r:

I'm sure they'd be happy to remove any of the above violating items on their next maintenance run :anibad:

Link to comment

Decals are a great idea! I love leaving home made items. I make Necklaces and bracelets. But if I don't have those, I also have left handmade magnets, little cars, stickers, markers...just really anything small and fun and/or kid friendly.

 

My mom Jayne leaves things like Bubbles and handmade things also. My Brother Beaverboy leaves handmade paracord bracelets.

 

Bubbles? That's an oft-mentioned red-flag. Bubble bottles leak, or get replaced with loose caps or freeze & expand with a resulting mess.

 

I think a 'regular' swag item is great and I applaud your enthusiasm for that part of the game, but please ask your mom to reconsider 'Bubbles'.

 

When the Team was new at this, we had a 'regular' swag item, too, until we realized our 'thing' was a really bad idea.

Link to comment

Decals are a great idea! I love leaving home made items. I make Necklaces and bracelets. But if I don't have those, I also have left handmade magnets, little cars, stickers, markers...just really anything small and fun and/or kid friendly.

 

My mom Jayne leaves things like Bubbles and handmade things also. My Brother Beaverboy leaves handmade paracord bracelets.

 

Bubbles? That's an oft-mentioned red-flag. Bubble bottles leak, or get replaced with loose caps or freeze & expand with a resulting mess.

 

I think a 'regular' swag item is great and I applaud your enthusiasm for that part of the game, but please ask your mom to reconsider 'Bubbles'.

 

When the Team was new at this, we had a 'regular' swag item, too, until we realized our 'thing' was a really bad idea.

Yep. Makes a real mess.

 

Working for the largest crayon maufacturer, when we first started, we thought crayons would be awesome for kids to find in caches, and went nuts placing 'em in whatever size container we found.

Little 4-counts in tiny smalls, to 64-count+ in the larger ones.

- Then the emails started from unhappy COs...

Looking at the melted wax sticking most other swag to it in our own ammo cans too, we agreed to not do that anymore. :(

Link to comment

This is,what I bought to put in the caches. Would you be glad to see these as swag?

 

https://imgur.com/IfP3MJ0

Fossils and minerals are cool swag! I haven't found any in a cache, but I've left some, often each in a bag with info about the item. For swag for a Rome (Georgia) Event, I collected some crinoid fossils nearby, and set them in magnifying little acrylic display boxes.

 

I don't have polished fossils, but I have some agates and over a dozen fossilized shells from Oregon beaches. I'll place the fossils in ziplock bags with info.

Edited by kunarion
Link to comment

This is,what I bought to put in the caches. Would you be glad to see these as swag?

 

https://imgur.com/IfP3MJ0

 

Wow.

Where do you intend to cache?

 

I live in Yuba City, CA. I am going to start there and expand outward as I get my husband involved. There are lots of urban and open areas within a couple of hours drive from us. I see this as a great way to get out of the house, explore and exercise.

 

I was also thinking of having some wooden coins printed then hand painting the center image so that no two would be exactly the same. Would that be something cachers would like to find? It's not a cheap investment (~$100 for 100) so I would love to get some feedback before ordering.

Link to comment

I was also thinking of having some wooden coins printed then hand painting the center image so that no two would be exactly the same. Would that be something cachers would like to find? It's not a cheap investment (~$100 for 100) so I would love to get some feedback before ordering.

That's a neat idea, having a space to add a unique image! I've made about a dozen wooden nickels in various designs (using laser print and acetone). I never ordered a bunch of identical wooden nickels, because I'd get tired of placing the same thing all the time :anicute:. And I'm in no way a talented painter. :anibad:

 

You could buy a huge bag of blank wooden nickels in whatever size you like, and "print" them yourself, hand-writing your caching name on one side, painting the other side. The supplies would then cost you much less than $1 apiece. I also think you can get them printed cheaper than what you've found, professionally printed with both a stock side (paint out the center) and a custom side with your cacher info.

 

Here's one of a few hand-made wooden nickels I've traded for and can't seem to part with :anicute:. This one is numbered, which is what I do with several of my sig item lines:

 

0b9b132f-4a27-4038-be87-b80cc59b7720.jpg

Edited by kunarion
Link to comment
1468173970[/url]' post='5595651']
1468074397[/url]' post='5595400']
1468040242[/url]' post='5595337']

This is,what I bought to put in the caches. Would you be glad to see these as swag?

 

https://imgur.com/IfP3MJ0

 

Wow.

Where do you intend to cache?

 

I live in Yuba City, CA. I am going to start there and expand outward as I get my husband involved. There are lots of urban and open areas within a couple of hours drive from us. I see this as a great way to get out of the house, explore and exercise.

 

I was also thinking of having some wooden coins printed then hand painting the center image so that no two would be exactly the same. Would that be something cachers would like to find? It's not a cheap investment (~$100 for 100) so I would love to get some feedback before ordering.

 

You might want to have a custom stamp made. In the long run it might be cheaper to buy wooden coin blanks and stamp them.

Example

custom-logo-and-text-round-stamp-1_large.png

 

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...