BadAndy Copy coin experiment summary

[+BadAndy 0]

It's been 2 months since the gold/silver coin sets were delivered and I thought I'd do some research and see how the coins have fared. I kept a list of the tracking numbers so I could watch them and I am somewhat dissapointed in the overall results, but here they are...

 

Of of 85 sets delivered:

 

49 have yet to be activated. I will assume that by now most of these will remain as intact sets and the copy will not be released.

 

22 have been activated but were never released into the wild. Most of these were "dropped" into the owners archived cache or an unpublished cache listing to remove them from their inventory. These copies apparently will not be released into the wild. 3 or 4 of them are kept inhand and allowed to be discovered at events.

 

Only 14 were activated and released into caches as intended.

 

Of the 14 released copy coins, all but 2 are still travelling the world.

 

One of the missing coins managed to get some miles before it dissapeared (sorry AltlantaGal)

the other missing coin never made it out of the gate and went missing right away. (real tough break prntr1)

 

I'm still hoping that some of the 71 copy coins that are squirreled away will eventually be activated and end up in caches.

 

Overall, I still think this is a good idea in theory, but apparently it's a bust in practice. I'll check the coins again in a few months to see if much has changed, but I think I can safely draw a few conclusions from the test.

 

1. Collectors are generally reluctant to release even coins dedicated to travelling and marked as copies.

2. 1 in 7 geocoins released into caches will go missing in the first few months.

 

Special thanks to the following cachers for releasing your coins to the world.

 

slumbersix

Shootie

Team Honeybunnie

hybridgeek

The Dream Cachers

Cachanova

D@nim@l

horsegeeks

CachingCoins

AtlantaGal (stolen??)

TuuronTour

The Washers

Rubiconlwb

prntr1 (stolen)

[+~tasia~ 0]

I still haven't found the right cache to drop mine into And we've got coin thieves in the area now as well.

 

I think i will start it in my new travel bug hotel cache.

[+vtblackdog 0]

I plan to release mine but haven't found the right time or cache. Love the stats though.

[+AtlantaGal 0]

I don't think mine is stolen. It's in MarkyMark's cache near his home. I asked him to check on it and move it if it's still there. I really think the last 2 finders just didn't pick up any travellers.

[+AuntieNae 0]

Sorry, we have been busy and have not had a chance to even activate the coins yet. We are behind a few months now. AuntieNae

[+Team JSAM 0]

I still got my coin, just havent done much cachin lately, but I can promise you mine will end up in a cache for sure.

[+Cornerstone4 0]

Ditto the previous posts!

 

I bought mine to send out. How can you not share that cool icon!

 

I have quite a few of my coins with tags attached that I am still placing. I'll get your coin out yet!

[+IBcrashen 0]

Ditto the previous posts!

 

I bought mine to send out. How can you not share that cool icon!

 

I have quite a few of my coins with tags attached that I am still placing. I'll get your coin out yet!

Glad to see I am not the only one with an activated coin but have to many coins and not enough caching time to place it yet.

[+Rubiconlwb 0]

I for one loved this idea and had always intended to release the coin which I did. One never knows if a coin will come up missing but I believe it helps that the coin is just a copy and that the original is safely in someone's collection. I have released several coins and so far, they are all still traveling and I am ejjoying that a great deal. I love coins (collecting, finding, releasing) and although it bothers me when coins and TB's and caches come up missing, it is a great deal of fun to watch them while they are on their adventure. I really thought this would be an idea that would take off and that at some point, all coins would be made this way so one could own the coin and keep it in their possession yet have it travel as well. The one point made here that just amazes me is that so many have not even been activated. I also enjoy seeing the various icons on my trackables list. Thanks for the info, it was very interesting reading.

[+Team JSAM 0]

BA any word on when the icon will show up mine still shows up under a generic geocoin.

[+scaw 0]

mine will go wild eventually just haven't got the time at the moment but mine deffinately is to be set free i dont collect just release

[+mikeylou 0]

My coin is in my coin box somewhere. Whenever I get a chance to cache I try to hit up my box, but... I'm usually distracted enough trying to get my GPS updated.

[+horsegeeks 0]

We released ours fairly quickly with a goal to travel to Idaho and back to North Carolina. It is doing so by way of Canada at the moment. We appreciate the experiment and allowing us to be part of it.

Edited October 12, 2006 by horsegeeks

[+D@nim@l 0]

Ditto the previous posts!

 

I bought mine to send out. How can you not share that cool icon!

 

 

Mine activated with just the generic coin icon.

[+4BOWS 0]

We will get ours traveling, we are just looking for a way to safely release the coin so that it has as best a possible chance of traveling. We are looking into a holder of some sort to make it clear to others that this coin is meant to travel. Don't give up hope on us yet.

[+Marky 0]

If you do a round two, I think you would have more success if both copies are the same metal. I would have a hard time letting go of a unique metal. Our collection would have a blank space in it...

 

--Marky

[+BadAndy 0]

If you do a round two, I think you would have more success if both copies are the same metal. I would have a hard time letting go of a unique metal. Our collection would have a blank space in it...

 

--Marky

 

I realized that same thing too late.

 

To all those that have asked if I have any more or if there will be another run. This series is sold out and I have no extra sets. While I do have a handful of gold, silver, copper and black nickel I don't plan to sell any of them. All but the black nickel and copper are used as swag in my local caching runs.

 

The dies have been retired and will not be used again. I'm currently working on my 2007 edition, but it'll be quite a bit different.

 

As for the icon, all I know is that Groundspeak is working on it. The last update I got was 1 week ago.

[+CachingCoins 0]

Don't be discouraged! Your idea was awesome & I'm trying to come up with something similar. I think you need to just give us a little more time. I haven't released either of my Bad Andy coins yet, but I will. I promise. It just takes awhile for me to get new coins ready & then get them released. I think you will find next time you do your research more will have been released. I for one am not going to just go put it in the nearest cache. It needs to be released in a cache worthy to have such a coin!

[+SkinGuy 0]

I've got two sets at home. One of those will be activated and released -- just haven't had a chance to do it yet.

 

...but I will.

Hopefully.

Eventually.

 

SG

[+prntr1 0]

Well, I just activated another one, I will release it tomorrow, maybe it will do better.

 

Thanks for the update!!!

[+Band of Bradys 0]

Hi,

 

I have two sets of these coins. I activated one set, and have been waiting for the icon to show up before releasing it.

 

The other set, someone who wanted a set but missed out on the order expressed interest in trading for the set, but I haven't heard from them about it for a long while.

 

The set I haven't activated is a silver/keeper - gold/copy. If anyone is interested in them, let me know. If not, I'll activate this set and keep the silver to go along with the gold from the first set. Then I'll go ahead and set the gold copy and the silver copy free. I just thought they might travel better with the icon.

 

I really liked this concept. I still have my coin for my collection, but a REAL coin is traveling. The price was really good also. I know I'd buy more coins that were minted this way.

[+prntr1 0]

 

One of the missing coins managed to get some miles before it dissapeared (sorry AltlantaGal)

the other missing coin never made it out of the gate and went missing right away. (real tough break prntr1)

 

 

Another cacher just emailed me, my BadAndy copy has turned up in a nearby cache, looks like someone grabbed it, moved it and forgot to log it.

 

It is now corrected and back on radar. I have another ready to let loose also, just waiting to hit the right cache.

[danoshimano 0]

I'm planning to send one out with the mission to have its picture taken with BadAndy. Unfortunately, it is buried under a backlog of coins. But it will go out one day.

[+Band of Bradys 0]

I set my Bad Andy copy coin free on saturday morning, someone grabbed it within a few hours.

 

Also, I have been contacted about my extra set, so it is spoken for.

[+Team JSAM 0]

Finally got my BA coin out in the world, we see how it does.

[+CachingCoins 0]

Any word on the icon? It's still showing as just a generic. Thanks for a great experiment. It sounds like the coins are doing well & more & more are getting released.

[+The Washers UK 0]

Hi the one I have activated has only moved 53 miles it's very disapointing I am going to e-mail the cacher who has it again !!!! and my other one which is not activated I can't find the copy this is very anoying it's most likley gone behind my computer !!! I will then activate it. Cheers.

[+Bunya 0]

Having (finally!) got around to releasing one half of a set, the following thought has occurred to me (as it must have occurred to others?):

 

What about releasing the other half (with the same tracking number) as well?

Then it would seem as though one coin was in two places!

At first it would be in two caches but only logged in to one of them.

When a cacher found it in the one that it wasn’t logged in to they would have to “grab” it from the other cache.

Of course once a cacher picked one up another cacher finding the other coin could “grab” it from them.

Given that some cachers manage to make a mess of logging a single coin the chances for total chaos are . . .

 

Shall I or shan’t I?

[danoshimano 0]

What about releasing the other half (with the same tracking number) as well?

 

Shall I or shan’t I?

 

I think that is against some gc.com rule.

[+WWC-World's Worst Cacher 0]

I know mine are in a box someplace. I will try to find over X-mas and get one out traveling.

 

It will be interesting to watch the cachingcoins coins, since they all had to be activated before they were mailed. I also think identical metals is a better idea.

[+crazycavelover 0]

I just activated my two sets last week. Planning to free them soon....

[+BadAndy 0]

I noticed quite a few have been activated in the past month.

[danoshimano 0]

ATTENTION BADANDY: Your coin is looking for you!

 

I finally came up with a worthy goal and worthy launch for my BadAndy coin. Last night I released it at a COG Pub Night event cache. It's first mission: To seek out BadAndy and have a photo taken with him.

 

Once that mission is complete, it is my hope that BadAndy will select another cacher for the coin to visit.

 

The coin is TBRCA6.

[+geocachingdragon 0]

I saw this coin last night and will be tracking it . What a cool idea . Good luck on it's jouney

[+BisonWoman 0]

I still haven't found the right cache to drop mine into And we've got coin thieves in the area now as well.

 

I think i will start it in my new travel bug hotel cache.

 

This one got dropped into my Book Cache where I picked it up. I'll be moving it along.

[+hybridgeek 0]

I have unfortunate news to add to the statistics. My BadAndy Coin Copy disappeared from a Virginia cache after moving 32 miles from it's starting place in Maryland. It simply disappeared from the cache with no log afterward, and confirmations it wasn't in the cache anymore. It is a sad day for this coin, and I hope it will re-emerge some day.

 

-hybridgeek

[+hybridgeek 0]

GOOD NEWS!!

 

My BadAndy copy showed up again!! It has been "lost" for 8-9 months (plus or minus a month... not sure when exactly it disappeared from the cache) after it disappeared from a Virginia cache 32 miles from my house. I was emailed this morning by a player (who will remain anonymous) that found the coin (they could not elaborate on how exactly they got it). Some other stuff happened that is complicated and not necessary for everyone to know. So, long story made short, I made and special trip today and recovered it. It is now safe and sound back in my possession (and inventory). Having only traveled 32 miles, the coin is in fabulous condition still, with only a little bit of wear and tear. I'm not entirely sure whether I'll re-release it, but given the objective of this coin experiment and the nature of the duplicate coins, I suspect I will end up re-releasing it in a bit, but quite a ways from home this time if at all possible.

 

I just wanted to report this fabulous news. How are the rest of the BadAndy copies doing out there?

 

-hybridgeek

Edited June 27, 2007 by hybridgeek

[+~tasia~ 0]

Here's mine : http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=304496

[+D@nim@l 0]

Mine was still moving up until 6/14 and has over 1000 miles. I think it might be MIA now.

[+Bunya 0]

Bunya's Bad Andy Geocoin has done a modest 29507km (18334mi) and appears to be still alive.

[danoshimano 0]

Mine didn't start travelling until December 27, 2006 and its goal was to go to Idaho and meet Bad Andy. In the 6 months since, it has travelled only 768km and is about 45km away from where it started, and about 45km further away from its initial goal.

[SoCalGeocoins 0]

I'd like to get a set if you have any left. And I will send it out into the wild, I love to see bad andy coins.

[+slumbersix 0]

I'm glad to say that the coin I released is still out there traveling the world... Hopefully he'll make it back to me safe and sound.... Then maybe a re-release to make it to my brother and some other interesting sites...

[danoshimano 0]

Mine didn't start travelling until December 27, 2006 and its goal was to go to Idaho and meet Bad Andy. In the 6 months since, it has travelled only 768km and is about 45km away from where it started, and about 45km further away from its initial goal.

 

By the time I had posted this back in June, my Bad Andy Travelling Coin had already been stolen. I went to the cache and checked the logs myself but there was no clue.

[+joranda 0]

If really stinks when people release coins in the wild for others to enjoy that some people out there have to ruin it for others.

[+CinemaBoxers 0]

Our set was gifted to us, therefore, we will never part with it. We certainly enjoy looking at them often too!

 

~J

[+IBcrashen 0]

My copy lasted about 4 moves in 7 months. Last person logged on the cache page they picked it up but never logged taking it. Numerous e-mails to them and no response.

[+Tennessee Jed 0]

I don't remember who traded theirs to me and I didn't know about placing it into the wild, but mine is activated to be discovered by others and I'll try to set it free somewhere where there are no thieves.

[+Mauison 0]

I finally got mine drilled, tagged and released this past June and it's traveled 447 miles so far.

[+tokencollector 0]

I finally released the gold half of one set about three months ago. It's early yet, but it is doing well with about 500 miles on it. If it ever dissappears for good, I'll probably release the silver duplicate - and keep the other pair I have in my collection.