Why hello Geocoiners!

[+Moobeat]

I'll stop lurking and say hello.

 

Hello.

 

I just bought my first two geocoins, an OTT Roulette coin and a Geocaching Injury purple heart coin. And I think I'll take a moment from adoring them to introduce myself and ask a few newbie questions.

 

Still haven't quite grasped what a "mystery" coin is. But let me take a swing, its a coin that some nice soul just randomly drops into a cache or mails ro someone and doesn't annouce its minting or creation?

 

And, even thought I know it has a tracking number for a reason, but is it that bad that I don't want to drop my coins in a cache?!

[+Tschakko]

I'll stop lurking and say hello.

 

Hello.

 

I just bought my first two geocoins, an OTT Roulette coin and a Geocaching Injury purple heart coin. And I think I'll take a moment from adoring them to introduce myself and ask a few newbie questions.

 

Still haven't quite grasped what a "mystery" coin is. But let me take a swing, its a coin that some nice soul just randomly drops into a cache or mails ro someone and doesn't annouce its minting or creation?

 

And, even thought I know it has a tracking number for a reason, but is it that bad that I don't want to drop my coins in a cache?!

 

You r right about mystery coins.

 

and I think it´s not bad to keep your coins, a lot of people do, in fct most of the people on this forum do keep a lot of those coins

[+Whitby]

I keep and trade a lot of my coins as well. But I also purchase some to release them into caches as I enjoy following their track. Of course there is the danger of loosing them. But: No risk, no fun!

I'm just preparing a bunch of coins to be released soon.

 

Whitby

[+nashuan]

Hey Moobeat:

 

Welcome to the forum. The mystery coins are pretty much what the name implies. They are the products of generous souls and imagination, where the "donor" is not really looking for recognition as much as they are trying to do nice things for people. In some cases this means sending a coin by mail to a specific person that they think deserves it, and other times, by leaving them in caches as an anonymously gifted coin. It's a really great practice and I think that these donors are contributing to the whole geocaching/geocoin experience.

 

People love to get free things of course, but there is something more than that at play here. Occasionally, you'll see a posting to this forum, where someone received a coin in the mail and it brighteded their day (it seems these coins have a tendancy to arrive when the person needed it the most), or someone found one in a cache, like finding treasure. Yes, they got a coin for free, but the experience involved is what was really important to them, you can feel it in their postings. They thought to themselves; "someone thought of me to send this", or they think it was their lucky day to find such a coin.

 

As far as the donors, it's their way of spreading good Karma. If you make a donation to fight cancer, you don't do it to get your "money's worth" somehow, you do it because you are trying to do the right thing for other people. Same principle. Now, as far as leaving your own coins in caches, I understand your concern about theft. I myself have mostly purchased coins that I would call collecting grade, but have also purchase some less expensive ones that I wouldn't mind losing (as much). What some people do is to drill a hole in the coin (which renders it less desirable for coin thieves) and attach a tag with a "mission statement". Check out a pic that dflye posted of this (post #9):

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...t&p=3451595

 

Also, you could use travel bugs, like the Groundspeak travel bug that are less expensive than many coins and are so universal, that they are not really collector's items. The Groundspeak ones look like this:

 

http://www.aetoys.com/index.asp?PageAction...OD&ProdID=1

 

By participating in the game, you're setting the coins free for them to live their own life in a way, but you get to watch them move around the country or even the world - sometimes for years. If you don't want to sink a lot of money into it, get a few low cost coins or travel bugs and just watch them for a while to see what you think. If you don't like the results, you're out what $20-30? Then your decision is either to get out of geocoins all together, or to stick with the coin collecting aspect. A lot of the coin designs are beautiful works of art and are exceptionally creative. Nothing wrong with just collecting, but I'm hoping you stick with and do both.

[+Frank n Beck]

Welcome Moobeat!!!!!!!! We hold on to alot of our coins, but are now getting ready to set a few free to travel, and we think that will be just as fun if not more so.

[+fox-and-the-hound]

Welcome to the obsession! Shiny treasures abound in this unique corner of our geocaching world and I hope you enjoy every aspect of them. The mystery coins are a fantastic example of the good spirit and generosity that seems to permeate the people in these forums. As crazy cool as it is to have your own geocoins, it's even more exciting to share them with your friends!

[lorca.nl]

hello MOOBEAT,

 

welkom in the world of cache`s coins and TB`s.............

people tell you already about the mystery coins and i can`t say more just that it shows how generous

people are and if you found or get one in your mail or in a cache the feeling is like YAHOOOOOO.

 

and NO it`s not bad that you wanna keep your coins to your self.

a lot of people do that include me.

i keep a coin a long time and if i think that the coin is ready to go travel i put him in a cache.

sometime`s i trade a coin or give it away.

 

the coins are yours and you can do white it what you want....

 

have a lot of cache fun and enjoy your coins....

[+chancerider]

Welcome Moobeat! I feel a warning might be appropriate... geocoin collecting can become addictive! I started out with one unactivated coin I found in a cache. Now look at me... broke .

 

Thanks for stopping in and introducing yourself .

[+joranda]

Hello, enjoy your coins.

[+Unkle Fester]

Addictive isn't quite the right word. Obsession comes a little closer.

 

I have found myself buying coins in sets of two or three at a time. 1 to keep, 1 to activate or trade (depanding on the coin), and one to use as a mystery coin.

[+007BigD]

Oh Id say your right on track...except I think your aboout to derail! Well, at least your wallet and maybe even your relationship, Heck I aint gonna fool ya- YOUR DOOMED~ Someone was gonna tell ya, it may as well been me!

 

Welcome...I think your gonna like it here