Playa gifts, ideas and suggestions......
Playa gifts, ideas and suggestions......
Several years back, a playa friend handed me a fistfull of plastic trinkets that were given to her as gifts. I quickly disposed of this worthless crap and vowed that I would only give gifts that burners would want and appreciate. Useful and unique things are my favorite, but I would love to hear other ideas.
Here is a short list of things I have brought to give away: flashlight necklaces, chapstick, bike locks, rubber stamps of man, partial toilet paper rolls, english muffins, sunblock, lots of vodka & olives.
Here is a short list of things I have brought to give away: flashlight necklaces, chapstick, bike locks, rubber stamps of man, partial toilet paper rolls, english muffins, sunblock, lots of vodka & olives.
- CapSmashy
- Posts: 1917
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- Camp Name: Terminal City://404 Village Not Found
- Location: Awesome Camp 2.0
I handed some of our Terminal City patches last year to one TCers and did not realize how well received they would be. Patches are expensive to have made though.
I am giving serious thought to black rock pendants. I have a couple of rocks I brought back with me and I wrapped one with copper wire and left a loop at the top for a cord. Very quick and easy necklace to assemble on the fly as you are walking around.
I am giving serious thought to black rock pendants. I have a couple of rocks I brought back with me and I wrapped one with copper wire and left a loop at the top for a cord. Very quick and easy necklace to assemble on the fly as you are walking around.
Myself, I make necklaces out of rocks to give out at the burn. These do take time and a lot of thought. I also think a lot about who get them. The people in my camp, the guy in 2006 who let me watch him spray paint the side of the Sugar Cube, the Greeters who rolled my best friend in the playa dust because he was a BM virgin…..I don’t just give these out to anyone.
I think it best to give things from the heart….what ever form that may take.
I think it best to give things from the heart….what ever form that may take.
I am guilty of handing out plastic trinkets. I make these little handmade pendants that are, in a way, related to the theme for that year. I handed out around 80 of these this year and everyone who got one seemed to enjoy them. There was only one or two people that I offered them to who did not accept them (the response being, "I have enough schwag"). Personally, I wear a trinket from BM everyday as a reminder to keep the playa-spirit going all year. I really don't see anything wrong with trinkets as long as they are interesting and hand-made (or at least an original design/idea).
Some campmates of mine this year even spent hours helping to untangle the mess of necklaces that I brought so they obviously meant something to someone.
Some campmates of mine this year even spent hours helping to untangle the mess of necklaces that I brought so they obviously meant something to someone.
Camp FuckIt + MT - 7:15 & D (maybe)
I got my wedding ring as a gift at Burning Man. I had destroyed my wedding ring in a work accident. The ring had to be cut off my finger, but it did save my finger from being broken. So, for over a year I didn’t have a wedding ring. At the burn in 2001 we took a cotton candy machine out to the playa. We started by making cotton candy for the camps around us. About a block form where we camped I walked into this camp and offered these two guys some cotton candy. They both took some and said thanks….as I walked out of their camp one of the guys stopped me. He picked up a black velvet bag and dumped a bunch of hand made silver rings in the chair he was sitting in and said, “One of those is yours.â€
I was refering to things like cheap plastic whistles and plastic puzzles from a vending machine that I disposed of. Any type of handmade gift is always appreciated and accepted. Since items with the BM logo can never be sold, it's nice when something like a shot glass is gifted by someone who may have produced it at their business, or had a friend make it up.BitterDan wrote:I am guilty of handing out plastic trinkets. I make these little handmade pendants that are, in a way, related to the theme for that year. I handed out around 80 of these this year and everyone who got one seemed to enjoy them. There was only one or two people that I offered them to who did not accept them (the response being, "I have enough schwag"). Personally, I wear a trinket from BM everyday as a reminder to keep the playa-spirit going all year. I really don't see anything wrong with trinkets as long as they are interesting and hand-made (or at least an original design/idea).
Some campmates of mine this year even spent hours helping to untangle the mess of necklaces that I brought so they obviously meant something to someone.
I was given a small glass bottle filled with playa dust and made into a necklace many years ago and I always keep that nearby. I also got a small tube of foot cream to ease the playa-foot problem. Things that we may find as surplus in a store or in our travels at a flea market may really be appreciated.
- Captain Goddammit
- Posts: 8498
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- Camp Name: First Camp
- Location: Seattle, WA
I have one of those little bottles of playa dust on a string too, and it hangs on the wall by my front door.
Here's some easy, low-effort but much-appreciated ideas:
Booze has long been the quick easy answer for playa gifting, and even if you'd rather do something original, I still recommend bringing a few bottles for the DPW people. They really love it when you drop a fresh bottle on 'em. Pass a few to them during the DPW parade, or on your way out the gate.
One of the next most appreciated gifts on-playa is little blinky lights to wear. Everyone needs blinkies.
Extra basic staples like rolls of duct tape or sunglasses can be like gold at the right moment.
You can't go wrong with bacon!!
Here's some easy, low-effort but much-appreciated ideas:
Booze has long been the quick easy answer for playa gifting, and even if you'd rather do something original, I still recommend bringing a few bottles for the DPW people. They really love it when you drop a fresh bottle on 'em. Pass a few to them during the DPW parade, or on your way out the gate.
One of the next most appreciated gifts on-playa is little blinky lights to wear. Everyone needs blinkies.
Extra basic staples like rolls of duct tape or sunglasses can be like gold at the right moment.
You can't go wrong with bacon!!
GreyCoyote: "At this rate it wont be long before he is Admiral Fukkit."
- CLARKcon
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CapSmashy, I got one of those from our friends at The B(o)(o)by Bar! (It's so rad, orange reflective vinyl, tagged it to my pack. Stylish &functionalCapSmashy wrote:I handed some of our Terminal City patches last year to one TCers and did not realize how well received they would be. Patches are expensive to have made though.

Small, pocketable gifts are nice, as some people don't have means to carry larger items back to camp. Handed out poster sized drawings made out in the dust, but a couple couldn't carry them. Just had them write their playa address on the back and delievered it the next day. Great mix CD's are cool from people and open's you up, and metal necklaces are a hit. Nothing, though, (and I mean n o t h i n g) is more important than giving or receiving free-will, time, or simply conversation or walks that engrave memories


"The Social Hub of the Uncivilized World"
.:


The best playa gift I ever heard of was a "MOOP String"
Simple and brilliant.
A piece of string that you tie to your belt loop and when you come across a piece of moop you pick it up and tie a knot around it using the MOOP String and then at the end of the week you have your own one of a kind playa gift that will surely be cherished for years.
Rainbow Colored Moop String (Patent Pending)
Simple and brilliant.
A piece of string that you tie to your belt loop and when you come across a piece of moop you pick it up and tie a knot around it using the MOOP String and then at the end of the week you have your own one of a kind playa gift that will surely be cherished for years.
Rainbow Colored Moop String (Patent Pending)
It is alot like sex,
Some people just don't get it
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- CapSmashy
- Posts: 1917
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- Camp Name: Terminal City://404 Village Not Found
- Location: Awesome Camp 2.0
- theCryptofishist
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- Location: In Exile
- CapSmashy
- Posts: 1917
- Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 12:29 pm
- Burning Since: 2007
- Camp Name: Terminal City://404 Village Not Found
- Location: Awesome Camp 2.0
- theCryptofishist
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No, these are embroidered name tags. I have four, "The Cryptofishist" "Booby Bar" "Miracle Train Baby" and I forget the forth. Treasure them. They are like on a soldier's uniform. I didn't get dog tags. *sniff*
The Lady with a Lamprey
"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.
Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri
"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.
Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri
- CapSmashy
- Posts: 1917
- Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 12:29 pm
- Burning Since: 2007
- Camp Name: Terminal City://404 Village Not Found
- Location: Awesome Camp 2.0
I gifted about 25 flashlights to darkwads at night that seem to be everywhere last year.
They came from the 66 cent store. Looked like they could recharge
by shaking which moves a magnet thru a coil of wire.
OTOH a guy at my work says they are fake. The coil in not connected.
More inspection needed.
They're cheap and a life test on 2 showed they'ed light the LED for
30 hrs or more. Adequate for a week of BM.

They came from the 66 cent store. Looked like they could recharge
by shaking which moves a magnet thru a coil of wire.
OTOH a guy at my work says they are fake. The coil in not connected.
More inspection needed.
They're cheap and a life test on 2 showed they'ed light the LED for
30 hrs or more. Adequate for a week of BM.


- PatfromOre
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- Rat Bastard
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While dropping some passengers off from my MV I did some joking over the PA about gifts being accepted and thank yous appreciated. I made a joke about hippie gifts like string bracelets etc not being needed. This one guy (hippie) went to get off and said, here's a hippie gift for you. It was a hand made ceramic medalion about two inches round with the Man, BM07 and a couple of other marks on it. It still hangs on my rear view mirror next to the cheap rubber bracelet, BM06 charm bracelet and the two clothes pins with bottle caps glued to them with camp logos inside. The medalion definatly out shines the schwag from 06.
Last year my MV gave out condoms and a bedroom for people to use.
Last year my MV gave out condoms and a bedroom for people to use.
Read my posts with a grain of salt.
- Ugly Dougly
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- Teo del Fuego
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- wedeliver
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Are you making them yourself? Leather? People that work with leather can make beautiful things.twinwitin wrote:what about smallish shwag pouches on a string, to hang around your neck?
Ok, I'll bite, is it? (who really wants a BLOW job?? because a good blow job, sucks...)twinwitin wrote:..... Oh and I appreciate a good "b.j." gift also. hey is it called a b.j. for a girl?
I'm a topless shirtcocking yahoo hippie
www.eaglesnestrvpark.com
www.eaglesnestrvpark.com
- wedeliver
- Posts: 1871
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Your gifts will have the value that you give them through your investment in love. A little "swag bag" might not be a bad idea. And, since I am so full of!! suggestions, have you thought of using your old panties?? Humm well scented... could be very nice..twinwitin wrote:I will be making them myself, but mostly out of fabric scraps from dresses I have made for the sca. I haven't ever worked with leather, I know people who do and their work is art.
oooh ooooh ooooh... now you got me thinking of breathing masks made from panties...hang it below your chin around your neck till the dust kicks up. then bam... nice soft silky.... (maybe a little saying printed, like "this use to cover ass")
I'm a topless shirtcocking yahoo hippie
www.eaglesnestrvpark.com
www.eaglesnestrvpark.com
- accordionMan
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I picked up at a rock, gem, mineral show a big bag of quartz crystal points... they were a big hit.... gave them out for several years. BUT when I ran out of them I swore that I'd never do that again... they were so heavy to carry around.
Other years I picked up a bunch of beautiful glass beads and made necklaces that had one beauty hanging down as a pendant... that worked out better.... except the strings kept getting tangled up.
This year I'm thinking of designing and printing out some BM money... hey it's part of the american dream.... any thoughts on the concept?
Other years I picked up a bunch of beautiful glass beads and made necklaces that had one beauty hanging down as a pendant... that worked out better.... except the strings kept getting tangled up.
This year I'm thinking of designing and printing out some BM money... hey it's part of the american dream.... any thoughts on the concept?
FREE MONEY to BURN 2013:
http://www.digitalartist.com/art/burningman/money.html
Some accordion at BM: http://current.com/items/89239638/rob_the_accordion_man.htm
http://www.digitalartist.com/art/burningman/money.html
Some accordion at BM: http://current.com/items/89239638/rob_the_accordion_man.htm