Non-trackable Geocoins And Signature Items

[+IGJoe]

This is going to seem very noobish to ask but I rather know than wonder about it.

 

Lately I found a cache that had a GGA Geocoin in it. I took the coin assuming it was trackable. When I went to log it I discovered there was no tracking number anywhere on the coin. Is this typical? Should I have taken it? Am I expected to move it along like other trackables? What am I expected to do with this, should I put it back where I found it?

 

On a related note I've noticed some caches have homemade looking wooden coins. Am I allowed to collect these or are they suppossed to stay in the cache as a record of that persons visit.

 

Any guidance would be appreciated cause I'd hate to be one of those 'bad cachers'

[+pdxmarathonman]

If a geocoin has some instructions along with it then you should follow them. If none exist, then treat it as a $5 trade item (roughly). If it is a trackable coin then you can look it up to find out what to do with it.

 

A sig item is a valid trade item. I have collected many wooden nickels from caches in exchange for my sig item.

 

I am sure there are many threads on this topic - someone will probably provide a link

[+Kealia]

I second what the running man said.

 

Some coins are tracked on other sites, but there is usually a tag, note, or something to let you know that.

Otherwise, it's a trade item. Just trade evenly, as PDX noted, and you're fine.

 

Enjoy.

[+IGJoe]

I guess thats the part that bugs me. I didn't trade anything cause I thought it was a trackable not a tradeable. A cacher with a consciense, go figure.

 

Fortunately the cache was stage 1 of a long and complicated muticache. I'll be back in the area to do the final stages soon. I'll swing by and drop off some items then so I can get Jimminy Cricket to shut up about it.

[Jake - Team A.I.]

I guess thats the part that bugs me. I didn't trade anything cause I thought it was a trackable not a tradeable. A cacher with a consciense, go figure.

 

Fortunately the cache was stage 1 of a long and complicated muticache. I'll be back in the area to do the final stages soon. I'll swing by and drop off some items then so I can get Jimminy Cricket to shut up about it.

 

I wouldn't lose any sleep from taking a trackable from a cache, and not trade something for it. You should however lose lots of sleep for not putting into another cache... not that I'm implying that you would.

 

I as a cache owner and a traveler owner, I'd rather seen an item continue on its journey, than to see it sit because a cacher didn't have a trade item.

[+AtlantaGal]

I guess thats the part that bugs me. I didn't trade anything cause I thought it was a trackable not a tradeable. A cacher with a consciense, go figure.

 

Fortunately the cache was stage 1 of a long and complicated muticache. I'll be back in the area to do the final stages soon. I'll swing by and drop off some items then so I can get Jimminy Cricket to shut up about it.

 

Good of you to plan to return to the cache and leave something in trade for the coin if you plan to keep it. There are a lot of cachers in our state that leave nontrackable coins as swag. So am sure you'll find even more in the future. It has really ticked me off in the past when I have left coins in caches and future finders take without trading something.

[+Kealia]

...so I can get Jimminy Cricket to shut up about it.

 

[+SkinGuy]

That's tremendous that you are willing to return to "pay up" as it were!

 

Unless the item has instructions attached to it, consider it swag (as mentioned above).

 

I drop unactivated trackable coins in caches at times as swag, and then am sure to mention this in my log (since it won't be found in the TB/coin part of the cache page).

 

Tell Jiminy that you'll take care of it!

[+Marky]

When we drop unactivated geocoins in caches, we usually drop them in the original flip from the minter, and with the activation code visible (we retrieve the activation code, print it out, and stick it in the flip). That way, people know it's a trade item, and that they should leave something of equal value.

 

For loose geocoins that say "track me at geocaching.com" or something similar, and have no tags on them, I will assume that they are travelling, and I may pick them up to move (and most likely, to add a tag to them so future finders know it's a travelling geocoin). If I find that it was unactivated, I will go back (if possible) and put a good trade item in it's place (usually another geocoin).

 

--Marky