Geocoin thief deterants

[+Globetrotter.uk]

How do you stop Geocoins from being pinched?

 

Do you drill them?

 

attach a tag?

 

or have you a better idea

[+TrailGators]

1) Asking that they only be placed them in Members Only caches will help.

2) Asking that they only be placed in caches not visible to muggles will help.

[+Vodor and Scorsby]

A list of good way to stop geocoins getting nicked

 

- Dont put them out, instead put out a note with the tracking number (laminated) with sorry I nicked it first written on the back

- Buy really naff coins that no-one will nick

- Superglue them to the cache lid

- Fit them with a real life (car style) GPS tracking device

- Drill a mahoosive hole in it leaving only the rim then attach a makeshift TB Tag to it

- Connect it to a car battery secreted beneath the cache.

- Place it in a cache where no one visits.....ever...

- Have your own coins minted from uranium, so even if it does get nicked the thief dies, plus it will glow in the dark (pretty )

- Disguise it as a macdonalds toy

 

Or if all else fails, accept that there are some low lifes out there that nick coins for god knows what reason and just put them out knowing they are going to get nicked by some crettin eventually so its a challenge to see how far it goes before it gets nicked.

 

Edited October 14, 2007 by Vodor

[+*mouse*]

1) Asking that they only be placed them in Members Only caches will help.

2) Asking that they only be placed in caches not visible to muggles will help.

 

Sadly I'm not sure if either of these ideas will make a blind bit of difference..... I can't for the life of me imagine why anyone other than a geocacher would want to steal a geocoin, and it also doesn't explain the numbers that 'go missing' from caches while the cache manages to stay intact.

 

I have two coins. I released one just as I recieved it, and one I made a copy of and released the copy. The original coin disappeared for months but eventually was found again. The copy, funnily enough, has never had any problems. I don't neccessarily advocate releasing a copy of a coin - I far prefer to find the original thing but as an owner of both, I think it's interesting to see the difference between the two.... A fair compromise I suppose is drill a hole and attach a keyring. Also very helpful for other cachers, as you can add the mission to the coin so finders will know how to help it travel.

[+Bear and Ragged]

Seems coins are being sold "Ready drilled"

 

 

Link

 

UKGeocachers.co.uk site

Edited October 14, 2007 by KandG

[+4 Badgers]

Attach a note and add a message on the coin's page stating that the coin is NOT to travel to the States (danger to coins and TBs there!).

 

Drill a hole and hope for the best.

 

Carry it with you when out caching and dip it into each cache you visit - then log it's progress with you.

[+TrailGators]

1) Asking that they only be placed them in Members Only caches will help.

2) Asking that they only be placed in caches not visible to muggles will help.

Sadly I'm not sure if either of these ideas will make a blind bit of difference..... I can't for the life of me imagine why anyone other than a geocacher would want to steal a geocoin, and it also doesn't explain the numbers that 'go missing' from caches while the cache manages to stay intact.

I think a lot of it is ignorance by newbies. They trade for these not realizing they aren't trade items. By putting them in PMO caches those members are much more likely to undertand this.

[+osman123]

Dont put them out, instead put out a note with the tracking number (laminated) with sorry I nicked it first written on the back

 

I've found one or two coins like this, generally they are attached to something of low value such as a cheap toy etc. I've always been happy to move them on for folk and you still get the icon in your list if you find em!

 

Ade

[+philmotman]

i have recently had a coin nicked my very first one and it never moved i wa really pissed but you nver know it might turn up hopefully.

[+studlyone]

Seems coins are being sold "Ready drilled"

Link

UKGeocachers.co.uk site

Yes, all of my new full sized coins will have a hole in them (saves having to deface them by drilling) so that you can attach a note or mission statement to them. Some people drill holes in their coins to make them less attrative to collectors.

 

I can't see a stolen coin being that collectable as you can't show it to anyone and I am a big believer in the train of thought that states that a lot of geocoins are probably swapped by newbies thinking they are normal (but highly attractive) geoswag. Adding a note has to be one way to try to increase your coins luck in the wild.

Edited October 15, 2007 by studlyone

[+Team Sieni]

I am a big believer in the train of thought that states that a lot of geocoins are probably swapped by newbies

 

Agree: I'd been finding these funny coin things for a while before I finally decided to find out what they were. I don't think I ever swapped one mind, I could have but I don't think so ...

[+*mouse*]

If newbies are taking coins because they don't know otherwise, then attaching a keyring with the mission and a description of what it is, is probably the best answer. That way it should be obvious to anyone it's not a normal trade item.

[+Cryptik Souls Crew]

I've released loads of coins with holes drilled in and keyrings attached, it may increase their longevity but they still get nicked. Someone posted a note on one of my coins the other day which indicated it had no tag so I contacted them, they confirmed the keyring with mission statement was gone, basically people will nick anything!

[+elephant hunter]

Well, we thought we had a good idea to keep our Geocoin moving along its mission: We placed the coin, alongside a short written note of its mission, inside the bi-folding plastic sleeve it came in. We then used selotape to seal up the sleeve. We thought that this would keep it 'on mission'.

Good idea? Who knows. 'Retriever' No1 held on to the coin for almost 10 weeks. A subsequent retriever took the trouble to unpick the selotape to take a photograph, and now the plastic sleeve/mission note has gone missing. Some people!

[+B.bird]

- Dont put them out, instead put out a note with the tracking number (laminated) with sorry I nicked it first written on the back

 

I saw this done recently thought it was a great idea.

So far fingers crossed I have had no coins go missing, but 1 TB has went AWOL picked up in Utah.

[+Alibags]

Seems coins are being sold "Ready drilled"

Link

UKGeocachers.co.uk site

Yes, all of my new full sized coins will have a hole in them (saves having to deface them by drilling) so that you can attach a note or mission statement to them. Some people drill holes in their coins to make them less attrative to collectors.

 

I can't see a stolen coin being that collectable as you can't show it to anyone and I am a big believer in the train of thought that states that a lot of geocoins are probably swapped by newbies thinking they are normal (but highly attractive) geoswag. Adding a note has to be one way to try to increase your coins luck in the wild.

 

 

I thought the point of drilling then specifically to deface them so that they would not look pretty in somebody's collection. If the hole is an integral part of the design, then it may be handy for attaching tags and avoiding drill based accidents, but it does not devalue the coin as a collectors trophy.

[+studlyone]

I can't see a stolen coin being that collectable as you can't show it to anyone and I am a big believer in the train of thought that states that a lot of geocoins are probably swapped by newbies thinking they are normal (but highly attractive) geoswag. Adding a note has to be one way to try to increase your coins luck in the wild.

I thought the point of drilling then specifically to deface them so that they would not look pretty in somebody's collection. If the hole is an integral part of the design, then it may be handy for attaching tags and avoiding drill based accidents, but it does not devalue the coin as a collectors trophy.

As I said I think most geocoins are simply lifted by people who don't know what they are - ie trackable so having a hole in a coin will allow you to attach a note to it or a keyring with its mission on thereby reducing the chance of it being mistaken as a nice piece of geoswag. A coin with a hole already in it means that you don't have to deface it (or as you suggest risk the wrath of the HS&W Act after a drill based accident).

[+Chaotica_UK]

Try to put them in Puzzle caches or large multis, they might not move so much but it just puts a further barrier up as they will have to do the multi or solve the puzzle to get the coin. I had one recently nicked and Im convinced it was because it was in a traditional.

[+Alibags]

B*gger that! If the mission of my coin is to move, I would not appreciate it being shoved into a cache that gets done about once per year!

[+studlyone]

B*gger that! If the mission of my coin is to move, I would not appreciate it being shoved into a cache that gets done about once per year!

I'll second that, I'd prefer to have my coins moving and risk losing them than have them stationary for ages and ages. At least when they move around quickly other geocachers get to enjoy them and of course get the icons (its not about the icons - honest).

 

Edited - I really, need to learn how to spell or get a Speel Chucker on my browser LOL

Edited October 18, 2007 by studlyone

[+Chaotica_UK]

B*gger that! If the mission of my coin is to move, I would not appreciate it being shoved into a cache that gets done about once per year!

 

Yes, that would be taking it to the extreme end of multis and puzzles. But for the more straightforward ones with a couple of stages it wouldn't bother me if my coins were put in them.

[+Fifth Barrowcliffe]

A list of good way to stop geocoins getting nicked

 

SNIP.....-

- Place it in a cache where no one visits.....ever...

End SNIP

 

Seems to be working for one of mine, if it still there in Jan 08 I will pick it up myself! The other Coins I have sent out have gone bye bye!

[+bugsmasher69]

I've released loads of coins with holes drilled in and keyrings attached, it may increase their longevity but they still get nicked. Someone posted a note on one of my coins the other day which indicated it had no tag so I contacted them, they confirmed the keyring with mission statement was gone, basically people will nick anything!

 

After having alot of our coins dissapear we started drilling and tagging them. So far none of the tagged ones have gone missing but we did have a coin that was drilled and tagged show up this week with out the keychain and tag. Guess that is better then the coin dissappearing.

[+The Craig Clan]

 

I engrave the edge of all my coins now, after my very first coin was stolen from it's first cache.

 

If it is collectors pinching them, they are pretty worthless as close scutiny shows the engraving very easily. But to the general cacher you might not notice the engraving at first. I do it with a £10 engraver from Maplin.

[+Weary Banker & Bookworm]

One of our TBs and a Geocoin went missing and the cachers who had them would not respond to our emails. Both of the 'culprits' were Germans.

 

When we went to Germany on holiday in September, we released 2 new TBs.

Each consisted of one of those keyring clear plastic photo frames (about 8x4 centimetres) into which I placed a little notice in English with German on the reverse.

 

It said " WANTED (Name of Cacher) FOR KIDNAPPING OUR TRAVEL BUG---DO YOU KNOW THIS MAN" The travel bug page gave fuller details.

 

Within a month , the coin was placed back in circulation. The "Wanted" TB has been renamed and is now on its way home. I have had very positive comments from everyone who has logged them.

 

I am still searching for a cacher called FNS however !!!

[+maw, paw + the piglets]

We have had a travel bug ( Bear Behind) go missing which had all the tags etc attached in such a way as to require disfigurement of the bear if removed. A geocoin went missing in England but then turned up in the USA where it has been travelling freely. It has a clear keyring attached and 'THIS IS NOT A SWAP ITEM' therein. The keyring has been soldered closed so it cannot be removed unless by sawing off.

All our Geocoins have since been drilled with soldered keyring attached and a mission statement herein along with the 'THIS IS NOT A SWAP ITEM'. It hasn't stopped our daughter's Timberwolf coin going walkabout in only its 2nd cache,which is a real shame as we wanted to map its travels on Google for her.

 

We were thinking about releasing a coin on behalf of the local Unit for autistic children. The intention was to introduce them to geocaching as a 'day out' walk with a purpose and then let them monitor the progress of the coin as a geography interest. However, given that coins go missing, even with mission statements attached, we may have to think again about it as they would be most distressed if we had to report it had been stolen. Or do you think people would think twice about nicking it if we stated it was for a special school's project?

 

Any ideas?

[+Bear and Ragged]

do you think people would think twice about nicking it if we stated it was for a special school's project?

Any ideas?

 

They don't seem to feel guilty about taking a coin in the first place, so why feel guilty about it being a children's project?

 

G

Edited October 21, 2007 by KandG