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Thread: Etiquette for Signature Items

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
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    Default Etiquette for Signature Items

    Hi! The kids and I were excited to find our first signature item today - Thanks, Beckett! - but I was wondering what the "etiquette" was when it comes to finding one. Do we take it and leave something? Do we leave our own signature item (which we haven't quite decided on) in place of it?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
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    Unity, Maine
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maine-iac_Mom View Post
    Hi! The kids and I were excited to find our first signature item today - Thanks, Beckett! - but I was wondering what the "etiquette" was when it comes to finding one. Do we take it and leave something? Do we leave our own signature item (which we haven't quite decided on) in place of it?
    I can't and do not speak for everyone, but I've always viewed signature items like TBs in that you don't need to leave one to take one . . . but unlike TBs they are put in caches for other cachers to collect. I personally drop signature items in a variety of caches (I'm particularly partial to ammo cans and other well-built, hidden or maintained caches . . . Lock N' Locks are also nice . . . and I avoid dropping them in flimsy-looking or dirty caches whenever possible) . . . and don't take anything . . . but then again I also frequently do the usual TNLN and I often drop items in caches without taking anything -- in fact I cannot remember the last time I was lured into pulling something out of a cache . . . well other than Quilting Mom and Mike's FTF prize way, way back last Fall.
    "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the realization that there is something more important than fear."

    "Death is only one of many ways to die."

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
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    I've always treated sig items like another cache item, so I will not take one unless I leave something, whether it's my sig item or not. The rule of thumb of leaving something of greater value than you take still applies IMO, but it's often harder to put a value on sig items. So, just use your best judgment.

    I would like to remind cachers that when they make a sig item, it makes it much better for others to identify it as a sig item if they make sure their geocaching user name is on it, or in a ziploc with a card or tag.

    I too have resorted to only leaving my sig in better quality caches, but unfortunately doing so aids in the further degradation of some of the lesser quality ones, which eventually end up with a couple wet bandaids and an old air freshener in it. I'm not in it for the trinkets, but I like to see a nice clean, well stocked cache even if I don't take anything.
    DNFTT! DNFTT! DNFTT!

    "The funniest thing about this particular signature is that by the time you realize it doesn't say anything it's to late to stop reading it..."

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
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    Casco, Maine
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    We left a Portland Pirates hocky puck in place of the signature item, but I'm really thinking that I should get our signature items ordered and ready to go since it looks like the kids are crazy about doing this (all the time).

    We did notice that some of the items in the caches weren't of, um, "value" and wondered why anyone would put something like that in there. Is there a reason why metal bottlecaps are in them? Am I missing something there? LOL

    I was worried the kid's crafts wouldn't be a good item to put in, but the were of greater value (monetary-wise) than the little items my kids took. And of course cuter! LOL But we have Subway Free Sandwich coupons for caches down our way. I'm hoping they'll go over well!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Canaan , Maine
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    I think homemade is the way to go!!!! Cache Maine has little pins with beeds and a tag and I LOVE IT also I have one of her Mini Envelopes with TINY pictures. Brad's Picture Marbles ROCK. I did a quick calling card with a pin on them. You can have your kids do small pics and Laminate them with self sticking laminate. Thousands of things to do, JUST HAVE FUN WITH IT !!!!!!!!!
    I can't wait to get one!!
    Opalsns

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Albion, Maine
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maine-iac_Mom View Post
    .......
    We did notice that some of the items in the caches weren't of, um, "value" and wondered why anyone would put something like that in there. Is there a reason why metal bottlecaps are in them? Am I missing something there? LOL

    I was worried the kid's crafts wouldn't be a good item to put in, but the were of greater value (monetary-wise) than the little items my kids took. And of course cuter! LOL But we have Subway Free Sandwich coupons for caches down our way. I'm hoping they'll go over well!
    Check out some of the signature items collected on BrDad's Homepage and our homepage. You will see a great diversity of items and maybe give you some ideas.
    Last edited by TRF; 05-01-2008 at 06:55 PM. Reason: Link was incorrect
    There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.~~Albert Einstein
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Many wise words are spoken in jest, but they don't compare with the number of stupid words spoken in earnest. - Sam Levenson (1911 - 1980)

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
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    Augusta, Maine
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    Quote Originally Posted by TRF View Post
    Check out some of the signature items collected on BrDad's Homepage and our homepage. You will see a great diversity of items and maybe give you some ideas.
    Hey, you've got one of my signature items! There are only 15 of them out there... so far.

  8. #8
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    Oct 2007
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    Casco, Maine
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    Actually, we have our signature items picked out...sort of. LOL My son is designing simple, small Lego spaceships, robots, etc. on Lego Digital Designer. We can send his designs to Lego who'll make them into kits with instructions and our own "label" then send them back. They aren't cheap really, but the kids thought they would be unique and fun. (I'm trying to get the kids to do lots of the caching stuff. The crafts they make from kits to exchange as well.)

  9. #9
    Join Date
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    If they seem too expensive, you can consider using them for milestone caches, or caches that you loved. For the others, something of a smaller scale - just a couple specially packaged lego blocks, or something of that sort. You'll be surprised as time goes on how many sig items you can use up in a weekend! Of course with the growth of micros, you won't be placing one in every cache, anyway.
    DNFTT! DNFTT! DNFTT!

    "The funniest thing about this particular signature is that by the time you realize it doesn't say anything it's to late to stop reading it..."

  10. #10
    Join Date
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    Unity, Maine
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maine-iac_Mom View Post
    Actually, we have our signature items picked out...sort of. LOL My son is designing simple, small Lego spaceships, robots, etc. on Lego Digital Designer. We can send his designs to Lego who'll make them into kits with instructions and our own "label" then send them back. They aren't cheap really, but the kids thought they would be unique and fun. (I'm trying to get the kids to do lots of the caching stuff. The crafts they make from kits to exchange as well.)
    Sounds like a very cool Signature Item that will be highly desirable among SI collectors.

    As BrDad mentioned if this hobby takes off you might want to save the fancier SIs for special milestones or caches that you particularly liked and make a simpler SI for the "everyday" caches since the cost can add up . . . as for me, I use scrap wood from my renovation projects and just buy some dowels, spray paint and an occasional sheet of sandpaper or some small metal hooks -- mostly an investment of time for me rather than an investment of money.
    "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the realization that there is something more important than fear."

    "Death is only one of many ways to die."

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