JohnX Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 So who cares about the kids? what type of swag items would adults like to see in a cache? Suppose there is a budget involved of about $15 for 10 items. Quote Link to comment
+octavia Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 Well... If you REALLY want to know... I like to find small mementos. I'm reading about special themed things people do, I think that is cool, or homemade things. So far, I've traded out a small obscure transit token and a pewter cross. I'm in the process of buying a bunch of globe marbles and stuff, because I think it would be neat to find something like that. we've put in lotto tickets, I think that would be fun to, and inexpensive. I was thinking of doing stuff like flower seeds for moms, and maybe starbucks gc cards to grownups in general. Wouldn't that be a nice find? A cup of your favorite Joe. We also put in a book thong on one of the ones we visited that seemed to need a boost. Just a string with beads at both ends, could easily be crafted within 3-5 dollars. Just some of my rambling ideas... I'm excited to hear what ideas others have too! I'm still in the formative stage on this one!! Quote Link to comment
Hansoncacher Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 I love to find old movies on DVD!! Quote Link to comment
+Riddlers Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 small compasses or folding scissors or geocaching items, like key rings or decals. Quote Link to comment
+Byron & Anne Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 The things I treasure are home made items. One lady paints rocks, I've three or four of them. Another couple presses flower between pieces of glass, pretty cool. Printed refigerator magnets. I traded one of my "Byron's Famous Stump Pins" for a turned Magic Wand. That's what comes to mind at the moment. Quote Link to comment
rebapac Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 I like wood items, especially if they are made by the trader. I make scroll sawn clocks and bird houses which are too big to put into a cache container. I take the scrap wood and cut out animal shapes and trade them as my signature item. But, I like anything that is hand made from any material. Quote Link to comment
+JohnnyVegas Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 Sig items, any sig items. Even cards the cacher make up with their name on them Buttons. Julie and I started collecting sig items a few months ago. Bring on sig items Quote Link to comment
+Mr. Snazz Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 Did we ever come to a consensus about knives in caches? I keep looking for some $10 range items to stick in a cache that 1) Won't be crappy, and 2) will be useful outdoors. And, I keep coming up with multi-tools. But these are not kid-safe.... Quote Link to comment
+Lemon Fresh Dog Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 Starbucks cards. Coffee Shop gift certs. This way, an adult gets a coffee and if child is there they can get a Hot Chocolate (I ussually charge them up to $5) I would like to create a signature item and trade for others -- that seems pretty cool. It would be neat to have an "Artifact" page here at Groundspeak where signature items, GEOCoins and the like from all over the world could be shown. Sort of a catalog of creativity! Quote Link to comment
+Mr. Snazz Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 This way, an adult gets a coffee and if child is there they can get a Hot Chocolate (I ussually charge them up to $5) You charge kids $5 for a cup of hot chocolate??? Quote Link to comment
+Fergus Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 (edited) If you are stocking a new cache or you are looking for a good signature/trade item hand made items are the best. I make chainmail balls as my signature item. It is rare for me to leave a chainmail ball in a cache and for that ball to remain for more than three visits. Often, the next person to the cache takes the chainmail ball. If you have any sort of craft skill you can find something that takes less than an hour to make that will make a great trade item or even first to find prize. Edited March 1, 2005 by Fergus Quote Link to comment
+Divine Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 I'd like to find all kinds of normal things: glass eyes, (animal) skulls, fossils, Alien-themed swag, Monty Python's Flying Circus trading cards, etc... I've also traded for signature items, although not many people around here have them. Quote Link to comment
+mzmtg Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 I'm still a n00b, but I'm tired of finding caches full of kids' toys. One action figure is enough. Home-made or regionally unique items are much cooler. Quote Link to comment
SCP-173 Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 Sig items, bones, foreign coins, patches and pins are what I trade for if they're in a cache. I also like to find knives more then anything else. They're always big hits and quick to be taken (by someone who wants them, not someone who's removing them) when I leave them in my caches, too. They're not supposed to be in there, but the world wont stop if they are. Quote Link to comment
+bigredmed Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 Did we ever come to a consensus about knives in caches? I keep looking for some $10 range items to stick in a cache that 1) Won't be crappy, and 2) will be useful outdoors. And, I keep coming up with multi-tools. But these are not kid-safe.... Knives are a no-no. As for me, useful tools, compasses, AA batteries, Sig items (particularly cool ones), things that I can use for geocaching or while hiking are all welcome geoswag. About the only thing that I don't like is toys (esp McToys). Quote Link to comment
+wimseyguy Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 Ohh, I thought this was a thread about X-Caching. Ya know-an adult option to gc.com, terra.com, navi.com. I don't really care much about swag or trading trinkets, but a cool handmade item would catch my eye, like Fergus' chain mail balls. Preprinted tokens, cards etc. don't excite me much. I think it's funny that they get removed from caches as trading swag. To me they are more like a calling card saying "so and so cacher was here." Quote Link to comment
+Mule Ears Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 We leave Geocaching-logo items like patches, compasses and pins. Lately we've added bootlace locks (non-geo), just because they're so handy. Other cachers in our area really shine in this department with homemade goodies like scrollsaw cutouts, polished stones, etc. Quote Link to comment
+Baxter-MD Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 Hand made items will always win with me. But since I don't have that type of talent, for adults I keep an eye out for sales at my local hardware/everything store for tape measures (I personally always find it handy to have one more), 4 in 1 screw drivers, levels, calculators and things along those lines. I recently picked up 25 ft Stanley tape measures on sale for $2 a piece, normally $18. As a result I can often find adult type items for less than $3 an item. I also have a signature pin, a Maryland Crab, that would cost about $4 in a store, but I paid less by buying in quantity. I think the key to afforable items is to buy when things are on sale, even if you don't need them. Quote Link to comment
+j9cache & Mike(j9+M) Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 I like things of a geological nature. The only things I've kept so far are a small agate egg and an obsidian arrowhead. I need to stock up next time I go somewhere that has stuff like small geodes on magnets. Quote Link to comment
+Hobbies Anonymous Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 I have an assortment of things I put in caches, I have small trash bags, wet wipes,packets of purel just in case someone could use it after getting their hands muddy looking for the cache or would like to pick up a little trash to take away. I also have clip magnets, polished stones, foreign coins, hand made earrings and silver wrapped pendants I have made. I also paint rocks and am planning to make some small stone frogs. I try to reserve things like the amethyst silver wrapped pendant for FTF prizes. I also have some small things for kids, collector cars and cards, and for the girls ponytail holders and novelty keychains. Another good thing in an area where many people fish is fishing lures. Quote Link to comment
Captain Chaoss Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 Bump. Keep the ideas coming. I love what I'm hearing. I leave coins that I make from Sculpey synthetic clay. Lemon Fresh said: It would be neat to have an "Artifact" page here at Groundspeak where signature items, GEOCoins and the like from all over the world could be shown. Sort of a catalog of creativity! See the "geocoins" and "geo-creations" on Fisurs website. They've documented tons of sig items there. Quote Link to comment
+RuffRidr Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 Large, non-sequential, unmarked bills please. Or gold bars if you don't have any of those. Hmm, I'd also like to see winning lottery tickets, ultra-rare baseball cards, and first edition books by famous authors. Oh, and the hide better not be lame!! --RuffRidr Quote Link to comment
+StarBrand Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 Three items that adults seem to grab up out of my hides are 1. Geocaching patches 2. New Tools (screwdriver, pliers etc - from dollar store) 3. Quality Deck of cards - also I once found a sale on Duct tape - $1.10 for a big roll - those were snatched up pretty quick. Quote Link to comment
AvsRule Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 These...most of these...were good suggestions. As a new gc'r, this was one of my biggest questions. THANKS! Quote Link to comment
mufasa1023 Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 i'd personally like to see more Porn, Liqour, Firework,s Lighters, Cigs, ummmm and sharp pointy objects in caches! I still dont understand the 'no-no-ness' of knives and leathermenesque tools if you are old enough to operate a gps'r than you should be old enough to use pointy objects Quote Link to comment
Toron Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 I still dont understand the 'no-no-ness' of knives and leathermenesque tools if you are old enough to operate a gps'r than you should be old enough to use pointy objects I agree. Though I can see the reason behind the policy, the banning of such objects does collide with a brickwall of common sense when you encounter situations like: "To get to the cache, you will have to hike through a heavily wooded area of the Everglades. Be careful, though, I have seen some monster rattlers in the area. Depending on the rainfall, there may be some wading involved. Just FYI, though I have never had a problem with them, there have been some sighting of gators. There is some climbing involved when you get to the final destination, so if you are squeamish about heights, you may want to reconsider. I definitely recommend going in pairs or groups, since there is no cell phone coverage and if you get seriously injured in this place, you may be done for. The original cache contents do NOT contain pocket knives or leatherman tools since those can be dangerous." 1 Quote Link to comment
+Dagg Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 I still dont understand the 'no-no-ness' of knives and leathermenesque tools if you are old enough to operate a gps'r than you should be old enough to use pointy objects I agree. Though I can see the reason behind the policy, the banning of such objects does collide with a brickwall of common sense when you encounter situations like: "To get to the cache, you will have to hike through a heavily wooded area of the Everglades. Be careful, though, I have seen some monster rattlers in the area. Depending on the rainfall, there may be some wading involved. Just FYI, though I have never had a problem with them, there have been some sighting of gators. There is some climbing involved when you get to the final destination, so if you are squeamish about heights, you may want to reconsider. I definitely recommend going in pairs or groups, since there is no cell phone coverage and if you get seriously injured in this place, you may be done for. The original cache contents do NOT contain pocket knives or leatherman tools since those can be dangerous." Quote Link to comment
+wimseyguy Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 The supposed reason for the nononess of the multitools and knives comes from the requests of land managers who are still using chain gang laborerers to clear the swamps of the gators and natural habitats all in the name of progress so another subvision, strip mall, shopping center, freeway exit can be built there. Some day soon all of the wally world employees will actually be cons on work release because there won't be any more swamps to clear. Then the lame caches will rule the world! Quote Link to comment
+fly46 Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 I'd be happier than a pig in poo to find a compas with a clip so I can clip it on the string of my gpsr. Quote Link to comment
+bigredmed Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 (edited) Appeasement of land managers and risk avoidance are the main reasons for the ban on knives in caches. If some kid finds one by accident and grabs a knife out of the cache, there is at least some theoretical risk that the cache owner, GC.com, and the person who left the knife might face (finger prints last a while). And land use managers who get their panties in a twist over leatherman tools preside over stateparks full of boyscouts who carry hunting knives and pocket knives as a matter of course. Yet, the very same panty twisted park managers seem strangely unaffected by this. I personally agree with the sentiment that tools with a knife (like leatherman tools) or small pocket knifes would be excellent finds in a cache. I like them as well. To protect the site, its worth the sacrifice. Appeasement of land use managers is a whole other kettle of McToys, and I don't want to open that one again. Edited March 1, 2005 by bigredmed Quote Link to comment
+Fergus Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 For the record, I have found knives in a few caches. I currently have at least three that I found in caches. Most are just utility knives, but one was a Leatherman tool. Quote Link to comment
+OienLabs Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 This thread was about what to put in the cache and not what is banned? You could put in 40 tons of potatoes and if you eat these in one day you will die. Dangerous Quote Link to comment
+flask Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 what i love to find in caches in order of importance: 1) clean, whole items of any sort. additionally, i like to pick up signatures, quirky things, historical things, small tools, round things, smooth things, and toys that i can play with. i even love to see clean unbroken things that i consider to be yicky (mctoys, anything with hearts and roses on it, cute kitty figurines, and inspirational anything). i figure somebody with far less taste than i have will find these things and be delighted to find them. Quote Link to comment
+Cool Librarian Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 i figure somebody with far less taste than i have will find these things and be delighted to find them. Like many of the folks have mentioned, I will almost always take a sig item or something handmade. I have found that my CL Bookmarks and Minimarks are very popular - and, oddly, little boys like them. I tend to stock my caches out of the dollar store, as I am poor. But, we have a great dollar store here, and sometimes I find really cool stuff (even decent compasses on biners which I have seen for $5 or so at the highend stores). I like to find compasses, new whitsles, waterproof match containers, biners, cool keychains/bottle openers, books, hand sanitizer, cool stones, beads - I just like a cache that is not full of junk. Quote Link to comment
+Isonzo Karst Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 Lately I've been leaving decon cans (in caches large enough to accomodate them)(I've even left a decon can next to a decon can cache) and bison tubes with a printed stash note & log . These items are usually removed by the next cacher. I used to leave a sig item, but the local area got saturated and I've been lazy about doing any more. As they go fast, I assume they're desirable. Both items cost me $1. Quote Link to comment
+rusty_tlc Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 I cast my lot with the sig item crowd. They are about the only thing I trade for nowadays. Quote Link to comment
+KolarBear Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 I love finding buttons... I found this cool Bill Clinton button that I like, even though I am Republican... Items such as cool key chains or playing cards are cool Quote Link to comment
+BigWhiteTruck Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 Lately I've been carving chains out of blocks of wood. I think I am going to start leaving those as sig items. Quote Link to comment
+Colorado Cacher Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 Oh please give me the numbers for the cache that Anna Kournikova is in. Quote Link to comment
+JohnnyVegas Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 (edited) i'd personally like to see more Porn, Liqour, Firework,s Lighters, Cigs, ummmm and sharp pointy objects in caches! I still dont understand the 'no-no-ness' of knives and leathermenesque tools if you are old enough to operate a gps'r than you should be old enough to use pointy objects I found some fireworks in a cache, I took them to make sure they would be handled by someone with the proper training and license to use them. As far as leatherman tools and knives, just because a person is old enough handle a GPSr, does not mean they can handle a knife. We sold knives were I use to work but not to anyone uder 18 for liability reasons. but there were some adults we had as customers that did not know jack about how to handle a knife. Edited March 2, 2005 by JohnnyVegas Quote Link to comment
+reveritt Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 Krugerrands are cool...also handmade signature items, small tools, compasses, software CDs, books, DVDs, light sticks (they're not just for kids), and TBs! Quote Link to comment
Captain Chaoss Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 , light sticks (they're not just for kids), Had to laugh when I read that - My very 1st cache was a mile long hike that passed through some dense thickets of hemlock, swampland, up a power line trail, and then used logging trails to get to the cache. I had placed glow sticks as a trade item, and was more than amused to read a log thanking me SO MUCH for them, as it got dark while the finders were signing the log, and they had no flashlight. Now, there isn't that much light from a glowstick, but they were able to follow the trails back to their vehicle by it ! Quote Link to comment
+st3roadking Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 This thread was about what to put in the cache and not what is banned? You could put in 40 tons of potatoes and if you eat these in one day you will die. Dangerous Sorry, food is a no-no! lol Quote Link to comment
+st3roadking Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 Oh please give me the numbers for the cache that Anna Kournikova is in. there would be a fight for the ftf on that one! Quote Link to comment
+mortaine Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 I like to find things that trade evenly or fairly, or appropriately with what I have in my stash bag. I just restocked my bag, so right now I have a bunch of foreign currency (for film can micros), several polished tigers eyes (for same), a small collection of little toys and paint sets, a small rubber ducky, two FM radios (for a really dry and fairly large cache), a micro tape measure, etc. I've only traded for one sig item, a compass. Unfortunately, it doesn't work terribly well, but it's nifty so I kept it. I'm working on my own sig items-- when I have a few hours, I'll be putting them together to put into caches, and they'll fit inside film canister micros (because I do those a lot). I think people like tools and utilitarian things, so I keep my eyes open for these kinds of things when I go stuff-shopping. I tend to look for small items, though-- a roll of duct tape would be hard to fit into 90% of the caches I visit. I don't like: Bandaids or other medical/sanitary items, unless they're actually inside of and part of a dry first aid kit. Sorry, but a bunch of wet band aids is not a trade item. Here's a test: while holding it inside whatever container it's in, spray 1 ml of water on it and then crumple it in your hand. If you open your hand and still think the item is cool, then it's adequately protected and could hold up to a cache. Clothing. No matter how clean they are, your underpants do not belong in a cache. No matter how tired you were of wearing them, pantyhose aren't a trade item, either. No matter how clean they were when you put them in, any clothing item will likely mildew and be gross by the time someone gets there. Stickers. Similar problem to bandaids-- try the wet and crumple method. Most won't stand up. How many times have I gone to a cache to find fifteen glittery star stickers stuck to the insides of the cache and every other trade item in there? Earrings. Unless they are brand new and in the original packaging, nobody is going to want your earrings, especially not if it's one single earring that isn't all that cool to begin with. Earrings go through your skin. There is a body contamination issue. I don't want to share anyone else's body fluids by cache. I certainly don't want to get an infection from a cache trade item. Unless the earring is really super cool and would be appropriately converted to a necklace pendant, I would consider it trash. That said, I might make a new pair of earrings (I make earrings all the time) and leave them in a cache, but it would be up to someone finding them to decide if they were safe enough to take or not. I have access to a lot of adult movies for cheap, so if geocaching ever gets an xxxcache type of thing going, I'd definitely be able to participate. I just don't want to run into another cache containing a pair of used pantyhose and a broken crack pipe. Quote Link to comment
mufasa1023 Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 Oh please give me the numbers for the cache that Anna Kournikova is in. cool.gif there would be a fight for the ftf on that one! laugh.gif laugh.gif a fight? more like a war... a naval engagement actually, i hear you have to swim to claim the FTF prize geocacher arrested trying to be FTF! Quote Link to comment
+spamhead Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 (edited) Oh please give me the numbers for the cache that Anna Kournikova is in. there would be a fight for the ftf on that one! Sorry folks, I think Sergei Federov found Anna before you. I have been "unloading" unusual shotglasses. Sadly, I haven't figured out how to keep them full for the next casher. Edited March 3, 2005 by spamhead Quote Link to comment
+jimmyreno Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 I found a mini thermometer suitable for hiking that I thot was cool Small tools seem popular with most men. Quote Link to comment
+geocacher_coza Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 Krugerrands are cool... Name of Cache please! Quote Link to comment
+MissJenn Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 When I read the topic title, I immediately thought of this old thread: booty nuggets Quote Link to comment
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