EXMAN

I'm glad to hear you guys say that you send out proxys. those of us that enjoy the trackables aspect of the game are happy to discover and move them.

Why would a "den of thieves" watch a proxy coin to pounce on to steal? I don't understand that. There are many ways of searching for specific coins and hunting them down cache by cache, if that is what you're after. Why steal a proxy when you trade for or buy on the aftermarket the real deal? I can't remember for certain, but i don't think that this coin was posted as being a proxy. So the ears of this 'den of thieves' probably perked up pretty quickly when they thought that the 'real deal' was foolishly put back in circulation. I don't collect OR steal geocoins. I think that anyone that places one into circulation is foolish, but i also am sure that if there were not a market for stolen property, that there would be less theft going on.

I'm not sure I understand the question. Has anyone had coins stolen? The answer is yes... anyone who has released coins as travelers has suffered a high percentage of loss through theft, carelessness and muggleage. But on the question of seeing the thieving happen, I'm not sure what that means. What have you seen? DROO... you have to read the title of the thread.... then my question makes sense. TITLE......STOLEN COINS ...........Do 'stolen' coins sometimes end up in peoples collections ? My question.... ...........Has anyone ever experienced this? i'm wondering if this buying and selling of stolen geocoins is acceptable to the typical collector. or looked down on and only happen behind closed doors.

Do "valuable" Travel Bugs count? Because the theft, possession, and sale of those is fully documented, including notification of GS with the details. Guess if I'll bother to "notify Groundspeak" ever again. Moose Mob released a proxy of one of his geocoins from VERY early in the game. I found it very interesting that there were A LOT of cachers 'watching' that coin, and within days of it's release a message came asking for specifics. I'm sure that some of the 'watchers' were part of the 'den of thieves' waiting in the wings for some 'fresh meat' to show it's face.

COOL !! that's exactly the info i was looking for. and for no other reason then my curiosity. And 2700 coins? i'm guessing that this would put you in the 'addict' catagory.

I'm guessing that most collectors keep their coins unactivated, rather than activating them to send out a proxy and watch it travel.

MY question was curiously asking if anyone has encountered someone in possession of, or trying to sell a stolen geocoin. And is it kind of like an unwritten rule among you collectors to notify GS with the details.

How much does it decrease the value of a coin when it is 'activated' ?

Has anyone ever experienced this? Would you report it to Groundspeak if you saw it happening?

if there's one gripe i have about caches. it feeling that i'm being watched while i find and log it. hmmmmmmmmmm ..... this probably accounts for about 80% of caches. so this one sounds wayyyyyyy cool. climb in and chill while you read the log? maybe i'll take the wife : ) and chill out big time. : )

your hotel sounds very cool. i'm often amazed at the time and $$$$$$$ that people put into their caches. AND i never even thought about GS headquarters. i've been there, and i'll bet IT would win 1st place in this contest.

Just for kicks... anybody have a favorite TB hotel that has had a gazillion trackables logged into it? Sea Shells-TB Stop & Go!! GCNWBC Yuma, AZ 3337 trackables 245 Favorite Points

Where are you from?

is it expensive to ship them?

The ones that count for the coin owners are the real success stories ... and they DO happen. Late last year we were able to pick up a coin for some cacher-friends from a cache nearby us and return it to them. It had made it's destination in the Orient and returned, as requested. Logged over 25,000 miles doing it as I recall. BUT....... a coin that survives a month is a rarity anymore.

Send out PROXYS of your coins.

LOVE IT !

Those are both nice..... and a more permanent style tag. I realize they will disappear again... To me, the tag is just as important as the 'traveler' attached to it. I don't mind spending a few more bucks on the hobby. Do you make those to sell? (I had to ask). I hadn't made any calls yet - as I don't know what type of headaches it would be to order a tag from a geocaching store and request a custom number. Or if someone is making these (to sell) for this purpose? Thanks!

The OP's offer is best for cachers who don't want to shell out more money when their TB is stolen. So they get a "free" tag, take their chances, and they can make any kind of tag later, if the TB vanishes again. I haven't "released" my revived Trackables. These are better versions of the originals, and some are now solid gold (which is why those remain with me). It takes me a long time to build them up just the way I like, since one teeny charm is not enough. Some are $5 engraved tags with only the name & number. Some are acrylic key tags with computer-printed images & text, front & back -- each tag about $1 to make. If I were to release a TB, I'd try the acrylic tag since it won't delaminate. But if I'm making them for cachers "for free", it would save me lots of time & money to make laminated tags. The OPs 'GOAL' was to get more trackables out there for people to enjoy. What difference does it make whether it's a $4.00 Groundspeak piece of metal or a piece of fake dog poop. SO long as it has a tracking number on it, it's a trackable. And as far as making a fancy gold replacement........ what good is it? if it's not out there being moved from cache to cache it's just shiny bauble to be dusted off or shined every few weeks. We need to resurect all of the 'DEAD' trackables out there. If we did, there'd be multiple tackables in every cache. What BlueDeuce is doing is GREAT. Keep it up BD !! We'll be sending some cachers your way

'MY' conclusion is that MANY TBs are deliberately taken and disposed of by disgruntled cachers. 'MY' guess as to why someone might be disgruntled?........... - maybe they were accused of something they didn't do. - maybe they were treated unfairly on a forum.... or banned from a forum. - maybe they were permanently banned from geocaching. Whatever the reason, i think we have some ticked off people out there that are taking their frustrations out on our TBs. Reports of the actual caches being stolen or destroyed are on the rise also. GEOCOIN THEFT IS A WHOLE SEPARATE TOPIC

BlueDeuce will make FREE replacements for all of your missing trackables. http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=306266&pid=5191053&st=0entry5191053

Great job Blue Duece. WE ALL appreciate what you do.

I was doing this for an entire year but have, at least temporarily, given up on it. i remember someone else that's still doing it but i can't remember their name. HELP. i know that someone with the initials B.D. does it, but i think there's someone else too EXMAN

on 10/26/12 at 5:10pm then at 5:32pm (the same day) .... Or Firefox 149? There has been no commitment to put it on the schedule to develop, so there's no real status update to offer you. Brainstorming ?? Exciting changes being discussed ?? Selling tracking numbers worldwide >> profitable Selling special icons worldwide >> profitable Selling geocaching trackables worldwide>> profitable Selling special trackable codes >> profitable Selling travel bugs worldwide >> profitable Selling through worldwide affiliates >> profitable Fixing the trackables so they truly ARE >> PRICELESS ********************** +1

Information, information, information, information, information, information, information, information ... so, basically, information New users have to learn many things, if you mention trackables and other special items every time you talk about trading it might sink in. Adding "did you take a trackable?" to the logpage will also help a lot. I always explain about trackables when I introduce people to geocaching. And when we find a cache with a trackable in it, I always have to explain again that they can't trade for that "cool medallion" or "nice toy" because it is a geocoin or TB. Adding "Did you take a trackable?" to the "Log your visit" form will help for those who recognize that they traded for a trackable, and who actually use the "Log your visit" form. It won't help for those who don't recognize that they traded for a trackable, or for those who don't log online, or for those who log online without using the "Log your visit" form. Not everyone is going to have an experienced geocacher around to remind them about trackables when they start geocaching. +1 Adding "Did you take a trackable?" to the "Log your visit" form will help