Geocoins

[+Woody's Wanderers]

I'm really confused about Geocoins!

 

Are they the 'new' TB's, to be sent off into the wilds with a quest or just to move around? If you find one in a cache are you allowed to keep it or do you have to move it on?

 

Or are they like Disney pins - the joy is in the collecting and trading of them? Swap them with other collectors or trade them up if you find them?

 

I've probably missed something, somewhere so please excuse my ignorance! I just want to know the right thing to do if I ever come across one.

 

I've looked at the Geocoins thread, but it doesn't make it much clearer (or I'm just dense! and I've had a hard day.)

 

Thank you for your patience and understanding!

[+naffita]

If you put a brand new coin in a cache it will go missing, look at all the tb's in an unknown location, a lot of them are not very collectable but still don't get put back in a cache. A nice shiny coin will go a quick as you like. Cynic that I am I reckon if you listen very carefully you will hear the sound of a bandwagon. Get your own geocoin and make a pound or two until the bubble bursts.

[+purple_pineapple]

As you reightly surmise, geocoins are like Travel Bugs. (I'm talking about the GC.com trackable ones here, there are others). They have unique numbers, are trackable in the same way a bug is, and as such, can be given missions or quests as the owner wishes. The key word here is owner! Like TBs, they are owned by someone, who has paid a fair bit of money for it, and probably wouldn't appreciate it being 'collected' from a cache (see haggis hunter's thread).

 

The difference between them and TBs is that they look nicer. They are different, well made, and look good, so they are also nice to own. As such, some people keep them at home in a collection. Sometimes, they may be aired at events, or logged by people they meet, but they basically stay in private collections.

 

Because they are so collectable, they are prone to being pinched from caches. Therefore, people either send copies out, deface them in some way, or mould them in plastic, so they aren't as collectable. We send ours out naked, but we run the risk of it going missing because of that.

 

Oh, and finally, they have different icons, depending upon the coin, eg the England coin, Scotland coin, UK coin, etc. See out profile for a FEW examples. There are many more!

 

Hope that helps, and I'm sure someone can direct you to the geocoin definition on GC.com. I can't be bothered!

[Andys101 & Redfrock]

If you put a brand new coin in a cache it will go missing, look at all the tb's in an unknown location, a lot of them are not very collectable but still don't get put back in a cache. A nice shiny coin will go a quick as you like. Cynic that I am I reckon if you listen very carefully you will hear the sound of a bandwagon. Get your own geocoin and make a pound or two until the bubble bursts.

 

Ah yes but if you drill a hole in them and attach a label people tend not to want them! Mine are travelling fine. But I must admit I am very choosy. I cannot understand this penchant for having having every coin that's available, just for the icon, and then, even worse, never releasing them. Just my opinion. But I do find it odd. Saying that I have 2 I have yet to release. i am taking my time! If you look at the geocoin (main) thread it does appear that a new coin is being released every 5 mins.

 

ANyway back to the original OP. From what I have picked up there are trackable and non trackable coins and they do exactly what it says on the tin. the trackable ones work like a TB and have a unique number on them to track them. The non trackable ones just vanish into the ether! And may or may not travel.

[+Haggis Hunter]

I just want to know the right thing to do if I ever come across one.

 

Treat it like a TB and move it on, if you can helping it with it's mission.

 

(see haggis hunter's thread).

 

My second coin to go missing. But I know that it is one of the risks of setting it out into the wild.

[+Boneychest & Catsuey]

<Snip> The non trackable ones just vanish into the ether! And may or may not travel.

 

Unless you attach a travel bug dog tag to them.

[+Woody's Wanderers]

Shiny!

 

I get it know.

 

Thanks for your responses.

[+multitracker]

I bought 2 Uk Geocoins with the intension of one following the other on a quest. My first coin "Snowhites Love" has already gone missing (Managed to move from one cache). My other one "Dopey's Search" has the mission of meeting "Snowhites Love" and get photographed together. Not likely to happen now. My coins have my name "Multitracker" inscribed on them, so hopefully who ever has my coin will be unable to show it off to other geocachers and will replace it in another cache. I feel really dissapointed that a fellow cacher would STEAL from a cache (Which this is) and iam begining to lose faith in the geocaching community because of this. My Rant over.

[+Renegade Knight]

To add to the confusion.

 

Some coins are trackable like travel bugs.

Some are swag meant to be traded for.

 

If a coin is activated and has logs like a TB (on this site or other coin tracking sites) its a TB, most of the time.

 

If a coin is unactivated its swag.

 

When in doubt read the logs or the coin page.

 

Some coins are a hybrid. Early Moun10bike coins were both. He activated all of them and tracked them even though cachers could take them or move them on. Reading Moun10bikes site though it was fairly clear that they were a hybrid.

 

Some people activate coins for the same reason Moun10bike did...your going to have to do your homework.

 

If I can't figure it out at the cache my solution is to take the coin and not trade. If after my homework it's swag I can leave a coin in another cache. The balance is maintained. If it's a TB, I'm good to go. If you always trade every now and then you are going to trade a coin for a TB and while that's great for the next guy...you are out a coin that could of been a good trade.

[+Learned Gerbil]

You forgot to mention that to complicate things further, some coins have numbers and are trackable, but not trackable on the GC.Com site. For example, early Michigan Coins are not trackable on GC.com but later ones are. The earlier ones are trackable at travelertags.com.

[+Woody's Wanderers]

 

Just when I thought I had it sussed!

[+freespirit1402]

and the canadian coins are trackable at another site completely

[+Pharisee]

 

I attach a clear plastic luggage label to mine. On one side is the tracking data, on the other, the mission. It leaves little doubt that it's a 'traveller' not a trade item. So far, none of mine have gone been 'collected'

Edited March 14, 2006 by Pharisee

[+Firth of Forth]

I attach a clear plastic luggage label to mine. On one side is the tracking data, on the other, the mission. It leaves little doubt that it's a 'traveller' not a trade item. So far, none of mine have gone been 'collected'

 

That's a very neat way to do it. I've been drilling a hole and attaching a laminated card, but they don't last forever. Where can one get hold of those luggage labels?

[+Kitty Hawk]

I bought 2 Uk Geocoins with the intension of one following the other on a quest. My first coin "Snowhites Love" has already gone missing (Managed to move from one cache). My other one "Dopey's Search" has the mission of meeting "Snowhites Love" and get photographed together. Not likely to happen now. My coins have my name "Multitracker" inscribed on them, so hopefully who ever has my coin will be unable to show it off to other geocachers and will replace it in another cache. I feel really dissapointed that a fellow cacher would STEAL from a cache (Which this is) and iam begining to lose faith in the geocaching community because of this. My Rant over.

 

Don't lose faith, some people just don't know, as the OP demonstrates (...but has the nouce to ask ). Some people just think they are swaps.

 

We know, but we read the forums, but there's only a few of us here - don't know how many, probably not more than a couple of 100 - yet there are 3000 active cachers and plenty of others who have tried and got bored

 

Pharisee's technique is recommended by several cachers. There are coins that, err, lend themselves to a bit of drilling, but when you look at the Isle of Man coin it seems a shame.

[+Al & Tracy Smith]

I attach a clear plastic luggage label to mine. On one side is the tracking data, on the other, the mission. It leaves little doubt that it's a 'traveller' not a trade item. So far, none of mine have gone been 'collected'

 

That's a very neat way to do it. I've been drilling a hole and attaching a laminated card, but they don't last forever. Where can one get hold of those luggage labels?

 

I do something similar and attach a key ring to my geocoins / TBs with the mission on one side and a statement that they are travel bugs and not trade items on the other. Brought a bag of 20 clear acrylic self assembly key rings for a few pounds off of eBay which seem to work well.

[+Pharisee]

I attach a clear plastic luggage label to mine. On one side is the tracking data, on the other, the mission. It leaves little doubt that it's a 'traveller' not a trade item. So far, none of mine have gone been 'collected'

 

That's a very neat way to do it. I've been drilling a hole and attaching a laminated card, but they don't last forever. Where can one get hold of those luggage labels?

 

I bought them from craft shops. The price varies but the most expensive was 'Hobbycraft' at £1.95 each. If you want lots of them then I know a place that will sell them for £0.35 if you buy 100

[+Happy Humphrey]

when you look at the Isle of Man coin it seems a shame.

Ouch! Agreed!

 

I can't bring myself to drill coins. The IOM ones are in little PVC sleeves which have a pocket for inserting a mission card. I've taken the risk and just used this method to clarify the purpose of the coin. I have quite a few coins in the wild, and only a couple have been taken so far.

 

Pharisee's coin has a very tough assignment, by the way!

 

HH

[+Pharisee]

I can't bring myself to drill coins. The IOM ones are in little PVC sleeves which have a pocket for inserting a mission card. I've taken the risk and just used this method to clarify the purpose of the coin. I have quite a few coins in the wild, and only a couple have been taken so far.

 

Pharisee's coin has a very tough assignment, by the way!

 

HH

 

I bought two.... The other one is safe and sound in it's little plastic pouch and will remain so.

[+Alibags]

Pharisee's coin has a very tough assignment, by the way!

 

Agreed!

 

 

droooooool

 

I could not bring myself to drill my Isle of Man coin, but I happily put a BIG hole in Kitty Hawk's USA geocoin, LOL

[+purple_pineapple]

very nice ali....

 

prefer velocettes myself, but only cos Dad had one...

 

if its any help, there's a specialist norton dealer in Marlborough, Wiltshire - that might be a good place to aim for! or just wait until you see one by chance, by which point the coin will probably be an antique and worth more than the bike! lol

[+Boardslider]

At risk of getting back on topic...

 

I've just got back from a trip to the Channel Islands and picked up two coins from caches there (the first I've seen) and they will definitely be going back into caches real soon. I simply can't see the point of hanging on to them, surely it's more fun to track them around the world.

 

Incidentally one of them was a brand new, unactivated world travel coin left in a cache as part of the Geocoin Giveaway. I have already actiated it and can promise it will be moving soon (TBV8Z5). The other (TBNPA6) is also new, owned by Gribbin and started on its mission last month. After the wonderful caches that Gribbin has set on the island to not keep this moving would not only be a crime, but disrespectful to the owner.

[+Pharisee]

 

I attach a clear plastic luggage label to mine. On one side is the tracking data, on the other, the mission. It leaves little doubt that it's a 'traveller' not a trade item. So far, none of mine have gone been 'collected'

 

Shameless plug....

 

I'll now hold my hand out for a wrist slapping

[Lactodorum]

 

I'll now hold my hand out for a wrist slapping

 

How can I slap your wrist if I've just bought some?

[+Firth of Forth]

I found a website called plastics-direct that sells the plastic luggage labels for a reasonable price

 

http://www.plastics-direct.co.uk/large_L4_keyrings.htm 10 for £5.99

Edited May 11, 2006 by Firth of Forth

[Lentil]

 

I attach a clear plastic luggage label to mine. On one side is the tracking data, on the other, the mission. It leaves little doubt that it's a 'traveller' not a trade item. So far, none of mine have gone been 'collected'

Edited May 11, 2006 by Lentil

[Lentil]

Edited

Lentil

Edited May 11, 2006 by Lentil

[Andys101 & Redfrock]

 

Ah yes but if you drill a hole in them and attach a label people tend not to want them! Mine are travelling fine.

 

Well, that'll teach me for being cocky. My EU coin 'Full Circle' didn't even managed to move on from the crawling stage. My good buddy LMN put it into a relatively local cache and that was it, never to be moved again. Today I decided to go there and pick it up as it had been there too long, and lo and behold, no coin and no mention as to who stole retreived it. Just what use is a coin with a hole and a mission tag attached to someone other than the owner?????

[Andys101 & Redfrock]

and sorry to go on but what is even more interesting is that mine, multitrackers and walkergeoffs coins were all pinched from caches in a 4 mile radius in the Medway area.

[+currykev]

Personally I consider TB's as a travel item and coins as a collection item.Thus I will only purchase coins I like and will never take them from any cache.