Swag Shopping

5.9k · January 28, 2004

I’m heading over to the Base Exchange at lunch to see what kind of great stuff they have marked down. Not for caches I find, but for some of mine that are right now filled with absolute crap. Last time I was in the BX, they had matchbox cars marked 50% off, finger skateboards 50% off, and some cool gold sportsman’s pins that feature sharks, swordfish, ducks, etc. for like three bucks. Clothing Sales has some patriotic coins with flags that look really cool. I’ll heist a bunch of squadron patches too.

Which brings me to my question. Where do you shop for swag? Don’t even mention the dollar store, unless you actually found something really good there. All I’ve ever seen in the dollar stores here is pretty much crap. Archie McFee has some cool stuff. American scientific does too.

4.8k · January 28, 2004

I tend to pick things up all over the place. I watch the sale table at the book store and have picked up some great nature books for under $5 each. I ordered a bunch of $1-3 items on sale through the nature company once. When I was in North Carolina a wildlife refuge gift shop had a sale on pins, pens, patches, etc and I picked up a bunch. Local grocery stores often have dollar tables that often have junk on them but occasionally have something good (I got some nice levels and other tools off of one once). Basically, I just keep my eyes open and pick things up for future use when I come across them. Oh, and we do have one decent dollar store here, but it requires some picking through things.

Edited January 29, 2004 by carleenp

January 28, 2004

Souvenir stores are good.

Try the gift shops from local museums and tourist attractions. I figure they make good swag for out of towner cachers. I got a lot of magnets, hat pins, commemorative coins, and assorted doodads at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center here in Huntsville, AL. I put some in my local hides and I also use them as trade items when caching out of town.

Party City or similar stores have some nice cheap items -- some of them are inferior or dollar store merchandise, but some are cool.

Here in Huntsville we also have a store called Mike's Merchandise which has cool import and overstock items -- screwdriver kits, small tools, magnets, odd gadgets, toys, etc. (and lots of ammo boxes).

9.4k · January 28, 2004

McDonald's has toys wrapped in plastic, they'll even throw lunch in if you buy one

Seriously, I shop at Wal-Mart, OfficeMax, PetSmart, Greenbacks (dollar store), etc.

Edited January 28, 2004 by Team GPSaxophone

January 28, 2004

The local BX here (Buckley Air Force Base) has some pretty cool stuff. I got some keychains and some Air Force playing cards there. I need to go back and look for more stuff to buy.

I also bought a lot of hotwheels cars and small beanie babies at my local Toys 'R' Us. They usually have a clearance table with a lot of good, small items. The Beanie Babies I bought there were Christmas themed so they were only 25 cents a piece.

Family Dollar also sells some pretty cool items.

Big Lot's has some nice stuff too sometimes.

Edited January 28, 2004 by Imajika

January 28, 2004

If you have a TJ MAX in the neighborhood you might check them out. I recently saw a pair of FRM radios for around 12 bucks a piece in there. Maybe also hit Wal-Mart -- They normally have inexpensive, cool items to put in caches.

hey, what about hitting some yard sales. You always find cool little trinkets for pennies on the dollar. Check the paper for a large two family sale.

Edited January 28, 2004 by The_Brownies

1.5k · January 28, 2004

Which brings me to my question. Where do you shop for swag? Don’t even mention the dollar store, unless you actually found something really good there. All I’ve ever seen in the dollar stores here is pretty much crap.

Don't be so quick to put down dollar stores Criminal. A few months ago, I found a whack of AM/FM mini radios for $3.00 each! For high-end trade items, I have found some really cools stuff at Lee Valley Tools. Mostly though, it's just a case of walking through a store and going "Hey, that would make a cool trade item".

2k · January 28, 2004

I go the the thrift stores. You have to go there a lot to get good stuff before it gets snatched up. Stuff I've found that was cool:

Antique jewlery

Real silver-ware

Knick Knack's

Money Toads (6 for a dollar)

I go to the WARC (Washoe Adult Retarded Citizens) store. It kills part of a lunch hour browsing and if I find somthing it goes to a good cause

5.9k · January 28, 2004

All good suggestions!

Two new items for the “trading etiquette” list would be:

Trade toys for toys. Don’t trade that tool item for a toy item.

Trade new for new. Don’t trade a new in-the-package item for your used nail clippers.

My very first cache hide, one that was hidden with the whole family along, was full of used and dirty toys and a few damp stickers. It didn’t start that way.

I think if people knew where to get cool items cheap, they might trade a little better.

1.2k · January 28, 2004

For high-end trade items, I have found some really cools stuff at Lee Valley Tools.

Lee Valley had some really cool disc screw drivers. About the size of a quarter and they are designed to be a flat head screw driver of various thicknesses. about 10$ per dozen.

I like buttons and pins. I get buttons from city hall with our city logo on them for 10$ for 20.

January 28, 2004

Our local Army surplus store has some pretty neat stuff...from can openers to pins...you name it they got it or can get it

1.6k · January 28, 2004

Our local army surplus store has some things that are good, but since the no knife rule went into effect last year, most of the good and inexpensive stuff is out of bounds leaving good but too expensive or affordable, but crap.

A source that I have had good luck with is the Wholesale lots section on Ebay (particularly the sub sections dealing with sporting goods and tools).

Anyone ever gone to one of these used CD stores?

1.3k · January 28, 2004

We like going to Boeing Surplus, both for containers and swag. Most of the stuff is used, but every now and then you score with something new. We got a great deal on first aid books once. They were $0.25 each, we bought a hundred or so.

2k · January 28, 2004

We like going to Boeing Surplus, both for containers and swag. Most of the stuff is used, but every now and then you score with something new. We got a great deal on first aid books once. They were $0.25 each, we bought a hundred or so.

So if you put a first aid book in a cache can you leave a knife? They kind of balance out right?

9.4k · January 28, 2004

We like going to Boeing Surplus, both for containers and swag. Most of the stuff is used, but every now and then you score with something new. We got a great deal on first aid books once. They were $0.25 each, we bought a hundred or so.

So if you put a first aid book in a cache can you leave a knife? They kind of balance out right?

Took: first aid kit

Left: bloody knife

Edited January 29, 2004 by Team GPSaxophone

5.9k · January 28, 2004

We like going to Boeing Surplus, both for containers and swag. Most of the stuff is used, but every now and then you score with something new. We got a great deal on first aid books once. They were $0.25 each, we bought a hundred or so.

So if you put a first aid book in a cache can you leave a knife? They kind of balance out right?

As I understand it, you can leave a knife in a cache using your common sense (not in a children's park for example) but you cannot log the trade item in your online log. That's the way I understand it, and would rather not know if I'm wrong.

EDIT: Typo

Edited January 28, 2004 by Criminal

1.8k · January 28, 2004

When the weather turns nice, hit the garage sales.

January 28, 2004

Yes indeed, the Exchanges have neat swag if you know where and when to look. We frequently pick up great cache items at Ft, Belvoir, Ft Myer, and both Andrews & Bolling AFBs...another great spot for smaller (interesting for kid) type items is the local Toys R Us, or Kids R Us...look for the B-Day Party Packs...usually 4 or 6 sets of items in multiples, i.e., paratroopers, magnifying glasses, squirt guns, bookmarks, etc.

Regards,

Bill

3.9k · January 28, 2004

ebay for wholesale lots is my main source for swag. I like to leave a wide range of items in my caches so people with lame crap can trade for other lame crap. So dollar store shopping is the way to go for that. Besides I've gotten some decent stuff and dollar stores: Calculator, tools, toys, pen lights etc... I also hit K-mart and Walmart but I really hate those places. I usually grab some dog friendly stuff at Petco. I also have a gift shop near me for stuff specific to my area.

January 29, 2004

funny, I just came back from the party store...

I've bought a wide range of stuff before, but I stopped back for what have turned out to be the most popular items. all under a buck, some under 50c.

mini-carbiners. not ok for climbing, but still useful.

kalideoscopes, cheap ones which are just a cone and a faceted lense.

happy face whistles. The classic yellow ball, quarter-size, with mouthpiece.

postman's whistles - metal tube about 2 inches long.

frog finger puppets. 30c each.

pencils - butterfly and $100 patterns. 30c each.

mini-CD player pencil sharpeners. these are useful for sharpening pencils.

assorted bouncy balls and squishy footballs.

At least 1/2 of the caches I visit are kid friendly. Most of these items appeal both ways. Another favorite item is replica arrowheads from a local park store, 50c each. They are claimed from caches very soon after i place them.

January 29, 2004

i like walmart.

3.1k · January 29, 2004

When I set up a cache it's mostly dollar store stuff and mostly toys. But Wally World has worked out too.

January 29, 2004

We recently went to one of those educational toy stores. It had a bunch of great swag, most of it for only a little over a $1. I think teachers come in and buy this stuff for kids in their class.

January 29, 2004

We find cool stuff all over. Rainey Belle gets her signature 'Magical Brass Belles' at a hippy bead shop, and I often get stuff from the discount bin at REI or another outdoor equipment store. But anytime we're out shopping and one of us picks up something we look at each other and say 'that'd be great to put in a cache!'

January 29, 2004

I just saw Sax's response...

Edited January 29, 2004 by Wulfster

9.4k · January 29, 2004

<deleted>

I just saw Sax's response...

Good or bad?

1.3k · January 29, 2004

Latest Swag Purchases:

Mini Screwdriver keychains The funny part is that these things are probably the most useful screwdrivers I have since almost everything comes with tiny screws. $0.25 each.

biner fm radios - Walgreens - 3 for $10.

And another 8 pack of travel bug tags from geocaching.com.

I already have a bunch of kids toys in the $.50-$2.00 range.

1.4k · January 29, 2004

Too bad I wasn't thinking "swag" on my last trip to Japan. They have the absolutely coolest 100 yen stores over there. (100 Yen + tax is about $1 US). They make the local discount stores look like total junk. I scored a bunch of red bright LED Photon-like flashlights as Christmas presents for some friends. I've also picked up jewelers screwdriver sets that look as good as any other set I've picked up.

3.8k · January 29, 2004

When I buy trading items, I usually shop at Bumble Buttons, or Groundspeak.

Sometimes I trade cool items I've grabbed from other caches.

I almost always leave a Sacagewea gold dollar (I found 55 of them as a FTF).

January 29, 2004

My father owns a hardware store -- there are so many great little trinkets there, caching-related and otherwise! This winter, I bought a lot of hand warmers to put into caches. I also got a TON of compass key rings dirt cheap, and they're decent quality. There are also lots of mini tools, kitchen gadgets, and even trial-size packages of garbage bags in hard plastic containers that are great as CITO bags. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I get the "family discount...!" But I think that hardware stores in general have lots of neat little gadgets that retail pretty cheap. Oh, and when I go to Europe, I save all my small change and throw a couple of coins into caches that I deem worthy.

Kelli

of Teamo

38.2k · January 29, 2004

Home Depot, Staples, Campmor (the big outdoors store in the area) and my local supermarket are all favorite stops of mine. They're building a Walmart a few miles from my home, so that will probably also be a stop. When I'm in Vermont, sometimes I'll stop at the Vermont Country Store, which has a lot of unusual, or hard to find items.

Two of my favorite trade items are Energizer "squeeze" lights and reflective safety strobe lights (the kind runners and bikers clip to their belts so they don't get squished by trucks at night). I get them for $1.49 at Home Depot. Another standby of mine are the emergency rain ponchos which I get for $.99 at Campmor, or $1.29 at my local supermarket. I'll also get Matchbox cars at the supermarket when they're on sale for 2 for a buck.

Edited January 29, 2004 by briansnat

January 29, 2004

The next time you are in downtown Branson. (The old part of town) Check out Dicks 5 & 10. THis place is a treasure trove of stuff. Each aisle is packed with all kind of goodies for young and old alike. If you cant find good swag items there then you are not trying.

January 29, 2004

Good or bad?

You said the same thing that I did (about McToys).

6.5k · January 29, 2004

15 Things to do at Wal-Mart while your spouse is taking her sweet time:

1. Get 24 boxes of condoms & randomly put them in peoples carts when they aren't looking.

2. Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5 minute intervals.

3. Make a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the rest rooms.

4. Walk up to an employee and tell him/her in an official tone, 'Code 3' in housewares,...and see what happens.

5. Go to the Service Desk and ask to put a bag of M&M's on lay away.

6. Move a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.

7. Set up a tent in the camping department and tell other shoppers you'll invite them in if they bring pillows from the bedding department.

8. When a clerk asks if they can help you, begin to cry and ask 'Why can't you people just leave me alone?

9. Look right into the security camera, use it as a mirror and pick your nose.

10. While handling guns in the hunting department, ask the clerk if he knows where the antidepressants are.

11. Dart around the store suspiciously while loudly humming the theme from 'Mission

Impossible.'

12. In the auto department, practice your "Madonna look" using different size funnels.

13. Hide in a clothing rack and when people browse through, say "PICK ME! PICK ME!"

14. When an announcement comes overthe loud speaker, assume the fetal position and scream

"NO! NO! It's those voices again!!!"

And last but not least:

15. Go into a fitting room, shut the door and wait a while and then yell loudly "There's no toilet paper in here!!!"

1.8k · January 29, 2004

15 Things to do at Wal-Mart while your spouse is taking her sweet time:

1. Get 24 boxes of condoms & randomly put them in peoples carts when they aren't looking.

2. Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5 minute intervals.

3. Make a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the rest rooms.

4. Walk up to an employee and tell him/her in an official tone, 'Code 3' in housewares,...and see what happens.

5. Go to the Service Desk and ask to put a bag of M&M's on lay away.

6. Move a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.

7. Set up a tent in the camping department and tell other shoppers you'll invite them in if they bring pillows from the bedding department.

8. When a clerk asks if they can help you, begin to cry and ask 'Why can't you people just leave me alone?

9. Look right into the security camera, use it as a mirror and pick your nose.

10. While handling guns in the hunting department, ask the clerk if he knows where the antidepressants are.

11. Dart around the store suspiciously while loudly humming the theme from 'Mission

Impossible.'

12. In the auto department, practice your "Madonna look" using different size funnels.

13. Hide in a clothing rack and when people browse through, say "PICK ME! PICK ME!"

14. When an announcement comes overthe loud speaker, assume the fetal position and scream

"NO! NO! It's those voices again!!!"

And last but not least:

15. Go into a fitting room, shut the door and wait a while and then yell loudly "There's no toilet paper in here!!!"

ROTFLMAO!!! Excellent work. Now I can stroll through Wal-Mart with dignity and a sense of hilarity. Thank you.

4.8k · January 29, 2004

Pretty darn funny! I try to avoid Wal-mart here at all costs. It is usually packed full of slow moving (and slow in general) people with screaming children. I just can't take it.

January 29, 2004

If your in Northern Utah, try this store

http://www.smithandedwards.com/

They have EVERYTHING. You can get ammo cans cheap, as well as all sorts of good quality swag at a good price too.

January 29, 2004

Our local charity shop had a massive basket of small stuffed kids toys which were in good condition. These make good travel bugs or to put in for the kids who cache.

January 29, 2004

The christmas tree shop works for me.

January 29, 2004

If your in Northern Utah, try this store

http://www.smithandedwards.com/

They have EVERYTHING. You can get ammo cans cheap, as well as all sorts of good quality swag at a good price too.

Smith & Eddie's IS a great place, but it's not around the corner for me. Overstock.com is based here too, and they have a store that is open to the public. I keep meaning to go check it out, because I bet they have a good selection of swag.

Swag Shopping

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