The Nerdery (have you noticed?)

[+Snoogans]

So, I have been noticing for the past few years (Since GW3) how geocoins have exploded on the geocaching scene. I have close to 80 geocoins mostly given to me by other cachers at events. I've seriously bought less than a dozen. I'd rather trade. It means more to me that way.

 

I think they're way cool, but I don't totally understand why they are so popular.

 

Anyhoo, I've noticed a dynamic forming around what I call, for lack of a better term, the"coin people" at geocaching events. I call it "The Nerdery."

 

I first noticed the formation of a nerdery while attending my first ever coin event in 2006, but now a little nerdery forms at nearly every event I attend.

 

Let me explain what a nerdery is to me. Those of you who ski on 2 skis will know what I'm talking about. It is very similar to listening to snowboarders talk. It's a completely different language.

 

A nerdery forms when 2 or more geocachers start talking about geocoins. It's a phenomenon that must be noticed from the outside to be fully appreciated.

 

At my first coin event, at the Texas Challenge, in 2006, I was simply amazed at how far geocoins had come. There were so many new (to me) numismatic terms being spoken of that my head spun. I just sorta avoided the whole coin thang for about a year, but then at GW4 I got handed a coin by just about everyone that shook my hand it seemed like and I wanted to learn more after that. If only to have something to give in return. Maybe even do a coin of my own someday.

 

I still haven't fired the bullet for a trackable Snoogans coin although I'm pretty sure I will some day. I went a different route than most when I chose to do smashed coins, (I bought my own coin press.) but it still turned me into a coin person. Now I have something of value to trade.

 

GW5 marked my first foray into the nerdery as a semi-participating member. Thinking that the run over to the Ramada after the GW5 Meet & Greet would be brief, I found my way into the Oak Coins sponsored room next door to the main event where I ended up having a great time for several hours. It was totally different than any non-official geocaching event I'd ever attended. I don't remember hearing one single caching story. It was all about coins and the subculture of coin people. Darned nice people BTW. It was just too goshdarned interesting to walk away from. Not only that, but I got carried away. I traded away my proof set and my entire run of one of a kind smashed coins knowing I could produce another proof set, but also knowing I wouldn't have it ready for the next day's event. I walked away with quite a few neat coins in trade. I was very happy and a teensy bit hooked.

 

Instead of selling the coins I produced at GW5 as I had planned, I chose to save most of them for the coin trading that was to happen as the event wound down. Rightfully, the largest tent at GW5 was reserved to house the geocoin nerdery. It was well after dark when I left. Again, with several nice trades to show. I only sold 6 sets (12 smashed coins per set) the entire weekend preferring to trade.

 

That night at midnight, there was an after party event at a "Klub" downtown and guess what? A spontaneous geocoin nerdery formed on the sidewalk out in front of the bar. I scored a non-trackable Lil Dorkfish Puffer coin there.

 

At the event I attended this past weekend another nerdery formed between me and 2 other cachers at the end of the event. I even instigated the nerdery to happen. Oh lord, I'm a coin person now.

 

I posted this in the general forum to see how many have noticed the things I've noticed before getting sucked in. Share some of your own observations.

 

In your responses please identify yourself as a coin person, a non-coin person, or whatever degree of a coin person you consider yourself to be.

Edited June 20, 2007 by Snoogans

[+007BigD]

Yeah Ive noticed! Im the one in the middle of the "nerdery" at the little local events here! Only Id call it the trading circle! And not only is it fun, but I see many others hovering over seein whats all the "Nerdery" about!

Its like Baseball card trading back in school, but only its Geocoins and your an adult...well at least appear to be! Or even just the guys showin their coins to cachers who dont have many coins...Seems they enjoy just lookin at em and maybe loggin a few.

Its interaction, its trading, its meeting new friends, its gettin cool coins you wanted or handin one out to someone whos stoked to get it!

For the traders, its great fun! You are interacting with another cacher with coin interests, of whom you may have only met through the forums, or just know as another "Coinicker" (as some will say). I have met some of my best friends (as far as caching goes) on the coin forums (and events) through trades, contests, secret missions and the general conversations and debates there. Many of the friends I stay in contact with here and there, we dont even talk about coins.

But at the trade table("The nerdery")...well thats whats goin on...COINS, whether it be coin talk or "Coinicker" talk. Its fun to tell where and how you got some of the good ones like the Secret Agent coin, or the 180 mile trip to the Easter coin bunny, that you barley snag! or even OOOOOOOOOOOOOH "Whataya want for that Hides and finds Ammocan!!!???"

 

Its fun and the coinickers are a little tighter than you would think...We're friends without ever even sendin a single PM or email and have you seen the lengths we go to meet up??? I dont see any of ya'lls throwin a GW5 after party!!!!

 

We are cachers- many just as hard as the next! Only we got a whole new swerve in the game thats all...and we like it!........ Join us or hover! ...Just dont call it the "Nerdery" I have a feeling we'll see ya around

 

TILL NEXT TIME!!!

CACHE HARD and CACHE ON!!!

[CoyoteRed]

"The Nerdery?" That sounds a bit ... derogatory.

 

While I don't really get the rabid desire for coins some folks have, it is a form of collecting. Some folks collect all sorts of things. I was just watching a home improvement show based on organizing various areas of the house and this episode featured a bachelor who was into sports. He had well over 20,000 baseball cards. When asked to pare down the collection to only a few and the rest would be put into storage, we kept 150(!) for display.

 

Me, I don't formally collect anything. Mementos, reference books, etc. don't count, IMHO. I never really got the whole collecting thing. $500 for a Cabbage Patch Kid? Are you insane?

 

So, considering the odd hobby we all enjoy it would seem to me the geocoin folks--if you take away the attachment to geocaching--are less nerdy than the rest of us.

 

Oh, I'm a non-geocoin person who have a very few. And, get this, the designer of the original South Carolina geocoin.

[+Snoogans]

"The Nerdery?" That sounds a bit ... derogatory.

 

 

I guess it could sound any way you want it to sound. It's not meant to be derogatory.

[CoyoteRed]

"The Nerdery?" That sounds a bit ... derogatory.

I guess it could sound any way you want it to sound. It's not meant to be derogatory.

That's no answer. Meant to be derogatory and how folks perceive it can be two completely different things.

[+Quiggle]

Moving over to the Geocoin forum.

 

I'd suggest keeping it on-topic over there if you want the discussion to remain open. If you have an issue with a post, use the , not the button as it only derails the topic.

 

Thanks.

[+Cheesy pigs]

I am an official coin nerd....and proud of it! I go around spreading nerdery wherever it is needed. And sometimes even wherever it isn't....

 

Long live nerdery!

[+D@nim@l]

I, being a "coin person", prefer the term "coinfluence".

 

...and thank you so much for your consideration in deciding to grace us with your presence.

Edited June 20, 2007 by D@nim@l

[+MustangJoni]

I, being a "coin person", prefer the term "coinfluence".

 

 

Yes, I think we have our own term for what we are.

 

Nerdery = Nerds - We are all that (according to my son) by virtue of being Geocachers.

Edited June 20, 2007 by MustangJoni

[CinemaBoxers]

I thought we were coinickers? But maybe its called a Nerdery when we gather into groups. (Like a Murder of crows)

[+fox-and-the-hound]

I thought we were coinickers? But maybe its called a Nerdery when we gather into groups. (Like a Murder of crows)

 

It's funny, that even non-coin people get hypnotized by the shine of a geocoin. I remember the lenghts we went through to see a coin first hand the first time. That was just for a generic, too. There's just somthing about the glow of gold and silver in a big locked box that brings out the pirate in all of us!

[CinemaBoxers]

 

It's funny, that even non-coin people get hypnotized by the shine of a geocoin. I remember the lenghts we went through to see a coin first hand the first time. That was just for a generic, too. There's just somthing about the glow of gold and silver in a big locked box that brings out the pirate in all of us!

 

ARRRRRGH! Avast ye matey.. show me the booty! Um.. yeah, you know what I mean.

(Well, thats what pirates say, isnt it???)

[+CheshireFrog]

I thought we were coinickers? But maybe its called a Nerdery when we gather into groups. (Like a Murder of crows)

 

Yes, I think Nerdery is the right term for a group. In much the same way that a hatchery produces chicks, a Nerdery produces people who suddenly find that they are into coins.

[+Renegade Knight]

I thought we were coinickers? But maybe its called a Nerdery when we gather into groups. (Like a Murder of crows)

 

Yes, I think Nerdery is the right term for a group. In much the same way that a hatchery produces chicks, a Nerdery produces people who suddenly find that they are into coins.

 

By that logic a nerdery would produce pencil necked geeks with coke bottle glasses, pocket protectors, and a knack for all things mechanical and electrical, and since I'm borrowing from Dilbert on this one, utter social ineptitude. They wouldn't even know how to form a click.

 

I like the coinikers moniker myself. Snoogans has noticed that people with something in common tend to talk about what they have in common. Coins just happens to be new in the world of geocaching. With events tending to be larger than the days of old (when we all just had caching in common...) groups are going to form around the aspects of caching that people enjoy.

[+Eartha]

We have a thread started for Geocoin Terminology. If you would like a newbie course in geocoins, here it is for you. There is also the pinned resource thread at the top of page 1 of the geocoin forums.

 

I think "nerdery", while it is a funny word, sounds too generic. I like "coinfluence" and it goes along with what we do. Coinicker reminds me too much of moniker, or Snickers bars. And "coinies" sounds kind of like calling a person a "townie" when you are living in their town, but are from away. People do like geocoins to have something to do with caching, why not the nickname too? When talking in the singular, I would just say "collector".

[+D@nim@l]

I thought we were coinickers? But maybe its called a Nerdery when we gather into groups. (Like a Murder of crows)

 

It's funny, that even non-coin people get hypnotized by the shine of a geocoin.

 

 

I recall in from another thread that a "nicker" ie "coinicker" would mean a coin thief to people in parts of England and Austraila

[+The Moop Along]

 

 

 

That is awesome

[+Marky]

I, being a "coin person", prefer the term "coinfluence".

I think this term much better describes a group of geocachers that have gravitated towards each other because of a common love of geocoins. Nerdery has no meaning to me what so ever. What do geocoins have to do with nerds? If you don't answer "nothing", I'm going to whack you with my GBA Deathmarch coin!

 

--Marky

[+fox-and-the-hound]

I thought we were coinickers? But maybe its called a Nerdery when we gather into groups. (Like a Murder of crows)

 

It's funny, that even non-coin people get hypnotized by the shine of a geocoin.

 

 

I recall in from another thread that a "nicker" ie "coinicker" would mean a coin thief to people in parts of England and Austraila

 

Love that!! The one in the cone is hysterical!

Edited June 20, 2007 by fox-and-the-hound

[+Snoogans]

I have close to 80 geocoins mostly given to me by other cachers at events. I've seriously bought less than a dozen. I'd rather trade. It means more to me that way.

 

 

Oh lord, I'm a coin person now.

 

 

I bought 19 coins today with the intention of releasing 9 of them into the wild. Told ya I was sucked in. I'm not dyed in the wool yet though.

 

 

I posted this in the general forum to see how many have noticed the things I've noticed before getting sucked in. Share some of your own observations.

 

In your responses please identify yourself as a coin person, a non-coin person, or whatever degree of a coin person you consider yourself to be.

 

 

Umm, little help here? This thread wasn't meant for the coin forum. Can I get it moved back to the general forum? Quiggle must not have read my OP and he/she didn't respond to my PM.

[+Michael]

The moderators do a great job keeping threads in the correct forum. The general subject is about coins and belongs here. Requesting it not be moved is not a guarantee that it will not be moved.

Edited June 21, 2007 by Michael

[+Shop99er]

I thought we were coinickers? But maybe its called a Nerdery when we gather into groups. (Like a Murder of crows)

 

It's funny, that even non-coin people get hypnotized by the shine of a geocoin.

 

 

I recall in from another thread that a "nicker" ie "coinicker" would mean a coin thief to people in parts of England and Austraila

 

Love that!! The one in the cone is hysterical!

 

I didn't notice the cone last night!! Just after reading the posts today!!

 

That's hysterical---Satellite Head!!

Edited June 21, 2007 by Shop99er

[bogleman]

I enjoy lurking around in the "coin section", I like seeing all the designs and the such. Now I have had 4 coins in my collection - 3 of which were given away as a prize so that leaves me with 1 hand made coin - goooooo me.

 

I was at an event a few months ago and I was doing the normal chit chat. Things got quiet and I was staring at my Coke. I noticed a father/son sitting a few tables away from me. I've never seen them before and they appeared a bit shy. I notice the boy had a typical coin binder. I thought to myself, I'm doing no good sitting here looking at my Coke, ask the boy what he's got there.

 

A twinkle in his eye and a grin on his face he told me the entire story behind nearly every coin he had. Dad was just as proud (of his son as well).

 

I must agree that coins really hit some folks pretty hard.

[+Michael]

I enjoy lurking around in the "coin section", I like seeing all the designs and the such. Now I have had 4 coins in my collection - 3 of which were given away as a prize so that leaves me with 1 hand made coin - goooooo me.

 

I was at an event a few months ago and I was doing the normal chit chat. Things got quiet and I was staring at my Coke. I noticed a father/son sitting a few tables away from me. I've never seen them before and they appeared a bit shy. I notice the boy had a typical coin binder. I thought to myself, I'm doing no good sitting here looking at my Coke, ask the boy what he's got there.

 

A twinkle in his eye and a grin on his face he told me the entire story behind nearly every coin he had. Dad was just as proud (of his son as well).

 

I must agree that coins really hit some folks pretty hard.

 

As a parent I can tell you that was a very generous thing to do. No matter the age of the child you contributed to his sense of self worth. Thank you.

[+Snoogans]

The moderators do a great job keeping threads in the correct forum. The general subject is about coins and belongs here. Requesting it not be moved is not a guarantee that it will not be moved.

 

 

I'm a veteran of these forums. I didn't post this thread in the geocaching topics forum by mistake. Just because the thread has the word geocoin in it, that doesn't mean it belongs in the geocoin forum.

 

 

Please read the title and OP again. I wrote the OP to an audience that wouldn't BE in the coin forum.

 

It is NOT a thread about geocoins. It is a thread about a relatively new and GROWING subset of geocachers from an outsider's perspective. I had hoped that some of those outside the geocoin forum perspective would respond.

 

I placed the thread in the general forum to expose those that haven't taken the time to understand as I once did. That audience isn't in the coin forum.... Ya dig?

[+ArtieD]

I'm a veteran of these forums. I didn't post this thread in the geocaching topics forum by mistake. Just because the thread has the word geocoin in it, that doesn't mean it belongs in the geocoin forum.

 

Please read the title and OP again. I wrote the OP to an audience that wouldn't BE in the coin forum.

 

It is NOT a thread about geocoins. It is a thread about a relatively new and GROWING subset of geocachers from an outsider's perspective. I had hoped that some of those outside the geocoin forum perspective would respond.

 

I placed the thread in the general forum to expose those that haven't taken the time to understand as I once did. That audience isn't in the coin forum.... Ya dig?

 

[+D@nim@l]

The moderators do a great job keeping threads in the correct forum. The general subject is about coins and belongs here. Requesting it not be moved is not a guarantee that it will not be moved.

 

 

I'm a veteran of these forums. I didn't post this thread in the geocaching topics forum by mistake.

 

It is NOT a thread about geocoins.

 

I placed the thread in the general forum to expose those that haven't taken the time to understand as I once did. That audience isn't in the coin forum.... Ya dig?

 

To me it seems like a typical Snoogans thread that is meant to stir the pot in general forums and to poke fun at the behavior of "coin people" by call their activities by a cute little name you think you invented. By getting sent here you fail at that attempt. So you have a choice, keep it up and irritate the coin people or let drop and start buying and trading coins.

Edited June 21, 2007 by D@nim@l

[+brumbjorn]

<<snip>>

 

I still haven't fired the bullet for a trackable Snoogans coin although I'm pretty sure I will some day. I went a different route than most when I chose to do smashed coins, (I bought my own coin press.) but it still turned me into a coin person. Now I have something of value to trade.

 

 

<</snip>>

 

DUDE! I need a set of these! I have a friend who I am working on becoming my regular geocaching buddy (she JUST registered here) and if you think the Geo Coin people are crazy, you should meet Elongated Coin (the technical name for smashed pennies) people! She has thousands of them. I mean, THOUSANDS. She used to be the editor for the national Elongated Coin Collector organization (no clue what the name is) quarterly magazine. Seriously, I was talking to to her and when I mentioned geocoins, her ears pricked up and then she asked if she could leave smashed pennies in caches!

 

Smashed pennies are cool!

[+Snoogans]

The moderators do a great job keeping threads in the correct forum. The general subject is about coins and belongs here. Requesting it not be moved is not a guarantee that it will not be moved.

 

I'm a veteran of these forums. I didn't post this thread in the geocaching topics forum by mistake.

 

It is NOT a thread about geocoins.

 

I placed the thread in the general forum to expose those that haven't taken the time to understand as I once did. That audience isn't in the coin forum.... Ya dig?

 

To me it seems like a typical Snoogans thread that is meant to stir the pot in general forums and to poke fun at the behavior of "coin people" by call their activities by a cute little name you think you invented. By getting sent here you fail at that attempt. So you have a choice, keep it up and irritate the coin people or let drop and start buying and trading coins.

 

 

Did you even read my OP? Ummm, yeah. Lots of people are irritated. That was my goal all along. Way to crack the case inspector. Not. Please examine my entire posting history and see if your "pot stirrer" label sticks. No forum sheep am I, but a pot stirrer? You must only read drama threads.

 

 

I heard the word nerdery somewhere and thought it applied well with my observation. Where did I state that I invented it?

 

 

I posted the thread to expose the very differently exciting world of "coin people" to those, like me, who passed it bye from lack of understanding. This is an intimidating forum for those that know nothing about geocoins. The learning curve in here is verrry steep compared to other forums.

 

 

The thread can be closed now. It serves no purpose here.

Edited June 21, 2007 by Snoogans

[+Snoogans]

<<snip>>

 

I still haven't fired the bullet for a trackable Snoogans coin although I'm pretty sure I will some day. I went a different route than most when I chose to do smashed coins, (I bought my own coin press.) but it still turned me into a coin person. Now I have something of value to trade.

 

 

<</snip>>

 

DUDE! I need a set of these! I have a friend who I am working on becoming my regular geocaching buddy (she JUST registered here) and if you think the Geo Coin people are crazy, you should meet Elongated Coin (the technical name for smashed pennies) people! She has thousands of them. I mean, THOUSANDS. She used to be the editor for the national Elongated Coin Collector organization (no clue what the name is) quarterly magazine. Seriously, I was talking to to her and when I mentioned geocoins, her ears pricked up and then she asked if she could leave smashed pennies in caches!

 

Smashed pennies are cool!

 

 

She edited for TEC? I just joined. I still haven't gotten my membership #. I'll PM ya soon. We'll trade.

Edited June 21, 2007 by Snoogans

[+501_Gang]

I've had the chance to talk to snoogans about a week ago on the phone and from talking with him, I feel he wasn't trying to disrespect us at all. I actually thought it to be kind of funny. I'm sure the Non-coin people do think we are all crazy and wonder what we all see in these shinny peices of metal that would make us throw our hard earned money at. Just my opinion. I know, opinions are like -------'s, everyone has one............

Edited June 21, 2007 by 501_Gang

[+Eartha]

Closed at the OP's request.