Unregistered Geocoin Found In Cache

[+Mary&Dave]

I found a shiny new unregistered CA Geocoin in a cache. I thought coins were considered "travel bug" type items, but this one did not have an owner or a mission. Is it okay to keep it as a souvenir?

 

Thanks... just wondering if I'm violating some unwritten rule by not returning it to another cache.

[+Mystery Ink]

Do you know who dropped it or what cache it was in I live in your neck of the woods so I could probably tell you a little more about it. BTW you 2 should come to the event this friday at the chicken coop in cambell.

[+RustyBeerCan]

If its not regestered at calif.geocoin.net

It must be your Lucky day

[+Mystery Ink]

As long as you traded fairly for it I dont see a problem with keeping it either.

[+Nomad and the Librarians]

There's nothing saying the cache owner can't put an unregistered TB or coin in a cache as "loot." It's a sexy FTF prize. It's nice to find as any kind of prize.

 

I have become disillusioned with TBs and coins as travelers. Every TB I have started has been lost or stolen. I doubt that I'll start another, though I have several unstarted tags on my desk. I will not release any of my coins as TBs, though I might use one as cache loot some day, though it would be an expensive prize for me. Also, I prefer "family" loot more than "adult" loot. I try to stock my caches with kid-friendly items.

[+GeoBrowns]

I too found an unreg. CA coin in a cache a few weeks ago, thanks to a generous cacher! Of course, maybe I should now blame him for my current new addiction. I made sure to trade fairly and unfortunatly, that ammo can cache went missing severeal days later. With this coin craze, it sure is nice to find one while caching, I have 4 that I have found including a Santa Cruz one last weekend and they mean the most to me as I have memories of where I found them. My first found coin was a CKyacks last summer that we got out at Mavericks beach during the big surf competition. That was one workout to get to and the coin find was a total surprise, felt like it was a reward for the effort it took to get to the cache!

Sweet!

[Jake - Team A.I.]

I usually place unregistered coins in caches I place. If you wish to keep it, its your's. if you want to register it and send it along, that's your decision. Placing them there as a prize is my way of sharing my joy of collecting coins.

[+ltleelim]

My wife and I found 2 unactivated California geocoins in 2 caches this past Sunday. One coin was left by Marky and one was left by frivlas. I guess Bay Area geocachers are a generous bunch.

 

We didn't know they were unactivated so we only left our usual trinkets (toy, pin, etc.). But we don't normally keep geocoins anyway. We drop them off at another cache for others to enjoy.

 

Unactivated coins are a bit different and we haven't decided what to do with them yet. I think I'm going to keep mine for a little while, trade it for a 2006 California geocoin (rumored to be geocaching.com trackable), and then release the 2006 coin into the wild. My wife hasn't decided what to do with hers yet.

 

By the way, I hope I don't offend anyone, but the 2005 California coin is, umm, not that attractive. There is some good relief on the 49er on the back, but we didn't like the front that much. The borders are also too wide. Maybe that's why people are giving them away...

 

Lloyd

[+WWC-World's Worst Cacher]

There's nothing saying the cache owner can't put an unregistered TB or coin in a cache as "loot." It's a sexy FTF prize. It's nice to find as any kind of prize.

 

I have become disillusioned with TBs and coins as travelers. Every TB I have started has been lost or stolen. I doubt that I'll start another, though I have several unstarted tags on my desk. I will not release any of my coins as TBs, though I might use one as cache loot some day, though it would be an expensive prize for me. Also, I prefer "family" loot more than "adult" loot. I try to stock my caches with kid-friendly items.

Can someone help me?

 

Why would anyone steal a travel bug?

[+GrandpaKim]

Can someone help me?

 

Why would anyone steal a travel bug?

Because what the TB is attached to is too attractive or too cute or too expensive or ...

[+Nazgul]

As one of the people that drops unregistered geocoins into local caches in your area, and I think I speak for most of the others that do as well:

 

- First make sure it is not a traveler. If it is meant to move like a TB, please do not keep it. Move it along.

 

- If it is not meant to travel, and IF you traded fairly for it, you may keep it!

 

- If you did not trade fairly for it, either drop it (or something that would be a fair trade for it) into another cache.

 

Again, speaking for many of the locals who are frustrated and annoyed by all the bad trades we see for coins we drop, a fair trade for a geocoin is generally considered to be another geocoin. If not another geocoin, then it should be a trade item worth about $10 or more, or something unusual and very desirable.

 

Personal FIMO coins, plastic tokens, signature poker chips, glass fish, wooden nickels, registered travel bugs, and cheap knicknacks are very much considered trading down.

 

I get a lot of emails and instant messages that start off with something like "Did you see what (so-and-so) traded for the (whatever) geocoin in (such-and-such) cache?!?!?!" People really do watch and notice bad trades.

 

But as long as you traded fair, you're set! Enjoy the coin!

[+pdxmarathonman]

As one of the people that drops unregistered geocoins into local caches in your area, and I think I speak for most of the others that do as well:

 

- First make sure it is not a traveler. If it is meant to move like a TB, please do not keep it. Move it along.

 

- If it is not meant to travel, and IF you traded fairly for it, you may keep it!

 

- If you did not trade fairly for it, either drop it (or something that would be a fair trade for it) into another cache.

 

Again, speaking for many of the locals who are frustrated and annoyed by all the bad trades we see for coins we drop, a fair trade for a geocoin is generally considered to be another geocoin. If not another geocoin, then it should be a trade item worth about $10 or more, or something unusual and very desirable.

 

Personal FIMO coins, plastic tokens, signature poker chips, glass fish, wooden nickels, registered travel bugs, and cheap knicknacks are very much considered trading down.

 

I get a lot of emails and instant messages that start off with something like "Did you see what (so-and-so) traded for the (whatever) geocoin in (such-and-such) cache?!?!?!" People really do watch and notice bad trades.

 

But as long as you traded fair, you're set! Enjoy the coin!

Is it fair to think that somebody who doesn't spend a lot of time in the forums would have any expectation that the perceived value of a geocoin is $10?

[+SeventhSon]

As one of the people that drops unregistered geocoins into local caches in your area, and I think I speak for most of the others that do as well:

 

- First make sure it is not a traveler. If it is meant to move like a TB, please do not keep it. Move it along.

 

- If it is not meant to travel, and IF you traded fairly for it, you may keep it!

 

- If you did not trade fairly for it, either drop it (or something that would be a fair trade for it) into another cache.

 

Again, speaking for many of the locals who are frustrated and annoyed by all the bad trades we see for coins we drop, a fair trade for a geocoin is generally considered to be another geocoin. If not another geocoin, then it should be a trade item worth about $10 or more, or something unusual and very desirable.

 

Personal FIMO coins, plastic tokens, signature poker chips, glass fish, wooden nickels, registered travel bugs, and cheap knicknacks are very much considered trading down.

 

I get a lot of emails and instant messages that start off with something like "Did you see what (so-and-so) traded for the (whatever) geocoin in (such-and-such) cache?!?!?!" People really do watch and notice bad trades.

 

But as long as you traded fair, you're set! Enjoy the coin!

Is it fair to think that somebody who doesn't spend a lot of time in the forums would have any expectation that the perceived value of a geocoin is $10?

I spend a lot of time here, and even I didn't know they were worth that much. I guess I undercharged or used cheap metal.

[+Nazgul]

Is it fair to think that somebody who doesn't spend a lot of time in the forums would have any expectation that the perceived value of a geocoin is $10?

That's certainly not a firm number or anything(!) just kind of a guideline that I made up after talking to some other locals... Most any geocoin will fetch $10 or more on eBay, or cost maybe about that much to purchase originally, after you've bought one and paid for shipping.

 

I certainly understand that a lot of people do not recognize the basic value of a geocoin and I would like to educate them about it, not beat them up over it.

 

There are a lot of genuinely bad trades though, and a lot of them are from people with many hundreds if not thousands of finds. If you give any thought at all to it I don't see how trading a marble, a travel bug, or often nothing at all(!) for a geocoin can be considering trading even. It's discouraging to the people that try to improve the contents of local caches to see their efforts consistently thwarted by bad trades. Unfortunately it just seems inevitable.

[+ltleelim]

Again, speaking for many of the locals who are frustrated and annoyed by all the bad trades we see for coins we drop, a fair trade for a geocoin is generally considered to be another geocoin. If not another geocoin, then it should be a trade item worth about $10 or more, or something unusual and very desirable.

 

Personal FIMO coins, plastic tokens, signature poker chips, glass fish, wooden nickels, registered travel bugs, and cheap knicknacks are very much considered trading down.

Wow, I guess we better revisit those two caches and drop something valuable in them before people start yelling at us. I had no idea that a California geocoin cost $10.

 

When we go geocaching, my wife and I normally just carry toys with us. We almost never take anything, but we usually leave some small toy.

 

Travel bugs and geocoins are different. We pick up coins all the time and drop them off somewhere else. There's no need to leave anything extra just because we moved a traveler.

 

Unactivated coins are going to be a problem for us. We can't tell it's unactivated until we get home and check the website. I guess we have to carry more valuable stuff. And if we run into something like a California geocoin, we'll have to leave something valuable. Later on at home, we'll figure out whether it's activated or not.

 

Or maybe we'll just stop picking up anything that might be unactivated. That might be easier.

 

Lloyd

[+Renegade Knight]

... First make sure it is not a traveler. If it is meant to move like a TB, please do not keep it. Move it along.

 

- If it is not meant to travel, and IF you traded fairly for it, you may keep it!

 

- If you did not trade fairly for it, either drop it (or something that would be a fair trade for it) into another cache....

I use a slightly different standard. If I find a coin I'm going to read the cache log and see if it's owned or swag. If it's swag, a fair trade is in order. If it's owned, it's a TB and No trade is needed. If I can't tell I'll just take the thing and see if I can find out when I get home. If I find out it's swag, I'll drop a coin later and things balance. If it's a TB I'll move it down the line. The problem with coins is that sometimes you just can't tell. If all that fails and I can't tell either way. It's swag.

[+Marky]

Wow, I guess we better revisit those two caches and drop something valuable in them before people start yelling at us. I had no idea that a California geocoin cost $10.

 

In cases where I've done this, I don't generally feel to bad, as long as I plan on trading way up the next opportunity I get. Sometimes, I go back to the same cache and put something good back in, or sometimes just at the next random cache I go to. It all evens out in the long run, I figure.

 

When we go geocaching, my wife and I normally just carry toys with us. We almost never take anything, but we usually leave some small toy.

 

I generally, now, tend to carry a few spare geocoins with me so that if I run into a geocoin in the wild that I want to trade for, I have something equivilent. []

 

--Marky

Edited December 8, 2005 by Marky

[+Nazgul]

Wow, I guess we better revisit those two caches and drop something valuable in them before people start yelling at us. I had no idea that a California geocoin cost $10.

 

Actually, California geocoins are one of the cheapest and are probably closer to five bucks. The ten dollar number was intended to cover the idea that a few coins like the California ones are worth less than that, but many are worth much more and no one should have to carry the latest edition of Joe Bob's Geocoin Pricing Guide with them. Again, it's a very informal guideline I made up, and that's all.

 

But the idea is that no one is - or should be - "yelling at you." If you take something, please trade fairly for it, or don't take it. If you didn't know what it was worth, you can put it back or drop a fair trade for it when you have a chance. That's the policy we should all be following, that's all.

 

Unactivated coins are going to be a problem for us. We can't tell it's unactivated until we get home and check the website. I guess we have to carry more valuable stuff. And if we run into something like a California geocoin, we'll have to leave something valuable. Later on at home, we'll figure out whether it's activated or not.

 

It's often difficult to tell if a geocoin is a trader or traveler. Bring it home, check on it when you have time... If it turns out to be a trade item, and you didn't trade for it, simply drop the coin back into a cache somewhere or drop a fair trade for it. That's easy and will prevent you from trading for what may be a traveler.

 

Or maybe we'll just stop picking up anything that might be unactivated. That might be easier.

 

As you wish, but trading fairly doesn't have to be a burden. The intent of my posts is certainly not to discourage anyone. We all should simply trade fairly for any items we take, geocoins or otherwise.

[+Nazgul]

In cases where I've done this, I don't generally feel to bad, as long as I plan on trading way up the next opportunity I get. Sometimes, I go back to the same cache and put something good back in, or sometimes just at the next random cache I go to. It all evens out in the long run, I figure.

I do the same. In one recent case I planned to bring spare coins to trade but forgot. I took the coin I found anyway, and noted that in my log, promising to make up for it soon, which I did.

 

Like Marky, I usually carry a couple of spare geocoins for trades when I go caching now.

[+ChapterhouseInc]

yea, sometimes in the car on the way to the next cache i think about what i did. i then try to make amends in the next cache trading--especially if it has the same owner.

 

as for things in cache, other than the log, it is open game. trade for it. if it might be trackable, bring it home and log it. try to do something with it's goal (take a pic to post), and place it in a relevant cache.

 

if it is not something i WANT i do not take it. i have lots of swag type stuff i will leave. rarely do i TNLN.

 

i thought the premise was to find new caches, move TBs, and trade 'stuff'. "one man's trash is another's treasure." you got junk i want, i got junk you want. it just happens to take place in random, often remote, places in a very random selection.

 

i will have to start carrying my trades with me incase i do find a coin. could i hope for a Lacy?

Edited December 8, 2005 by ChapterhouseInc

[+ltleelim]

My wife and I have discussed this and we'll be putting the two unregistered California geocoins back in other caches this weekend. I still feel bad about this.

 

We both think that it would be helpful if you put a sticker or something saying that the coin is unactivated/unregistered so other geocachers will know.

 

Suppose that someone picks up an unactivated coin, checks the website at home, learns it is unactivated, and does the right thing by dropping it off in another cache. You probably won't know what they did because the unactivated coin isn't trackable. But the first reaction will still probably be emails and instant messages talking about them behind their backs.

 

Lloyd

[+Nazgul]

Really, honestly, there's nothing to feel bad about. I'm sorry you feel that way.

 

Some people are putting stickers ot tags on their coins or coin holders now to show if the coin is a traveler or trader.

 

You have to understand that the emails/IMs I have received were all about cachers who have been caching for a long time, usually a couple of years or longer, people with over a thousand finds and who really have no excuse for not trading even remotely fair. People who trade a 4 cent item (or nothing at all, or a travel bug) for a trade coin...

 

It's easy to make things clear, just say something in your log! ("Picked up ABC Geocoin, will drop appropriate trade elsewhere if it turns out to be a trade item and not a traveler.") If you forget or want to update it, you can always edit the log later. Simple and painless, really. Now please go back to enjoying the coins and caching.

[+Hula Bum]

Maybe for those people who "don't know" how much a coin is worth we should put a sticker on the case saying something like "trade for another geocoin or 5-$10 item" just to "HELP" people understand that a mctoy is not a fair trade.

 

I'm so in the middle of all the coin stuff it's hard to believe that people couldn't see that they are worth more than the usual swag, but I'm certainly not objective about it (so don't think I'm being mean, it's not meant that way!)

 

Seriously though, maybe instead of us all complaining about our coins being taken and not traded for properly we should do something to educate the people out there (and give them the benefit of the doubt that they really don't know better.)

[+WWC-World's Worst Cacher]

I learn so much reading this forum.

 

I assume the following:

 

1. that most swag is not expensive (less than $1)

2. that being an old guy, and much of the stuff in caches kid friendly (as it should be IMO). it is more likely that I will leave stuff and take nothing or leave more / better stuff than I took.

3. That if I leave an unactivated coin as swag in a cache, probably mostly ones I own or for special milestones, that I am leaving a bonus find for someone else, not something that they need to make sure to balance the account. In some sense it sort of seems pointless to have to trade a coin for a coin (I know it may be finding something you don't have for something you have extra's for)

4. I also assume that when I put out traveler (san francisco's this weekend) that they probably won't last very long, but I will hope that they do. Otherwise, I just go nuts with frustration.

5. That I would never ever ever keep a coin or bug meant for traveling.

 

So do I really have this unactivated coin thing wrong. If you put an unactivated coin in a cache do you really expect = value to be put back ie another coin, or do you put it out treating it like a FTF prize?

 

I am really interested to know.

[+Hula Bum]

For me, if it's in a cache as the FTF, then that is exactly what it is, FTF prize that is not in need of a trade. (FTF only applies to a new cache that has never been found)

 

If it is activated then it should move and be treated like a TB.

 

It is unactivated with a note or instructions, then those instr. should be followed (if they are regarding travelling, then once again, treat like a TB)

 

If it is unactivated with nothing but the coin, then I assume it is for trade and should be traded for appropriately (another REAL geocoin or something of equal or greater value ($5-$10).

 

Just my opinion, but this is how we do it.

[+Nazgul]

To answer Hula Bum, that's why I'm posting here (and probably just screwing people up worse LOL) in an attempt to educate, not to berate. I apologize for now doing a good job of it.

 

Your suggestion about stickers is good. I actually started doing that myself with the coins I dropped during the Calero Deathmarch and I know another local cacher has used them as well. They say something to the effect of "Trade coin, please trade only for another geocoin."

 

For southbayday, yes I would expect anything in a cache that is not a traveler, or explicitly called out in the cache description (or a log) as an FTF prize or other freebie, is a trade item and should be traded for evenly or better. That's not just geocoins but any other signature items or anything. That's just my feeling so take it FWIW.

 

Don't take the "balance sheet" too literally. You should always trade fairly overall but it should be easy, simple, and informal. Like Marky said, just try to make things even in the long run.

 

In summary, any trade item in a cache - unless somehow called out specifically as a freebie - should be traded for fairly. That's the way I approach it and to the best of my knowledge it is what is generally accepted in the geocaching community worldwide as the standard.

[+WWC-World's Worst Cacher]

That is good info. I really like the idea of putting a sticker on the coin. Actually, just this morning, I went and purchased a bunch of those tiny ziplock bags to put coins and goals in.

 

Certainly stating your intentions, regardless of what they are for a coin makes life better for everyone.

 

[+Nazgul]

That is good info. I really like the idea of putting a sticker on the coin. Actually, just this morning, I went and purchased a bunch of those tiny ziplock bags to put coins and goals in.

 

Certainly stating your intentions, regardless of what they are for a coin makes life better for everyone.

 

Yep, good communication helps to prevent misunderstandings. It would also have helped prevent me from trading for some geocoins that later turned out to be travelers. Live and learn...