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Are Geocoins Still Relevant To The Hobby?


Lemon Fresh Dog

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On the eve of mailing out my "must travel" coin (aka the Red-handed coin), I was giving some thought to geocoins in general.

 

I know that the concept is for trackable coins to move from cache to cache, and I know there have been numberous discussions on how they end-up being taken and "collected".

 

However, the trend now seems to be purchase and trading without the middle step of caching them. I know I allocated a portion of my own coins for this, as well as a portion for caches. I'm wondering how many editions have no cache element intended at all. (or at the most, not supported by creating severely limited numbers in relation to demand and/or limiting purchasing quantities).

 

In another post, we see the backlash when an edition is expanded to accomondate more buyers (due to an accident in the order process). Some folks are upset becasue this lowers the value as trading fodder -- what about increasing the ability for these to find themselves in actual caches?

 

So, this started me to thinking about other hobbies --specifically, philately (stamp collecting). There are certain countries in the world that release many, many stamps each year which bear no relevance to their use as actual postage (Tonga), and simply sell these as "collectibles" -- the same happens in minted coins that are not intended to be used as legal tendure.

 

Is this the fate of geocoins? Unless they are cache "tendure" are they really artifacts of the hobby of caching? For example, the Moun10Bike coins are definately cache tendure ... other coins?

 

The only 'continuous production' coin I know of is the Canada coin -- you can order this online and they seem to never run out. I know that once my travelling coins run out I'll mint more and so on and so on. The idea is that they become so common that they are more fun to move than to steal. (and you can buy them if you really want one).

 

What are folks thoughts? Are geocoins relevant to caching? or are they just relevant to themselves?

 

(edited for spelling -- not very well, but none the less)

Edited by Lemon Fresh Dog
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Honestly I'm really sure how to answer you, except that Ive only been caching for just over 6 months and have never ever seen a coin in an actual cache. I had an OHIO coin pass through one of my caches but have never seen a coin in a cahce. Same concept as baseball card and all of the game cards the originally were meant to be traded/ or play a game with them. all of them are in collections now and occasionally traded.

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I guess I should add -- I absolutely collect the coins and have a fairly large "keeper" collection. Also, I would NEVER keep a coin found in a cache unless I a) traded another coin for it and :D it wasn't an activated traveller coin

 

My question is somewhat philosophical and I have started only collecting coins that I trade for and/or are especially attractive to me. I've moved away from trying to get every coin out there.

 

I'm disclosing the above because I am truely interested in folks thoughts and do not want to be accused of being a troll or some such thing.

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Honestly I'm really sure how to answer you, except that Ive only been caching for just over 6 months and have never ever seen a coin in an actual cache. I had an OHIO coin pass through one of my caches but have never seen a coin in a cahce. Same concept as baseball card and all of the game cards the originally were meant to be traded/ or play a game with them. all of them are in collections now and occasionally traded.

Those are two great examples! With sports cards, I think they are more memorabilia (and official at that), which are used to reference stats etc.

 

The trading card games are a good example too. Unless I am wrong, I think the most collectable card game is Magic the Gathering -- and they are very actively played. Of course, they also stay with the owner..... geocoins are separated from the owner once cached -- and that may contribute their overall loss rate.

 

My recent thoughts are that geocoins will evolve into "event" items and the only caches they will ever be logged in will be event caches (which at least gets them seen by other cachers)

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I think that the coins would travel if there was at least one metal that was produced in such large quantities that they weren't hard to find and then release the other metals in the limited quantities for collecting. I think there is a trend in the forums of people stressing putting the coins in caches that hopefully that will become the more acceptable thing.

 

that said --- wanna trade coins? :D

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I could see them becoming "event items" yes, it may be unfortunate, as that is not what they were originally intended for. It is also unfortunate that they go missing.

 

I personally started to collect them because I colect alot of "odd" stuff and the coins do appeal to me, like you said though not every coin ever made just attractive ones and trades that I may be able to set up. I just wish I had something to trade for one of your GeoBones cuz I think they are great!!

 

I have bought several coins in the last couple fo weeks, some because they actually have a personal meaning to me. I.E. the South Carolina coins as I grew up there.

 

Others I have bought in hopes of trading for coins I would like to have.

 

As far as them all seeing caches, I think coins would have to be run in unbeleivable amounts (say 50-60 thousand) to keep the "collector" value down enough to keep them out of collections.

 

I'm hoping that come spring I will be having my own personal coin made probably only 100-200 made and will be using those for trades as well.

 

This may not truly answer a specific question, it's just my opinion.

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I have enjoyed collecting them as they represent fellow cachers enjoying the same mania, geocaching.

I would like to see some coins, not so fancy in cost so I could buy a bunch and place them in caches as both a gift to the finder or to pass on. Most people around here, will keep maybe one of a type if it is a giveme and any extra, pass on or not take at all. If a coin was around $2 - $3 I would be inclined to leave them in every cache that I really enjoyed and then to have them trackable so that it would flag a really fun/hard to get/or interesting spot.

 

:D

Edited by Mystery Ink
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I'm not sure there is an answer per se. It's a pretty philosophical question really. To be fair, there are still many postage stamps created to feed the collectible market rather than to serve as true postage. There will always be those folks that collect for reasons other than wanting samples of actual postage stamps.

 

The same is likely to occur with geocoins -- maybe even more. After all, these are produced by individuals and not a central body and are severely low number runs.

 

Maybe a cool idea would be for Groundspeak to create the "official" geocoin and produce it in the way traveller tags are created? Although they too go missing, I suspect the rate is much lower..... hmmmmm? is this the moment someone brings up the Jeeps? ug...... I think I may have inadvertently just dragged a dead horse into the house.

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Unless they are cache "tendure"

 

Usually with bad spelling I can figure out what the person is trying to say, but you have me stumped with "tendure."

 

What word are you trying to use here?

 

The only things I can think of are "tender," as in "legal tender," but that seems so easy to spell I must be in error, and "tenure," the meaning of which doesn't make any sense in this instance.

 

I am interested in your topic and I am trying to understand, no flame.

 

Nomad

of Nomad and the Librarians

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Here in Wisconsin I have seen several coins in caches, and moved several of them. Granted they were USA geocoins in most cases, but one was a MI that is has been pulled back by its owner and carried by them now.

 

I think it is a shame that the coin craze has gotten to the point were people will steal travelling coins to keep for themselves, but then I've read it also happens to regular TBs. I know that some of the ones I've come across do not have much information about them.

 

I also don't understand why 'trackable at GC' makes a coin more valuable for trade or auction when it isn't going to be activated or put out in caches. Ok, so maybe it is $1.50 more valuable since thats what the tracking cost is. Anyone have any idea how many Non-Cachers are buying up the coins from e-bay?

 

I have only been geocaching for about 6 months, and just started buying coins in the last month or so. my interest in coins are for ones that have relevance to us. Such as the Canine Cacher coins, and coins for states we have been cached in. I have ordered extras of the coins I buy so that I can trade for relevant ones that I may miss by not living on the forums here. I've also bought them from states I haven't been to yet for the similar reasons.

 

I do have plans to send some out into the wild, I'm currently trying to figure out a nice travel case for them so that they wouldn't get as easily seperated from their goal sheet and then stolen.

 

What about PC coins that you don't make a limited run on, and as part of the tags you list how someone can buy one?

 

Just some thoughts...

-Mike

Not So Lost Puppies

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I think they're plenty relevant. I drop most of the coins I get into caches, and I know a number of other local cachers that do the same. Yhe collecting/trading aspect is consuming many if not most of the coins being minted, but on the other hand, there are many more coins being minted than ever before.

 

Before the coin craze caught on last year, finding a moun10bike coin in a cache was about as likely as being struck by lightening for most of us. That didn't diminish the relevance of his coins in geocaching, it made them even more relevant.

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Every now and then a coin comes up and makes me wonder. Along the way I've chosen as my personal standard that a coin should be by cachers and for cachers to even be considered a geocoin. If it's going to be commercial it fails that test. Tracking on a geocaching site though is a cheezy way to make a commercial coin related to geocacing.

 

In this spirit Signature coins and coins made by organizations are the most pure form of geocoin. Event coins and cache coins also make the cut.

 

Beyond that you are in "It depends" territory. Is a coin about Mt. McKinly a geocoin or did it take the tracking number to make it one? Without it, it's just a piece of stamped metal about a mountain.

 

In time a hard line needs to be taken on what a geocoin is. There is no geocoin control board to make that decision and the community is going to have to figure it out over time. Maybe everything made is something worhty of the title maybe some of it's not.

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Unless they are cache "tendure"

 

Usually with bad spelling I can figure out what the person is trying to say, but you have me stumped with "tendure."

 

What word are you trying to use here?

 

The only things I can think of are "tender," as in "legal tender," but that seems so easy to spell I must be in error, and "tenure," the meaning of which doesn't make any sense in this instance.

 

I am interested in your topic and I am trying to understand, no flame.

 

Nomad

of Nomad and the Librarians

Okay -- I have academia on the brain. Maybe the coin could earn tenure at some University, but I did indeed intend it to read tender

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Geocoin collecting has become a sub-catagory of sport of geocaching. Most coins are being minted as collectors, instead of swag items and travelers. How else can you explain the individual icons. In fact collecting icons has become a sub-catagory of coin collecting.

 

I am a active cacher, who has started collecting coins with no intention of releasing them into the wild. But when I do have my own coin minted, some will be for releasing into caches.

 

Even some of the commerical coins have relevance to the hobby. Take for instance the Not Another Micro coin, it pays homeage to the lowly film canister that started the micro cache craze.

 

I don't know where it is all heading, but it is sure fun going on the journey.

 

;)

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When I had mine made I ordered 150 coins. My intention was to trade the first 100 to enlarge my colelction and pass the other 50 out in caches in the local area in the hopes that people who don't collect them would be able to get one. So far I've placed about 15 of the 50 into caches with more to come.

 

I figure they are geocoins and should have some element of caching involved, otherwise it just becomes simple coin collecting with no geo element involved, not much different from the local numismatic society.

 

jmho

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This is good discussion so far...

 

The only other collectible I have ever been involved in was baseball cards. I dropped out a few years back for two reasons but one being there were just too many sets beieng produced and too many "Rare" or "Low Serial Numbered" cards. The set builders were priced right out of the market and kids can no longer afford to buy a pack at $5 - $10 per.

 

I really liked the geocoin thing at first. Has it gotten out of hand? I think it has just a bit. I'm not racing to buy up every coin out there especially after reading the thread about how much cachers have spent on coins so far.

 

The GC.com trackable thing confuses me. Why does it make it more "collectable" if they are never going to be activated and passed around? I have activated all my coins but, to prevent their disapparance, I have created "fake" coins using the tracking number from the actual coin to place in caches. At $6 + per coin they are too expensive to drop and never to be seen again.

 

With all that being said, I like them, I will trade for coins that I don't have. I still buy a few but not with the same zeal I once had.

 

I still prefer sig items over geocoins.

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