Stolen coins?

[+LDove]

We have had quite a few go missing in our area, which seems to be becoming a trend. How about just dropping the geocoins into the cache without logging that you did? Next cacher that picks them up grabs them from you. This avoids them being put on the cache page where thieves are getting the info. It makes it harder for folks looking for specific coins, but in areas where stealing is a problem would this help? I just did it to one coin this weekend - I e-mailed the owner and let her know about it and she was glad I did rather than risking losing it to our local thief (creep)...

[+OshnDoc]

That process will not log any miles for the coins, not that good either.

[+Landsharkz]

We've done that many times. For coins that are collecting mileage or travelling to certain destinations we often log them into and back out of one of own caches nearby so they are credited with actually being in Victoria, BC. It's a nice surprise for the next person who opens the cache and any coin thieves are going to have to work harder to find those coins.

[+IBcrashen]

I find myself doing that more and more, I really dont care about mileage. Also I like the idea suggested once before that all coins listed on GC, excluding your own account page, have the generic icon so people dont know what coin is in there unless they visit the cache and see them in person.

Edited October 22, 2007 by IBcrashen

[+LDove]

My suggestion would be for areas which are already experiencing a problem with stealing. Once someone else picks them up and drops them in an area again, they will still get their miles. As a coin owner, I would rather have my coin than to have more miles (which I can't get if I don't have the coin...) etc...

[+tadpole379]

I have found coins and TBs in caches that were not listed as being in the cache I retrieved it from. Usually I grab the coin or bug, drop it in the cache I found it in to update the miles, and then pull it back out so it is in my inventory again ready to drop in a new cache. This way the traveler has the correct miles and the cache it was actually in shows up on its history.

 

[+Eartha]

Well, let's see. we pay for tracking numbers, but let's not use them, but if they are trackable, we can still offer them for sale in the forums, but don't track them, whatever you do, because NO ONE can be trusted?

What is the point?

Only a small percentage of cachers read these forums, so they're not all going to know what it is you want them to do, and you certainly can't log on the cache page that you left the coin, or the thieves will find that out, but if the coin goes missing and there is no note or log, there's no way to track it back to find out who put it there, and so on and so on.....

The logging instructions will not be rewritten in order that we can confuse the heck out of everyone who is trying to learn how to log them.

 

It's best if we teach people from the get go how to log caches and TB's when we introduce them to caching. Back when the Diabetes TB's were released, I posted notes to a bunch that hadn't been logged yet. There were about 40% that had not been logged. I'm STILL getting emails when they are logged, and I've gotten all kinds of reasons as to why they weren't. Lost it, then found it, misplaced the number, let it go, but didn't know how to log it, many were just dropped off and picked up and THEN logged by someone, while the person who sent it out never did log.

I think educating people when they start out is more necessary than not logging them at all. Also, the owner will never know where there coin is, or who to contact when it doesn't show up or move.

 

I think this needs to be thought all the way out. I'm just touching on the tip of the iceburg here.

[+LDove]

Well, let's see. we pay for tracking numbers, but let's not use them, but if they are trackable, we can still offer them for sale in the forums, but don't track them, whatever you do, because NO ONE can be trusted?

What is the point?

Only a small percentage of cachers read these forums, so they're not all going to know what it is you want them to do, and you certainly can't log on the cache page that you left the coin, or the thieves will find that out, but if the coin goes missing and there is no note or log, there's no way to track it back to find out who put it there, and so on and so on.....

The logging instructions will not be rewritten in order that we can confuse the heck out of everyone who is trying to learn how to log them.

 

It's best if we teach people from the get go how to log caches and TB's when we introduce them to caching. Back when the Diabetes TB's were released, I posted notes to a bunch that hadn't been logged yet. There were about 40% that had not been logged. I'm STILL getting emails when they are logged, and I've gotten all kinds of reasons as to why they weren't. Lost it, then found it, misplaced the number, let it go, but didn't know how to log it, many were just dropped off and picked up and THEN logged by someone, while the person who sent it out never did log.

I think educating people when they start out is more necessary than not logging them at all. Also, the owner will never know where there coin is, or who to contact when it doesn't show up or move.

 

I think this needs to be thought all the way out. I'm just touching on the tip of the iceburg here.

Eartha - hi!

 

I was not suggesting that we do this for ALL geocoins, heavens no. I was only considering it here for some caches where numerous coins are being stolen. As a matter of fact, every time one is dropped it goes missing. If the thief did not know where the coins are, they can't very well get to them unless they visit every cache. Once another honest cacher picks the coin up, the tracking number WILL be used when it is moved to another cache. And yes, the owner would have the name of the last person to have it. For example the one I just dropped is still in my inventory even though it is in the cache. This is really no different than if I would have dropped it in there other than that the icon would be on the web page. It still has to be picked up from either me or the cache and tracking number entered to move it. The fact that people steal these Eartha, drives me nuts! I can't imagine sitting in front of a bunch of things you have stolen and actually enjoy them, but that is just me. Trying to think of a way to out think the creep... I know most cachers don't visit here, but if I can save a couple of coins that mean a lot to someone, I want to try. One that the jerk stole was a gingerbread coin from a little kid who got it for Christmas. sheesh!

Edited October 22, 2007 by lonesumdove

[+BlueDeuce]

How about just dropping the geocoins into the cache without logging that you did? Next cacher that picks them up grabs them from you.

 

And here I thought trying to get people to log them properly was half the problem. Thanks.

[+Micra Man]

Eartha - hi!

 

I was not suggesting that we do this for ALL geocoins, heavens no. I was only considering it here for some caches where numerous coins are being stolen. As a matter of fact, every time one is dropped it goes missing. If the thief did not know where the coins are, they can't very well get to them unless they visit every cache. Once another honest cacher picks the coin up, the tracking number WILL be used when it is moved to another cache. And yes, the owner would have the name of the last person to have it. For example the one I just dropped is still in my inventory even though it is in the cache. This is really no different than if I would have dropped it in there other than that the icon would be on the web page. It still has to be picked up from either me or the cache and tracking number entered to move it. The fact that people steal these Eartha, drives me nuts! I can't imagine sitting in front of a bunch of things you have stolen and actually enjoy them, but that is just me. Trying to think of a way to out think the creep... I know most cachers don't visit here, but if I can save a couple of coins that mean a lot to someone, I want to try. One that the jerk stole was a gingerbread coin from a little kid who got it for Christmas. sheesh!

 

Here's the unpleasant part... theft is a real part of our lives, whether it be a geocoin, swag, the cache itself or any non-cache related item. We haven't found a way to stop thieves from stealing anything else so we're not going to be able to stop them from stealing caching items. If fact, there's no way you'll ever stop a caching thief because you can't even use the law to help. Try to imagine chasing down a police officer to tell them that a $10 geocoin was stolen from a Tupperware container tucked in the roots of that tree beside the trail. Ok, ok, I realize that the first thing you'll have to do is explain geocaching from the very beginning, but after that, show the officer that this person didn't even have the decency to sign the log book. Try to imagine the officer's concern as they consider trying to track some unknown person, running around in the woods taking inexpensive items from small containers, hidden around trees and bushes. Imagine this same officer, taking this perplexing dilemma to the precinct and asking some of the other officers how one might go about catching this geocoin fiend. Now, this poor, conscientious officer, trying only to uphold the law and incarcerate those who disregard it, has to try and persuade their captain to pull some of the officers off of that murder investigation to try and catch this marauding crook.

 

I have many coins wondering around out there somewhere and it used to drive me nuts when I found out that coins weren't being logged properly. Then I realized, as coin after coin was being stolen, that I wouldn't have to worry about it for too much longer. The answer for me was to stop placing coins into caches and then, one day, my surplus of wondering geocoins would have to run out. Sure I'll still be out the $1500 or so that I paid for them but sometimes you need to just dust off and move on.

 

I understand the seriousness of geocoin theft, it's cost me a lot of money and needless frustration but you have to understand that there's nothing you can do about it. Some people weren't loved by their mothers, the way they should have been, and turned to a life of crime. Probably the only reason they know how to find the geocaches that the coins are in, is because they stole the GPSr too. Unfortunately, if somebody, who doesn't even want to steal a coin, picks one up and finds that it's not even logged into the cache, then it's kind of like a 'Freebie' because nobody has any idea where it is. Now they take that coin home and sit in front of the warming glow of their monitor, toying with the idea of whether they should log the coin in or just put it into a safe place of their own, because there's that overwhelming urge to keep something that nobody knows anything about; there's absolutely no way anybody could ever find out who took that unlogged coin... ever. Next thing you know, that same, once innocent cacher, has seen life from the dark side and finds out what they're capable of and suddenly you find out that someone in the area is stealing cacher's cars while they're looking for caches. Do you want to be that person who's responsible for turning this cacher's life around, just because you were trying to frustrate and confuse the geocoin thief? No, nobody wants to know that they turned someone from a pillar of the community to a common crook, living on the streets and in the shadows.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that one shouldn't be upset about the geocoin thief in your neighborhood and that something should be done, but what. Here's where the local geocachers need to get together and ward of these evil doers. One would be better off putting together a geocaching posse, log a few coins into a cache and stake out the area, lying in wait for the geocoin transgressor. What you do with them is nobody's concern, they need to be stopped; maybe a good caning would help.

 

Sure, I've wanted to hang a few coin thieves myself, some don't even try to hide what they're doing, like they can miss that warning by your coin's icon in their inventory. Meanwhile, these people are actively caching several times a week, 6-7 months later, logging in all their finds while pretending not to see your coin's icon and it's warning. There's a blatant disregard for the very people that are trying to make the sport better for those very same freeloaders; and these are only the cachers who bother to log that they picked up the coins.

 

I'll put my hand in the ring and assist you in any way you can think of to rid the world of these pestilent cachers but merely trying to confuse them, and others, doesn't seem to be the answer, at least not to me. I do appreciate you feeling the need to fix these low down, good for nothing varmints. Some of the logs of other cachers also warm my heart when they feel so distraught when it appears as though your coin went missing from their cache. One person was leading up his own investigation at an event, trying to match up the handwriting in the logbook of the person who merely wrote that they took my coin. I'm glad that this disregard for other's property bothers many others as well, just there doesn't seem to be much we can do about it but write about it here in the forums. If anybody has a better idea, please let me know. In the mean time I'm going to keep putting out leg-hold traps around my caches when coins are logged into them.

[+kazuma]

I think educating people when they start out is more necessary than not logging them at all.

 

And I totally agree about this.

I'm sure that often we are not facing "stealing" but we are facing situation like occasional cachers that do not understand what a geocoin or a trackable is... or they just cache every now and then and maybe they grab a coin thinking they will be able to drop it soon and it ended up they stop caching...

At least this is my personal thought living in an area where geocaching is not as developed as other countries.

 

//Kazuma//

[+hzoi]

I find that most of my coins that are gone, have gone missing because someone didn't log them into the cache properly -- either logged them into the wrong cache or took too long to log it in. I think people take this as an invitation to take it -- I guess their line of thinking is, if it's not in the cache inventory and you find it there, it's up for grabs.

 

Honestly, I think the only fool-proof way to avoid having your coins go missing...is not to release them at all. The second they're out of your hands, you depend on the personal integrity of everyone who comes across them in the future. Most of the time, it works out. But there are times when it doesn't...and if you can't accept that, don't release your coins.

 

Sermon over. Back to work. Or something.

[+GEO*Trailblazer 1]

To solve the mileage crisis,just have the next finder drop it in and grab it out of the cache it was intended for.

[+earthrooster]

Here's a question: How many of you make 'fake' coins to send out rather then the real deal?

I've recently seen a couple. One was a laminated card with photos of the front and back of the coin as well as a description and explanation (put out to replace a stolen coin). The other was a large wooden coin with photos of the original coin attached to each side.

 

I personally have mixed feelings about this. I don't enjoy finding these quite as much as I do 'real' coins. However, I understand why some people do it. I've been considering this with some of my more treasured coins. What's your opinion?

 

-Jesse

[+Eartha]

Here's a question: How many of you make 'fake' coins to send out rather then the real deal?

I've recently seen a couple. One was a laminated card with photos of the front and back of the coin as well as a description and explanation (put out to replace a stolen coin). The other was a large wooden coin with photos of the original coin attached to each side.

 

I personally have mixed feelings about this. I don't enjoy finding these quite as much as I do 'real' coins. However, I understand why some people do it. I've been considering this with some of my more treasured coins. What's your opinion?

 

-Jesse

 

This has been discussed ad nauseum in other threads. Here is a recent one you can discuss the subject in. You can use your search feature to find them. Let's not change the subject in this thread.

 

Micra Man Posted Today, 03:28 AM

Here's the unpleasant part... theft is a real part of our lives, whether it be a geocoin, swag, the cache itself or any non-cache related item.

<snip>

In the mean time I'm going to keep putting out leg-hold traps around my caches when coins are logged into them.

 

Been thinking about this much?

 

BlueDeuce Posted Yesterday, 06:06 PM

QUOTE(lonesumdove @ Oct 22 2007, 11:17 AM)

 

How about just dropping the geocoins into the cache without logging that you did? Next cacher that picks them up grabs them from you.

 

 

And here I thought trying to get people to log them properly was half the problem. Thanks.

 

It's most of the problem, most of the time! That's why I say educate from the get go.

[Tooeygeotrashed]

And just sometimes an experienced cacher logs the retrieve, acknowledges the coins mission and an agreement to help it on its way and then sits on it, and has done for over six months, ignores my emails (3) with the exception of one reply - which contains an apology and says the coin will be moved tomorrow and be logged and an email will be sent - and nothing. Go figure. In future any coins I send out - whatever their mission - I will ask that they are NOT taken to ALASKA.

 

Education is not the answer, it doesn't take a committee member of mensa to work out how to log a coin, or what to do if you find one and never saw one before. Heck - if you can use a GPSR and you got logged onto geocaching.com you can work out what to do with a trackable, saying folks don't know is baloney.

 

Like most things in life, there are the few that spoil it for the majority. I am a great believer in what goes around comes around and they will get their just deserts at the end of the day.