Dollar Store Swag?

[+georgiadawn]

I have read about cachers getting new swag from dollar stores. What kind of things do you get?

 

signed,

a newbie whose kids are too sick to hunt right now, so she's stockpiling swag to create some caches

[+fly46]

Whatever you want.

 

I just got some cool four packs of mini playdoh at Dollar General. Split the packs and then you have trade items that are really nice but only cost a quarter.

 

You can get all kinds of toys, keychains, etc..

The general rule of thumb is if you would trade FOR it, then you can trade WITH it.

[CoyoteRed]

...mini playdoh...

Watch out. Some folks frown on anything scented, including Playdough.

[+briansnat]

A lot of the stuff in dollar stores tends to be garbage, so I rarely find anything worth buying in them. Once in a while you can find a bargain though.

 

Besides, I'm a classy guy, I wouldn't be caught dead in a dollar store. I only shop at Wal-Mart.

Edited November 20, 2004 by briansnat

[+Prime Suspect]

A lot of the stuff in dollar stores tends to be garbage, so I rarely find anything worth buying in them. Once in a while you can find a bargain though.

 

Besides, I'm a classy guy, I wouldn't be caught dead in a dollar store. I only shop at Wal-Mart.

And even when you do find something good, you have to check it out. I found a bunch of these little calculators, smaller than a business card, that were also spring-loaded clips. Pretty cool for a buck. But I had to test about 30 of them to find 5 in good working condition.

[+tirediron]

I do all right at dollar stores.... A while ago I found a whole bunch of nice aluminum whistles, 2/$1.00 (I didn't try them all, but I'm fairly sure they worked), I've bought things like portable mini-fm radios and clocks, and assorted trinkets. Recently I found a clear out on glow sticks, still well within their 'best before' date.

 

It's not usually a place for high-end swag, but every 'cache I come across does not rate high-end swag. I think their a great place!

[+Sputnik 57]

For adults, you can occasionally find decent tools (multi-head screwdrivers, pliers, etc.) or small kitchen gadgets (chopper, cooking thermometers, but no knives!)

 

For tykes, matchbox type cars, jacks, superballs, stickers.

 

If one of kids would like it (when not sick), some other young cacher will thing its great too.

[+fly46]

...mini playdoh...

Watch out. Some folks frown on anything scented, including Playdough.

And I'm not some folks, am I?

[+mouseful]

I use Dollar Tree and buy things that have several items for a $1.00. Kid's jewelry, craft items, and hardware. Most caches contain simular items and sometimes they are wet or used, so we don't tend to exchange costly items. Although I am a newbie, I imagine if you find several caches a day, the exchange of gagets would add up. I say" Keep it simple.

 

Mouseful

 

PS: Hope your lil' darlings get better.

[+gorillagal]

I recently placed my first cache and bought a few things at a dollar store for it. It was animal themed, and I found some animal stickers and a small jigsaw puzzle. I've also bought playdoh, picture frames, and address books there.

[+In Search Of Faeries]

I have found some really cool stuff at my local dollar tree and sams dollar store.

Stuff that I would think cost way more than a dollar if I didn't know better.

Oriental trading company is another really inexpensive way to get alot of super cool stuff for not alot of $$$.

 

Oriental Trading Company

[+NightPilot]

You can hit several caches in a day and not spend much at all. Just transfer stuff from cache to cache. All you really need is something to put in the first cache. That said, I tend to leave more than I take, so it would add up if I were buying everything, but I recycle a lot of stuff I already have on hand, like a ton of CDs my kids left us with. I'm slowly getting rid of them.

[+TeamSK]

We recently got some swag at Oriental Trading Company, on the net. They have inexpensive little items in bulk. You can get 20 or 40 of something for $12, for example, that normally would cost you a couple of bucks each in a store. We bought some mini-flashlights and whistle compasses. It's a good idea to "trade up", leaving the cache filled with at least as good, or better items, than you found. TeamSK

[eggman7360]

]It's a good idea to "trade up", leaving the cache filled with at least as good, or better items, than you . TeamSK

The only cache I have placed was started with a single pez dispenser! Im still looking for someone to trade it up. I think logging is more fun anyway...the swag is mainly intended for kids.

[+Damenace]

For adults, you can occasionally find decent tools (multi-head screwdrivers, pliers, etc.) or small kitchen gadgets (chopper, cooking thermometers, but no knives!)

 

For tykes, matchbox type cars, jacks, superballs, stickers.

 

 

I enjoy stocking an ammo can with tools. You can usually fill the can for less than twenty. Here is My Cache that is tool themed

 

Damenace

Edited November 22, 2004 by Damenace

[+Prairie Dog]

Dollar stores have cheap sandwich bags. We all know the difference a little plastic baggie can make in prolonging the life of a logbook or cache container. If you have an Eckerds, CVS, or Walgreens near you check out their "only a dollar" aisle for some good deals on writing pads (logbooks) and plastic sandwich bags.

[4x4van]

I just found, at the local 99 cent store, nice aluminum caribiners with an attached keychain and liquid-filled compass, in various anodized colors. I snagged a few of them for trade items. They had about 8-10 left; I'm thinking of going back to get the rest of them as well, as they are actually really nice.

[+Erissa]

We recently got some swag at Oriental Trading Company, on the net. They have inexpensive little items in bulk. You can get 20 or 40 of something for $12, for example, that normally would cost you a couple of bucks each in a store. We bought some mini-flashlights and whistle compasses. It's a good idea to "trade up", leaving the cache filled with at least as good, or better items, than you found. TeamSK

Oriental Trading is an EXCELLENT company to get good swag from...

 

I am searching for a signature item. But I haven't found anything especially ME yet.

[+reveritt]

I have read about cachers getting new swag from dollar stores. What kind of things do you get?

 

signed,

a newbie whose kids are too sick to hunt right now, so she's stockpiling swag to create some caches

Dollar stores are great for swag (at least the ones around where I live). I buy anything that fits in a cache, and looks like it is worth more than a dollar. This includes small toys, tools, kitchen gadgets, keyrings, notebooks, girl's hair stuff, calculators, etc. I also get patent medicines that are appropriate for cachers (sunscreen, calamine, etc.), but am very careful not to buy anything that might be harmful to a little kid if they found it without a parent present.

[farleywilbur]

I'm very new at this too but have already noticed how much of the swag in caches looks like second-hand stuff pulled out of the bottom of a toy bin. I'm not too interested in dirty old toys and I'm happier to read/sign the log anyway. I don't have kids yet so that view may change in a few years!!

[+OurWoods]

I have read about cachers getting new swag from dollar stores. What kind of things do you get?

 

signed,

a newbie whose kids are too sick to hunt right now, so she's stockpiling swag to create some caches

The dollar stores around here have DVD's. Weird ones though..

 

Sometime they also have those "finger skateboards" I usually buy all they have of those. They cost a couple bucks in Wal*Mart. My cousin loves those things, and often cant decide if he wants to keep them or trade with them!

 

I check the dollar store from time to time because they get different stuff all the time. Once they had tiny notebooks 6 for $1, and I bought about $30 worth. People seemed to like them. They were small yet durable.

[+JohnnyVegas]

About the only thing I by at Dollars stores are note books to use as logs and maybe a conatiner to use for a cache.

 

For trade items we use Buttons, we have a large size with our pidture on it, and a small size for micros, We have them made by

 

Bumblebuttons

 

Her prices are very good and this include for custom art work

[+The Neverlanders]

I think Dollar store items are great. Some trips I do not find anything worthwhile and others I hit the jackpot. I would rather see stuff from the Dollar store than the used junk/crap I see in some of them. I have seen a lot of caches that the owners really need to go do some maintenance on as this seems to be all they are filled with (junk). I know the real treasure is the find. But it is pretty sad seeing so many in such condition. Kind of a bummer when you are taking kids along or that new person you are introducing to geocaching.

[Kirbert]

All of these Dollar Store ideas are great, but you guys must be putting a LOT of stuff out there. I've just started, but offhand I can't imagine having to actually BUY anything for putting in caches for a LONG time! Tiny flashlights, key chains, Xmas ornaments -- I'm actually looking forward to moving a lot of the stuff that's been cluttering up my house for years! You know, the stuff that's too nice to throw away but I really have no need for.

 

The first thing I've started with is my collection of foreign coins. I sorta collect foreign coins, but only one of each, and over the years I've ended up with gobs of spares. Most of them are actually worth money, but it's not worth trying to convert them -- better to just let some kid have them to play with. But the nicest part is that they will actually fit in a micro cache, even the Hide-A-Key type, so occasionally I leave one in one of those.

[+fly46]

Using stuff that's in your home is okay, but make sure it's in good condition. If it looks like someone's used it for ten years, chances are nobody's going to want to find it in a cache.

[Kirbert]

A lot of this stuff is still in the wrapper!

[+fly46]

A lot of this stuff is still in the wrapper!

Sounds like swag to me, then!

[Zoptrop]

I keep an eye out for "trinkets" at the cash register of just about any store. At "The Home Depot" I've picked up Carabiner Key Chains, Bubble-Level Key Chains and Tape Measure Key Chains. The gum-ball machines at the grocery store have some neat Rubik's Cubes for 75 cents and mini-whopee cushions.

[+G'n,G]

Silly Putty is always good!

[+Team Snoopy]

I've picked up 2 pack of mini cards, 4 pack of kids card games, princess figurines, mulit tools, "lego" sets, 6pack glow sticks and other things. Our dollar store has some pretty cool items. I let me kids pick out things they would like to find, and use those as our trade.

[+Pork King]

You can hit several caches in a day and not spend much at all. Just transfer stuff from cache to cache. All you really need is something to put in the first cache.

Unless the cache is very well done, or I see something that I find useful or interesting, I usually TNLNSL...It's all about the finding (to some)!

[+Torry]

I like stocking up on summer stuff (bug repellant, sunscreen, etc.) in winter when the $5 stuff is at super mark-downs. Also I'll clean-out K-Mart's and others' 90% aisle after Christmas for items hat are wrapped for Xmas but are usable year-round (eg; those "Dad's Gifts" items that NOBODY wants to receive from anyone but their kid)

 

Also the local Goodwill (expensive, IMHO) or DAV (my fave) or other charity thrift store can be a good source.

 

I also have lucked out at a local auction house where I've bought boxes of great stuff for a dollar, including lanyards, Lego sets, tools, etc.