Collecting people's signature items

[+Demonic_mop]

I've been reading the forums for a while, and I keep on seeing a repeating theme of people not treating except for other people's signature items, and I can't help but wonder why. What do you do with them? It just seems a little weird to me.

[+cerberus1]

A signature item from a cacher is a lot closer to a "souvenir" of this hobby than typical swag.    

 - Why does that seem weird ?

Many leave a small coin (with a hole in it) as their signature item.   They're designed to be kept as a souvenir (or moved along).

One cacher near me used to leave trout flies that he tied in caches.   I caught many trout on those flies. 

[+Max and 99]

1 hour ago, Demonic_mop said:

I've been reading the forums for a while, and I keep on seeing a repeating theme of people not treating except for other people's signature items, and I can't help but wonder why. What do you do with them? It just seems a little weird to me.

Signature items are my favorite swag! 

[+NYPaddleCacher]

6 hours ago, cerberus1 said:

A signature item from a cacher is a lot closer to a "souvenir" of this hobby than typical swag.    

 - Why does that seem weird ?

Many leave a small coin (with a hole in it) as their signature item.   They're designed to be kept as a souvenir (or moved along).

One cacher near me used to leave trout flies that he tied in caches.   I caught many trout on those flies. 

A signature item can be almost anything.  The key is that it's something that is associated with a specific cacher.   There was a local cacher that found a couple boxes of 1" copper balls and she would leave them in caches.  They were her signature item.  Another cacher worked for a company that many computer cables.  He'd leave ethernet or patch cables in caches and if you found a cache with one, you'd know who put it there.  Quite often signature items are things that he cacher has made themselves and those, to me, are the most collectable.

[+kunarion]

10 hours ago, Demonic_mop said:

I've been reading the forums for a while, and I keep on seeing a repeating theme of people not treating except for other people's signature items, and I can't help but wonder why. What do you do with them? It just seems a little weird to me.

 

If you see something in a cache and you don't want it, leave it there.  Somebody else may trade for it.  Not everything appeals to everybody.  I trade for sig items of people I'm familiar with, or maybe if it's some dragon or something... .  I may then trade that for another item.

 

I make a variety of signature items (see my profile for some), and I'm constantly thinking of new designs, so mine aren't all the same.  I make pin buttons and one day showed some at an Event.  A lady was at first unimpressed, until she saw a particular one.  "Buttons?  What for?  Huh, I don't think I need any... OOOH A PENGUIN?!!  GIMME!!"

 

She collects penguins.

[+Demonic_mop]

13 hours ago, cerberus1 said:

 - Why does that seem weird ?

I mean on one hand I get it and it seems cool, but on another hand it almost seems like just a bit stalker-ish. Like it could seem cool to know someone collects something from you, but on the other hand it's a little weird to know that a total stranger could have a collection of things from you. Maybe I just watch too many crime shows ?‍♀️

[+Demonic_mop]

2 hours ago, kunarion said:

If you see something in a cache and you don't want it, leave it there.  Somebody else may trade for it.  Not everything appeals to everybody.  I trade for sig items of people I'm familiar with, or maybe if it's some dragon or something... .  I may then trade that for another item.

Don't worry, I always make sure to do that. In fact, the only time I ever took something I didn't want from a cache was yesterday and that item was, drum roll please, poison ivy!

Edited August 1, 2019 by Demonic_mop

[+kunarion]

1 hour ago, Demonic_mop said:

I mean on one hand I get it and it seems cool, but on another hand it almost seems like just a bit stalker-ish. Like it could seem cool to know someone collects something from you, but on the other hand it's a little weird to know that a total stranger could have a collection of things from you. Maybe I just watch too many crime shows ?‍♀️

 

It is extremely rare for me to find out if anyone takes my sig item, or to know exactly who.  That mainly happens when someone sends me a message about something they liked.

[+niraD]

7 hours ago, Demonic_mop said:

on the other hand it's a little weird to know that a total stranger could have a collection of things from you.

If you don't want total strangers to have a collection of your personal signature items, then don't leave them in geocaches.

 

Problem solved.

[+L0ne.R]

7 hours ago, Demonic_mop said:

I mean on one hand I get it and it seems cool, but on another hand it almost seems like just a bit stalker-ish. Like it could seem cool to know someone collects something from you, but on the other hand it's a little weird to know that a total stranger could have a collection of things from you. Maybe I just watch too many crime shows ?‍♀️

 

I found it rather rewarding and inspiring when someone at an event showed me a swag item I made, that they picked up at a cache, and really liked. (It was a small stained glass pin). 

[+cerberus1]

9 hours ago, Demonic_mop said:

I mean on one hand I get it and it seems cool, but on another hand it almost seems like just a bit stalker-ish. Like it could seem cool to know someone collects something from you, but on the other hand it's a little weird to know that a total stranger could have a collection of things from you.

 

Well,  "signature" items are placed by that person as a remembrance of them. 

 - Guess I don't understand how someone could "stalk" another who's presenting themselves to others.     

 

Most would think nothing of collecting memorabilia from rock stars or sports figures, right ?

 - Though we haven't met any rock stars in this hobby.   Yet.  

[+barefootjeff]

48 minutes ago, cerberus1 said:

- Though we haven't met any rock stars in this hobby.   Yet.  

 

 

Now there's an idea for a signature item.