Trackable Nickels? Yes No Maybe So?

2.3k · May 15, 2006

As I get more and more into this sport I am really liking the nickels more than coins there are lots more out than coins and so many different ones, I was just wondering if anybody had ever thought or done this but it would be kewl to put a tracking number on your nickels with a custom icon to rep. that it is a custom nickel like the TB icon but just have one for nickels, I was thinking of contacting Groundspeak and seeing if I came up with an icon for nickels and bought tracking numbers, then resell them for the same as I paid for them, but in smaller quantities so people didn’t have to buy 500 numbers. The only problem I see is if GS has to approve the art for each nickel. Just wondering if anybody thinks this is a good idea or not and why. Or if its even possible. If this would work would you buy some numbers and put them on a nickel and set them out?

Thanks,

Jake

Team Jsam

2.8k · May 15, 2006

You could simply design a very nice looking coin, print the image and send it out. Saving about 1/2 the cost of having trackable coins. It seems to be all the rage. Except that people tend to have an actual coin and the purported coin is safely tucked away under their mattress.

Seriously though -I think the re-selling and unique artwork concept might be a bit of a sticking point with TPTB.

2.3k · May 15, 2006

You could simply design a very nice looking coin, print the image and send it out. Saving about 1/2 the cost of having trackable coins. It seems to be all the rage. Except that people tend to have an actual coin and the purported coin is safely tucked away under their mattress.

Seriously though -I think the re-selling and unique artwork concept might be a bit of a sticking point with TPTB.

Noob question what is TPTB?

24.7k · May 15, 2006

The Powers That Be. Those people who make the decisions at Groundspeak that imapct geocaching.com. For the most part we in the forums are the peanut gallery.

As I understand it, you can buy 500 numbers and parcel them out. Groundspeak approves the art for each trackable item. I don't know if they do numbers for wooden nickels or not. It may be possible that each person who wants a unique icon for their nickel could pony up the 150.00 for it and have on for however many numbers they get.

However that's a question for Groundspeak. I'd see what is said in this thread then use that info to ask grounspeak directly. You will have a lot of questions and it's probably simpler to get all the ideas down at once.

Edited May 15, 2006 by Renegade Knight

May 15, 2006

As I get more and more into this sport I am really liking the nickels more than coins there are lots more out than coins and so many different ones, I was just wondering if anybody had ever thought or done this but it would be kewl to put a tracking number on your nickels with a custom icon to rep. that it is a custom nickel like the TB icon but just have one for nickels, I was thinking of contacting Groundspeak and seeing if I came up with an icon for nickels and bought tracking numbers, then resell them for the same as I paid for them, but in smaller quantities so people didn’t have to buy 500 numbers. The only problem I see is if GS has to approve the art for each nickel. Just wondering if anybody thinks this is a good idea or not and why. Or if its even possible. If this would work would you buy some numbers and put them on a nickel and set them out?

Thanks,

Jake

Team Jsam

Jake,

The ONLY problem I see with paying for tracking on wooden coins is the price. I have no problem paying 50 cents to a dollar for a wooden coin, but now add $1.50 (the cost of tracking numbers). I wouldn't pay that kind of price for an "inexpensive" token. But there are those that probably would.

I'm with GeoCoins.net and we'll do custom designs and will number if you like. Though numbering adds to the price of the coins. If you want more info on this subject, please email me through the board here as I believe discussing this openly would be against board rules, though I'm not 100% sure. I AM sure the moderators will let us know if this is inappropriate.

As for the artwork, I don't know how that would be ironed out with Groundspeak, or the icons for that matter.

May 15, 2006

i had this discussion with other cachers this weekend. i don't know if i will ever produce my own personal coin. my caching buddy wants to do a joint one for trades. i like handpainting mine, though i am very behind in doing anything since my mom has been going in and out of the hospital. but if i had the numbers i could make them and number them at my own pace, place them or trade for other sigs i want. my designs are always simple and always have the "Q" cat with the letterman geo. i'm with jsam i think i would rather do this route..i guess we won't know what can happen if we don't ask tptb

6.5k · May 15, 2006

why not just buy tracking numbers and put them on wooden nickels? or does Groundspeak specify what you can / cannot put them on? (besides aren't you supposed to show them the design art for approval before hand?)

2.3k · May 15, 2006

why not just buy tracking numbers and put them on wooden nickels? or does Groundspeak specify what you can / cannot put them on? (besides aren't you supposed to show them the design art for approval before hand?)

I am not 100% sure but I think you have to buy 500 numbers at a time that is the only reason I would buy them and sell them so that people could buy 10....20 or 30 I think it would take way to long to send out 500 trackables...Also I have emailed Groundspeak to see what they say about this, I will post the email when they respond.

6.5k · May 16, 2006

why not just buy tracking numbers and put them on wooden nickels? or does Groundspeak specify what you can / cannot put them on? (besides aren't you supposed to show them the design art for approval before hand?)

I am not 100% sure but I think you have to buy 500 numbers at a time that is the only reason I would buy them and sell them so that people could buy 10....20 or 30 I think it would take way to long to send out 500 trackables...Also I have emailed Groundspeak to see what they say about this, I will post the email when they respond.

Yea I think its 500 too, and I understand what your saying. In this thread from last fall it seemed that spliting batchs of numbers down was ok (but you were supposed to get all designed reviewed before hand, and if not they might disable them...). It will be interesting if your told the same thing this week .

May 16, 2006

well jsam if they say yes i will buy 100 numbers.

2.3k · May 17, 2006

Does anybody know what the min amount of tracking numbers you can buy is if you are not going to have an icon

24.7k · May 17, 2006

Does anybody know what the min amount of tracking numbers you can buy is if you are not going to have an icon

500 I believe.

3k · May 17, 2006

I don't know about nickels trackable on gc, but there are several variations of trackable systems like the squashed pennies at www.sigitem.com If you knew html or someone else who does you might be able to do something similar. I would love to see a trackable system for nickels here though if the price was right. Interesting idea

May 17, 2006

If you just have to have a trackable wooden nickel, you could always just buy TB tags and include the tag number into your nickel design. You can buy them as cheap as 4.25 each when you purchase 8 at a time. More expensive, but a work around if you can't get the other approved. And the good thing is, if it's lost or stolen... you can print a new one and drop it off at another cache. :smile:

That's what may prevent the approval. If the coins are lost, you could just make another, where you couldn't easily do that with a stamped metal coin. You have to get it engraved.

1.8k · May 17, 2006

What's a nickel you lost me?

edit: never mine i found out a nickel is the wooden token I thought it was refering to a small coin..

Edited May 17, 2006 by Pepper

May 17, 2006

If you just have to have a trackable wooden nickel, you could always just buy TB tags and include the tag number into your nickel design. You can buy them as cheap as 4.25 each when you purchase 8 at a time. More expensive, but a work around if you can't get the other approved. And the good thing is, if it's lost or stolen... you can print a new one and drop it off at another cache.

That's what may prevent the approval. If the coins are lost, you could just make another, where you couldn't easily do that with a stamped metal coin. You have to get it engraved.

well if it is lost i think just retire or deactivate it. then it is just a sig item and you aren't out ten bucks. edited to add and you don't have twonumbers running around. but tb have been lost for a while to show up also..as long as you don't duplicate it.

Edited May 17, 2006 by qattales

6.5k · May 22, 2006

why not just buy tracking numbers and put them on wooden nickels? or does Groundspeak specify what you can / cannot put them on? (besides aren't you supposed to show them the design art for approval before hand?)

I am not 100% sure but I think you have to buy 500 numbers at a time that is the only reason I would buy them and sell them so that people could buy 10....20 or 30 I think it would take way to long to send out 500 trackables...Also I have emailed Groundspeak to see what they say about this, I will post the email when they respond.

Did you get a response yet?

May 22, 2006

I am doubting that GC is gonna allow trackable wooden nickels. BUt who knows...

I have seen someone else make trackable wooden nickels on a 3rd party tracking site. But It is not gonna give you a custom GC icon and the Travelers will not show up on the cache page.

But it would be pretty cheap to do

we got 1000 wooden nickels for $140 delivered so you would just need to find a site to track it.

They are a few 3rd party tracking sites out there but honestly I usually don't bother logging non GC Trackables. I will move them from cache to cache but don't want to mess with the logging part.

May 22, 2006

Personally I think it'd be neat to have trackable nickles, It'd help reduce the cost for those of us that don't have $2300+ to throw at minting our own coins. Also Nickles may travel better since they're a "Low Value" item and have less of the "ohhh shiney" factor. I also think GC shouldn't mind they'd still be getting their $1.50 per number(and $150 per Icon if they'd allow that). Anywho just my $0.02. :cry:

-PMaholm

2.3k · May 22, 2006

Did you get a response yet?

No, not yet but I am not sure it will work, the only way I see it working is if I buy 500 numbers and sell them in 100 blocks but each coin will have to be approved.

Edited to add:

2. There is a 500 number minimum purchase required (although custom prefixes require a 1,000 code minimum order). (Note that some of the coin manufacturers listed below have purchased blocks of numbers for resale in smaller quantities). These numbers may be split between coins but each individual coin design must be approved prior to production.

Not sure if they will approve for nickels though

Edited May 22, 2006 by Team Jsam

May 22, 2006

HI!

There is another option!

We have tokens(Round"Tuits")

They are numbered & trackable .

Check out Sig item.com

R3 & BH

May 22, 2006

Not sure if they will approve for nickels though

They'd probably want to review each design because the geocaching.com name would be going on every single one of them (aka the required "Track at geocaching.com" text).

They'd probably not want to do this for wooden nickels because there'd be that many more designs to review.

6.5k · May 22, 2006

Not sure if they will approve for nickels though

They'd probably want to review each design because the geocaching.com name would be going on every single one of them (aka the required "Track at geocaching.com" text).

They'd probably not want to do this for wooden nickels because there'd be that many more designs to review.

The upside is they still get $1.50. And they already allow people to split the numbers (right?), so long as they get to review the design.

2.3k · May 22, 2006

Just curious if this does work how many out there would want a block of numbers no less than 50

May 22, 2006

i want a hundred numbers

2.3k · May 30, 2006

Well 2 weeks and no reply from Groundspeak so I'm guessing thats a no, oh well maybe someday...............

Trackable Nickels? Yes No Maybe So?

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