How To Apply Longevity Strategy #1 To Geocoins?

[+welch]

Ok, for those that may have not noticed their is a whole thread called Snoogan's Tb Longevity Clinic, pinned at the top of this forum with tips for keep your TB from becoming MIA.

Snoogans' TB longevity strategy #1. Drill a great big friggin hole in it to eliminate any collectable qualities of your TB.

 

Having drilled a hole in one or two coins, I think they still look pretty and someone will steal them.... (maybe the hole wasn't big enough?) So then I got thinking about grinding the face off one side, or maybe half off each side or something... Would that ruin it for too many people though??

[i guess that has me asking, Why do people seek geocoins (gc.com trackable ones for this discussion)? is it to see and feel a new coin they haven't seen before? Is it to get more finds/icons? Is it to steal the coin (even though a trackable one in the wild is likely meant to TRAVEL)?]

 

So, would grinding off at least part of the coin keep it from becoming part of a stolen collection? Comments/suggestions/questions?

[+Renegade Knight]

Tough question. The hole will eliminate the collectors who want pure clean coins. then again if you want the coin at all it may not eliminate them.

 

Case in point. I've got two roman coins from caches. They were cheap (cheap being a relative term) FTF prizes. I really can't read the inscription they are corroded almost beyond recognition but they are still cool and I still treasure them...

 

Griding the face off may work better than just the hole. If you grind off enough its' about the same as ending out a TB tag with no TB though.

[+AtlantaGal]

I recently TB-tagged up one of my personal coins by drilling a large hole through the center of the coin. I'm actually hoping the TB description wards off potential thieves.

 

AtlantaGal's Geocoin

Edited September 12, 2005 by AtlantaGal

[+Lemon Fresh Dog]

I have little circles at the top of my coins to allow folks to attach Travel Bug tags..

 

See it here

 

I'm positive this will make it travel forever!

 

On a more serious note. I mark down the number of all my coins, who has them, which ones I've tagged etc. If I ever see a coin on a website or on eBay, I can immediately cross-reference the number and see if it is one that has had the TB tag ripped off, etc.

 

This won't stop it from happening, but you can be sure that I will let the person know they have a questionable item in their hands.

For example, geobones 25,50,75,100,125,150 and 175 are all Travel Bugs.

Edited September 12, 2005 by Lemon Fresh Dog

[+Cache-bert]

I've got my own little project going to try to solve the geocoin problem. I keep the actual coin and print out a copy of the same type of coin with my tracking number Photoshopped on it. I then laminate it so it will be durable. Then I put the printed "virtual" coin in an actual cache and it can be logged just as if it were the actual coin. I'm hoping that people who would normally be tempted to keep the actual coin wouldn't be so petty as to keep just a picture of a coin. Who knows though? The jury's still out on this.

 

One good thing about it is that if any go missing or people don't circulate them, I'll just grab it back, print out another copy, and start it back in circulation again. I don't know how else all these different types of geocoins will ever be available to be found in actual caches.

[+Lemon Fresh Dog]

I've got my own little project going to try to solve the geocoin problem. I keep the actual coin and print out a copy of the same type of coin with my tracking number Photoshopped on it. I then laminate it so it will be durable. Then I put the printed "virtual" coin in an actual cache and it can be logged just as if it were the actual coin. I'm hoping that people who would normally be tempted to keep the actual coin wouldn't be so petty as to keep just a picture of a coin. Who knows though? The jury's still out on this.

 

One good thing about it is that if any go missing or people don't circulate them, I'll just grab it back, print out another copy, and start it back in circulation again. I don't know how else all these different types of geocoins will ever be available to be found in actual caches.

I'm really torn by this idea.

 

A) I think it really will work -- most people will move a picture.

I just think it takes away from the "finding" of a coin...... however, I do think it is the best plan given the nature of the "real" world

 

I also have a plan, I am going to hide a coin inside a little stuffed animal and place a travel bug on it. Then, AFTER it has been moved, I am going to e-mail the person telling them they just moved coin such-and-such.... haha! just kidding.

[+Cache-bert]

I agree. I'd much rather find a real geocoin than a picture of one. However I think I'd rather find a picture of one that I could log and try to collect credits for all the different types of icons than to be searching through 100 miles of caches and never see any listed at all.

 

I can't imagine any actual geocoin, except maybe the more common USA Geocoin, lasting more than about two turns in real caches before it disappears. I've put out 12 USA Gecoins over the last couple of years and had some of them never even make it to another cache. Plus, considering how rare and relatively expensive some geocoins are, who in their right mind would put the real coin in a cache?

[+pdxmarathonman]

I agree. I'd much rather find a real geocoin than a picture of one. However I think I'd rather find a picture of one that I could log and try to collect credits for all the different types of icons than to be searching through 100 miles of caches and never see any listed at all.

 

I can't imagine any actual geocoin, except maybe the more common USA Geocoin, lasting more than about two turns in real caches before it disappears. I've put out 12 USA Gecoins over the last couple of years and had some of them never even make it to another cache. Plus, considering how rare and relatively expensive some geocoins are, who in their right mind would put the real coin in a cache?

I've placed well over 50 geocoins in caches. And will probably place at least another 50. Heck, I placed 7 or 8 in the Tahoe area the week before Labor Day.

But sadly they don't get the finder an icon

 

I could post the tracking numbers of the trackable geocoins I own if anyone wants to collect the icon without being bothered to actually touch the coin.

[+Renegade Knight]

... but you can be sure that I will let the person know they have a questionable item in their hands.

For example, geobones 25,50,75,100,125,150 and 175 are all Travel Bugs.

I've been wondering about that. Not so much your coins in particular but coins in general. Assuming the reseller bought a collection or made a trade and thought they had a legit coin. What do you think the right thing to do is?

[+BlueDeuce]

Ok, for those that may have not noticed their is a whole thread called Snoogan's Tb Longevity Clinic, pinned at the top of this forum with tips for keep your TB from becoming MIA.

Snoogans' TB longevity strategy #1. Drill a great big friggin hole in it to eliminate any collectable qualities of your TB.

 

Having drilled a hole in one or two coins, I think they still look pretty and someone will steal them.... (maybe the hole wasn't big enough?) So then I got thinking about grinding the face off one side, or maybe half off each side or something... Would that ruin it for too many people though??

[i guess that has me asking, Why do people seek geocoins (gc.com trackable ones for this discussion)? is it to see and feel a new coin they haven't seen before? Is it to get more finds/icons? Is it to steal the coin (even though a trackable one in the wild is likely meant to TRAVEL)?]

 

So, would grinding off at least part of the coin keep it from becoming part of a stolen collection? Comments/suggestions/questions?

Send out a cheap copy of the original coin.

 

By the way, what happened to your avatar? It's not the same color, shape or design as your last one.

[+welch]

I can't imagine any actual geocoin, except maybe the more common USA Geocoin, lasting more than about two turns in real caches before it disappears. I've put out 12 USA Gecoins over the last couple of years and had some of them never even make it to another cache. Plus, considering how rare and relatively expensive some geocoins are, who in their right mind would put the real coin in a cache?

So you're saying no matter how much I mutilate it, if its still recognizable as Whatever geocoin, someone somewhere will steal it?

 

By the way, what happened to your avatar? It's not the same color, shape or design as your last one.

Are you saying yours have a theme????

I've been flipping threw avatars the last day. This one with the sign was actually sent to by schnider last week, apperently they have a Welch street out west someplace I'll probably go back to the usual avatar in another couple days.

Edited September 13, 2005 by welch

[+Eric K]

You could always put them inside of a raggedy driving range golfball. I seem to find those in every cache I go to.

[+Lemon Fresh Dog]

... but you can be sure that I will let the person know they have a questionable item in their hands.

For example, geobones 25,50,75,100,125,150 and 175 are all Travel Bugs.

I've been wondering about that. Not so much your coins in particular but coins in general. Assuming the reseller bought a collection or made a trade and thought they had a legit coin. What do you think the right thing to do is?

I'd actually just contact them, explain the situation and ask them where they got the coin. Eventually someone would respond with "I can't remember" or "I won't tell" -- so I'd at least know whom to steer clear of in the future.

 

As a coin issue creator, I keep a registry of the coins I had made. If I see one in a collection or for sale, I at least know if it was a cache coin taken or a traded coin or a TB coin.

 

What can I really "do" about it -- nothing.

[avroair]

This will help people who are placing their coins into the wildy!

[+nefesh]

I will continue to release "real" coins, but I have to say I don't release anything I would be too upset with if it disappeared. So, that's to say I don't release coins I really like and value for their beauty, etc. I haven't run into a proxy yet. I don't think I'll like it when I do, and I probably won't move it like a real coin. Sorry.

 

Maybe when I've been collecting longer and have more coins than I know what to do with, I'll be able to release those more beautiful coins

[+dhenninger]

This will help people who are placing their coins into the wildy!

And i was going to wait till the 4th anniversary of the last post to revive this thread. Foiled again!

[+BlueDeuce]

Send out a cheap copy of the original coin.

 

Ah yes. Back in the day when I thought the point was to travel.

 

Live and learn.

[+forthferalz]

geeze - just buy a TB if you are so worried - why deface it? That's just insulting the finders imo. PSWelch if it goes missing I 'll shout you a replacement http://www.geocaching.com/track/log.aspx?L...e6-65a71d3cfcdc

 

Drill a hole and let the thing go. The main thing is to add a tag which has the NUMBER nice and BIG on it , a mission and the DIRECT web address - to whit www.geocaching.com/track NZ is still a pretty safe bet -send it by post to keewee; it won't last forever but I think you'll have fun.

 

These things are meant to travel a copy is just WET and unless it replaces a muggled coin I wouldn't bother moving it.

Edited August 6, 2009 by forthferalz

[+fuzziebear3]

I still believe in the good in people. I send out real coins, and I don't deface them. I do give them a tag and instructions.

 

When I buy coins, I buy 2, one for me, and one for the world. Most of my coins seem to do okay, and even the ones that get lost for a bit resurface eventually.

 

I love to find coins in caches. Although I will move proxies, I don't get the same joy out of them.

[Quentonious]

Don't show the number of you TB in the picture!!!!!

 

Real Example:

 

looks a bit odd though doesn't it?

 

Regular Caches Found 14

Virtual Caches Found 6

Multi Caches Found 1

Travel Bugs Found 16,387

Edited August 7, 2009 by Quentonious