Who is the best GeoCoin Manufactuer

[CaptianJackSparrow]

I am looking forward to getting my own coin made however, who do I choose? After talking to a couple I feel way over my head. I am looking for someone who does great work and will make the process less painful for me. And I don't have to mortgage my house I've been reading the forums and have a few ideas but I want to know what you REALLY think

 

Thank you for the individuals who supported my question. Those of you who just were down right insulting thanks appreciate it. Yeah I know there are people that have their favorites. Thats why I asked and I know that you don't want people advertising. But what if just what if you all have someone you wouldn't go to? And with quotes rangining from $1,300-$2,500 that you all know someone who isn't there to rip you off. We all love geocoins that is why we are here. When you buy a car you ask around. When you buy a house you try to get a reliable agent. If you buy a refrigerator you gather information. When you are slapping down over $1000 dollars and there are over 100 vendors you want to know when someone loves what they are doing or it's just a buck to them. WOW! Let surprised that right out of the gates a new member already has hate MAIL. Welcome to the club!

Edited January 21, 2007 by CaptianJackSparrow

[+SeabeckTribe]

Try here. Personal Geocoins Check out his coin gallery. Rusty has done good by me. All I do is give him ideas. He runs with it and comes up with great coins.

 

Best of luck. Hope to see a personal coin of yours soon.

 

Lummieh

[Team Macha]

You will get all kinda of responses for this because it is all based on personal preference. I think the best way to go is just to pick one and go with them. They are all relatively the same, and offer very similar pricing and design options. So go out on a limb and try one out and see if you like them if you don't then you will know not to go back to them if you make another coin.

 

 

 

 

Go with Oakcoins!

[+Mama Cache]

The Hogwild Stuff coin making guide

 

Great info here. Very helpful and super guy.

[+AtlantaGal]

Find out what it is you want out of a vendor. Is it price? Someone to hold your hand? Someone who either is or has relationships with coins artists to create your coin for you? Etc. Then get quotes from 3-4 and select the one that best meets all your needs.

[+Hula Bum]

In all honesty, we all have our personal favorite companies, and all you're going to get here is varying opinions. Look at the coins you like, and see who they were made by. They are all competitive, so it really comes down to personalities and who you want to work with. We all feel very strongly about who we use, so instead of this turning into an advertising war for the coin makers, take some time to see who you want to go with, as that is more important than what any of us say. What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another.

[+whitebear]

I agree lets not sponsor the yellow pages here ...but look through the coins you like & see who made them then contact 3 or 4 of the makes & see who fits your personal style

[+Cornerstone4]

I am looking forward to getting my own coin made however, who do I choose? After talking to a couple I feel way over my head. I am looking for someone who does great work and will make the process less painful for me. And I don't have to mortgage my house I've been reading the forums and have a few ideas but I want to know what you REALLY think

 

Come to the GeoCoinfest next month...

 

Many of the vendors will be there, and you can go over your ideas there. Meeting them in person may help you decide.

[+chief20r2]

I am looking forward to getting my own coin made however, who do I choose? After talking to a couple I feel way over my head. I am looking for someone who does great work and will make the process less painful for me. And I don't have to mortgage my house I've been reading the forums and have a few ideas but I want to know what you REALLY think

 

Come to the GeoCoinfest next month...

 

Many of the vendors will be there, and you can go over your ideas there. Meeting them in person may help you decide.

 

That's what I plan on doing since I will be attending. Did think about having them done before so I would have them available for some trading but since I do have alot of questions and nothing better than talking face to face I did hold off. I have submitted my artwork for approval to Groundspeak and I do have a few vendors in mind but plan on talking to all of them to get as many ideas as possible.

[CaptianJackSparrow]

Dang

Edited January 21, 2007 by CaptianJackSparrow

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

To the OP -

 

I'm not sure why you've edited your first post today instead of posting at the end of this thread - but I'll try not to speculate.

 

You mention some people being "down right insulting" - there is nothing I see in the thread that would support this statement.

 

You also mention that there are "over 100 vendors" to choose from. I'm not sure where you get 100, but if you look at the pinned thread at the top of this page you will find a short list of vendors who work with Groundspeak often.

 

Finally, you mention "a new member already has hate MAIL". Please forward me any "hate mail" that you have received and we will make sure that Groundspeak is aware of it.

 

Hate mail or other abuse using the tools of this site will not be tolerated.

[+nielsenc]

 

And with quotes rangining from $1,300-$2,500 that you all know someone who isn't there to rip you off.

 

 

Make sure you compare the quotes, Apples to Apples. I know a few people on this board have gotten LOW quotes but the company they were going through didnt quote out tracking, just tracking engraving. Makes a big difference if they include the Groundspeak $1.50 a number or not.

 

Good Luck!

[+Renegade Knight]

For the most part what you are getting with a coin maker is a company to interface with the factory for you. The coin makers themselves are usually in China or Korea. There are exceptions. Typically though you won't be able to afford "Made in the USA".

 

The key things you want are no suprises, expert knowledge in what the coin factor can and can't do, good service, and a reasonable price.

[+crake]

I second the apples-to-apples.

 

Make sure you include:

 

Die charges

Engraving setup

Engraving

Groundspeak numbers

Groundspeak icon (if you want it)

Sample fee (if applied - you should ask)

Shipping (not insignificant)

Extra options: Gold and silver are more. Antiqued is more. Hard enamel is more, etc.

 

But above EVERYTHING ELSE make sure you enjoy this experience! Making your own coin is an awesome thing to do. Don't let it get too overwhelming - there are plenty of good names mentioned and pinned at the top of the forums. I also have my thoughts... in an edited form:

 

Here are the steps I recommend:

 

1. Ask yourself some questions:

A. What would you like out of this coin? Personal sig item? Event Coin? Commemorative?

B. Do you want them trackable at Geocaching.com? This adds $1.50 to each coin, but many only collect or trade trackable coins.

C. Do you want a custom coin name and icon at Geocaching.com? This costs $150 with a 250 coin minimum.

D. What size coin do you want? Most coins are 1.5" to 1.75". My coins are generally 1.75" or 2" in diameter. For odd shapes, fit it inside of a box, and then the longest edge of the box sets the size for pricing.

E. What quantifies are you looking for? 100 qty coins are considered rare. Popular coins may be minted in qty of 1000+. Most personal coins seem to be minted in the 300-500 qty range.

F. What features do you want to incorporate in your coin. Here are some options:

i. Finish: Silver, Gold, Copper, Black Nickel, Nickel in Antiqued, Polish, Satin to name a few options.

ii. Colors: Yes or No?

iii. 2D (flat design) or 3D (relief). 3D is roughly 2x the die cost, and you can mix/match with 2D on one side, and 3D on the other.

iv. Enamel type (if using colors): Soft (more textured result) or hard (flat surface). Hard is slightly more expensive.

v. Glow-in-the-dark colors? Again, more expensive, but the effect can be cool.

vi. Suncatcher enamel? This is a see-through coin with colored enamel, well, like a Suncatcher!

vii. Glitter in the enamel? It has its place, but use sparingly!

viii. Transparent enamel? This is clear and you can see the metal through the enamel.

ix. Epoxy or no? Clear epoxy protects the surface of the coin but removes the "feel" of the coin.

2. Take your list of features and sketch out what you want for the artwork. The more detail the better, but it doesn't have to be perfect. The minting company can take anything from a sketch on a napkin to a fully rendered artwork complete with PMS colors. But again, the more detail the better!

3. Contact minting companies to go over options and pricing. There are a lot of folks out there who will do the minting for you. Most contract with mints in China, and its very common for several people to contract with the same mint! When you contact a company make sure you ask about the following:

A. What does their quote include (some prices online only list the strike price and don't include shipping, tracking numbers and engraving, dies, etc.).

B. What art services do they provide?

C. What schedule do they propose (how long for art approval, first articles, and production)

D. Do they offer a resell option (if you want to sell your coin at their site)?

4. Determine how you would like to cover the costs (pay 100% yourself, sell to cover expense, take free coins in return for the minting company to sell (and take the profit) from your coin, etc.). Your options depend on what the minting company will offer.

5. Select the minting company, submit your artwork, and start the process.

6. Get samples prior to production! I strongly recommend you see the coin in-hand before ordering production to give you a chance to review the actual coin before you pay big bucks.

7. Wait patiently.

8. Enjoy your coins!

[+merkman]

My vote is for Rusty at Personal Geocoins. Top notch service before and after the sale, great product, no surprises, and he knows his stuff!!!

 

Thanks Rusty!

 

merkman

CACHE MN geocoin

[+CachingCoins]

Before I had my coin minted, I wanted to ask the same question. I know everyone has their own favorites. That's why I wanted to ask. What makes them your favorites? Why did you go with them in the first place? Everything Crake says is important, but it overwhelmed me. I wanted someone who would hold my hand through the process & make it as easy as possible for me. I contacted the person that had been the most responsive to me in e-mails about other coins, concerns & problems. That was the basis for my pick. I contacted Steve at Hogwild & said, I want to make a coin. I don't have a design. I do have an unusual request for the release. In other words, I didn't have a clue what I was doing & I knew it & I wanted him to know it! The process was soooo easy! I would do it again in a heartbeat!! I hope this helps!!

[+mrking]

Well, I have to put my hat in say Landsharkz.ca have excellent service, quality and price for their coin manufacturing.

[+LadeBear68]

My personal coins were made by Coins and Pins. Excellent quality and communication. The main reason I wanted my personal coins done by C&P was because of the quality of the coins they put out. There are several Geocoins that I have had in my possession that had flaws on the rims, poor coloring, etc. I think you can gain a lot of knowledge from coins the manufacturer has already produced.