Life Expectancy

[+Boots...]

Im contemplating getting my first coin minted, and I have to wonder.... What is the expected life span of a geocoin? It seems like many coins disappear after an amazingly short time, and it's bums me out to investa whole bunch of money only to have them end up in some yackoff's closet. Im sure this has been discussed before, but I didn't find anything when I did a search for life span, so hopefully you all can be more helpful.

 

so.... how long would you consider to be "average" in terms of length of time that a coin survives from the time it is dropped in its first cache?

[+zazth]

Make a REALLY ugly coin in the triple digits and sell it for around $5.00. They will last FOREVER!!!!

 

Pretty, unique coins or low number coins do not seem to survive long in the wild. Just my $0.02.

[+TeamEccs21]

We have released 26 of our personal coins into the wild in the last year. 1 was lost when the cache was plundered and stolen the rest are still moving. So far it seems that just about the time we think one has gone missing another log pops up.

 

If you are worried about your coins disappearing when you set them free, don't set them free. Sell some and use the rest as trade stock to build up your collection.

 

Another $.02

Edited February 6, 2008 by TeamEccs21

[+Rockin Roddy]

When I send a coin into the wild, I expect it to go missing that very second...then if it moves about, I'm happy and excited about it. IF it does go MIA, it doesn't make me all that upset as I expect them to!!

 

It's the pleasant surprise of seeing a coin move about that makes sending them out enjoyable!!

 

Would I rather the coin last forever? Sure...and they will...in my collection. In the wild, it's like the lotto, some win, some lose!!

[+GEO*Trailblazer 1]

Some live long some don't.

 

That is not the reason.

 

I remember the first geocoin a geocacher gave me.

I have made the geocoins I have to pass that on to others.

 

If they so choose to abuse the spirit of the geocoin,then in turn they will be repaid.

 

Place not your worries on those that will pass but place your trust in those that will endure.

 

Just my 0.02

[+Dr. Whoever]

Here's my $0.47985 cents. "Inflation ya know"

 

Here is the USA I have lost about 25% of my traveling coins (approximately 100 coins and TB's) to these mysterious things: Muggled cache, disappeared, totally creepy %&$#$&% who stole it and new cacher who saw it and thought they could keep it.

 

In Canada: I have lost 0 (ZERO) of the 25 traveling coins and TB's roaming the frozen tundra.

 

In Europe: I have lost 1 (ONE) of the 150+ travelers I have floating around there.

[+MustangJoni]

Here's my $0.47985 cents. "Inflation ya know"

 

Here is the USA I have lost about 25% of my traveling coins (approximately 100 coins and TB's) to these mysterious things: Muggled cache, disappeared, totally creepy %&$#$&% who stole it and new cacher who saw it and thought they could keep it.

 

In Canada: I have lost 0 (ZERO) of the 25 traveling coins and TB's roaming the frozen tundra.

 

In Europe: I have lost 1 (ONE) of the 150+ travelers I have floating around there.

 

I agree with this. I've lost about 30% in the US. The only one I lost in Europe was due to construction, and the cache owner that the coin was sitting in emailed me immediately, which was really cool!

[+Droo]

Gosh how do you generalize something like that? Coins get lost when caches are raided, often because cachers don't take the care to rehide the cache as though it was their own. Or coins are taken by people who don't know enough about them and think they are trade items or "treasure" found in this treasure hunt called geocaching.

 

How often does that happen? No one is keeping stats.

 

So it's a matter of faith. If you have faith that only conscientious cachers will pick up your coins and move them along readily, that will keep your mind light. But if you worry about every log that the cacher is just another yahoo out to rip you off you won't enjoy the coins being out in the wild much.

[+tiki]

Here's my "2 coconuts" -

 

We've been dealing with a notorious coin thief on Oahu for over a year now, and coins are getting snapped up left and right. How do I deal with this? Easy! I made my coins non-trackable, and I expect the finder to keep them. Just something you may want to consider - I get a lot of great e-mails from happy folks who found my coins "in the wild". Now the only thing that gets my goat is when someone takes my coin without leaving a thank you (or even a "took coin") in the log! The nerve of some people

 

Tiki

[+9Key]

I drill holes in the coins I release so they're not worth anything on eBay and would look bad in someone's collection.

[+darnjoeSNARG]

9key, do you use a drill press? I saw your drilled coins and I thought the holes looked very clean.

[+GBOTS]

We have 75 travelers (coins and TBugs) and at this moment 1 has moved in the last 2 weeks. But, we recently had one show up after a two year "nap". So, you just never know....if you release them, prepare to lose them and feel good when they move.

[+Cushie Butterfield]

I drill holes in ours too, I also put a curse on them so if anyone steals them they will sh*t hedgehogs for a year

[+Marky]

9key, do you use a drill press? I saw your drilled coins and I thought the holes looked very clean.

I'm not 9key, nor do I play him on TV, but I figured I could chime in here as well.

 

We use a drill press, and attach a customized goal tag with 1/16" coated aircraft wire. The hole reduces the collectibility (and eBay-ability) of the geocoin, and because there is a goal tag attached, cachers will know that it is a traveller, and know its goals.

 

My other tip is to just release so many travelbugs and geocoins that it is too much work to keep track of which travellers have gone missing. Heck, my inbox thanks me when they go missing.

 

--Marky

[+OverTheEdge]

Of my 59 travelers, 6 have gone missing. I love watching the coins move and enjoy the emails from people that help the coins and travel bugs along. I figure, over time, the number missing will increase - but that's the nature of the travelers. I was crushed the first time one of my travelers went missing - now I choose to be excited every time I receive mail that one has been discovered, picked up, or has moved.

 

 

But to answer your question about life expectancy - I expect that they will all eventually go missing... some sooner than others. But as I send them off on their journey, I am always hoping for the best.

 

EDITED: for poor grammer...

Edited February 7, 2008 by OverTheEdge

[+zazth]

I rarely activate coins and send them out. I'm not rich. I can't afford to pay for some one else's collection. ( I can barely afford mine ) I have yet to lose a coin in the wild but then again, I only have one out there and it is rather plain and commercial. It does not move often.

[+fairyhoney]

Both my son and I have drilled holes in our coins and yet some Still disappear and get "lost" It always floors me that these "lost" coins can never be shown as the other's collection but gone they are.

 

And yes, I expect some to get "lost" But I do it to bring the joy of the icon to others!

[+larry739]

9key, do you use a drill press? I saw your drilled coins and I thought the holes looked very clean.

I'm not 9key, nor do I play him on TV, but I figured I could chime in here as well.

 

We use a drill press, and attach a customized goal tag with 1/16" coated aircraft wire. The hole reduces the collectibility (and eBay-ability) of the geocoin, and because there is a goal tag attached, cachers will know that it is a traveller, and know its goals.

 

My other tip is to just release so many travelbugs and geocoins that it is too much work to keep track of which travellers have gone missing. Heck, my inbox thanks me when they go missing.

 

--Marky

I agree totally with Marky here. Most of mine are not even drilled but I am including information with the coin so people know it is a traveler and not just something to pick up and keep. I could not tell you how many have gone missing, but evry day I get a bunch of emails from other geocachers who have logged my coins and had some joy come into their lives as a result. Isn't that a great reward? Almost no day goes by that I do not get a log saying, "My first geocoin!"

[+larry739]

9key, do you use a drill press? I saw your drilled coins and I thought the holes looked very clean.

I'm not 9key, nor do I play him on TV, but I figured I could chime in here as well.

 

We use a drill press, and attach a customized goal tag with 1/16" coated aircraft wire. The hole reduces the collectibility (and eBay-ability) of the geocoin, and because there is a goal tag attached, cachers will know that it is a traveller, and know its goals.

 

My other tip is to just release so many travelbugs and geocoins that it is too much work to keep track of which travellers have gone missing. Heck, my inbox thanks me when they go missing.

 

--Marky

I agree totally with Marky here. Most of mine are not even drilled but I am including information with the coin so people know it is a traveler and not just something to pick up and keep. I could not tell you how many have gone missing, but evry day I get a bunch of emails from other geocachers who have logged my coins and had some joy come into their lives as a result. Isn't that a great reward? Almost no day goes by that I do not get a log saying, "My first geocoin!"

Edited February 7, 2008 by larry739

[+bluecherry]

Sor far I have only had one go missing however, it was the first coin I ever sent out and it has really bothered me ever since. I did think a few other ones were missing but about six months later they finally started to get logs again which I was thrilled about. I do like to keep most of my coins but I also like to let some travel so what I have done is made missions for them to complete and once that mission is over they are to come back to me. This way I hopefully get to see them again and maybe release them again. I know some coins have been traviling for a long time and some go missing in a short period. Drilling holes in the coins does seem to cut down on them going missing. Another thing that happens is new geocachers do not really know about logging the coins and moving them so they keep them until they are told other wise. So if your coin does dissappear for awhile do not give up hope that it will return to you.

[WI_Robin]

I have 300 or so coins out traveling. I have a friend who drills holes in them for me and I attach a tag stating that it is a traveling geocoin and should be logged and put back in an other cache. On the other side of the tag I have my e-mail address so if a coin is lost and found by a muggle they can e-mail me if they choose.

 

The first coins I released (maybe 100 or so) didn't have holes or tags - I put them in a bi-fold flip with a little card on the other side saying that it was a traveling geocoin and it should be logged and placed back in a cache. The only problem with that is I got my very first coin I released back from a cacher I knew who found it after it had been traveling around for about a year. He had picked it up at MWGB and it was not in it's coin flip. Just a USA geocoin that had been rattling around all by its self in a cache. I can see where they can get picked up like that and kept as some kind of souvineer token. I was thrilled to get my very first coin back, but I drilled a hole in it , tagged it and sent it back out to travel. It's still moving today.

 

I release them all. I have a Four Spirits coin traveling, a laptop, the magnetic pug/fire hydrant, a South Pointing Chariot and lots of other cool, unusual coins out there. I have found the cool ones stay moving just as well (when tagged) as the plain ones. Just my experience.

 

I also get lots of logs from people telling me that one of my coins was the first one that they ever found. It's cool . I used to get upset when they would turn up missing, but usually it seems that they turn up again anyway - unless the whole cache gets muggled.

Edited February 7, 2008 by WI_Robin

[+geocachingdragon]

i have given a few coins away so i dont worry about losing the odd one here or there. If i drill it .It has no value on ebay so it must be in the hands of someone who really liked it. Not what i wanted but i can live with it. But i do like the cure idea as well except maybe with porcupines.

[+tokencollector]

It's been a while since I did the calculation on my coins, but I think somewhere on the order of 10-20% attrition per year. It is approximately the same rate of loss as I have seen for my TB dog tags. Unfortunately, some do dissappear quickly and that is discouraging. But some really rack up the miles (I have several over 10k) and logs.

 

Pretty or plain, they seem to dissappear at the same rate. The 2005 and 2006 Compass Rose geocoins that I released are still moving, as is a POW-MIA coin. I tend to drill my coins and attach a TB buddy, but some coins without encumberances are moving well too.

 

My worst luck has been with the super tiny micro coins - NC micro, TX micro. I suspect that those are easy to accidentally misplace.

[Ferreter5]

Im contemplating getting my first coin minted, and I have to wonder.... What is the expected life span of a geocoin? It seems like many coins disappear after an amazingly short time, and it's bums me out to investa whole bunch of money only to have them end up in some yackoff's closet.

Hiya Boots...

 

Exactly why I didn't make my personal geocoin trackable. I use it for trading, leaving as swag, giving away as prizes, etc. Tracking numbers didn't seem like a good investment for me -- others have had good luck with their coins traveling, so your mileage may vary.

 

If you do have a personal geocoin made, I'll be very happy to trade with you!

[+UncleJimbo]

This is a very helpful thread to me, someone fairly new to geocoins. I love travelers, and so far have concentrated on releasing TBs. I have, however, recently bought and released some personal Geocoin Tokens. They are trackable, and I did not drill them, but then again they are so low cost that they are less expensive than TBs, so I am not going to fret them too much.

 

I have recently ordered some "real" geocoins, and I plan to release them into the wild. I will have to give drilling some consideration. I know that it lessens their value on eBay, etc., but I can't help but think it also lessens their beauty to regular cachers. I guess it is a trade-off. In a way, part of the fun of having TBs and geocoins out there is to reinforce one's faith in humanity -- every time one is logged, it is one more person who did not steal it when they had the chance.

[+ThePetersTrio]

So I've bought my first few coins and had every intention of drilling them and sending them out.

 

But looking at them now...how can I drill holes into them? It feels like defacing a work of art...

 

So before I do the deed I need to ask those of you who have released drilled AND undrilled....does it really make a difference as to the longevity of the coin in your opinion?

 

Have others of you figured out a way to send them out with instructions without having to drill them?

 

I found a coin recently in a cache alone in it's protective holder. Thankfully I knew what it was and what to do. But I can easily see how they get taken inadvertently by people who think they are a part of the swag.

 

Funny how protective I feel all of a sudden.

 

[+tokencollector]

I've drilled most of the coins that I've released, but have released a few undrilled. They seem to do about as well.

 

I think that the majority of the coins that I've found in the wild have been undrilled. As people become more aware of geocoins and that they are TBs, they are moving better and better with time.

 

edited to add:

 

Whether you drill them or not, expect to lose a few along the way. It's agrivating, but it goes with letting any TB out into the wild. If you release several, some are likely to do well, a few may surpass your expectations, and a few will frustrate you.

 

You can usually find a spot to drill a coin that will minimize the impact on the design. I haven't heard anyone complain about finding a drilled coin (yet).

 

The first coins that I released were undrilled, and several are still going strong after 2 years! A few examples are: Pub Crawler, Traveling Geocoin, Traveling Trinket, and The World.

Edited February 13, 2008 by tokencollector

[+darnjoeSNARG]

Very helpful information from all...thanks.

[+UncleJimbo]

Just wondering if anyone knows of any store selling some sort of plastic (?) geocoin holder that has a hole in it where I could attach a "geocoin buddy"? This would allow me to emphasize the coin is meant to travel without having to drill the coin itself.

 

Thanks for any info.

[+EScout]

I drill a hole, and engrave my name on the coin, attach tags and instructions, and they have gone missing. For those of you that cannot stand to drill a hole in a coin (and want to keep it pristine for the person who will steal it) you can use an Airtite plastic holder, and drill a hole in it (it will not be air tight after.) This was prepared by me for someone else: