What Is The Reason Behind Selling/buying A Sig Coin?

[Not So Lost Puppies]

I know there are many of you out there that have done it, so here are some questions:

 

For Sellers:

If you can't afford to have them made on your own, why even have them made to begin with?

 

Is it just because of the current craze for them?

 

What if the 'store' giving your the 100 'free' ones said that you were responsible for paying (at their list price) for any remaining coins after 30days of sale? 10 days? 1 day? would you still go through with it?

 

What is the big draw behind making a signature coin that is sold to the public?

 

Why aren't wooden nickels, buttons or other such tokens good enough to start with?

 

For Buyers:

Why do so many of the rest of you buy personal signature coins of cachers you have never met, have never visited the same cache as, never actually spoken to, have very little in common with?

 

If people sold wooden nickels would you buy them? if not, what is the difference?

 

Beyond cost, what makes a sig coin more valueable than a sig token or wooden nickel to you?

 

Why is trackability so important when 90% will never see a cache?

(except maybe some of the 100 the owner got for free because 400 were sold to pay for them)

 

I understand the collecting of FOUND signature items in caches, and even some trading of them, but why the sale and buying of them?

 

I really applaud those individuals/teams that self funded their coin and manually distribute them through caches and some trades. I hope that I can find one of yours someday, even if they are only a traveller than I can just help on its travels. I don't care if you made 100 or continue to make 20,000. A found in a cache sig item is more valueable to me than ANY purchased sig item/coin, and a close second is a traded for sig item.

 

And for those who wonder or care, I/we will be having our own personal signature coin made soon, it will NOT be sold. It will primarily be swag for some of the better caches we come across in our travels. That doesn't mean difficult caches, but ones that brought us to a very nice location, even if it is a 1/1 large cache.

Maybe we will do two versions... one swag only and one for trades.

[+nfa]

Here are my answers to your "For Sellers" questions:

 

I sold some of my personal geocoins to help keep the cost per coin down on the ones I am keeping for myself to distribute among geocaches that I visit.

 

no, I'd been planning on making them for a while

 

n.a. - they didn't give me any free ones

 

by selling some of the coins, I could make the overall cost per coin low enough to more easily distribute them

 

they were a good place to start...I made wooden nickels a couple of years ago

 

 

Now...some questions for you...

 

why does it bother you so much that some people, myself included, sold some personal geocoins...is it worse than my selling TFTC geocoins so that the cost/per coin was low enough so that I can more easily afford to distribute them in caches I visit?

 

If you come across one of my personal coins (or TFTC coins) in a cache, will you avoid taking it because it (or one of its brothers) was sold?

 

Geocaching is fun, geocoins are pretty and cool, do we really need to establish moral high-ground about our hobbies?

 

Jamie

[+Snowwolf75]

From the selling standpoint:

I know I don't have enough money to fund my own geocoin... initially I was going to wait until I could, but another coin collector I've met mentioned presales to fund it. I would like my coin made because I want to contribute something to the cause of geocoins. In general I'm new to geocaching in total, so I'm trying to make my mark early. Later, I am thinking of making a wooden nickel that can be easily used as swag/gifts without the being as expensive. Ideally I would get enough interest in my coin before trying to sell it, to gague how many of them would sell and if it would cover the nessecary costs (of store or mint). Some of my coins will be held in reserve for trading with locals, swag (activated or not), and gifts.

 

From the buyers end:

As mentioned above, I'm rather new to the game, but I've bought a few here and there. Those that I've bought have been because there were cool in my opinion, for various reasons. For example, I bought Brawny Bear's because it is animal related and has a pawprint icon; Triplewisdom's was because of its cool shape and design; Crake's time tracking coin for the scientific and aztecan coolness... etc. I certainly don't buy every coin, but just those that appeal to me. Trackability is nice, though most I buy will doubtfully leave my collection, but my main draw are the icons which I virtually trade and collect.

 

For the record, I have found sig tokens in caches, and have unintentionally collecting them.

[+Kealia]

Geocaching is fun, geocoins are pretty and cool, do we really need to establish moral high-ground about our hobbies?

 

Jamie

 

Interesting take - I didn't read the OP as taking the high ground or saying that is was morally wrong.

I have these same questions about WHY people do this, but have never come out and said "What you are doing is wrong - why do you do it?"

 

I don't think that was his point either.

 

I'll answer the other way.

 

I made my coins for caches only (with the exception of the one I sold on eBay for the NNJC charity) to get back to the roots of geocoins IMO. Most people that find them will be in my area so they will know me, or of me maybe, and the coin will be that much more exciting to find. I'll alos be placing them in memorable caches that I like (as the OP said) like when I travel (washington, Hawaii, etc.).

 

For me, it just never made sense to have other people pay for my coin or to sell 400 of them to people that I don't know or had no connection to.

 

Your opinions may vary but that's what the intent of this thread was for (I believe).

[+Renegade Knight]

Why buy a coin? If I waited to find one in a cache I'd seldom if ever see one. Why buy a coin of a cacher I don't konw? Good question. I pretty much quit doing that. There are however a lot of cachers I know indirectly through events, forums, logs etc. Some of these are kindred and I'd be honored to have their coin on my mantle.

 

My personal coin may never be made. I've decided to do it on my own. That's a good chunk of change though. On the other hand it would be fun to have a coin that is made so I've got one I am willing to sell if things work out. That one would not be my 'signature' coin but it would be a personal coin for a miletone I've got coming up.

 

Wooden Nickles and other things are good enough for their purpose, that purpose though isn't geocoins. It's in the same way that jewlery isn't typically wood, aluminum, and bark. My wooden nickel will see the light of day before my coin...

 

For me trackablity isn't important but a unique individual coin is rather cool. I've got #7 of coin, #9 of another, 1343 of another and so on. That coin has it's own personality, and can be tracked (any numbered coin can be tracked) or it can be registered in a coin registry creating a chain of title so to speak.

 

For the record. I don't like trade only coins. They aren't exactly swag, and they aren't exactly signature items. They are trade fodder and for 300 and some change I can whip up a crappy coin for trade only. My signature coin (when and if) won't be so simple. It represnts me and a cookie cutter coin package probably won't fit the job.

[+Cache-bert]

Some of us are just trying to get a complete set of icons. That's becoming increasingly difficult to do and may not be worth the effort.

I don't think it's any less worthwhile to do that though than finding several thousand look-alike tupperware bowls and altoid tins.

Edited March 3, 2006 by Cache-bert

[Not So Lost Puppies]

Sure, I'll answer your questions. plus ask afew more specifics.

 

It doesn't really bother me so much, as I'm trying to gain an understanding what the reasonings are for it all. since it appeared to all start with a bunch of cachers deciding that geocoins were a really new and unique personal item to leave behind. Now it blossomed into a large market for them with very few of them ending up being placed in caches.

 

No, I wouldn't avoid taking or moving a coin because it had been sold at one point.

 

I agree that geocaching is a fun hobby, and sig items in caches do add to its fun. I enjoy finding various sig items in caches. Including wooden nickels, shrinky dinks, sculpy, etc. I have yet to see any signature geocoins in a cache, though I have seen a few USA and orginization coins.

 

I didn't know that I was trying to establish any sort of moral or other high ground, I am trying to gain an understanding for what appears to be a popular change in the signature item portion of the hobby.

 

I've been planning on doing our own coin for afew months now, I had initially considered selling some, but then decided that it would make them much more special if they needed to be found.

 

Yes, I have purchased many geocoins, many more than I should have... but those have mostly been non signature coins, quite a few regional coins for areas we have cached in or will be soon, and others because I liked the design work, or had some other connection to them. I've also purchased extras for possible future trading for coins I don't buy. I believe I have only purchased 1 personal geocoin, and that was going in with someone else to split the extreme shipping costs and because it is going to be a gift of sorts. I have traded for afew personal coins of which I had some connection to, such as workerofwood's coin because another hobby is woodworking, beerman-qc's beer coin because I'm a homebrewer, and some other similar ones. Those I traded other coins I purchased because I do not have a personal coin yet, once we have it, I will likely contact those individuals and offer them my coin as a courtesy to their generosity.

 

NFA

Return question:

Did you sell your wooden nickels to reduce your costs for them? If not, why? what is different now with a coin?

 

snowwolf:

I'm not sure how a geocoin instead of a wooden nickel is making more of an early mark?

Depending on design, i would probably even ask to trade for one of your sig items due to my love of wolves. I would trade a token for token or coin for coin due to an apparent shared interest in them. But I wouldn't likely buy a coin. i would probably pass even if it was the only way to get one. Yes, I'm a collector, but I'm not one that feels the need for every coin.

 

kealia:

You already know we pretty much have similar opinions on the topic. I do hope that someday I may find one of your coins, even though one side is abit scary [ I won't commit to which side ]

 

RK:

I think that your mention of 'knowing' another cacher or sharing an interest is a good reason for some trades, and I'm sure most would be very willing to trade in those cases.

 

I do agree it is fun to have one of your own coins out there. I do have one, the World Travel coin is my design. I made a point in my discussions on doing that I wanted it to be priced as low as possible so that it might actually be able to travel, also why I wanted it always available (at least the regular 'day' edition)

 

I'm not against the 'fun' coins being out there and sold. I have bought many of these ones. I think the prices have started to get abit out of hand on some of them, as well as some of them not having much connection to geocaching. I've avoided most of the non-caching related coins.

 

Correct tokens and coins are different leagues, I don't see them as seperate, I will still place our tokens. I'm thinking that once I get enough made, every cache we visit will get some sort of sig item, be it a shrinky dink (need to make up some for micros yet) or a coin when its done. The more 'special' caches for us will be the ones more likely to get a coin.

 

I agree that 'trade only' coins aren't really within the spirit, my consideration for the two different ones though would be so that the cache coins would be special because they would ONLY be placed in caches, though I know some people also may never have a chance at finding one in a cache and may still have an interest in having one, maybe because they also cache with their pup, or have some other link. The designs would be identical, just the finish or some coloring would be different (like the difference between the 'day' and 'Midnight' World Travel Coin) Neither would be trackable at GC because I can't afford that additional cost.

[Not So Lost Puppies]

Some of us are just trying to get a complete set of icons. That's becoming increasingly difficult to do and may not be worth the effort.

I don't think it's any less worthwhile to do that though than finding several thousand look-alike tupperware bowls and altoid tins.

 

The icons are yet another subject that I understand even less... especially on the 'owned' side of the trackables, and then there is the coin collection 'sharing' to get more icons, again I don't really understand it, nor do I participate. My owned icons are travellers of sorts (including mileage trackers) and my founds were all in a cache, most actually assisted in their mission.

 

In my case the hunt isn't about the container, it is about the location. We have found many great places that we never knew about until we looked for a cache there. Some places within 10miles of home that we had never stopped at until geocaching, and may never have stopped at because we could always go some other day.

[+nfa]

NFA

Return question:

Did you sell your wooden nickels to reduce your costs for them? If not, why? what is different now with a coin?

 

No, I've never sold my wooden nickels, I place them in caches or give them away at events...the difference is that my personal coins cost about 25 times as much as the wooden nickels...I spent a lot of money on my personal coins, and sold 100 to help offset the costs a bit...the rest will go to caching friends and in caches.

 

Jamie

[+Cache-bert]

 

The icons are yet another subject that I understand even less... especially on the 'owned' side of the trackables, and then there is the coin collection 'sharing' to get more icons, again I don't really understand it, nor do I participate. My owned icons are travellers of sorts (including mileage trackers) and my founds were all in a cache, most actually assisted in their mission.

 

In my case the hunt isn't about the container, it is about the location. We have found many great places that we never knew about until we looked for a cache there. Some places within 10miles of home that we had never stopped at until geocaching, and may never have stopped at because we could always go some other day.

 

I think the idea of trying to get all the coin icons on the owned side of the stat's page isn't really any different than the idea of collecting all 50 state quarters or collecting qsl cards for radio operators representing all states. It's just a different way of "playing the game". For some of us who don't have time to search for 1000's of caches, I would suggest it's not necessarily an invalid or aberrant way to enjoy geocaching.

 

I wasn't really referring to the container in my earlier post but there are a LOT of similar caches these days and it seems to me that if you've found one magnetic keyholder (or whatever) on a guardrail near nothing especially interesting or if you've found a "skirtlifter" in a mall parking lot, the next ones you find are decreasingly interesting. Granted there are some "diamonds" out there to be found with something unique about them but there are a lot of caches placed that are just there for the numbers.

[+big rick]

I know there are many of you out there that have done it, so here are some questions:

 

For Sellers:

If you can't afford to have them made on your own, why even have them made to begin with?

 

Is it just because of the current craze for them?

 

What if the 'store' giving your the 100 'free' ones said that you were responsible for paying (at their list price) for any remaining coins after 30days of sale? 10 days? 1 day? would you still go through with it?

 

What is the big draw behind making a signature coin that is sold to the public?

 

Why aren't wooden nickels, buttons or other such tokens good enough to start with?

 

For Buyers:

Why do so many of the rest of you buy personal signature coins of cachers you have never met, have never visited the same cache as, never actually spoken to, have very little in common with?

 

If people sold wooden nickels would you buy them? if not, what is the difference?

 

Beyond cost, what makes a sig coin more valueable than a sig token or wooden nickel to you?

 

Why is trackability so important when 90% will never see a cache?

(except maybe some of the 100 the owner got for free because 400 were sold to pay for them)

 

I understand the collecting of FOUND signature items in caches, and even some trading of them, but why the sale and buying of them?

 

I really applaud those individuals/teams that self funded their coin and manually distribute them through caches and some trades. I hope that I can find one of yours someday, even if they are only a traveller than I can just help on its travels. I don't care if you made 100 or continue to make 20,000. A found in a cache sig item is more valueable to me than ANY purchased sig item/coin, and a close second is a traded for sig item.

 

And for those who wonder or care, I/we will be having our own personal signature coin made soon, it will NOT be sold. It will primarily be swag for some of the better caches we come across in our travels. That doesn't mean difficult caches, but ones that brought us to a very nice location, even if it is a 1/1 large cache.

Maybe we will do two versions... one swag only and one for trades.

We are doing this because we enjoy it. Contrary to popular belief most of us are not doing it to get rich.

Edited March 4, 2006 by big rick

[+MustangJoni]

You mean when I put out my sig coin and sell it to the masses I won't be rich?! Darn - I'm going to go buy a lottery ticket now.

[+Teamhawaii1981 & blueicyrose]

Well, I can't speak for the sellers yet because I haven't made a coin; but I desire to make one because I analogize it to being on a baseball card. What was cooler in Little League then hoping to one day be on a baseball card? Not much. I see it the same way as far as geocoins. Unfortunately, the funds are low, but in a couple years I hope to make it on my first card.

 

As far as buyers? I think the coins look cool, feel cool, are neat to collect and trade. It really is literally like baseball cards in many aspects. Did I know Ken Griffey Jr. when I was a kid? No, but I had all of his cards. Same with many of the coins. If it looks cool, I want it. I think the trackable is near, because I'm going to send out replicas to travel. I also collect wooden coins, tokens, sig. items. Would I buy them? Maybe, but for much less because they generally cost less to create. I trade them as well.

 

This collecting of coins and the like is just a way to vicariously "cache" when we can't get out onto the trails. The same way collecting baseball cards was a way to vicariously play in the majors when most of us couldn't.

[+ZackJones]

For Buyers:

Why do so many of the rest of you buy personal signature coins of cachers you have never met, have never visited the same cache as, never actually spoken to, have very little in common with?

 

If people sold wooden nickels would you buy them? if not, what is the difference?

 

Beyond cost, what makes a sig coin more valueable than a sig token or wooden nickel to you?

 

Why is trackability so important when 90% will never see a cache?

(except maybe some of the 100 the owner got for free because 400 were sold to pay for them)

I buy based upon the look of the coin. If it catches my eye then I'm most likely to buy one or I will buy to help support charity or a fallen geocacher. I do need to cut back though, I just realized I've spent about 60 bucks so far this month on coins and there's one going on sale in 16 minutes that I plan to buy. Just because I have not met a cacher face to face has no bearing to me. I feel I know alot of cachers based upon conversations we've had in the forums.

 

I have wooden nickels and trade 1:1 for others. I would not buy one.

 

Trackability is important to me because I do release coins. Donna and I put 4 into caches today. I don't release the actual coin because it is more likely to go missing but I do put out replicas with the tracking number so they can be logged by others. This is why I normally buy at least two coins. One to release and one to keep for our collection.

 

As previously mentioned I plan to cut back on my coin purchases. For the $60 I've spent for 6 coins I could have 16 travel bug tags.

[+Snowwolf75]

snowwolf:

I'm not sure how a geocoin instead of a wooden nickel is making more of an early mark?

Depending on design, i would probably even ask to trade for one of your sig items due to my love of wolves. I would trade a token for token or coin for coin due to an apparent shared interest in them.

Well I did say that I would hold some in reserve for trades. :}

[+tokencollector]

Why do so many of the rest of you buy personal signature coins . . . For a variety of reasons. Some of the reasons, in no particular order, that I might buy a coin from someone I don't know or somewhere I haven't been, it is because I identify myself with the theme of the coin in some way, because it tickles my fancy (I think Dorkfish is one of the most original humorous designs), because I think it would make a nice travel bug (price is important here), because the design is interesting / appealing, and even because I might be able to sell it someday at a profit (though, I wouldn't buy one strictly for potential resale value and to date I haven't sold any geocoins that I've purchased)

 

All that said, there are a lot of signature and other coins in which I have absolutely no interest. Ones that are highly personal to the minter and where their name and infor figures prominently hold no interest for me unless I know the person personally. There is a store with two coins that have dropped and two that will drop in the next week, and I probably won't buy any of them. They are attractive, but I don't connect with them on any level (though I like the pirate icon) so I have no interest in purchasing them.

 

If people sold wooden nickels would you buy them? if not, what is the difference? Probably not. They do not have the same intrinsic value as geocoins. But, I buy lots of things to leave as swag in caches. The right woodnik at the right price might be appealing.

 

Beyond cost, what makes a sig coin more valueable than a sig token or wooden nickel to you? it's trackable - see my next answer. Also, 3-dimensions and color go along way beyond 2 dimensions and a single or two colors for design and appeal.

 

Why is trackability so important when 90% will never see a cache? Different strokes for different folks. For the most part, I don't buy geocoins to collect them. I buy them to release into caches. Most aren't much more expensive than a travel bug (tag + item attached to tag), and the ones that I have in the wild move pretty rapidly. Most only spend a day or two in caches then are picked up and moved along at rates comparable to my other travel bugs. Overall, they seem to be getting around pretty well. As a general rule, I won't pay for an untrackable geocoin because it's the tracking that I want.

 

I understand the collecting of FOUND signature items in caches, and even some trading of them, but why the sale and buying of them? If you understand collecting, then it shoudln't be a big stretch to understanding buying and selling. I collect transportation tokens. If I want tokens that are scarce or obsolete, I can't go to a token machine and hope that it will dispense what i might want. The only way to add specimens of interest to my collection is to buy them. The same could be said for colletions of sig items. One of the most extreme examples might be moun10bike coins. There is a limited supply of them in caches, and they are apparently mostly found in difficult caches on the west coast. The earlier versions have a mystique about them, are obsolete (no longer in production) and of historical interest. If I decided that I want on for my COLLECTION, my only reasonable option may be to buy it. The same is true for other geocoins, though the prices are obviously a good bit lower.

 

Geocoins appeal to a lot of people for a wide variety of reasons. They are an item of limited supply with high demand. It's not surprising that they are collected, bought and sold like stamps, coins, artwork, automobiles, etc.

[+welch]

I know there are many of you out there that have done it, so here are some questions:

 

For Sellers:...

Never made a coin.

 

For Buyers:

Why do so many of the rest of you buy personal signature coins of cachers you have never met, have never visited the same cache as, never actually spoken to, have very little in common with?

I tend to buy whatever looks good to me, if I see one I like that isn't $15+ I buy it. The two personals (made to represent a person, not an area or group) I've bought were a silvermarc and LFD Caught Red Handed. The silvermarc with reeded edges, inverted faces, and a 'mirror' finish does really look like currency. The Cuaght Red Handed I bought to release, since it sounded like a good idea. Drilled a hole in it, attached a goal tag, and let it go. (Unfortuntly it didn't make it too far )

 

If people sold wooden nickels would you buy them? if not, what is the difference?

Maybe, but it would have to be a pretty cool one. Most of the wooden nickels seem to be either stickers on wood, or done in single color ink. Which is fine, its just only so interesting.

 

Beyond cost, what makes a sig coin more valueable than a sig token or wooden nickel to you?

1. If I've meant the person / or visited their caches. 2. It was just really cool.

 

Why is trackability so important when 90% will never see a cache?

(except maybe some of the 100 the owner got for free because 400 were sold to pay for them)

Well if I bought it to release it needs to be trackable, otherwise it doesn't.

 

I understand the collecting of FOUND signature items in caches, and even some trading of them, but why the sale and buying of them?

I like shiny things . Maybe the question is, why do people sell 'their' coins to anyone and everyone (not a complaint).

 

I really applaud those individuals/teams that self funded their coin and manually distribute them through caches and some trades. I hope that I can find one of yours someday, even if they are only a traveller than I can just help on its travels. I don't care if you made 100 or continue to make 20,000. A found in a cache sig item is more valueable to me than ANY purchased sig item/coin, and a close second is a traded for sig item.

Yes Moun10bike sytle releases are neat.

 

And for those who wonder or care, I/we will be having our own personal signature coin made soon, it will NOT be sold. It will primarily be swag for some of the better caches we come across in our travels. That doesn't mean difficult caches, but ones that brought us to a very nice location, even if it is a 1/1 large cache.

Maybe we will do two versions... one swag only and one for trades.

Good, maybe I'll find one in a some year .

[+Rubiconlwb]

Why is it so important to analyze why people do what they do? If it bothers you that people are selling their coins, don't buy them. If I ever create a personal coin (which I have thought a lot about), I will do it all myself. I will announce it when I have it in hand, will ship it myself and sell it for as little as I possibly can (maybe that will be too high for you so don't buy one). I will retain a certain number to trade and to release into caches. I also believe that these coins were meant to travel but at the same time, I like many of them and want to own them. The etiquette is that if you find a coin in a cache, move it along which means you can't collect it. So buying or trading for coins is the only way to have a collection. I also collect United States minted coins but I don't question myself as to why I buy them or why I like them. I don't understand why they are so expensive sometimes but if I want to own one, I pay whatever price I can afford. If I can't afford it, I dont' buy it.

[Not So Lost Puppies]

I like shiny things tongue_animated.gif . Maybe the question is, why do people sell 'their' coins to anyone and everyone huh.gif (not a complaint).

 

Yes, maybe that is more proper question. Though it seems we already know that the answer is: Because I couldn't afford to make a geocoin otherwise... And XXXXX place will give me 100 free if I let them sell the other 400.

 

Good, maybe I'll find one in a some year wink.gif.

 

You may have a chance at that since your area isn't too far from ours, and we do travel to IA frequently to visit family and RenFaires (Family members sell clothes at many in IA) and cache when we go.

 

The etiquette is that if you find a coin in a cache, move it along which means you can't collect it.

That only applies to trackable coins meant to travel, some people do leave them with collecting an option even though they are trackable, (such as Moun10bike)

 

I don't think I said that it bothers me. I have just been trying to understand what it is behind Personal Signature coins (IE: it DOES feature the cacher ID and info prominently on it. I'm not asking about ones like geocointown, etc.) that makes them so desireable to sell/buy.

 

I had thought the original purpose of them was as higher end personal swag items to be left behind in caches that the creator visited or placed.

 

I wonder what percentage of the current batches of them being sold actually do end up in any cache?

Even what percentage of those kept by the maker end up in caches as signature swag?

 

I am not in anyway saying that there is a right way or wrong way to make or distribute a personal signature geocoin.

 

Maybe by reading this thread though, others that are thinking about making a geocoin will also think about how they are doing it, and maybe why they are doing it one way or the other.

 

Maybe it will help someone understand why others may not have much interest in buying their coin. I've seen many of the 'regular' collectors state that they are majorly cutting back on their coin purchases lately, and seen many coins take a very long time (relative to prior sales) to sell out at the various stores.

 

But it appears that I am in the extremely small minority here in terms of understanding what personal geocoins are all about. I guess it really continues to be 'all about the numbers'

Again, I'm discussing personal signature geocoins, not the non-personal coins. I do buy and collect the regional org coins and some of the 'commercial' coins for fun. Though you will likely never know which ones or how many I have because I only activate coins that will actually visit caches.

 

You can play "the games" any way you want, I will not say you are wrong in the way you play, nor will I say that I am right. While we may play it differently, lets continue to play in peace.

[+fox-and-the-hound]

I've read a lot of NSLP's post about the forums and this seems to be an area of intense interest. To be absolutely honest with you, we want to put our coins out into caches. That's it. The whole, ugly truth Seriously, if we could buy our coins 10 or 20 at a time and put them out, we would be in heaven! It just doesn't work that way. It costs a lot of money, all at once, to make a "minimum" run. So we looked at it two ways.

Solution 1) We could wait for years and save and make a coin. We just don't like that for the next few years we wouldn't be able to put a coin out in the field. Not to mention that when we did finally produce a coin, many people would want to trade with us, but few have a personal coin of their own. A lot of people want to buy one straight out. So solution one means, waiting a long time, spending a lot of money and in the end still selling coins.

Solution 2) We can work with a minter and have a coin right away to put out in the wild. We don't have to handle sales , we don't have to handle shipping , we don't have to put a lot money out of pocket to get started and we can still trade a few.

 

That's the reasoning, but here's the story. The very first time we found a coin, it was a cold, wet and windy winter day after we had hiked miles on a multi-cache in the mountains. It was just a heavy brass USA geocoin, but it might have well been gold bullion! We were elated. It was the closest thing to finding a buried pirate treasure that we had ever experienced. We talked about it for days. We started looking for more of them and were surprised to see that very few were out there. Started reading the forums and saw that many others noticed the same thing. We decided then and there we would make a coin and put them in caches for others to find and enjoy that same feeling. We only had to figure out how, but you already know how we're doing it.

 

The great thing about this community is that when people put out their personal coins for sale, we can afford to buy them in small numbers and are happy to support others who are doing the same. I wish we could buy our own in small numbers, but it just doesn't work that way. So we support our community by buying coins and they have offered to support us in return. I think it's a great system and I hope coins begin to show up again out in the caches because of all the new interest.

 

I hope that this answers some questions for you. I hope you can eventually be a FTF of one our caches and find a shiny coin waiting for you. It's a great feeling, pass it on!

[+Team Sand Dollar]

I BUY coins because the owner will not trade me.

 

I SELL coins so I can afford to buy coins from the owner that will not trade me.

 

This way I can get the coins I want and others can buy coins when they have no trades.

 

Team Sand Dollar

[Not So Lost Puppies]

I've read a lot of NSLP's post about the forums and this seems to be an area of intense interest. To be absolutely honest with you, we want to put our coins out into caches. That's it. The whole, ugly truth

....

I hope that this answers some questions for you. I hope you can eventually be a FTF of one our caches and find a shiny coin waiting for you. It's a great feeling, pass it on!

 

I think that is the most well expressed answer yet, thank you.

 

Yes, I do know that they are expensive to get made, though I have spent more than that cost on buying various other geocoins in the past few months. So except for finishing out some series, and coins of personal interest to me, I'm stopping. Instead I'm investing in our own coin, primarily for caches. not trackable (saves a bundle on costs) because I WANT people to keep them from caches if they like them.

 

Since we aren't anywhere near you, we probably wont have a chance to be FTF on any of your caches

 

Maybe our trails will cross someday and we can find your coin and you find ours.

BTW, nicely done coin. Definately one we would hunt for if there was a traveller nearby to add to our 'virtual' collection of coins.

Edited March 9, 2006 by Not So Lost Puppies