Missing my magnet

August 10, 2019 7:38 PM

Last summer on a family vacation I picked up a magnet in Yellowstone (tan, shaped like a buffalo, purchased at a park gift shop). Thanks to an overly aggressive car wash sprayer, it’s now gone. I’ve tried looking online, including the NPS and park store sites, but can’t find anything similar. Anyone know where I might be able to find a replacement? It meant a lot to me and I’m frustrated that it’s gone.

I had it on the back of my car for just short of a year. I noticed it was missing too late to go back and search for it at the wash. Really frustrated that I didn’t check immediately - but it had never fallen off in the wash before. Any leads appreciated. Park store selection online is really limited compared to what was available in person, no luck searching there so far. Total long shot, but it’s not like I can run back to Wyoming just for one item.

posted by caution live frogs to Grab Bag (11 answers total)

Long shot, but my local car wash has a magnetic door where they stick found magnets to hopefully be reunited with their owners. Perhaps yours does the same?
posted by charmcityblues at 7:47 PM on August 10, 2019 [3 favorites]

Seconding the suggestion to check with the car wash. We did not notice for a couple of weeks (!) that our front license plate was missing and guessed it got knocked off when we last went for a wash; when we called, they had it and we were reunited with a super bent license plate.
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 7:50 PM on August 10, 2019

Was it this guy?
posted by brook horse at 8:01 PM on August 10, 2019

Wait, you said magnet, not pin. Whoops. I don't know how I got pin out of that...
posted by brook horse at 8:03 PM on August 10, 2019

Have you tried calling the park gift shop? They might be able to provide you with a direct email to whomever does their shop purchasing and then they can find out if it's something that is still carried or if not who the maker was last year.
posted by belau at 8:44 PM on August 10, 2019 [2 favorites]

Not the same, but: magnet, decal, decal.
posted by Iris Gambol at 9:11 PM on August 10, 2019

Post in MefiJobs or on a Wyoming Craigslist board for someone to buy you one and mail it to you?
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 8:46 AM on August 11, 2019 [1 favorite]

Park store selection online is really limited

Seconding Belau, the obvious first step is to phone the park gift shop and ask them if they have one of your magnets. Then ask them to take your credit card and mail you the item.

Don't assume you'll have to go upstream to either the purchasing agent or the manufacturer.
posted by JimN2TAW at 9:10 AM on August 11, 2019 [2 favorites]

You can keep on ongoing search on eBay, and you’ll get an email if an item matching the description is listed. I have done this a number of times. It’s amazing what can eventually turn up.
posted by FencingGal at 9:28 AM on August 11, 2019 [1 favorite]

This is quite a long shot, but I'll be going to Yellowstone next fall, and if you haven't located this before then, I'd be happy to keep an eye out for it. If that feels like a good option, memail me!
posted by spindrifter at 7:02 AM on August 12, 2019

Have you tried replacing the word buffalo with bison? Worth a try if you haven't.
posted by BoscosMom at 12:00 AM on August 14, 2019