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Completely, totally discouraged


czarbucks

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I've enjoyed lurking on this forum, seeing your beautiful coins, coveting many, and buying a scant few. We decided on a trip to Maine in May to start our first three coins. Two were stolen right out of the original caches.

 

I know from reading that eventually coins do tend to go missing, but this has just broken my will to add anything to the traveling shared group of trackables. We're fairly new to caching (less than a year) but always enjoy helping items on their missions, and seeing a coin listed in a cache will always move it up our "to-do" list.

 

We had one of Landsharkz adorable micro pucks (gone) and one I had started for my husband's birthday (gone.) Well, I am through.

 

I can't collect coins, but thought we could share a few with the community, as a payback for others letting us see their own traveling coins. I really think I won't try again.

 

Thanks for listening... and I'll still lurk and admire your lovely coins. I assume you must just keep them at home, safe in a collection!

 

:ph34r:

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If it has been l;ess tha n a week, the cacher may be on vacation and not able to log yet. also, it always helps to attach a mission statement so others know it is active and a traveler. I usually drill a hole and attach a key ring with the statement. Hope your coins show up soon so you can enjoy watching them travel.

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If it has been l;ess tha n a week, the cacher may be on vacation and not able to log yet. also, it always helps to attach a mission statement so others know it is active and a traveler. I usually drill a hole and attach a key ring with the statement. Hope your coins show up soon so you can enjoy watching them travel.

 

Thanks... but I contacted the few people who logged the cache, and no one said they saw it. And they've now both been about 6 weeks.

 

What a shame to have to deface the coins to keep people from being people. :ph34r:

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I really hate to hear this, czarbucks. :D I travel a lot so I get to help other Travelers on their missions pretty often and I always enjoy it. I also like putting coins and TBs out there for people to move but I've had a few go missing myself- a couple from the original cache I placed them in. It is discouraging. :ph34r::P

 

However, in the end I decided to continue to put Travelers out there. I'm more careful about where I put them, at least as much as I can be. I check out the prospective cache to see if I can tell if Travelers have gone missing from it. I still drop some occasionally without checking them out - it's a game of chance I suppose. It's always a drag when I lose one but I sure do enjoy the logs and photos from those that are still traveling. :D

 

-shrug- I guess I have to take the bad with the good. Keep your chin up and try to enjoy the ride. :D

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hi, czarbucks! First, I just want to say "it's nice to meet ya"! And please don't feel like you have to lurk - I know I love to meet new friends!

 

Second, I know you will get a lot of different opinions on this, but here is our approach to coins. We don't have a lot of money and for this reason have chosen not to set coins out to travel. Not saying AT ALL that everyone who releases coins has money - just stating that we don't and we would be crushed to have a coin stolen. I admire the people who are able to let theirs go!

 

We, like you, love moving coins and bugs. We, like you, are highly motivated to find caches that have coins in them. That's one reason we admire people A LOT who set theirs out to travel. In our logs, in fact, we usually thank the coin owner for setting theirs free in the wild.

 

Personally, the only way I would set a coin out to travel is if I had bought more than one of that coin. Like you, it makes me sad to have to deface a beautiful piece of art just to keep morons from taking it. I guess our coins are more of an emotional and financial investment and so we would really be devastated to have them stolen.

 

Our coins do spend a lot of time in our collection, but we mostly love taking them to events to share with other cachers. I'm way too chicken to let them go.

 

There are a lot of really really nice traveler coins out there that don't cost a lot of money (less than a travel bug) and so maybe that would be one route you could go if you still wanted to release a coin. we are working up the courage to do that! :ph34r:

 

Anyway, I'm really sorry that happened to you. I hope somehow your coins show up again.

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Just a thought here, but if you cannot afford to lose coins like this, maybe buying a few and taking them with you to events and such so others can discover them would work best for you?? You could also use a coin to "dip' into caches you visit, this would give you an idea of the mileage you've traveled while caching!!

 

Don't let a few bad eggs ruin it for you, have fun your way!!

Edited by Rockin Roddy
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I know this doesn't put a good light on us here in the states, but a lot of my travelling coins have gone missing also, some right away, some later... But the coins I sent overseas (or coins that made it over there), all are still moving. I get emails about their progress just about every 2-3 days or so. I hate it, but the numbers speak....

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hi, czarbucks! First, I just want to say "it's nice to meet ya"! And please don't feel like you have to lurk - I know I love to meet new friends!

 

Second, I know you will get a lot of different opinions on this, but here is our approach to coins. We don't have a lot of money and for this reason have chosen not to set coins out to travel. Not saying AT ALL that everyone who releases coins has money - just stating that we don't and we would be crushed to have a coin stolen. I admire the people who are able to let theirs go!

 

We, like you, love moving coins and bugs. We, like you, are highly motivated to find caches that have coins in them. That's one reason we admire people A LOT who set theirs out to travel. In our logs, in fact, we usually thank the coin owner for setting theirs free in the wild.

 

Personally, the only way I would set a coin out to travel is if I had bought more than one of that coin. Like you, it makes me sad to have to deface a beautiful piece of art just to keep morons from taking it. I guess our coins are more of an emotional and financial investment and so we would really be devastated to have them stolen.

 

Our coins do spend a lot of time in our collection, but we mostly love taking them to events to share with other cachers. I'm way too chicken to let them go.

 

There are a lot of really really nice traveler coins out there that don't cost a lot of money (less than a travel bug) and so maybe that would be one route you could go if you still wanted to release a coin. we are working up the courage to do that! :ph34r:

 

Anyway, I'm really sorry that happened to you. I hope somehow your coins show up again.

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hi, czarbucks! First, I just want to say "it's nice to meet ya"! And please don't feel like you have to lurk - I know I love to meet new friends!

 

Second, I know you will get a lot of different opinions on this, but here is our approach to coins. We don't have a lot of money and for this reason have chosen not to set coins out to travel. Not saying AT ALL that everyone who releases coins has money - just stating that we don't and we would be crushed to have a coin stolen. I admire the people who are able to let theirs go!

 

We, like you, love moving coins and bugs. We, like you, are highly motivated to find caches that have coins in them. That's one reason we admire people A LOT who set theirs out to travel. In our logs, in fact, we usually thank the coin owner for setting theirs free in the wild.

 

Personally, the only way I would set a coin out to travel is if I had bought more than one of that coin. Like you, it makes me sad to have to deface a beautiful piece of art just to keep morons from taking it. I guess our coins are more of an emotional and financial investment and so we would really be devastated to have them stolen.

 

Our coins do spend a lot of time in our collection, but we mostly love taking them to events to share with other cachers. I'm way too chicken to let them go.

 

There are a lot of really really nice traveler coins out there that don't cost a lot of money (less than a travel bug) and so maybe that would be one route you could go if you still wanted to release a coin. we are working up the courage to do that! :ph34r:

 

Anyway, I'm really sorry that happened to you. I hope somehow your coins show up again.

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hi, czarbucks! First, I just want to say "it's nice to meet ya"! And please don't feel like you have to lurk - I know I love to meet new friends!

 

Second, I know you will get a lot of different opinions on this, but here is our approach to coins. We don't have a lot of money and for this reason have chosen not to set coins out to travel. Not saying AT ALL that everyone who releases coins has money - just stating that we don't and we would be crushed to have a coin stolen. I admire the people who are able to let theirs go!

 

We, like you, love moving coins and bugs. We, like you, are highly motivated to find caches that have coins in them. That's one reason we admire people A LOT who set theirs out to travel. In our logs, in fact, we usually thank the coin owner for setting theirs free in the wild.

 

Personally, the only way I would set a coin out to travel is if I had bought more than one of that coin. Like you, it makes me sad to have to deface a beautiful piece of art just to keep morons from taking it. I guess our coins are more of an emotional and financial investment and so we would really be devastated to have them stolen.

 

Our coins do spend a lot of time in our collection, but we mostly love taking them to events to share with other cachers. I'm way too chicken to let them go.

 

There are a lot of really really nice traveler coins out there that don't cost a lot of money (less than a travel bug) and so maybe that would be one route you could go if you still wanted to release a coin. we are working up the courage to do that! :ph34r:

 

Anyway, I'm really sorry that happened to you. I hope somehow your coins show up again.

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Is it possible that people thought they were just great swag? If there is no note attached to it many people don't even know that they are meant to travel (there are a lot of clueless people out there! Just kidding, not everyone is up to date on all that travels now.)

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Ohhh...I feel your discouragement!

 

Some areas tend to have coins go missing much more than others. Sounds like there's a coin 'thief' in that area. I've released about 80 coins and have had about 10 go missing now. Most have travelled a little, some a lot before finding their way into someone's pocket.

 

Take joy in finding/moving coins. If you've got some very special coins that you just don't want to lose, then try what some have suggested and just hang on to them and bring them to events for others to discover (I've done that with some), use some to travel with you from cache to cache and 'dip' them (I've done this as well).

 

Also consider posting a note to the cache that coins have been stolen from the cache so as to discourage others from leaving coins which may get stolen.

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I believe I just lost my first two coins out of about eight I've released in the past few weeks - right out of their first cache. It feels a little like getting the wind knocked out of you. I've thought about setting up a camera and re-seeding the two caches in hopes of seeing who comes by. I won't allow coin thieves to bully me into stopping, even though it's not like I can afford to just keep throwing money out at them either. I haven't bought any of the Groundspeak TBs yet, but maybe that's the way to go. They're economical and you can attach a hitchhiker that speaks of your personality. Because they are so generic, they are less likely to get ripped off. I'm hoping my coins (which were drilled and prominently tagged) will turn up one day. It's probably kids who think the coins are cool right now and don't know how to get their own or don't want to buy their own. If they do the right thing and drop them off in a cache some time in the future instead of throwing them out, the can continue their journey.

 

Like yourself, I love the artistic value of geocoins and prefer to release coins because it's a way for me to share them with the world, but also like yourself, I hate to think that they're sitting in some punk's dresser drawer somewhere.

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I've enjoyed lurking on this forum, seeing your beautiful coins, coveting many, and buying a scant few. We decided on a trip to Maine in May to start our first three coins. Two were stolen right out of the original caches.

 

I know from reading that eventually coins do tend to go missing, but this has just broken my will to add anything to the traveling shared group of trackables. We're fairly new to caching (less than a year) but always enjoy helping items on their missions, and seeing a coin listed in a cache will always move it up our "to-do" list.

 

We had one of Landsharkz adorable micro pucks (gone) and one I had started for my husband's birthday (gone.) Well, I am through.

 

I can't collect coins, but thought we could share a few with the community, as a payback for others letting us see their own traveling coins. I really think I won't try again.

 

Thanks for listening... and I'll still lurk and admire your lovely coins. I assume you must just keep them at home, safe in a collection!

 

:ph34r:

 

Czarbucks,

Email me your address and I will send you one of my coins to replace one of the "gone missing" ones and help with the pain. :P Welcome to the geocoin world.

Cheers,

OshnDoc

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It is a shame when coins get stolen from the first cache they are placed in or even stolen at all. The very first geocoin and TB I ever placed were stolen too. It was a Masters of the Cache dragon coin and the TB was an amazing item that I bought on eBay.

Then about 6 months later I hid a brand new geocache with a beautiful Easter Egg geocoin and an Evil Micro geocoin and the whole geocache container with both coins were stolen.

The best advice I can give is try to keep in mind that it does not happen all the time. Most of the time a geocoin will start its journeys without getting taken. And the joy you get when the successful ones start their journeys will make up for your current frustration.

Just please give it another try soon in another cache. The joys will eventually outweigh the frustrations greatly. Most of the geocoins you place during your geocaching career will get to start their travels without to much trouble. I figure that if a geocoin travels to 10 geocaches then it was a success after that it's even added bonus.

 

I know there might be some who dissagree but I find that geocaches placed next to high schools get looted more often. (coins of mine looted were within easy walking distance of the school) But then again there is no way to predict where and when a geocache or geocoins might get looted. The general rule is that the joys outweigh the frustrations.

 

On a different note, however, I am a geocoin collector.

I have decent collection but I confess that I have not yet been able to release the truly beautiful geocoins in my collection. I guess I think that the most beautiful coins are more likely to get stolen maybe? Or I think that if I can get 20.00 or more for a coin on eBay I should not set it free? I'll gladly set free coins that I'm not as attached to but the rare pretty ones - so far I can't set them free. :ph34r:

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From the geocoin FAQ

 

"The most common question on etiquette relates to what to do if you find a Geocoin. Keep it? Move it to another geocache? The answer always depends on the goal its owner has set for it. Usually the best way to find the answer to these questions is to visit the geocoin’s personal home page and read the description it contains. If there is a theme or special instructions from the owner you should do your best to adhere to the geocoin’s goal, or send an email to the owner for more clarification.

In addition, selling a coin which doesn’t belong to you is generally frowned upon unless you have received express permission from its owner. How can I stop someone from selling a geocoin I gave them?

If you create your own series of geocoins and wish to prevent people from selling them, it is recommended you activate all of your coins on Geocaching.com before they leave your possession. This gives you a claim to ownership and, once reported, allows us to deactivate the coin at your request. If you have given any geocoins away which have not been activated, we consider it to be a transfer of ownership and cannot intervene. Think ahead!"

 

Everyone plays the game differently. If someone chooses to keep the coin as swag, that's just how they choose to play the game. If you don't like it, don't put coins into the wild. When will people stop telling others how they should play?

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Many thanks to the kind replies, and helpful suggestions. We really enjoy the whole geocaching experience, and all the folks we've met online due to it.

 

Oshndoc, that is just too kind an offer. I couldn't take one of your coins. Just think of us, the next time you set one free, and that is still way more than anyone else needs to do. But thank you! :ph34r:

 

earthrooster: we tried to do our due diligence, picking one very active cache and one on a lovley hiking trail, but clearly failed each time. Thanks for the support.

 

ky96: many thanks, also on your take on this. We had given each other a handful of coins for Xmas, but a cracked foot kept me from doing anything for 4 months. Once we got going again - boom! Coins went missing. We don't go to events, or even belong to our local club, so no one else sees the coins. Perhaps that is the way to go.

 

rockin': another vote for the events route. Perhaps someday we'll do that. Thanks for the advice!

 

tdecell: what another discouraging statistic! I wonder how Canada fares? We will be going there soon, but I don't think I'll release any more coins.

 

hula: I included a note in the plastic sleeve, calling out their trackable nature. This looked intentional to me, but what do I know? Thanks for the post.

 

stickerooni: (I love your name!) Yes, I did add notes to the caches, and one of the owners was really nice about it, tracking down a couple of the logged cachers for me, and going out to see if it was in the cache. There are so many good people around... I just hate financing the others.

 

nashuan: that's so sad. I will definitely look at the tb's and see if they are the answer. I've just so loved the coins, and so much enjoy seeing them. Gee, I'm getting myself angry again! LOL. Thanks for the post.

 

boogus: oh, and your coins sound so beautiful. I know it must not happen every time, since we do help move any coin we possibly can ( :P ) but it is a disappointment when it does.

 

Happily, the puck coin I started for my sister, and the one for The Man are still moving, so we can vicariously enjoy them. Our two TBs are still in play, as well. Of course, those are both in Canada.... :D

 

Thanks again for the nice responses, I appreciate each one.

 

Edit: Okay, I appreciate almost all of the responses.

Edited by czarbucks
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I wonder how Canada fares? We will be going there soon, but I don't think I'll release any more coins.

About the same here as in the US, I think. Maybe some areas are better than others, but in Alberta a lot of coins have gone missing. TBs, too, so maybe someone just forgot to log them, or quit caching, but I suspect some are deliberately collected. Hopefully if it's some young kid with a drawer full of coins, s/he'll eventually grow up, the guilt gene will become active, and the coins will go back into circulation. If not, I hope they're enjoying looking at the coins a lot, so at least they aren't wasted.

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Just a thought here, but if you cannot afford to lose coins like this, maybe buying a few and taking them with you to events and such so others can discover them would work best for you?? You could also use a coin to "dip' into caches you visit, this would give you an idea of the mileage you've traveled while caching!!

 

Don't let a few bad eggs ruin it for you, have fun your way!!

Unfortunately with increasing number of accounts such as this it appears the smell of rotten eggs is getting stronger. :ph34r:

 

And to give benefit of the doubt to noobs who know not what the heck they're doing I do email folks and gently prod them to read the guidelines and directions on how to handle geocoins. It is with great relief when a noob grabs my coin on their first find and it eventually gets logged out and dropped off again!!! :P

 

I too dropped about a dozen new coins in New England last year and immediately lost track of two of them. The rest have not fared well either. Now most of my trackables are sitting in a stash cache and only leave the house for events.

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<snip for brevity...>

 

Everyone plays the game differently. If someone chooses to keep the coin as swag, that's just how they choose to play the game. If you don't like it, don't put coins into the wild. When will people stop telling others how they should play?

 

Sadly you can't relate to the loss since you've only activated 1 TB Dog tag in 3 years. Walk a mile in another person's shoes and understand their pain before laying judgement.... please.

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Is it possible that people thought they were just great swag? If there is no note attached to it many people don't even know that they are meant to travel (there are a lot of clueless people out there! Just kidding, not everyone is up to date on all that travels now.)

I have started including a "Geocoin Buddy" (just the tag, without the chain) in the plastic sleeve with the geocoins that I release. Not sure if it will help with longevity, but it can't hurt. At least everyone who finds it should understand that it is not swag meant to be kept.

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I've enjoyed lurking on this forum, seeing your beautiful coins, coveting many, and buying a scant few. We decided on a trip to Maine in May to start our first three coins. Two were stolen right out of the original caches.

 

I know from reading that eventually coins do tend to go missing, but this has just broken my will to add anything to the traveling shared group of trackables. We're fairly new to caching (less than a year) but always enjoy helping items on their missions, and seeing a coin listed in a cache will always move it up our "to-do" list.

 

We had one of Landsharkz adorable micro pucks (gone) and one I had started for my husband's birthday (gone.) Well, I am through.

 

I can't collect coins, but thought we could share a few with the community, as a payback for others letting us see their own traveling coins. I really think I won't try again.

 

Thanks for listening... and I'll still lurk and admire your lovely coins. I assume you must just keep them at home, safe in a collection!

 

:P

 

Hey! Don't think all cachers are that way. :D

Send me your address by email, and I'll send you a Ventura Kids Obsessed Geocoin for FREE! :ph34r: Seriously.

 

I hate when cachers keep geocoins that are meant for moving along. I've dropped a geocoin in many different cities, and most get grabbed along the way. I even make the goals like "This geocoin may be kept by any cacher that lives in a state that starts with the letter M". Of course I drop it in a state that does NOT start with that letter. :D

Edited by ventura_kids
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Hey! Don't think all cachers are that way. :P

Send me your address by email, and I'll send you a Ventura Kids Obsessed Geocoin for FREE! :D Seriously.

 

Thanks so much for the offer, but I couldn't accept that. It was very kind of you, though! :ph34r:

 

Please just keep releasing coins for us to move (even if we DID live in a state which begins with "M") and that will be great. It's one of the parts of our sport I love best.

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Ya know what? The same thing happened to me with the very first coin I put out. No one logged it...it just disapeared from the cache..this was July 06. YESTERDAY I got an email from the person that picked it up...he apoligized and said that they were going to take it to Ireland but that didn't work out...and he put it in a cache!! So our "new" "old" coin has a new lease on life! :ph34r: YEA!!!

Edited by Tank Hounds
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Ya know what? The same thing happened to me with the very first coin I put out. No one logged it...it just disapeared from the cache..this was July 07. YESTERDAY I got an email from the person that picked it up...he apoligized and said that they were going to take it to Ireland but that didn't work out...and he put it in a cache!! So our "new" "old" coin has a new lease on life! :ph34r: YEA!!!

 

:P Are you serious? An entire YEAR?! Well, that's great news. I hope the coin travels everywhere from here on, with no more sabbaticals!

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Ya know what? The same thing happened to me with the very first coin I put out. No one logged it...it just disapeared from the cache..this was July 07. YESTERDAY I got an email from the person that picked it up...he apoligized and said that they were going to take it to Ireland but that didn't work out...and he put it in a cache!! So our "new" "old" coin has a new lease on life! :ph34r: YEA!!!

 

:P Are you serious? An entire YEAR?! Well, that's great news. I hope the coin travels everywhere from here on, with no more sabbaticals!

Yes, that does happen - and when I go to Bar Harbor - later this year, after the tourists (and we love you! - I just don't compete on the roads or trails) are gone....I am willing to check the log on the cache where you placed the puck coin.......that may reveal something.

 

Next - what is the other coin you released? I did not see it in your trackable list. You may PM me through my profile. Also willing to help with some investigation on this one too.

 

Please ask to join the yahoo geocoin list so we all may have your mailing address. I think you would find we are a fun group and be uplifted.

 

Right now, I have a coin which seems to have gone missing from one of my caches.......I am upset but need to go read the log, and try to figure out what may have happened. The original post that trackables may go missing for lonngggg periods of time is very true.

 

Keep the faith!

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Thanks for the info, and the offer. I'll PM you later, with some of the details. The cache-owner was very nice about checking the cache, and I did "talk" to everyone who logged it. The other coin is through The Man's cache, and I'll give you those details too. It would be a bit further away... :P

 

I won't take the tourist thing personally, we're in Orlando, and love YOU, too! :ph34r: But we were up in early May to beat the tourists, and know when to visit areas closer to home to avoid them as well.

 

Thanks again for the offer.

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Thanks for the info, and the offer. I'll PM you later, with some of the details. The cache-owner was very nice about checking the cache, and I did "talk" to everyone who logged it. The other coin is through The Man's cache, and I'll give you those details too. It would be a bit further away... :ph34r:

 

I won't take the tourist thing personally, we're in Orlando, and love YOU, too! :P But we were up in early May to beat the tourists, and know when to visit areas closer to home to avoid them as well.

 

Thanks again for the offer.

 

Very nice and I love Orlando too! Yes, May is a nice time to visit. Do PM me - we will see what we might do to help. It is discouraging - but keep the faith. Keep some coins for a "collection" which you hand carry to events and release those where you want to/are willing to take a chance.

 

Don't give up. Life is good and so are most Geocachers.

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We dropped one of our personal coins in the Southernmost US Cache in Key West last winter with a mission to return to one of our caches in south Jersey so that we could take it to the Easternmost Cache in Maine this August.

 

We followed its progress for a while, but it is now among the missing. The next person to find the last cache where it was dropped has 1 find. He or she probably picked it up and had no idea it was a traveller. We emailed the cacher through the geocaching web site, but received no response. The cache owner went out and checked for us, the coin is definitely not there.

 

So, when we go to Maine, we will drop off another one with a similar goal. If it gets to south Jersey, we will take it back to Key West next winter.

 

Some of our coins are happily traveling around the US, Canada, New Zealand and various nations in Europe.

 

Only a few have disappeared.

Don't give up. Lots of coins do move.

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<snip for brevity...>

 

Everyone plays the game differently. If someone chooses to keep the coin as swag, that's just how they choose to play the game. If you don't like it, don't put coins into the wild. When will people stop telling others how they should play?

 

Sadly you can't relate to the loss since you've only activated 1 TB Dog tag in 3 years. Walk a mile in another person's shoes and understand their pain before laying judgement.... please.

 

The 1 TB I released was lost/stolen, and I had no desire to release another after losing that one.. More important a point is that I was being SARCASTIC... It was meant to show the attitude of "Everyone plays their own game" in a humorous/sarcastic light. If I ever have that attitude, you have permission to shoot me.

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<snip for brevity...>

 

Everyone plays the game differently. If someone chooses to keep the coin as swag, that's just how they choose to play the game. If you don't like it, don't put coins into the wild. When will people stop telling others how they should play?

 

Sadly you can't relate to the loss since you've only activated 1 TB Dog tag in 3 years. Walk a mile in another person's shoes and understand their pain before laying judgement.... please.

 

The 1 TB I released was lost/stolen, and I had no desire to release another after losing that one.. More important a point is that I was being SARCASTIC... It was meant to show the attitude of "Everyone plays their own game" in a humorous/sarcastic light. If I ever have that attitude, you have permission to shoot me.

Every time I release a TB or coin, I think that "the countdown to missing" has started. That way, whenever I get an email alert that one of them has been moved (and not stolen), I am truly thrilled. :P

 

Old proverb: Hope for the best. Expect the worst. :ph34r:

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<snip for brevity...>

 

Everyone plays the game differently. If someone chooses to keep the coin as swag, that's just how they choose to play the game. If you don't like it, don't put coins into the wild. When will people stop telling others how they should play?

 

Sadly you can't relate to the loss since you've only activated 1 TB Dog tag in 3 years. Walk a mile in another person's shoes and understand their pain before laying judgement.... please.

 

The 1 TB I released was lost/stolen, and I had no desire to release another after losing that one.. More important a point is that I was being SARCASTIC... It was meant to show the attitude of "Everyone plays their own game" in a humorous/sarcastic light. If I ever have that attitude, you have permission to shoot me.

Every time I release a TB or coin, I think that "the countdown to missing" has started. That way, whenever I get an email alert that one of them has been moved (and not stolen), I am truly thrilled. :P

 

Old proverb: Hope for the best. Expect the worst. :ph34r:

 

Mine actually had a pretty good run.. Made it down to mexico and back before it disappeared. All in all it was a pretty good experience.

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Some time back we released all four of the puzzle coins, each one in a different cache. They are all still traveling around the US.

 

Since I posted here earlier this evening, I received notice that one of the coins had just been placed in a cache in Minnesota. Puzzle Coin, one of four

 

If you look, you will see this entry for last March:

 

3/30/2008 Foley05 retrieved it from Mule (Muhl) Park Pennsylvania [visit log]

4 for 4 now on the puzzle coins from wigoweb. Just wish I had them all at the same time... will move along soon... maybe much further south as I'm heading to Hilton Head Island this next week...

 

Foley05 made an effort to have all four of the coins at one time so that he could assemble the puzzle. After a while, he decided that he had held the first three for a long time and released them. Of course, then he found the fourth puzzle piece.

 

This kind of a response from other cachers makes putting out coins a lot of fun.

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I've been holding on to one of my coins for ages, just waiting on a good mission for it. I have a good mission now. I'm going to set loose this coin to visit you in Florida!

 

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=916477

 

I'll drop it in a cache this weekend, and you keep an eye out for it!

 

Awww, are you serious? What a nice thought... I'll just be glad to watch its progress, wherever it goes.

 

Thank you, again, to all who answered. I'll keep hopeful that the coins re-emerge. At least we still have a pair of the little pucks, they were too cute to release them all. :ph34r:

 

Good luck to all the little wanderers! LOL

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Ya know what? The same thing happened to me with the very first coin I put out. No one logged it...it just disapeared from the cache..this was July 07. YESTERDAY I got an email from the person that picked it up...he apoligized and said that they were going to take it to Ireland but that didn't work out...and he put it in a cache!! So our "new" "old" coin has a new lease on life! :P YEA!!!

 

:ph34r: Are you serious? An entire YEAR?! Well, that's great news. I hope the coin travels everywhere from here on, with no more sabbaticals!

 

Actually I wrote it wrong..it was July 2006 when I put it in a cache...my very first coin...gone...but now it's back! WOOT!!

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:ph34r: I also am discouraged and a bit disappointed in the way my first coin released into the wild turned out - I dropped it at an event - the organizer knew the designer of the coin and requested that he be allowed to move it to get the icon - (it was a nice one) - I agreed and haven't heard from him or my coin since (over 6 mos) :D - what can I say - win some lose some - I really am having a hard time convincing myself to release any more - 2 of three TB's have gone MIA as well :P:D
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I have had a coin sitting dormant in the hands of a cacher since last November; not a long time I know, but still........ I have sent him a few notes through the mail asking if it has been 'lost' but I never have received a reply. To have a coin go missing from a cache is one thing; to know that your coin is sitting in the hands of another cacher who ignores your requests for information is very frustrating. :ph34r: I am pleased to say all of my other coins are moving through-out the Geocaching community! :P

Edited by paconlacellars
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I have had a coin sitting dormant in the hands of a cacher since last November; not a long time I know, but still........ I have sent him a few notes through the mail asking if it has been 'lost' but I never have received a reply. To have a coin go missing from a cache is one thing; to know that your coin is sitting in the hands of another cacher who ignores your requests for information is very frustrating. :sad: I am pleased to say all of my other coins are moving through-out the Geocaching community! :)

 

This has happened to me also. I started a coin in a local TB hotel and the first person to pick it up never logged it. I have contacted them, but they have not contacted me back, not have they been to GC.c since Feb. Grrrrrr......

 

I think that right now only 2 of my 6 travelers are acounted for at this time.

 

maldar

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I have had a coin sitting dormant in the hands of a cacher since last November; not a long time I know, but still........ I have sent him a few notes through the mail asking if it has been 'lost' but I never have received a reply. To have a coin go missing from a cache is one thing; to know that your coin is sitting in the hands of another cacher who ignores your requests for information is very frustrating. :sad: I am pleased to say all of my other coins are moving through-out the Geocaching community! :)

 

I have a nearly identical experience with a TB. The unfortunate part is that it wasn't mine. It belonged to a friend who'd registered his first TB and hadn't had time, due to new baby in the family, to release it. I took it from Seattle to Vancouver in March 2008 and released it for him. It was picked up the next day by a first-time cacher who specifically mentioned 'moving it along on its quest', but then the TB and the cacher went dormant. A few gentle nudges via email have thus far elicited no responses.

 

I've also had 3-4 GCs that I released in the Seattle area go dormant or missing. The odds of keeping my TB/GC fleet in motion are less than heartening some days. I have a few Geo Slug coins that I picked up recently that I'll probably release before end of summer. Will have to see what my live vs. missing stats look like for each type at the end of the summer before deciding what to rely on for future GC/TB purchases.

 

Here's hoping your Trackables have long and well-traveled lives. Cheers.

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Have no fear, coins return to the living all of the time. I was doing some maintenance on one of my caches on Monday and found an unlogged geocoin in it. I got around to logging it yesterday, and it turns out it had been missing since April of 2007. The owner had even put out a paper proxy of it, and now, there's a real coin back in circulation.

 

Happy days for everyone!

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Here's another story of a TB returned from limbo.

 

Swimming Along TB was placed in a cache on 6/9/07, and then vanished (along with the cache, I think). Then 6+ months later it mysteriously reappeared in the hands of a muggle, 100 miles to the north. I picked it up from the muggle after seeing a post, and I got it back into circulation, and it has been happily traveling since. :)

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Of the 5 coins I have released, only 2 are still in circulation. One was in a cache that was plundered, and one was supposedly placed in a cache that was never found again afterwards. Hmmm. But the one that really got me was a motogrrl Memorial coin that was taken out of a cache by an obvious sock puppet...no finds, no nothing except a single log 2 years after creating the account to say they found it. I atempted a few emails and got no reply...surprise, surprise.

 

I have a few dozen (!) coins that were originally purchased with the intent of releasing them...that is all being rethought now. I HATE THIEVES, and I'll be d@mned if I am going to spend my hard-earned money giving them something to steal.

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Many, many thanks to all the kind and concerned people who posted to this thread. We've gotten 2 pieces of good news this week!

 

Someone has placed the Greenwood trail cache coin (The Man's) in a different cache, and a different soul has admitted "discovering" the micro coin, missing from the Bar Harbor cache. He says he will drop it in a cache in Colorado, in August.

 

So... those of you who recommended patience were proved correct, but I've also learned something else. Much like a bear market will test one's ability to withstand risk, releasing geocoins is a good test of what my sister calls "intestinal fortitude" and I've come up wanting here. These beautiful travelers, let loose on their own just to disappear for months on end, from their first caches simply left me gasping.

 

Thanks again to everyone here for their kind support. I'll be much quieter about my coin issues in further... and doubt I'll release any new ones.

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Might I offer a few alternatives.... most of us have been through the 'I ain't releasing any more coins' thought process. I can truly sympathize: after having half my activated coins go missing, opening a coin discovery cache, only to have them swiped after a couple months, people following my caching activities to see where I dropped coins, so they could sell them on ebay or get a free collection.... I almost quit leaving coins altogether in Helena. I was really getting PO'd!

 

Here is what I do now. I have slowed my free coin dropping significantly. I no longer mention it in my logs unless I cache out of town. I just drop an unactivated coin in a cache and then watch the cache. I write down the tracking number and wait to see if anyone activates it. I admit, that I have only seen 1 log where someone actually admits to even trading the geocoin I left. But, the nice thing is, I know I left a neat surprise for the next finder and it is less worry and disappointment when an activated coin goes missing.

 

There really isn't a perfect solution and it's good practice just to let some of your material possessions go (coins, lol). Over time, you adjust and you learn not to let the bad apples get the better of you and you modify how you play the game.

 

Don't let other wreck your fun and happiness! If we all did that, there would be no coin releases, no hope of possibly striking an ultimate coin find, etc.

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If anyone would like to see their coins travel aroubd the UK, where they have a better chance (not 100% of course) of surviving for a period of time, I'd be happy to drop them for you.

 

Ness.

 

Hey, that's a really cool idea and an awfully gracious offer, thanks!! Being new to geocaching, I'm putting together a few caches (taking LOTS of ideas from others, what works, what doesn't, etc, trying to make it fun and challenging) and have purchased a few geocoins that have special meaning to me (Rainbow Bridge, Tengwar, and awaiting some Celtic coins I pre-purchased as well).

 

I purchased more than one of the Rainbow Bridge ones (these were crafted by a gal named Karma who lost her dog a few years ago, gorgous giant coins!!) so that I could share 1 or 2 with the geocaching community, one to keep, one to track, and one as an FTF gift in one of my new caches.

 

That said, I think it'd be awesome to send one over to the UK and have it start travelling there, perhaps with a note saying that ultimately it'd be great if it could find it's way home to the US (Oregon) someday.

 

How about this, I'll send you one or two to drop in caches in the UK to travel around there, and I'll offer the same thing to you, that if you have a coin or two you'd like to have immediately stolen from a cache by some clown who "plays the game" differently (i.e. steals coins), I can deposit them in caches here in the US! (seriously though, I would be more than happy to reciprocate the favor for you here in the US).

 

If you're interested in having someone here take you up on that offer PLEASE PM me here and let's get it setup! I've got a Rainbow Bridge coin that I'm sure would LOVE to travel abroad in the UK!!

 

Thanks again!

Kevin

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