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to activate or not to activate


archi77

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So, when you have an order arrive with it's 10, 20, 30, or 100 coins, do you go through and activate them all? Just the ones you plan to keep and not trade? None at all? Just curious what other's do...my first coin came this week, and I have an order enroute as I type...

 

Thanks.

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I activate only if I'm releasing them, or a few i keep in a binder to show at events.

 

activating diminishes the value to collectors.

 

Most people will only trade for unactivated coins.

 

Unless its one of the very few thats impossible to get unactivated, like Moun10bike, Purple Paws, Jeep'en Jumpers, Groundspeak Lackey, and usually Groundspeak Volunteer

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When I started collecting, I activated them as soon as I got them. Not many people in my area really collected coins though. So I started bringing them with me to events, and showing them off. I made a list so that those that saw them could discover them. I also brought 2 or 3 to each meeting to be given away as "door prizes" Now there are several folks in our club that collects, and lots of lists flying around.

 

I can't say that I was the one that sparked their interests, but it's cool to see more and more folks showing up at events with their coin collections. I have pretty much stopped activating new coins now unless I release them, but every now and then I'll activate a couple to add to my list so that others can log them at events.

 

So, yes, activation does make the coin lose some trading value. But there is plenty of value to be gained in seeing someone's face light up when they see your coins, and then get a big list for them to log when they get back home.

 

just my $.02

Edited by rasj
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I enjoy sharing our coins/icons with other cachers, so we activate all of our non-traders. I have to say, it's always nice to see the rarer coins, but a bit of a bummer to find out they aren't activated and can't be logged.

 

I have seen plenty of traders that aren't keep in binders and are banged around as much (or more) than activated keepers.

 

I'm finding this info really informative!

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Why is it that an activated coin is so unappealing for collectors?

 

I think the largest reason is that geocoins cannot be unactivated.

At one point the theft of traveling geocoins factored into the attitude but I am not sure that it is the reason anymore. I activate geocoins for several reasons but the most common one is to create a set of icons in my profile that help others see who I am. I activate local geocoins, country geocoins, CITO geocoins, event geocoins or any other geocoin which I construe as belonging in my profile.

I do have a geocoin traveler but I consider the TB to be far superior so I usually don't release geocoins. Bulk activation is not something I have ever done but sometimes I do retrieve activation codes and include them on a card with a giveaway geocoin. I do that so that the card included with the giveaway coin can act as a keepsake and the geocoin can be traded or sold.

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Good Question

Me I'm new to this I activate the ones I'm sure I want to keep (like the $45 2007 Black Nickel Compass Rose) won't do that again and hold off activating the ones I'm considering to trade / Sell. Still trying to figure out if the expense is worth it......

 

You spent that much??

 

Why didn't you get any when they were sold? I spent around $45 for *all* the different metals (black nickel, satin gold, antique bronze, antique silver) offered minus the very scarce XLE silver/gold one that wasn't really sold to the masses.

 

On-topic, though...I activate my coins...I don't collect too many and I like taking them to events so people can discover them.

Edited by Arthur & Trillian
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I don't activate mine just in case I have to sell the collection later. BTW I just checked and my Jeep'en Jumpers coin is NOT activated.

Yea, thats something he started doing later on, once some of his coins ended up on ebay I believe.

 

He now only trades them activated, check his profile I believe there info in there about it.

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Great timing for this. I too had gone through the activate or not. Currently I only activate the ones I'm about to release and never activate the ones I'd bought for trading purposes. So the grey area is around the ones I'm going to keep. I've held off activating just in case I later decide to trade or sell, but then I don't get the icon in my list, not can other collectors "discover" them at events.

 

Sue

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There are not many people down here in New Zealand who trade/collect coins unfortunately :) - which makes it way expensive for me to do it coincidentaly.

 

Hence a large number of the coins in my collection are activated so as to allow people at events I take them to to discover them and log them, since they will usually not have ever seen them before due to the very limited number of coins that travel down this way. It is a real buzz hearing people admire the coins, and from the comments they log against the coins it is very much appreciated... giving a lasting buzz :wub:

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Good Question

Me I'm new to this I activate the ones I'm sure I want to keep (like the $45 2007 Black Nickel Compass Rose) won't do that again and hold off activating the ones I'm considering to trade / Sell. Still trying to figure out if the expense is worth it......

 

You spent that much??

 

Why didn't you get any when they were sold? I spent around $45 for *all* the different metals (black nickel, satin gold, antique bronze, antique silver) offered minus the very scarce XLE silver/gold one that wasn't really sold to the masses.

 

On-topic, though...I activate my coins...I don't collect too many and I like taking them to events so people can discover them.

 

Well the coin appealed to me and as I've said before I just got into this I now have two of the black nickel Compass roses the second one cost me $18. I only paid that much for two reasons I didn't know better and it Appealed to me I was actually outbid on 3 other auctions for that coin. After I bought that one and a "Gold Stop the Geocoin Thief " I found other coins available from the Manufacturers.

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Good Question

Me I'm new to this I activate the ones I'm sure I want to keep (like the $45 2007 Black Nickel Compass Rose) won't do that again and hold off activating the ones I'm considering to trade / Sell. Still trying to figure out if the expense is worth it......

 

You spent that much??

 

Why didn't you get any when they were sold? I spent around $45 for *all* the different metals (black nickel, satin gold, antique bronze, antique silver) offered minus the very scarce XLE silver/gold one that wasn't really sold to the masses.

 

On-topic, though...I activate my coins...I don't collect too many and I like taking them to events so people can discover them.

 

Well the coin appealed to me and as I've said before I just got into this I now have two of the black nickel Compass roses the second one cost me $18. I only paid that much for two reasons I didn't know better and it Appealed to me I was actually outbid on 3 other auctions for that coin. After I bought that one and a "Gold Stop the Geocoin Thief " I found other coins available from the Manufacturers.

 

I gotcha... :)

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Why is it that an activated coin is so unappealing for collectors?

 

I'm a collector, and I'll accept a trade for any activated coin on my seeking list, no problem!

 

I activate so I can share. At event time, I flip through the binder and grab a selection, so I want them all to be activated. I have found that people really enjoy seeing coins at events, and most of those like to log them.

 

I've accepted around two dozen activated coins in trades.

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I usually don't activate mine. I really don't care about the icons. Its just to me that they are more valuable unactivated. Also since this is a hobby I don't know if something unexpected might come up as someone else mentioned. I am currently selling some to pay some very unexpected vet bills and so the fact that they are unactivated makes them more appealing.

 

Some of the keepers I have listed also may be traded in the future. Being unactivated makes that easier

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My entire collection is activated . . . . . . . . . . . . . of course there are only seven geocoins in it as of today.

I dunno nothing about adoption. Only been at his 2 months and have never even heard of adoption. I guess I need to get out of this coin forum and look around more to find out what that is about. Is thee a topic for adoptions or a thread? Adoption might be a more economical way for my poor arse to build my coin collection to the point that I actually need a container to hold them in. lol That wouild be sweet.

 

Peace

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I activate the coins that I intend to keep in my collection and the coins I intend to send out into caches.

 

I also keep some extra unactivated coins for coin trading.

 

I have also accepted some activated coins in trade. The draw back is that they display a different place of origin on the coin page then the place I am from.

 

I recently found out however, that if you have the activation code, you can re-enter the coin on the GC.com coin activation page and change it's place of origin, so save those activation codes! It will keep the value higher.

 

The other draw back to activated coins is that they may have a log history. I personally would choose to keep the previous log entries with any activated coins I trade for. Some people collect coin icons on their trackables pages and deleting their entries would mean taking away those icons.

 

So far I've only made two trades for activated coins and both times, they came without any log history, so it's never been an issue.

 

But keep in mind that if you intend to trade away your activated coins, keeping the activation codes with them will increase their value.

 

Happy trading!

Tom

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I look at the place of origin and the previous log entries as a bonus. Especially if the original owner kept the coin in a cache close to home. Then, after I put the coin in my own coin-stash-cache, I can see it's journey from the original owner to me in google earth.

 

I also keep the original name, even if it has the geocacher's handle in it.

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Greets, When I started to collect coins I activated about 50-60, After that I started to only to activate the ones I set free to travel. I am not a icon person so matters not to me to have a bunch of them in my profile, What I enjoy most is reading the travelers logs. I have been fortunate so far, knock wood, none have gone missing and folks enjoy moving them and having friends discover them between moves, folks enjoying my coins is wonderfull :ph34r:

 

I do keep the avtivated ones, and non-trackables together so folks can discover the ones in my collection thst are activated and the many, many personals that are non-trackables.

 

In addition if I traded for a activated coin, I retain the logs on the coin as well. Its part of the history of the coin :ph34r:

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