MHz

Still down today. I sat down and solved about 7 puzzle caches yesterday and still can't check a single solution. Perhaps I will change my own puzzle caches over to using another checker soon.

I added my voice to the "Fix the problem" queue. Up to 16 people complaining. I've got 46 coins in my queue to adopt out. I'm waiting for the fix.

Well now that I've let this topic settle in for a while to see opinions both in the forum and off (via e-mails etc) and on both sides, I thought I'd post some final comments before I leave this topic alone at least for this event. I'm actually amazed at several things. I can't believe how many people actually think that starting another geocoin event before/during/after the mega-geocoin event is in any way helpful or right. it just seems counter productive and would seem to be a waste of time as most will be at the mega-event and arranging their caching weekend around this. lets not even get started in what an insult to the committee and volunteers who are setting up a mega-geocoin event. That's not the spirit or solution I was looking for at all. Once again just my own opinion on this. I even went as far as to inquire with my local cache reviewer to find out what the general opinion was from Groundspeak about this and I was quite happy with his answer which lined up with what I thought for the most part. (I like getting 3rd party opinions who don't have anything at stake in an issue). I also can't believe how many people would rather do business in the back room and this is thought of as the norm. Cheaper? Sure. More convenient? No not really. Time consuming? Oh yeah! I'd rather be caching than bother with that! But yet selling via the forums or on e-bay, in the open, is perfectly ok. Anything on the internet (where most geocaching stuff is sold), is a competition with the vendors/retailers/private sellers all the time but it's at least a level playing field! However, for an event where vendors have far far less competition for their goods and are virtually guaranteed to make money (at least good well know vendors should), it seems a level playing field can't be found and I bet the vendors even bid more against other vendors just to have top billing rights and the small guys and private sellers fall into the back room because they have no place else to go but it's far cheaper that way anyway. The community table idea seemed like a solution that still seems to be evolving and growing and perhaps a step towards something that could be widely accepted as a legitimate way to accomplish things that all can be happy with. But oddly enough because the cheaper back room selling is now ingrained as the norm, I can't see a community table happening even though I did have some others interested in helping with that (thanks for that!) and I personally find that to be a real loss. And I don't mean to the pocket book as all my coins owe me nothing and I don't have a dying need to sell them. Once again this is just me and I'm not speaking for anyone else. I think I'm going to sit back and re think this whole geocoin thing and maybe I will post to the forums my list or start selling them on ebay for profit if I want to start mass mailing geocoins again (which I don't as that's what got me addicted in the first place). But for this event I think I'm going to leave my coins at home to gather more dust except a few which I can have fun with. They are far too heavy to lug around to this event for what to me is little gain (not to mention how do you explain that many when I cross the border! LOL!). I'll likely save my $20 that was for the community table for the donation bin at the event assuming there is one.

Oh no, I'm a true blood geocoin addict! I have not bought a geocoin in 49 days, 6 hours and one minute..... oh drat, I did buy a geocoin with my registration didn't I!

That is the best reasoning about this issue I've heard since I thought about heading to this mega-event. That is totally understandable and reasonable. And thanks very much for posting it! I'm very sorry for spoiling people's days today but this issue needed to be aired. I'm very happy to share a portion of a table cost with the purpose of creating a community table where all can trade/sell geocoins for geocoins, $$ or anything else that may be of interest.

I like this idea too! It's a great solution to this issue! I ask again, who would like to share a table to trade geocoins for gecoins, geocaching swag, $$ or anything else they'd like to trade their coins for?

A valid issue, I can understand that but that's a common issue outside of geocaching and other hobbies/sports/companies deal with it far better than this. I too have designed and minted a geocoin for our local club. I know the process all too well. Well enough to know I will never mint my own personal geocoin.

I can understand that. But if you offered a geocoin or something else other than money and the trade was rejected, would you still feel jilted? I am open for trades, just not for other geocoins unless it's got something really special about it as I've already got 450+ of them (I'm still keeping about 1/3 of them). so yes I have a lot of money invested in my collection but I enjoy them and am not looking to profit by them, the vendors already have by me buying them in the first place. Personally I'm still going to visit and buy stuff from the vendors anyway, just not any more geocoins. I've got more than enough thanks! Also I do want to and intend to do other things during geocoinfest so I'm not taking up residence all day as I personally, don't need to sell any coins. Call it a bonus if I do sell even one. I actually just enjoy being able to show my coins and watch people's reactions and be to tell stories about them as all do. I just have WAY TO MANY! Most events, I only bring a very small subset unless I get a special request. And that's either to sell or just to show or both! 450 coins is heavy and hard to display! I'm in no way taking this issue lightly, but I'm also not attempting to pick on this particular event or any particular vendor or cacher. I'm merely raising an issue that seems to have long old roots.

I'm very sorry to have come across like I don't respect all the work you and the rest of the committee and likely a host of volunteers have done to make this event happen. It IS greatly appreciated by me at the very least! I'd very much like to thank all of you for your huge efforts in all respects including financially. I hope you do at least break even. I'm just bring to the front an issue that obviously has been going on since geocoins were invented. At some point, some event/mega-event will need to address this and find a solution that works for all involved (vendor and collector) or dealings like this will continue as they have in the past in back rooms and parking lots.

Then there should be at least vendor hours posted so we know when not to sell/trade our coins for something other than another geocoin. Could the GCF committee please post vendor hours on the geocoinfest webpages? Obviously selling from private collections has happened before at all gecoinfests and likely all mega-events. At some point, this will become more than just a growing pain and be properly addressed rather than just saying it doesn't happen or shouldn't happen. I am up for paying $20 to share a vendor table and any who wish to share with me can post here or send me an e-mail. Perhaps this way we can actually help with the event instead of just pushing this issue into the back rooms.

[quote name='CacheAddict.com' date='Jul 25 2010, 10:53 AM' post='4412488' I am still trying to figure out why you want to sell at this specific event and not just post in the forums or sell on ebay? This is done all the time. As ertyu mentioned, I don't want to deal with the mailing of individual coins. I use to do things that way all the time and it's huge hassle. I can imagine doing individual coins on e-bay to be an even bigger hassle even though I may make more money out of it. I also don't want to sell my coins as a bulk one time deal. That would be too easy on e-bay and most would just be retailed again. I also did not pick on this event. It was merely the event that got me started down the road of what am I going to do with all the geocoins I already have. I've already sold a few locally and I'm sure I'll eventually sell all that I want to. I started this forum post because from what I've heard and discussed with some other cachers, I'm not the only one thinking about this issue. That and I can't resist sometime stirring a pot that needs stirring. As for posting them in for forums. Without posting my coin list in these forums, I've already gotten several offers to buy coins with pick up at Geocoinfest 2010. How is that different than having them available there for people to actually look at and buy on site?

Not that I'm objecting to the idea but.... they must be really big tables to have 10 cachers standing behind it then and still have others come and enjoy looking at your coins. Vendors pay to get priority spots and more room to sell the latest and greatest stuff for the whole event (or if not the whole event they should). They also pay to have a large presence at an event and in most cases I bet pay above what a table costs if you include prize donations etc. Cachers are restricted (or at least they should be) to the trading portion of the event whenever that is. If the GCF2010 committee would provide more information about things happening at the event than just a non-timed one liner agenda for the day, it would be greatly appreciated and helpful as well for all. As for other funding ideas, there lots of local companies, geocaching related or not, that I'm sure if approched who would be happy to donate $$ for a banner space at the event or prizes with company logos on or even just a advert on the Geocoinfest website as a way to advertise to as many people as come to mega-event. Get the local gas station to sponsor an advert as being the closest geocaching fuel source to the event, local restaurants etc. It's a little bit of legwork to get done, but for something like this event, it should have already been done but I see very little on the Geocoinfest page for sponsors. Only a few listed.

I'm not arguing the vendor view at all! In fact I can see it and understand it. I'm in fact looking at this and comparing it to my other hobby of amatuer radio. In the ham world, we have flea markets. Here, a room/hall is rented and the cost is covered by table sales as well. We get both vendor and personal hams buying tables to sell their goods, be it old or new goods. But it's not $200 no matter who buys the table. In fact it's usually far less and also you can purchase half a table. Vendors can donate more above the table cost if they want to and write it off, but like cachers, hams cannot. Tables are more like $20 max. Some flea markets also charge a small $1-$2 entrance fee. That is no where near $200. Vendors can also help by donating prizes and $$$ which they can also write off. I helped by paying for a registration and until now, I may have even considered helping with a small donation as I do at most events I attemd where there was a cost incurred. I've been here in the professional world, and I've also gone to trade shows as a vendor. But I've always considered geocaching as more informal than a trade show like my ham hobby and the flea market idea. I'm in no way saying that I would not pay for a table. I'm really objecting to the price. I could go sit in the parking lot and sell them for no table cost but I really don't want to resort to that type of thing. I'd rather leave the coins at home and go caching.

A Geocoinfest to me, means a place to trade/adopt/sell geocoins between cachers and visit/buy from vendors who are selling the latest and greatest geocoins and geocaching swag. However, since I'm interested is selling/adopting out a portion of my personal geocoin collection, I've been told by the Geocoinfest 2010 committee that I can't sell geocoins at the event and to do so I must buy a vendor table for likely around $200. I know I'm not the only cacher looking to sell/adopt/trade geocoins from our own private collections at this event and I know of many already who have far far fewer coins than me who have been told the same thing by the GCF committee and I'm sure there are more out there. A vendor can write off the cost of buying a vendor table as well as likely cover the costs of the table from profits made from sales at the event. A private collector can't write off the expense because, we don't have a business to do so. Also, at least in my case, I'd be selling at either the break even or below cost so there is no profit there. If I wanted to make a profit, I'd put the collection up on e-bay! I have a lot of older geocoins that I really like but are gathering dust and would likely mean more to someone else than to me. Why shouldn't I be able to sell them at the trading portion of Gecoinfest 2010? That may mean I trade a geocoin for another geocoin, a club patch, a pin, an ammo can or $10. How is that not a trade? Anyone else out there in the same boat as me? It's really kind of soured my enthusiasm to go to my very first Mega-event. I may have to skip it and just go geocaching with my friends instead.

Well Miracles do happen!!! I got my missing coins from geoswag/oakcoins today Funny how the date on the envelope if for two days after I complained the first time Yesterday I got 2 Delicious Cache Fishies! Today I got: GC Police Garmin 2007 Gold Nurses Have Heart Two-tone Easter Nav'egg'ation 2007 Gold Wildlife Muggles Sneaky Antlers Gold Wildlife Muggles Bucky Beaver gold

Yesterday I got a pile 4 April Fools Jester Caps 3 Mojave Desert Cactii 2 Zion NP 8c Stamps 1 Yosemite 1c Stamp Still nothing more from oakccoins/geoswag.

This is more like "What's not in my mailbox?!" I ordered 2 Nurses Have Heart geocoins and 2 GC Police Garmin 2007 from oakcoins/geoswag right when they came out. Must have been at least 2 months back, possibly near the beginning of January. Since then I've placed 3 other orders for coins with geoswag and I've gotten all of those. I sent an e-mail to first shop@geoswag.com then two weeks later to coins@oakcoins.com and shop@geoswag.com just to see if the coins shipped but I've gotten no response from them. I can't expect them to be responsible if these coins were shipped and lost in the mail but I expected at least a response to tell me that they had been shipped and when or that it was delayed being shipped for some reason. But I've gotten nothing, nada, zippo! Not very good customer service if you ask me. Anyone else had issues with oakcoins.com/geoswag.com? Personally, I'm not buying any more coins from them until this is sorted out. On the lighter side, I got a Nicolo coin in the mail yesterday. MHz

Never mind, I went on holidays for a week and had a friend keep checking oakcoins for me with instructions to buy one of every type available! Now I'm back and still no sign of them.....

I think Utsman is in the miltary so it's not a far leap to believe he was deployed over seas. It would explain why things got dropped so quickly. But I'm only guessing. My TB is out of the race anyway as it's busy touring the UK instead of Canada.

2 Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Gold coins 1 Dutch 2006 coin 1 Kiwi coin and the biggest surprise: An "I love geocoins!" Gold coin sent to me from Iggie, Slippery_1's son! Thanks so much IGGIE! I own you one now! MHz

Slippery_1 just told me about this coin! If i'm not too late, I'd like to be on it too! Thanks! MHz (M and H capitals and small z please!)

The one closest to the Stadium is Really Big Blitz http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...af-60834757b04a If you don't mind a short bus or taxi ride and a bit of walking in a big park, try the Assiniboin Park/ Assiniboine Forest area which is south of the airport just across the river. Don't foreget we have some snow on the ground now so the Forest ones may not be what your looking for. Do a search around The Assiniboine Forest Cache http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...95-4d7e2c0870ff Downtown/ The Forks is another area that is good for caching. Do a search around Birds Eye View http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...b6-1bdba043d9f0 The Univeristy of Manitoba which is in southern Winnipeg and there are many good caches there. Try a search around Edak-rap http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...b0-4c4fe53b1759 Have fun at the Grey Cup. I froze my butt off at the one in 1991 here! MHz

Both my BC coins and LMGA coins arrived on Friday! They look great! Thanks!

I'd be interested in a few amateur radio/geocaching coins. iI's a great idea! I'd even like to see APRS tied into a coin. "VE4MHZ-14 Trackable at findu.com"! I was into APRS before I discovered geocaching! 73's MHz

Count me in for 4-5 please! MHz