+2Dolphins Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 (edited) Hey everyone, As part of the Delaware Geocaching Club's "Grand Experiment" we created a coin that we hoped would stay in caches and travel around the world. Our thinking was that if we made the worlds first intentionally ugly geocoin, activate it and place it in caches that it could be successful in staying in caches. The problem is that we have opted NOT to make this coin for sale or trade. We had figured that no one would want this coin as it is going to be very ugly but still trackable. Were we wrong in our assumptions? Should we offer this coin for sale some time in the future? Should we stop second guessing ourselves and just see what happens? What do you think we have to do to achieve our goal of creating a coin that will stay in caches and not get stolen? What do you guys think? Regardless of what is said in this thread, the experiment will go forward, there WILL be DelUglies and standard coins activated and placed in caches around the world as part of this experiment. We have an obligation to the people who bought the Limited edition coin and we will keep it. We are just looking for some feedback and suggestions on what you think and what you think we should do to help keep these coins from being stolen. Any and all comments are greatly appreciated. Thanks, 2Dolphins. Edited November 14, 2005 by 2Dolphins Link to comment
+brian b Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 A coin is a coin. If you make a coin, people will keep them. Link to comment
+tdecell Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 (edited) Run the experiment, it hasn't been done before to my knowledge (limited), but I personally think its a great idea! (as long as you put one in a cache near me!!) Edited November 14, 2005 by tdecell Link to comment
+Spencersb Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 Ugly is a relative term (at least for some of my relatives). I doubt you could make a geocoin nobody would buy unless you could make it smell like a Helicodiceros muscivorus. Link to comment
+FlyinV Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 A coin is a coin. If you make a coin, people will keep them. Ditto! Link to comment
+robert Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 I think they'd be that much more likely to disappear into people's collection, but logging them would almost out who has it since someone logging it would say "Wow, thanks 2Dolphins for sharing this rare coin!" or something similar. Having only a few made, and 1 or 2 per state is going to make it hard for that cacher everyone has in their area to pass up not taking it for themselves. That being said, if you scrap the idea, what happens to those that "paid extra" for the LE coins, based on: "These are a little more expensive than what most coins are priced at, but the proceeds are going to be used for our “Grand Experiment.” Our Grand Experiment is that we are going to attempt to put goecoins back where they belong, the geocaches! We are doing this by taking the extra profits from this coin and buying more of our other coins to be activated and placed in caches around the world." Can't claim sour grapes at all, either you buy the coin or not. So it doesn't bother me but I'm willing to bet some would like to have at least a buck or two back if you cancel the Delugly plans. Link to comment
+2Dolphins Posted November 14, 2005 Author Share Posted November 14, 2005 That being said, if you scrap the idea, what happens to those that "paid extra" for the LE coins, based on: "These are a little more expensive than what most coins are priced at, but the proceeds are going to be used for our “Grand Experiment.” Our Grand Experiment is that we are going to attempt to put goecoins back where they belong, the geocaches! We are doing this by taking the extra profits from this coin and buying more of our other coins to be activated and placed in caches around the world." We are going to do the "Grand experiment" any way around the block. We will have a lot of coins that WILL be placed around the world regardless. We are just trying to see if there might be a way to achive our goal of keeping them in caches and not see them get stolen. Link to comment
+Chaos A.D./aka Arlsdaddy Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 Make 'em like Chuck E Cheese tokens. .05 cents to make, $1.50 to track. Link to comment
+Renegade Knight Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 A coin is a coin. If you make a coin, people will keep them. Ditto. I'd leave half in mint condition and drill a big hole in the other ones to attach a "move me tag" to them. Link to comment
+nielsenc Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 There are 5000 jeeps in the wild. Try finding one of those in your area. BTW, I am doing the same thing with my coins. nielsenc geocoins I want to see how far they will go. no holes drilled, etc. Link to comment
+lpyankeefan Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 Make 'em like Chuck E Cheese tokens. .05 cents to make, $1.50 to track. Hey! We give those out! My kids have made them their unofficial sig item for the time being. But in all honesty it's nothing more than a ploy to get the kids to our other caches and let them have some fun. Larry (lpyankeefan) Link to comment
+lpyankeefan Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 We'll pay for two! (AND help distribute then into Western Maryland, the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, and South Central Pennsylvania if you need it) Larry (lpyankeefan) Link to comment
+bullit Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 Drilling holes in them and adding a tag would stop pilfering I'd think. I have a CO coin in Europe with no trouble so far. Initially I attached a copy TB tag to the coin but my long lost TB showed up after being lost in Italy so I removed the TB tag. It is still moving around but I think the hole is a good deterrent to keeping it. Nobody is going to show off a coin in their collection when it has a big hole in it. I suppose you could just keep it at home but what's the fun in that? Around here(the SF bay area) people trade 30 cent sig items for geocoins so unless they are marked clearly as travelers they'll get nabbed. I supported and still do support the experiment... I'll be interested to see the final statistics after a year or so. Link to comment
Rupert2 Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 I would want of the "uglies" for my collection. If you sell me one, the i would not be tempted to pilfer a cache for one. Link to comment
+AtlantaGal Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 I would want of the "uglies" for my collection. If you sell me one, the i would not be tempted to pilfer a cache for one. I second this statement. Not saying I would steal one, but I sure would be tempted since I cannot aquire one any other way. Link to comment
+Cache-bert Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 I'm afraid that by not selling them, they'll just be ultra-rare and practically everyone who finds one will keep it. I don't think it's possible to make a coin so unattractive that people will place it back into another cache consistently. They can always put in a bag, or even two bags if necessary, to keep from looking at it. Even if you make it spray skunk scent, people will put it in a leakproof baggie and keep it. Even if you make the coin from radioactive material so that long term exposure would cause death, some people would still keep it and die agonizingly with the coin in their sock drawer next to their Jeep TB's. Sad but true. Link to comment
+501_Gang Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 I'm afraid that by not selling them, they'll just be ultra-rare and practically everyone who finds one will keep it. I don't think it's possible to make a coin so unattractive that people will place it back into another cache consistently. They can always put in a bag, or even two bags if necessary, to keep from looking at it. Even if you make it spray skunk scent, people will put it in a leakproof baggie and keep it. Even if you make the coin from radioactive material so that long term exposure would cause death, some people would still keep it and die agonizingly with the coin in their sock drawer next to their Jeep TB's. Sad but true. I agree here. By making them unavailable to purchase, they will dissappear too. Link to comment
+501_Gang Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 P.S. We'd buy two if you decide to sell them. As always though, if we find one, we will move it along... Link to comment
+Prairiepartners Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 I would want of the "uglies" for my collection. If you sell me one, the i would not be tempted to pilfer a cache for one. I second this statement. Not saying I would steal one, but I sure would be tempted since I cannot aquire one any other way. I third this Link to comment
kcart Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 Based on previous posts, it appears impossible to make a coin so undesirable, so ugly or smelly or radioactive that someone wouldn't keep for their own greedy designs. That it could be had by none other than conventional means makes D'Ugly rare by definition, and therefore, some would stop at nothing to merely possess such rarity. The joy of geocoins is sharing your collection, no matter how relatively meager. An ill-gotten rarity, regardless how hideous, is the stuff of art and museum relic thieves. What's the fun of having something cool and rare if you can't enjoy it with those who share your appreciation for such objects? The "Grand Experiment" should evolve into a coin that becomes a stigma to possess ... and anyone in possession would be a shame-ridden pariah. This idea is brilliant! 2Dolphins and other like-minded should continue promoting this Grand Experiment, not because the coin is ugly, but because it's what the artist had in mind. ©¿©¬ Link to comment
+pdxmarathonman Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 I would want of the "uglies" for my collection. If you sell me one, the i would not be tempted to pilfer a cache for one. I second this statement. Not saying I would steal one, but I sure would be tempted since I cannot aquire one any other way. I third this I think you are all making the grand assumption that the frenzy of coin collecting extends beyond these forums. You should've seen the odd looks that the "serious collectors" got at the PDX coin distribution event Most people at the event seemed interested in the PDX coin because a local team had designed a cool coin that they could leave in caches. Don't forget, we're suffering a sickness. Not everyone suffers as we do. Link to comment
+AtlantaGal Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 Don't forget, we're suffering a sickness. Not everyone suffers as we do. Perhaps, but my USA geocoins sure disappeared rather quickly and so did the jeep travel bugs. Link to comment
+The Moop Along Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 I agree with selling them, as that will decrease the rarity. It is another coin, that some people will keep, but most should move on. For example, Thurs. I picked up a 2003 USA geocoin. Nope, not for sale or trade, but actually traveling in a cache. I am taking it back home to Toledo to show it off, and then back into a cache. But my newest '05 USA that I released 2 weeks ago has already been stolen It's just luck of the draw. I would like to see some for sale (count me in for 6) Link to comment
+Slammer180 Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 As I posted ealier, Having driven through the DelMarVa area where all of the chicken farms are, if you could incorporate the smell from a July day into the coins they will get more than enough miles on them. Link to comment
+2Dolphins Posted November 15, 2005 Author Share Posted November 15, 2005 Closing this thread as well. Thanks to everyone for your opinions. Be on the watch, DelUglies will be coming to your town soon! 2Dolphins Link to comment
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