Gifts/Swag

[Cabal]

I've made up my mind on gifting dog tags for my first year at Burning Man. I will also be gifting my hugs,smiles and ambition to bring all my alter egos to life with different outfits, face paint and props.
I'm hoping to get ideas from all of you here on ePlaya. I have a Dremel that I will hand design all 200 tags. I've seen some pics that people are doing that are similar to what I was going to do but different is good and that's what I'm shooting for.
I'd love those of you who are compiling gifts to gift to post a pic. I'll do the same once I get a good design down that won't totally kill my hand dremeling.
Thanks and hope to meet you all.

[Sham]

Welcome Cabal. I'm glad you started this topic, so the concept of gifting can be addressed for you and others.

You should not feel any obligation to bring gifts to the playa to pass out. There is no type of bartering or payment with swag, but something you can gift at will.
I try to bring something that is useful to people. Possibly the best gift I gave to a person with a bloody nose, was a small package of tissues. She needed them MUCH more than I did. A package of Sharpie markers distributed around the Temple, so people can write remembrances.

Hand making gifts are an awesome idea, and I know something like that would be appreciated.

[Cabal]

Thanks Shambala! No obligation here I feel I'm hitting this with all the right stuff. It gives me joy to have the option of gifting a little art I created to friends I'm going to meet on the playa. Awesome touch on the simplistic availability of sharing the wealth of tissues at hand and the thoughtfulness of supplying sharpies for those needing to write their thoughts in the temple. Items I'll have to pack in my "utility belt." I got 6 pouches my wife made that I'll have tied to my belt. So far extra mini flashlights and thanks to you tissues and sharpies.

[Cabal]

Need help on what to do. Could I please get some votes on these? I'm planing to do a design for 200 dog tags and feedback would be much appreciated.

[lemur]

my only feedback for dogtags is:

all of the painted gift swag dog tags ive got at the burn have had the paint all chip away/wear off really darn easily.


sadly so.


i dunno what could be done to avoid that..

but if youve got the option for engraving, or embossing, or something.. that certainly would be preferable.

or maybe some kind of protective lacquer ..cuz, itstinks to see the paint wear off in only a week

[Asquared]

one for the burning woman. that would def make me smile if you handed it to me

[lemur]

i like the first one.. but really.. any of them would be cool to have.

i think many people like having stuff with a year on it..

[delle]

Another vote for the first one. Love that design!

[Cabal]

Went ahead and did a set with my Dremel tool. I'll start by doing the one with the U.F.O and the Burning Women, but I think I'll leave the skirt off her for now. Please vote so I know which ones to favor. Thanks everyone.

[Asquared]

i was wondering what was floating between her legs

[Sham]

i was wondering what was floating between her legs

My guess is it's a taser.

[Drawingablank]

The flying saucer one gets my vote - and I love dog tags.

[Martiansky]

The flying saucer one gets my vote - and I love dog tags.

+1

OH, YEAH!
FLYIN' SAUCER, BABY!!!
Those are, AWESOME!!

[ranger magnum]

Very cool. Ive become a schwag snob the last few years, and with few exceptions, unless its made of metal, it usually gets regifted later that day.

[trilobyte]

I'm giving this a nudge over to the Q&A board, since that's a better fit for general preparation questions.

I'll also echo what others have said, don't feel an obligation to either provide gifts or to meet a certain standard. It's not about appeasing the public demand, so much as it's about sharing something you really enjoy or that resonates with you.

[Bexx]

Those look great!!!

[Cabal]

I've been trying different techniques to add filler in the groves of the designs to make them more visible. Instead I'm going to use a paint that is used for truck beds. Extremely durable and pretty much scratch resident. I also finished my 4 foot alien Roger. Who will be hanging out at my campsite for people to sign their name or write a little something.

The front of the dog tag will have the abducted Burning man design and the back will have my initials. The discrepancies on the front and back are only because I sprayed them directly on my workbench.
I'm really stoked about passing these out and being charged up on the joy it will bring to everyone.

[Savannah]

I too especially like the Alien (I haven't seen anyone do the Man being beamed up to a spaceship yet--and who cares if more than one person does it?) and the Woman.

Clever to put paint in the grooves.

[kax]

As a virgin burner (and first time poster), I've got a few ideas:

• Alcohol nips... with pickle juice backers (for those of age)
  A bag full of mystery candy (go ahead, grab one)
  Ice water spray bottles (who doesn't like a cold spritz)
  Free portraits (sharpie and a lil pocket notebook)
  Hugs (consensual)
  Manpower (carrying, lifting, helping)
  Sunscreen (sure, I can get your back)
  Extra dust masks (stranded in a dust storm?)
  Baby wipes, feet wipes, face wipes (for... wiping)
  Love (in whatever form you need)

Am I doing this right?

[JayBobBoy]

Yes. You are doing it right!

Adds to the list: An open mind and an eagerness to explore new things!

[theCryptofishist]

Cabel--that paint's fantastic. Almost makes me cry about all the art I wanted to do this year...

[Savannah]

As a virgin burner (and first time poster), I've got a few ideas:

• Alcohol nips... with pickle juice backers (for those of age)
  A bag full of mystery candy (go ahead, grab one)
  Ice water spray bottles (who doesn't like a cold spritz)
  Free portraits (sharpie and a lil pocket notebook)
  Hugs (consensual)
  Manpower (carrying, lifting, helping)
  Sunscreen (sure, I can get your back)
  Extra dust masks (stranded in a dust storm?)
  Baby wipes, feet wipes, face wipes (for... wiping)
  Love (in whatever form you need)

Am I doing this right?

Excellent! You're doing great.

Make sure to ask before spritzing. Not all costumes or body paints or moods will hold up to surprises.

[MikeGyver]

As a virgin burner (and first time poster), I've got a few ideas:

• Alcohol nips... with pickle juice backers (for those of age)
  A bag full of mystery candy (go ahead, grab one)
  Ice water spray bottles (who doesn't like a cold spritz)
  Free portraits (sharpie and a lil pocket notebook)
  Hugs (consensual)
  Manpower (carrying, lifting, helping)
  Sunscreen (sure, I can get your back)
  Extra dust masks (stranded in a dust storm?)
  Baby wipes, feet wipes, face wipes (for... wiping)
  Love (in whatever form you need)

Am I doing this right?

Excellent! You're doing great.

Make sure to ask before spritzing. Not all costumes or body paints or moods will hold up to surprises.

Savannah said it already, but its a point that needs to be gotten across. Ask before spritzing people, when im hot, the last thing I want is to be sprayed with cold water. I know there are a lot of people feel the same way.

Other than that your list sounds great.

[FIGJAM]

"The gift that keeps on giving."

Somebody gets this every year!

[BadKittenOnARampage]

I really like the Alien tag, as well as the Paper Bag one (but personally, I'd leave off the "John Frum" text - I think it's more interesting without it)!!! Great gifts!!

P.S. - Where are you camping, so we can come visit you, say "Hi" in person and exchange gifts?

[Canoe]

Ice water spray bottles (who doesn't like a cold spritz)

Make sure to ask before spritzing. Not all costumes or body paints or moods will hold up to surprises.

when im hot, the last thing I want is to be sprayed with cold water. I know there are a lot of people feel the same way.

People love having a spray bottle handed to them to use. Some will get you to spray them where they want.

But skip the ice. Too cold. If you're really hot, this is an uncomfortable shock.
With the dry playa environment, a spray of 'room temperature' water does the job just right. Goes on without being a shock, and as it immediately begins to evaporate, it immediately cools.

NOTE: Fill ONLY with potable water.
Clean from your clean potable water source - NOT potable water mixed with playa dust. Dust clogs the sprayer, dust will contain bacteria (natural from the playa micro-fauna, deposited by migrating birds and sprayed on by the watering trucks), dust in the water will get on any small cuts, might get in eyes or even into nose, mouth, throat or lungs. Do not use ice melt water from your cooler (it can be contaminated from cooler contents, dust or hands).

Use 'spray', not 'stream'. Squeeze harder to get a mist.
Some people want a spray, others a fine mist.
Some hats will cool you when they're spritzed. Cooling much like a water-skin. I like soaking the headband, or the whole cotton hat when it's really hot.

You can also spritz a mist every so slightly upwind, and let the breeze blow the evape-chilled mist back on you - works well for faces. Demonstrate by a little and let it drift back onto an arm.

[kax]

Thanks for the tips! So much info that I wasn't aware of and didn't think through. The last thing I want is a pack of wet, angry burners chasing me down

[robotland]

Need help on what to do. Could I please get some votes on these? I'm planing to do a design for 200 dog tags and feedback would be much appreciated.

Option One is, hands-down, a KNOCKOUT- I LOVE the "beam me up"!!!! But Burner Woman is also simple, clever and clean in a graphic sense....don't discard her! Explore options for the creation of ALL of your designs. I learned a great deal by trying different techniques to produce clean, clear impressions in different metals and so will you. In the end, you will discover that you have been endowed with gifts of technical knowledge and experience that exceed what you may initially have perceived as only an outwardly-gifting process!

No, I am NOT The Guy That Writes The Fortune Cookies- I just SOUND like him!

Check it- Santa? Loved by millions, for centuries. But do you leave cookies for the UPS guy? (PS- You should.) It's common knowledge that Das Claus is the Exdediter Emeritus but NOT the artist, artisan, maker, etc. of The Goods Under The Tree... That's elf territory. We've ALL seen "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer"....(and shame on you if you haven't heard "The Santaland Diaries"!) It always stuck in my craw that we as a culture have never explored the motivations behind all that Elfin Goodness. Every time I make more than ONE of anything I get bored....how many Rosy Doll Cheeks could YOU paint?
Short story long- You will make the right decision, because (paradoxically!) you have no choice- You WANT to give people a Tangible Object, yet you find that you struggle with the issue of whether or not your Gift will have the necessary impact.... It will, because you WANT it to. Let the shape of your expectations guide you and you will prosper. Your winning lotto numbers are 2-4-18-22-36-42.