Geocoins

[+Snosrap]

Can someone explain the "Geocoin" thing for me??

 

What is their purpose in life? I assume that when the great Geocaching Gods created the principal there must have been some caching-related thinking behind them.

 

I guess it's one of those "if you have to ask you'll never understand" type of questions; but it does seem to me that this whole Geocoin business is getting slightly out of hand and relates less and less to 'traditional' Geocaching.

 

A high proportion of them never seem to be released and many more are only handed round at meets for people to log solely for the acquisition of an extra icon on their profile.

 

At least with Locationless, Virtual and Earth Caches you had to physically visit somewhere using co-ordinates, and TBs generally have a mission which involves being moved from place to place, but what on earth is the point of Geocoins?

 

Each to their own and that sort of thing. I don't intend any criticism, and I'm not for banning anything just 'cos it's not my bag - I'm just a bit baffled.

[+Stuey]

Groundspeak make money from them (or at least the assigning and issuing of tracking numbers), so I suppose it might help keep our subs down

 

Some coins have missions, some don't. They're a bit like travel bug tags that don't need a McToy attaching to them

[Nediam]

This is the "Official" explanation from the Groundspeak Knowledge Base

[+Stuey]

That is now well out of date of course, but you can see from that how they intended Geocoins to be used.

[+Pieman]

Although I'm someone who is part of the UK geocoin group, I can still understand where snosrap is coming from. Some people collect them which I can understand, some people log them at meets (which doesn't interest me) and some people release them and try to find them in caches (like me). It adds a little bit of fun trying to find them in caches as they are quite rare, because although there are now lots of them, most of them don't see the inside of a cache.

 

I guess if the explosion in geocoins continues you will find more in caches in future.

[+Snosrap]

So they appear to be a specialised sort of swap which has its own icon but which is seldom actually swapped in a cache?

 

It still appears to me that thier sole purpose is to provide colourful icons for people to fill up their profile pages with. I s'pose it's like bird-spotting; I don't understand that either!

 

Incidentally, what's to stop everyone creating their own and having an icon each? Do they have to be metal coins or could one create a laminated cardboard version?

[+Jonovich]

You wait... I bet it won't be long before they become monetary units for Cachers.. Based on Ebay the current exchange rate is 26UKP = 1 UKGEO, the last euro coin (EUROGEO) I saw went for 14 UKP, so 1 UKGEO should be worth nearly 2 EUROGEO's. Wonder when Cachring credit cards start for virtual money transfers?

 

J

[+Moote]

I personally think this sums up Geocoins

 

Great

Exciting

Original

Compulsive

Owning is fun

Incredible

Nice

Superb

 

GEOCOINS

Edited January 11, 2006 by Moote

[+walkergeoff and wife]

Although I'm someone who is part of the UK geocoin group, I can still understand where snosrap is coming from. Some people collect them which I can understand, some people log them at meets (which doesn't interest me) and some people release them and try to find them in caches (like me). It adds a little bit of fun trying to find them in caches as they are quite rare, because although there are now lots of them, most of them don't see the inside of a cache.

 

I guess if the explosion in geocoins continues you will find more in caches in future.

The temptation to keep them to look at is quite strong (as they are very attractive), but, I believe, is against the spirit of geocaching.

 

That is why I have released my EU geocoin, and will be leaving my own UK coin in Alpha-QUEST-Y. It all adds to the fun of caching, and, I believe, can attract people to different caches when they see something unusual is to be found.

 

I suppose I run the risk of someone picking them up and hanging on to them, but I feel they are a special kind of TB, and so the same rules apply.

[+Snosrap]

If they were just pretty keepsakes I could see their use as FTF prizes or cache-bait but I still don't understand why they need an icon each and their relevance to Geocaching in general.

 

Also, can anyone answer my question as to whether we can have one each and whether they can be made of plastic/cardboard/clay etc? What are the rules/guidelines to getting an icon issued by TPTB? Do you need to bribe them with few examples of the completed items?

 

Why not geo-thimbles or geo-spoons?

[+Moote]

If they were just pretty keepsakes I could see their use as FTF prizes or cache-bait but I still don't understand why they need an icon each and their relevance to Geocaching in general.

 

Also, can anyone answer my question as to whether we can have one each and whether they can be made of plastic/cardboard/clay etc?  What are the rules/guidelines to getting an icon issued by TPTB?  Do you need to bribe them with few examples of the completed items?  

 

Why not geo-thimbles or geo-spoons?

There are Geo Screws, so your idea might make someone some money

Edited January 11, 2006 by Moote

[+Nellies Knackers]

I have to agree with Snorap in regards to geocoins but then again I havn't found one yet so perhaps the bug will bite when I do,but I doubt it,I guess I'll just treat them as another travelbug and move them on and log as usual.

As for icons,I just look for caches and rarely look to see whats in them in advance so I don't suppose I'll gather many other than by accident.

I'll collect smilies instead,it's a lot easier Oh look another one.

[+Nellies Knackers]

There age Geo Screws, so your idea might make someone some money

Now that appeals, certainly don't want to get muggled while geo-screwing!

How exactly do you do it over an ammobox?

P.S. WTF is a geo-screw??

[+Moote]

P.S. WTF is a geo-screw??

It's a GC.com trackable screw, I have one of my own

[+The Mars Bars]

Until November I had not come across a Geocoin in a cache...

...therefore I did not have an Icon.

 

Consequently I didn't realise what beautiful objects they are!

 

Then I found one, after a mad dash to a cache to get it before anyone else found it...great fun, added to the excitement.

I moved it on to a cache in Paris and now enjoy keeping tabs on it's progress.

(Kansas at present).

 

I will only log stuff I have actually had a hand in moving around.

I have no interest in copying out sheets of numbers and spending ages online logging them just to build a huge list of meaningless icons

 

I now have a few EU and UK coins of my own, one of each to keep and one of each to release, and soon I will have EGG's to add to my list.

I hope to stop after that but who knows?

 

Cheers

Dave

[+Mr'D]

I am guilty of hoarding...

 

But... I will be releasing one of my GB coins this weekend into a very, special cache

 

Jon

[+bobuk]

P.S. WTF is a geo-screw??

screw coin can be found here

near the bottom if you'll pardon the remark..

 

B.

[Nediam]

So are these Geo-screw things supposed to be deviously hidden at cache site (or another site) for someone to try and find?

[+Haggis Hunter]

So they appear to be a specialised sort of swap which has its own icon but which is seldom actually swapped in a cache? 

 

It still appears to me that thier sole purpose is to provide colourful icons for people to fill up their profile pages with.  I s'pose it's like bird-spotting; I don't understand that either!

 

Incidentally, what's to stop everyone creating their own and having an icon each?  Do they have to be metal coins or could one create a laminated cardboard version?

Geocoins and TB's are NOT swaps, and they should never be treated as such. Treating them as a swap item reduces the contents of caches that they visit. They belong to an individual and should be treated as such.

 

All of my Geocoins are treated like TB's as in as much is that they have a mission with a laminated label in the pouch with them. I want to see them being treated as much, and think the main difference is that they give another nice icon for the people that play the game along the icon side of things.

 

All Geocoins that I pick up I treat them the same as TB's, except that they give me another icon which I like to have.

 

I would expect that if you wanted to create a laminated cardboard coin, and pay for the tracking (don't know if you have to buy in bulk or not?) then as long as you where happy, and Groundspeak got the tracking money, then your answer could probably be yes, although I don't fancy rating the wear and tear of your coin!

[+Snosrap]

 

I would expect that if you wanted to create a laminated cardboard coin, and pay for the tracking (don't know if you have to buy in bulk or not?) then as long as you where happy, and Groundspeak got the tracking money, then your answer could probably be yes, although I don't fancy rating the wear and tear of your coin!

It's not really the practicality of the thing that makes me wonder. It's just a question of whether there any real limit to how many of these icons there will ultimately be!

 

I can see the day when people's profile pages contain literally hundreds of icons and the whole thing becomes meaningless. Or would this just make it even more for those that enjoy this sort of thing?

 

How does this 'tracking fee' thing work?

[+Pengy&Tigger]

The Groundspeak coin policy is here.

 

Basically, there need to be 1000 to get a prefix and icon (the first two letters of tracking code), but you can now get an icon for personal coins if you get at least 500 made.

 

There are also design rules, so you can't just buy numbers and attach to anything you want.

 

As for collecting geocoins, you could apply the argument to many things that people collect. For example why collect stamps if you aren't going to use them to send letters?

 

T

[+sTeamTraen]

I like the icons, but knowing that the coins cost about $1.50 each to make rather reduces any "collectability" value they might have for me (which would have been low in the first place, I'm not a collecting-minded person... apart from GC stats, of course!)

[+Pengy&Tigger]

I like the icons, but knowing that the coins cost about $1.50 each to make

That's just the tracking code!

[+Snosrap]

The Groundspeak coin policy is here.

 

Basically, there need to be 1000 to get a prefix and icon (the first two letters of tracking code), but you can now get an icon for personal coins if you get at least 500 made.

 

There are also design rules, so you can't just buy numbers and attach to anything you want.

 

As for collecting geocoins, you could apply the argument to many things that people collect. For example why collect stamps if you aren't going to use them to send letters?

 

T

Thanks Tiggr. That explains a lot.

 

Simply put: it's worth a minimum of $900 for a personal batch of 500 coins.

 

I wonder why they need to know which manufacturer you are intending to use. Do they get a commission? And how come the Geo-screw was approved if the requirement is that they should be "predominantly two dimensional"?

 

I guess you've hit the nail on the head with the 'collecting thing'. That's why I made the comment about Geo-thimbles and Geo-spoons. Mind you, it sounds like they would not obey the 2D rule either!

[+sTeamTraen]

I like the icons, but knowing that the coins cost about $1.50 each to make

That's just the tracking code!

Aha, I knew the Groundspeak charge for tracking was in that area... but in fact I was refering to the cost of making them. You can get 100 for $330 here, shipped to a US address with individual plastic envelopes (removing the "Made in China" sticker is up to you).

[+Pieman]

And how come the Geo-screw was approved if the requirement is that they should be "predominantly two dimensional"?

 

The Geo screw is actually pretty much 2D- like a cross-section of a screw.