geocoins

[+zonata]

In case you couldn't tell, I'm fairly new to this hobby. So I see people talking about geocoins and I thought I understood what they were all about. But then, I see where people mention taking them, trading them, moving them to a new cache and so on. My big question is, when is it "OK" to take a geocoin that you find in a cache? In general, are you always supposed to keep moving them like a travel bug, or are they fair game like swag? I've seen at least two while caching and have left them both. To confuse things even more, one of the coins I found had a single dice (die?) with it. It instructed to roll the die, 20 it moves -1 it stays. But what if you roll one of the other 18 numbers? LOL. Anyway, sounds like there are plenty of variable in knowing what to with geocoins.

 

Thanks for the help,

 

zonata

[+JDandDD]

In case you couldn't tell, I'm fairly new to this hobby. So I see people talking about geocoins and I thought I understood what they were all about. But then, I see where people mention taking them, trading them, moving them to a new cache and so on. My big question is, when is it "OK" to take a geocoin that you find in a cache? In general, are you always supposed to keep moving them like a travel bug, or are they fair game like swag? I've seen at least two while caching and have left them both. To confuse things even more, one of the coins I found had a single dice (die?) with it. It instructed to roll the die, 20 it moves -1 it stays. But what if you roll one of the other 18 numbers? LOL. Anyway, sounds like there are plenty of variable in knowing what to with geocoins.

 

Thanks for the help,

 

zonata

Keep em moving. They are not like normal swag. They are intended to travel around. Check on the traveller's pages for the coin's current goal and help it get there. In my opinion, it is never OK to keep a coin you find in a cache. You can only keep coins that you bought it yourself.

 

If I really like a coin, I buy two, one to travel and one I keep.

 

JD

[+The Jester]

In case you couldn't tell, I'm fairly new to this hobby. So I see people talking about geocoins and I thought I understood what they were all about. But then, I see where people mention taking them, trading them, moving them to a new cache and so on. My big question is, when is it "OK" to take a geocoin that you find in a cache? In general, are you always supposed to keep moving them like a travel bug, or are they fair game like swag? I've seen at least two while caching and have left them both. To confuse things even more, one of the coins I found had a single dice (die?) with it. It instructed to roll the die, 20 it moves -1 it stays. But what if you roll one of the other 18 numbers? LOL. Anyway, sounds like there are plenty of variable in knowing what to with geocoins.

 

Thanks for the help,

 

zonata

Keep em moving. They are not like normal swag. They are intended to travel around. Check on the traveller's pages for the coin's current goal and help it get there. In my opinion, it is never OK to keep a coin you find in a cache. You can only keep coins that you bought it yourself.

 

If I really like a coin, I buy two, one to travel and one I keep.

 

JD

It really depends on if they are trackable (here or other sites) AND activated. I've bought coins that I've never activated and drop in caches. They are swag.

[Keystone]

Moving thread from Geocaching Topics to the Geocoins Forum.

[+Lovey Pigs]

if it has a tracking number, then I would really check first to see if activated, etc... I have picked up several wooden 'coins' with team names, etc.. without any tracking numbers and I have traded them out to keep. but if has tracking code on it would guess it is meant to be moved on.

[+Ryder3 & Better Half]

It can go both ways,If you punch in the tracking # you will get a history of the coins travels.

 

If on the other hand it comes up unregistered,it is probably swag.

[+GeoSmurfz]

Some people leave them for swag so use them for travel. Like the person above me I would check. If it is activated then move it along. If it is not I would check with the owner and see if it is swag or maybe it got mixed with the one that was activiated or maybe they forgot to activate it. So I would always check with the owner.

[+Frozen Buns]

I agree with check with owner, I try to leave unactivated coins in really cool caches, and if the person who finds it wants to keep it fine, but I have had most activate it so they can watch it travel. Been surprised that most cachers have told me it is their first trackable and they want to set it free. Way to go.

[CinemaBoxers]

I would always take a coin from a cache, regardless if activated or not... If it's not activated, I treat them as swag and would activate and release it... and if it's activated, I would log my find and move it along. Either way, it's another coin out there moving and logging miles! YAY!

 

~J

[+S&G.Davison]

I'm finding (touch wood) that my travelling coins are doing better than the original travel tags. Seem to be appreciated for sharing too.

 

Sue

[+Landsharkz]

We often leave unactivated coins in caches but they clearly state where to get the activation code and they are in a stapled poly bag.

It's kinda sad, but we've stopped logging online that we left a coin and also delayed logging our local finds because people read our logs and go snag the unactivated coins in multiples if we've been on a cache blitz. Now we keep note of the caches and log them a few days or a week later. One night on the cache trail (night caching!), we met some other cachers who logged a cache right after us. They saw that we had left a coin and then went back to the other caches we'd done that night ( a bunch of new releases that they had logged before us) and traded for all the coins from our outing. I think we should switch to leaving McD's toys for a while!