GeoCoins, why?

[+nooks]

I get the impression that coins that can't be virtually logged (or even ones that can but are unactivated) tend to be kept and do not travel.

 

No coins or TBs are supposed to be logged without having actually seen it! (or maybe I'm not understanding what your saying? )

Maybe I'm getting some terms confused. "Virtual logging" to me means logging a find on a website or other electronic medium. So if you actually see a geocoin and then log it on geocaching.com, that's virtual logging to me.

 

You are technically correct. However, the colloquial use of the term "viritual logging" means to log a coin that you have not had in your hand. For example: if someone were to email you a number off one of my coins and you were to log it. That would be virtual logging as the term is used here. As the owner of the coin, I retain the right to delete this log.

 

To me the other kind of logging is non-virtual or physical, like the summit register where you physically write your name in with a pen on the summit of a mountain.

 

Physical it is. You get to hold the coin, drool on it, carry it around with you and show it to your friends, who drool on it some more. Now, some coin owners don't like coins to go to events because they have often gone missing, so in the coin description, they say they will delete event logs as well. So here you have it that even if one has physically touched the coin, you might not get to log it.

[Moun10eer]

the colloquial use of the term "viritual logging" means to log a coin that you have not had in your hand. For example: if someone were to email you a number off one of my coins and you were to log it. That would be virtual logging as the term is used here. As the owner of the coin, I retain the right to delete this log.

Could this kind of log also be considered a counterfeit log?

some coin owners don't like coins to go to events because they have often gone missing, so in the coin description, they say they will delete event logs as well. So here you have it that even if one has physically touched the coin, you might not get to log it.

Interesting. Thanks for the reply. Edited January 3, 2007 by Moun10eer

[+butbyice]

I think geocoins are out of control. People are just slapping whatever on a coin to make a quick profit. I watch for those that are actually thought out and that will be the only ones i buy if any at all. I also have noticed that there is alot of copyrights being ripped off. I know people are changing the design a little but that still does not change the fact that it appears to me that copyrights are being used and I am sure there is no permission to do so. so whatever that is just what I think.

[+HummerH1]

You are totally right about the trading being out of control. If you look through all the posts on the first page of the Goecoin forum you will see that most are devoted to selling coins. Furthermore many are so called charity sells, like "I need to pay my vets bill". If you can't afford a horse then don't buy one. I have several animals and I pay the vets bill without begging here. On most forums this kind of post would be banned, try it on DPreview or FMForums and see how far you get.

The practice of geocoin trading has little or nothing to do with GeoCaching. In fact if you are foolish enough to place coins in a cache then you will find that before long they have been stolen and are now part of a collection. If I am wrong please show me where a coin has been moved from one cache to another more than, say, a half a dozen times.

 

I bet all the flame that I have already gotten in this post and the flame I expect from this post is all from sellers of the coins and not from true GeoCachers. I would hope that some time soon this forum is banned completely as it has no part in GeoCaching at all. It's all about people selling junk at high profits.

 

My last word. I'm back to proper GeoCaching.

 

HummerH1

 

quote name='butbyice' date='Jan 3 2007, 04:43 PM' post='2643943']

I think geocoins are out of control. People are just slapping whatever on a coin to make a quick profit. I watch for those that are actually thought out and that will be the only ones i buy if any at all. I also have noticed that there is alot of copyrights being ripped off. I know people are changing the design a little but that still does not change the fact that it appears to me that copyrights are being used and I am sure there is no permission to do so. so whatever that is just what I think.

[+stepshep]

You are totally right about the trading being out of control. If you look through all the posts on the first page of the Goecoin forum you will see that most are devoted to selling coins. Furthermore many are so called charity sells, like "I need to pay my vets bill". If you can't afford a horse then don't buy one. I have several animals and I pay the vets bill without begging here. On most forums this kind of post would be banned, try it on DPreview or FMForums and see how far you get.

The practice of geocoin trading has little or nothing to do with GeoCaching. In fact if you are foolish enough to place coins in a cache then you will find that before long they have been stolen and are now part of a collection. If I am wrong please show me where a coin has been moved from one cache to another more than, say, a half a dozen times.

 

I bet all the flame that I have already gotten in this post and the flame I expect from this post is all from sellers of the coins and not from true GeoCachers. I would hope that some time soon this forum is banned completely as it has no part in GeoCaching at all. It's all about people selling junk at high profits.

 

My last word. I'm back to proper GeoCaching.

 

HummerH1

 

quote name='butbyice' date='Jan 3 2007, 04:43 PM' post='2643943']

I think geocoins are out of control. People are just slapping whatever on a coin to make a quick profit. I watch for those that are actually thought out and that will be the only ones i buy if any at all. I also have noticed that there is alot of copyrights being ripped off. I know people are changing the design a little but that still does not change the fact that it appears to me that copyrights are being used and I am sure there is no permission to do so. so whatever that is just what I think.

 

I'm gonna say this flat and don't care. If you don't like geocoins, don't move them, and don't come to this spot on the forums. Leave us alone!

[+MustangJoni]

I'll put my 800 finds up against his 10 any day. And I've got 3 - 5/5's under my belt. That doesn't even touch the tough ones I've done on another listing site! I am a true cacher.

 

That being said. I'm allowed to have more than one hobby. One is Caching, one is collecting GEOcoins.

[+Lemon Fresh Dog]

Hello OP - I can understand your confusion - it certainly has become an obession!

 

Geocoins are a pretty big part of geocaching actually - here's my 2 cents worth.

 

History: (please, anyone correct me if I am wrong)

 

- some time ago, a fellow by the name of Moun10Bike created a personal signature item. A coin. This was to leave in caches as evidence that he had been to the cache and, I think, he did so to mark his 100th find. Just a fun trinket, signature item thing. Coins like this had been used as "challenge" coins in the military for some time.

 

- others thougth the idea was neat. They also created coins at about the same time (actual minting dates are a bit fuzzy in the pre-history)

 

- Due to Moun10bike's relationship with Groundspeak - his coins could be tracked on the website like a Travel Bug - clever tracking numbers were used: 1,2,3,4,......

 

- Others liked these items and had their own made. They are small, easy to place in caches and very personal.

 

- Then, around 1995ish, Groundspeak started allowing folks to purchase tracking numbers to place on the coins (my Red-Handed coin is an early example). This gave a generic coin icon and was a fun spin on a Travel Bug. You could watch them travel.

 

- Then, late 1995/early 1996 Groundspeak also allowed custom icons to be created for the coins (depending in numbers minted and fee payment. At first this was just for State and Organizational coins, but soon was extended to Personal coins.

 

- The "coin-craze" hit full swing. Several coins were made each week by different folks. Some were very related to caching, some were self-referential (Screw Geocoins), some were personal, some were commercial (priced for profit). Much variety was created and continues.

 

During all of the above, folks would sometimes trade or collect coins. Why? Who knows. I collect them, I collect comics, I collect stamps.... maybe I'm ill.

 

In the end, coins are a big part of caching for the following reasons:

 

1) they are often personal signature items

2) they are often intended as Travel Bugs (with various degrees of success)

3) they are a "profit center" for the sale of tracking numbers and icons (it costs money to move data)

4) they have historical relavance to the earliest days of geocaching

5) they are always well-recieved as geocache swag. What would you take? the coin or the McDonald toy?

 

Are there some problems?

You betcha! Lot's: over-production, theft, profiteering, and more .... read one of the dozens of threads on any of these topics.

 

In the end. Most folks that collect, release and enjoy coins are doing so because....well, it's fun. Whether you have 10, 100, or 1000 finds - the coins are a personal and presentable memento of your passion.

 

Many of my collected coins are from trades with people I really appreciate - in forums, on the trails, at events. Of those I've purchased, I have many that are reminders of aspects of the game I enjoy. Finally, many of my coins are sent out into the wild. I've lost many, but those that travel are amongst the best recieved travellers I own. Whenever I leave a "gift" coin in a cache I always get a big "thank-you" and I feel I improve the cache by trading into the cache an item that is sought-after.

 

Hope that wasn't too much of a ramble.

[BRTango]

<snip>

 

If I am wrong please show me where a coin has been moved from one cache to another more than, say, a half a dozen times.

 

</snip>

 

 

Moun10Bike's German Geocoin

14724.7 miles logged

68 log entries

- 25 of which are "placed" logs

- 21 of which are "retrieved" logs

- 17 of which are "grabbed" logs

- Only 5 of which are "discovered" it logs

Logged by 40 unique cachers

 

Personal Geocoin

3128.8 miles logged during 8 unique moves

 

nickie218's Florida Geocachers Geocoin

2467.2 miles logged during 12 unique moves

 

Geodetic Center Geocoin

874.1 miles logged during 9 unique moves

 

Just to name the four that I have personally moved. I'm sure there are many others out there that exceed your "say, a half a dozen times."

 

PS. You have commented on more than one thread now, that geocoin collectors are not true geocachers and have disparaged collectors by calling them idiots. I'm not a big collector like most people in this forum. But I have my share. I also have not found nearly the number of caches that others have found (including many, many collectors), but again, I have my share. Just so you know, I take much offense to your remarks in both this thread and the Geocaching Purple Heart thread. You should really get to know the folks in both this forum and others before you start declaring who is and who isn't a "true geocacher".

Edited January 5, 2007 by BRTango

[+Lemon Fresh Dog]

The practice of geocoin trading has little or nothing to do with GeoCaching. In fact if you are foolish enough to place coins in a cache then you will find that before long they have been stolen and are now part of a collection. If I am wrong please show me where a coin has been moved from one cache to another more than, say, a half a dozen times.

 

I bet all the flame that I have already gotten in this post and the flame I expect from this post is all from sellers of the coins and not from true GeoCachers. I would hope that some time soon this forum is banned completely as it has no part in GeoCaching at all. It's all about people selling junk at high profits.

 

My last word. I'm back to proper GeoCaching.

 

HummerH1

 

Unfortunately, you don't really seem know what you are talking about or seem interested in understanding geocoins. You seem to have already formed an inflexible opinion.

 

1) many coins do move - yes, some are stolen

2) selling at high-profit is not common. Selling at a modest profit seems to be the norm, but it is up to the buyer to decide the price they will pay. Unlike most retail items, the cost to mint coins is very well-known. This means that the consumer is well-informed.

3) Geocoins are not junk. They are trade items, they are travellers, they are signature items, they are collectables. To each their own. Calling them "junk" is arrogant and places your value judgement above others. Rather egotistical and uncalled for.

 

I am glad you are going back to "proper" geocaching. It would serve you well to understand that any activity and community will have a diversity of players and methods that people use to enjoy it. Pointing to others and placing some sort of value judgement on them is really very rude.

 

If geocoins were hurting the environment, causing damage to caches, creating a bad image of the hobby - then you might have a point. Otherwise, you are just placing your opinions above others and assuming you are "right". You are not "right" - you are just "different". If geocoins offend you so much then here is a plan I suggest:

 

1) don't buy them

2) don't trade them

3) don't move, keep, or even interact with them

4) just leave them for the next cacher

 

Hopefully my previous post has provided some insight into your question on "Why geocoins?" -- I personally question whether you asked this in the spirit of trying to understand, or whether you simply posted as a platform for sharing your contrary views and passing judgement on others that are quite happy to enjoy this valid and enjoyable aspect of the hobby - thank you very much.

Edited January 5, 2007 by Lemon Fresh Dog

[+Maingray]

In fact if you are foolish enough to place coins in a cache then you will find that before long they have been stolen and are now part of a collection. If I am wrong please show me where a coin has been moved from one cache to another more than, say, a half a dozen times.

 

Foolish? Not proper Geocaching? Whatever. Geocoins are just an extension of following trackable (signature) items geocaching. I'm not sure you get that concept as I noticed that the two Travel Bugs that you have found you didn't correctly log back into a cache once you dropped them off. So... to explain that concept a bit, a *lot* of people enjoy tracking items attached to travel bugs they place into caches and following their activity later. Think of it as a form of "offline" Geocache-related enjoyment. It does require people to successfully log the TB into and out of caches though. Geocoins are just an alternative way to do this. Some people enjoy traveling to caches (even revisiting previously found ones) to find a new coin, and then have the icon associated with their profile. And they they are meant to re-release.

 

Collecting of geocoins placed into caches that state they wish to travel is a no-no, but I think it is somewhat rarer than you think. Sure, lots of people complain about it on here, but the majority of coins I have released and others I track have been fine and traveled for far more than your "half-dozen times".

 

Collection of purchased coins is a side hobby to geocaching, which, as you say, is just like people buying porcelain plates from Franklin Mint to hang on walls rather than say, you know...actually EAT from

 

Live and let live.

 

edit: Oh, and if you just want to partake in proper geocaching, delete your virtual cache find!

Edited January 5, 2007 by Maingray

[+fairyhoney]

I kind of asked this question before but some keep saying that coins WILL eventually end up in someone's colection. I want and need to know: how can they justify this and how do they claim it if it has been activated by the true owner.? They wouldn't be able to "show it off" as their own - say at an event. I imagine they would have to keep it shamefully under wraps unless, of course, they can get it reactivated under their own name??!

[+Lemon Fresh Dog]

I kind of asked this question before but some keep saying that coins WILL eventually end up in someone's colection. I want and need to know: how can they justify this and how do they claim it if it has been activated by the true owner.? They wouldn't be able to "show it off" as their own - say at an event. I imagine they would have to keep it shamefully under wraps unless, of course, they can get it reactivated under their own name??!

 

A stolen coin cannot be re-activated under another name unless it is offered for adoption by the original owner. The thief does need to keep it "shamefully under wraps".

 

Many coins have a long and happy life on the road and are not stolen.

 

Folks that state that coins WILL end-up in someones collection are just a little........ negative.

Edited January 5, 2007 by Lemon Fresh Dog

[BRTango]

I kind of asked this question before but some keep saying that coins WILL eventually end up in someone's colection. I want and need to know: how can they justify this and how do they claim it if it has been activated by the true owner.? They wouldn't be able to "show it off" as their own - say at an event. I imagine they would have to keep it shamefully under wraps unless, of course, they can get it reactivated under their own name??!

 

A stolen coin cannot be re-activated under another name unless it is offered for adoption by the original owner. The thief does need to keep it "shamefully under wraps".

 

Many coins have a long and happy life on the road and are not stolen.

 

Folks that state that coins WILL end-up in someones collection are just a little........ negative.

 

I've encountered several coins that have had long and prosperous journey's... likewise, I've had a few that seem to have disappeared out of the first cache they were placed in. Like LFD says, some people will keep them "shamefully under wraps".

 

For the life of me I can't figure out why anyone would want to do that... and can only hope after they tire of them, they will release them back into the wild.

[+fairyhoney]

Thanks for the reply. BUT one has to wonder.... Why steal someone's coin??! I also think for some reason, "regular" travel bugs are kept maybe as momentos? I guess both of these are subjects that will always be wonderments and always asked until we're all blue, so to speak!

[+fairyhoney]

One more thing. Sorry I got this subject on a somewahat different track

[+tokencollector]

In fact if you are foolish enough to place coins in a cache then you will find that before long they have been stolen and are now part of a collection. If I am wrong please show me where a coin has been moved from one cache to another more than, say, a half a dozen times.

 

Check my profile under trackables. I'm often putting coins out, so many don't have logs yet or just have a few logs. On the other hand, there are other coins which have changed caches over a dozen times. There are a number of threads discussing loss of coins in caches. It does happen, but not as frequently as one might think by reading some posts in these theads. All travel bugs are likely to dissappear eventually - coins fare about as well as traditional TBs.

[+tokencollector]

One should remember that coins (and other TBs) dissappear for a number of reasons - most of which have little to do with (intentional) theft. My son and I have had a few coins stolen from caches - we just don't drop more coins in those areas. Most that have dissappeared are more likely due cache dissappearance (I was lucky that one cache owner found one of my coins in the road a few blocks from where his cache was muggled), pick-up by inexperienced cachers (mis-logged, no caches visited after coin was picked up), and accidental misplacement (The TX and NC micro coins are tiny - one cacher reported picking one up then loosing it. Heck, I've even lost one of my coins before placing it in a cache (these things do happen).

[team moon unit]

From a tadpole forum poster with lousy stats. Geocoins mean different things to different people. I only collect or buy Halloween themed coins.I was married on Halloween. Coins to us keep us in the "game", so to speak,as i can't cache due to my wife being injured and being permanantly bedfast. I cache when i can.Do some people profiteer coins? Yes! People steal coins from caches? Yes! I tend to think they are the exeption, not the rule.But please don't say people aren't cachers because they sell coins and don't have boo coup stats, thats just rude.

[+Confucius' Cat]

but the idea of placing a object, a GeoCoin, does not really seem to be in the spirit of GeoCaching if money can be made of it.

 

www.geocaching .COM

 

Need I say more?

[+sparkeeeee]

www.geocaching .COM

Need I say more?

 

Very wise cat once say.........