Gift Economy Currency

[magdelyn]

I am thinking of making a bunch of T-Shirts with this iron-on image I drew on it:



I was thinking of bringing like 40 t-shirts. 20 men's large, and 20 women's medium.

Would this be an appropriate playa gift item? Or is it stupid?

[mdmf007]

I am thinking of making a bunch of T-Shirts with this iron-on image I drew on it:



I was thinking of bringing like 40 t-shirts. 20 men's large, and 20 women's medium.

Would this be an appropriate playa gift item? Or is it stupid?

Any gift on playa is cool - you designed it and are gifting them so i think its cool. I wear an Xl by the way

[Sic Pup]

Very nice, Magdelyn, very nice indeed.

[Elliot]

Nice artwork -- I'd let you put one of those on me.

But keep in mind that BRC has a gift economy, not a barter economy, so "currency" is not what you need. And the best gift is always when you give of your own time.

[Elderberry]

Yup, good idea.

[¡Niers!]

I likey as well.
Only one thing....and this has to do with the subject line of your post.
Gifting......cool....currency.....lame. Maybe it's just me, but the word currency makes me think of trade.
I'm sure that wasn't your intention, but I just thought I would give my 2 chums-worth.

Might I add some advice?
How about buy more t-shirts and make a template and spray-paint the design on more shirts. Your resources will stretch much farther and touch many more folks.
Totally cool idea though. Go with it!

[Zhust]

First time, huh?

There's kind of two facets to the gift economy idea.

The first is that of an abundance and surplus. Bring more than you need and freely share it. With everyone having too much, it's an overwhelming experience of wealth for everyone. This stuff is usually less personal and more commodity: food and drink for instance.

The second is giving things to people you have interacted with. I find I do this maybe once a day or so on average. I make some kind of connection, and just want to exchange a personal token to remember that we met. Last year I got a "wonder stone" — stones left behind from Lake Lahontan — from a guy who finally came to BM with his friends from Fallon, NV. It was unique and special and I'm happy to have had it (even if Lake Lahontan decided to reclaim it sometime during the week!)

What I don't personally appreciate is when the two are confused. I have more people each year try to give me some junk they got in bulk at the dollar store.

Heck, I was confused the same way my first year, although I gave something practical (color light-up pens with a lanyard). I only wish I were told to not bother with something that so easily disintegrated into 12 pieces of MOOP (cap, spring, ink refill, batteries, LEDs).

This year I'm making a custom "Cheapy Blinky": a durable LED blinky made mostly from scrap I have around. I have a surplus of scavenged transistors and LED's that get little love, and the tools I make for work get 9V batteries replaced before they're really dead. I plan to bring around 10 of them and give them out.

So your shirts are pretty okay except that it's a pain to carry things around: if you give one to someone far from camp, they'll need to carry it back. My thought would be that design on a pendant or a bandana — something that could be worn right away and/or carried hands-free.

[Bob]

Would this be an appropriate playa gift item? Or is it stupid?

I'd think twice about it. Seriously, nobody expects 'gifts' shoved at them.

[AntiM]

Print it on bags, that way recipients can carry their other gifts in your gift!

Bandannas are a terrific idea.

I do shirts and bandannas, but they are dispensed through my art project, or specifically at places such as the meet n greet. I do carry small gifts, just in case. Usually cold drinks.

[Simon of the Playa]

drugs...

dont even bother TALKING to me unless you have gift chemicals.

[BBadger]

Those would probably be best for gifting to people in your camp where they can put it away as needed. For other people it'd be a pain to carry around and for them to carry around. Also the people at your camp will know/understand that you made the image rather than just buying it at a store (hard to tell at first glance), so they may appreciate it more.

[HandJamMasterC]

Those would probably be best for gifting to people in your camp where they can put it away as needed. For other people it'd be a pain to carry around and for them to carry around.

In 2009 the folks camped across the street from us gave away cool T shirts with their own Burning man 2009 logo. They just gave them away to passerbys and people camped nearby - you don't need to carry them anywhere !!

[ConnieH]

I hand-screened a bunch of Farmopolis wife beaters, tidy-whities and boxer briefs and put them on our clothesline at camp among the other give-away clothes - the smiles of delight and gratitude are the only "currency" I accept and appreciate. T-shirts are a great idea, people loved ours...we also gifted camp stickers, another treasured item. Folks love the personalized schwag more than moopy trinkets from China

[Ugly Dougly]

Don't listen to the negative nancies.

GO FOR IT. The inspiration that floods your heart comes from that which we know not.

Stick with XL's - nearly everyone can wear them.

[FIGJAM]

I hand-screened a bunch of Farmopolis wife beaters, tidy-whities and boxer briefs and put them on our clothesline at camp among the other give-away clothes - the smiles of delight and gratitude are the only "currency" I accept and appreciate. T-shirts are a great idea, people loved ours...we also gifted camp stickers, another treasured item. Folks love the personalized schwag more than moopy trinkets from China

You forgot the pendants!

I love my pendant.

[ConnieH]

I hand-screened a bunch of Farmopolis wife beaters, tidy-whities and boxer briefs and put them on our clothesline at camp among the other give-away clothes - the smiles of delight and gratitude are the only "currency" I accept and appreciate. T-shirts are a great idea, people loved ours...we also gifted camp stickers, another treasured item. Folks love the personalized schwag more than moopy trinkets from China

You forgot the pendants!

I love my pendant.

How could I forget those? LOL...I have a sunburn right now with a big white spot in the middle of my chest from mine I'm glad I was able to give you one, 'cuz we probably won't do those again this year, but I'll screen some more clothing - the tidy-whities were a huge hit, several people ran out of clean underwear mid-week and were very grateful

[Boijoy]

I hand-screened a bunch of Farmopolis wife beaters, tidy-whities and boxer briefs and put them on our clothesline at camp among the other give-away clothes - the smiles of delight and gratitude are the only "currency" I accept and appreciate. T-shirts are a great idea, people loved ours...we also gifted camp stickers, another treasured item. Folks love the personalized schwag more than moopy trinkets from China

LOVE the idea of boxers !! You can print your bike art on them & pass them out to those damn "Shirt cockers" !! and say something like.. " for gods sake cover that thing up ". " little guy might get a sun burn ".

[magdelyn]

I've heard much of these shirt cockers. What is the dealio?

[Foxfur]

I've heard much of these shirt cockers. What is the dealio?

They're just like you and I but have issues with pants.
Pants cannons and megaphones have been deployed against them in the past with no discernable effect. The struggle continues...

And I LOVE your art! Follow your muse

Ff

[essjay]

I've heard much of these shirt cockers. What is the dealio?

Opposite of topless

[theCryptofishist]

I've heard much of these shirt cockers. What is the dealio?

Opposite of topless

Also called "Donald Ducking".

[professorzed]

I think the drawing is awesome!

T-shirts or bandannas, pretty much your choice.

Personally I would suggest bandannas instead, for several reasons.

-Cheaper to buy, easier to make.
-Smaller and easier to pack/ carry/ distribute.
-More practical.

Not everyone wears a T-shirt on the playa all the time, so the T-shirts you give out as gifts might end up packed away until the event is over.

Some people are naked, many if not most are wearing costumes. While your t-shirt design is cool, it's not the sort of thing a Pirate or Fairy might want to wear.

T-shirts come in different sizes, bandannas don't. An extra small person can use your bandanna just as well as a XXXL sized person can.

Bandannas have a kazillion useful functions. You can wear one as a hat, as a dust mask, to wipe stuff up with, as a bandage, potholder, etc. The ladies can tie two bandannas together and make a bikini top, or a bottom, or use four bandannas for both.

Bandannas fit in your pocket, or can be tied around your neck as a dust mask, or behind your neck for sun protection, etc.

For those naked people without pockets, the bandanna can be tied around their neck, arm, leg, etc. T-shirts are a bit more awkward to carry around.

[Sham]

This was bumped by a spammer, but it was interesting, so I bumped it myself....

[SquirrelHead]

I've heard much of these shirt cockers. What is the dealio?

Opposite of topless

Also called "Donald Ducking".

Also known as Porky Piggin it.

[Trishntek]

DonaldDucking.jpg

[graidawg]

DonaldDucking.jpg

I heard it was daisy ducking. which appeals to me. also i saw it first at BRC

[Trishntek]

DonaldDucking.jpg

I heard it was daisy ducking. which appeals to me. also i saw it first at BRC

Shirt cunting and daisy ducking are applied to the feminine side of the equation and do not seem to elicit the consternation of the masses.

Shirt cocking, donald ducking, winny-the-pooing seem to receive the animosity of the masses.

GO FIGGER!

[graidawg]

DonaldDucking.jpg

I heard it was daisy ducking. which appeals to me. also i saw it first at BRC

Shirt cunting and daisy ducking are applied to the feminine side of the equation and do not seem to elicit the consternation of the masses.

Shirt cocking, donald ducking, winny-the-pooing seem to receive the animosity of the masses.

GO FIGGER!

i gace shirt cocking a little try while home and totally understand it. especially as i am ginger and get sun burnt in .02 of a second

[SquirrelHead]

magdelyn I really like your design and think you have a great idea.