Odyssey Voyager

maybe i should share what little i know about mystery geocoins, and you all can decide whether to chime in...or not. i understand the basic idea is that these geocoins are "given" away to various geocachers by "unknown" producers for various "unknown" reasons that may or may not be revealed to the recipient. i can understand not wanting to give away any spoiler details. what about sharing some very brief info on these, such as: what was the 1st mystery geocoin produced? are they trackable? is selling them appropriate? are they to be kept or passed on to others? i'm just curious about the general idea and etiquette, not the specific details or anything that would spoil the MYSTERY.

okay, so i have read about, heard about, and seen these MYSTERY geocoins here at the forums for quite some time now, but i still don't know much more about them. i've searched the archives for more information but i haven't found much. can others that are more familiar with mystery geocoins share their knowledge here or post a link to an appropiate forum thread? i'd like to know all about how they started, what their purpose is, do's and dont's regarding them, and any other interesting details or stories that can be shared about mystery geocoins. thanks for your informative replies. inquiring minds need to know!

thanks for sharing and for caring. a great act of kindness. kitty kudos to you!

this post may be disqualified according to the rules of the cointest. "Acee" the cat doesn't actually RESIDE with me, but comes by my apartment occasionally to say hello. she lives somewhere within the apartment complex with her brother "Joker" (seen in one of the pictures below). although Acee is feral, she is quite fearless and not afraid of humans. i guess thats why i admire her so much. she is rather brazen, as she has actually come inside my apartment to check things out and take a look around before leaving! i've enjoyed looking at everyones pictures of their little furry friends, and i hope you all like these pics i took of Acee and Joker.

tennessee jed, those are very awesome auction geocoins! i am sure they will do very well in raising donations for the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. i encourage collectors to search TJ's other ebay auctions for some very cool charity geocoins! i want to add one more thing. although this thread was started as an individual charity auction, it was also meant as a challenge to other geocoin collectors and sellers. it started out rather slow, but i see now that it is gaining some momentum, with others rising up to accept the challenge. geocoin sellers here have so far raised HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS to help Haiti Relief Efforts through the donations of many kind hearted geocoin collectors. once again, the geocaching community has proven that this sport is always giving back to help those in need. solidarity with one big gigantic heart! kudos to all! by the way, geocaches are still being logged in Haiti: First Ever Cache In Haiti

Thank you for accepting the challenge! This is an awesome auction geocoin, I'm sure you will get many bids on it. Good luck to all with these charity auctions. Peace.

those are nice! i've also used similar compartment coin/jewelry trays with an acrylic lid so people can see the coins through the acrylic without needing to remove them unless they want a closer look. makes them easy to transport to and from events, too.

I have a spreadsheet to do that. Its getting too big though same here. as soon as i receive a geocoin i will immediately add it to my list file of unactivated geocoins. this will save you lots of headaches if a geocoin minter ever closes their business along with all hosted activation codes (although GS is trying to host all activation codes in the future). i also find it a good idea when purchasing a geocoin from anywhere other than the mint company or when trading geocoins, to immediately check at the geocaching.com website to verify that the geocoin hasn't already been activated. i've never found a purchased or traded coin to be previously activated, but others here have had that happen. this step might save you a headache down the road, too. by the way, i have a "small" collection of geocoin keepers (around 75 or so) that are inside several wooden display cases on the wall (each coin sits on a acrylic coin holder). if you search the forums here, there is a thread on how people display or store their collections (with pictures). good luck...and welcome to the addiction...

thanks for accepting the challenge! i've started the bidding on this cool geocoin. i'm not a big fan of MissionFish at ebay myself either, but i use it to reassure bidders that they are not being scammed and their donation is going towards a legitimate charity. there was an issue with a bidder for another charity auction i held some time ago. anyway, to make a long story short, the bottom line is that funds are being raised to help a worthy cause, and that is really all that matters. good luck with the auction!

thanks for accepting the challenge! i wish you well on all the charity auctions! kudos!

The geocoin auctions raised over $80 in donations. i will match that amount, for a total of $160 donated to the American Red Cross for Haitian Earthquake Relief. Thank you all for your support and bids. Congratulations to the winning bidders. My thoughts, prayers, and condolences go out to the people of Haiti. Peace. Moderator: You may now close this thread.

BUMP for the cause...just a few more hours until these auctions end. thank you for browsing and for bidding.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! to all that have browsed these auctioned and especially to those that have bid on these geocoins. the auctions are doing well, but i hope one more day will bring a few more bids. remember, if you do not win an auction or cannot bid on one of these geocoins, please try to make your own donation to the Haitian Relief Efforts at the charity of your choice. its difficult to imagine how blessed we are until we see those that have lost everything...or we lose everything ourselves. please continue to keep the Haitian people in your thoughts and prayers.

i'm not sure what XLE or XXLE are exactly, but when i call a geocoin i have produced, "a Limited Edition" or LE, i do it with the promise that only a set number of this edition will ever be made. although all geocoin runs eventually end, making them all limited by their final production quantity, having an item you know there are only a certain number of, in my opinion, makes them slightly more collectable. also, not calling all other editions "Limited" gives me the wiggle room to have more of the same color or finish made if they are popular enough or i choose to have the same geocoin re-minted (although i've never had more than 1 production run of an identical geocoin). with that being said, a label or promise is only as valid as the person making it. so i would be wary of claims of XLE or XXLE or XXXXXXXXLE...lol...and just stick to the idea: if you like it and you can afford it, then collect it. of course, it would be nice if more official standards were established, but i don't think this will happen anytime soon, so until then we will continue to see all the mysterious "X's" in front of multiple geocoin editions.

thank you for bidding and thanks to everyone that has already bid on these 6 ebay auctions. keep in mind that each of these auctions are monitored completely through eBay Giving Works registered charitable listings and Administered by MissionFish. you are bidding toward a trusted worthy cause and you may also win a nice geocoin or geocoins, all while helping those in need. here are the links to the 5 other ebay geocoin auctions, so feel free to browse or bid: pure color yellow geocoin auction pure color berry geocoin auction honu turtle silver geocoin auction aphrodite trojan horse OVG auction athena trojan horse OVG auction

In view of the terrible devastation that our neighbors in Haiti have suffered, I am donating ALL proceeds from geocoin auctions this week to the American Red Cross Haitian Relief. I will match all proceeds with my own personal donation. I ask geocoiners to bid these auctions up, and if you do not win an auction, please make a donation to the relief efforts. I also challenge geocoin sellers to donate the proceeds of one of their ebay auctions to the relief fund. Thank you to all who bid and donate. Lets keep the Haitian people in our thoughts and prayers. American Red Cross Ebay Auction - Honu Turtle Gold Geocoin Please scroll down to find links to all these Earthquake Relief Auctions.

someone uploaded a video! here is the link...(the coin is visible at 00:30 of the video): no, it is not a geocoin, but it is quite impressive! there is another coin commemorating this football game that is being sold on ebay, but it is NOT the same coin that you see on this video. the one used during the coin toss at the game must be very rare and quite expensive!

awesome! congrats dr. neal! i wonder what ever happened to the moun10bike geocoin someone was trying to sell on ebay?! the auction was ended early and abruptly. poof! by the way, did anyone happen to see the commemorative coin they flipped for the opening of the national football game between Texas and Alabama tonight?! it was quite impressive! i sure would love to see that in my mailbox, but it might not fit inside!

nibble nibble...

Each country is different. But all seem to have a certain max amount that isn't taxed at all. I usually put the original prices too to keep the package low declared value. its too bad people from countries other than the U.S. don't reply here and offer information that might help reduce the tax they have to pay at the Customs Office for receiving geocoins from the U.S.

now there is a geocoin that makes me smile! a happy clown fish! finally!

just curious...which countries pay the most tax on a geocoin delivery? i know Germany pays a stiff tax. does it help a buyer or hurt them to place a total amount that is the wholesale price (much lower) rather than the actual purchase price (much higher) for a shipment? i've been totaling shipments with the lower price, but i don't know if buyers may actually declare their purchase price (a different total), and then have to explain at the customs office. can someone give me the best advice? thanks, i hope this isn't too far off topic. if so, i apologize.

sorry about going off topic here, but i use PAINT.NET for editing and design. google the name, its free and has lots of cool features! one other picture taking tip: try taking a picture outside in bright sunlight, but with your subject in the shade, on a plain background, use your eye to find the angle with the best and brightest reflection, and point your camera at the same angle. take several pics, since some will be blurred, and then use the software to "tweak" the best picture (straighten it, crop it, enhance the colors and contrast, and resize if needed). good luck and congrats on your new geocoin! now, lets see more pictures!

nice display! i like it. droo already picked the location where i think it might be hidden, but i will guess inside the tallest nutcracker on the back row to the right hand side. thanks for the cointest!

wow! the artwork does give the illusion of the edges pulsating! awesome! i hope the actual geocoin can replicate this optical illusion. looking forward to seeing this one in person!