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Geocoins - Do many go MIA?


Kohavis

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I'm new to geocaching and even newer to Geocoins. I received a geocoin as a gift from another cacher for maintaining his cache while he's out of state.

 

The Geocoin is a New Mexico geocaching coin 2005, heavy and what looks like gold plating. It's a large coin, about 2-1/4" dia., and about 3/16" thick. Very nice coin. There's a pic of front and back in my profile.

 

I activated it today and am considering releasing it, but I've read the occasional post about how geocoins don't always have the longest lives out there in the wild because of their collectible value. I've also read that that's the reason travel bugs are so popular now - because they have little or no collectible value, but achieve the same goal as the older geocoins - traveling the world and racking up the miles.

 

I don't want to send out this nice gift coin only to end up on some dishonest cacher's display shelf.

 

What should I do? Hang onto it and cherish it as the gift that it is, or release it and take my chances?

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Since it's your first geocoin and a gift, IMO, I think you should keep it and not send it out as a traveler. Especially since it would be hard to replace if it went missing, as it's an older coin.

 

As for my traveling geocoins, I have about a 30% MIA rate, although every once in a while, a missing geocoin comes back from the unknown.

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So far we've hit it right on the head!

 

Keep it and cherish your first geocoin as YES, it will appeal to the Magpies! :anibad:

 

In the end its up to you...I now ask that my coins visit hard to reach caches and sitting for long periods are of no concern to me, as long as my coins are safe- Im happy! Plus its a bonus for those harder terrain caches!

 

Doesnt always work though- Theres newbies that are disquised as magpies and the Magpies are often hard to track down when they do hit. B)

 

You can always drill a hole and attach a tag for further persuasion aswell. I engrave some of mine with where it came from and who it belongs to.

 

Good Luck and congrats on your first geocoin! :ph34r:

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No, I wouldn't want to drill a hole or otherwise mark it.

 

It sounds like it's clear what to do after reading your honest and sage replies here - keep it! It's my first, and it's special. So it'll stay home at the roost and I'll get another one to actually send out into the wild.

 

Thanks. everyone for the replies B):anibad:

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I have many coins traveling and NONE of mine have holes drilled. I put them in a baggie with travel documents and mission statements (printed right from coin's page). Sure, some go missing, but it's the way I like to put them out!

 

Coins often go missing, it's a fact of geocoin life! One way to minimize the hurt feeling of losing a "loved one" would be to release MANY so the loss of one doesn't hurt as badly! The more you have traveling, the more fun watching them move!!

 

Being your first and a gift, please keep it and cherish it!

 

I would be more than happy to send you a coin if you'd like to have one travel, please email me your addy! I would also be more than happy to set one free here with the mission of spreading bike awareness and any side mission you'd like (travel to you etc)...if you'd like! It would then be entered in my Todie's Wild Ride release/race cointest and could earn you a coin as a prize!

 

Interested???

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Another option that is a consequence of the magpie mentality if to send out a PROXY. That's a photo of your coin encased in a coin case with tracking # clearly discernible. The better the photo the better the proxy. Some folks even add a big washer to add weight to the fake but it's still a fake and some folks loathe fakes and that includes Magpies. :anibad:

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Another option that is a consequence of the magpie mentality if to send out a PROXY. That's a photo of your coin encased in a coin case with tracking # clearly discernible. The better the photo the better the proxy. Some folks even add a big washer to add weight to the fake but it's still a fake and some folks loathe fakes and that includes Magpies. :ph34r:

:anibad: I like that idea. Get a big steel washer, take a good photo of the coin - both sides, glue photos on front and back of washer, trim, and release B) Genius! :huh:
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Another option that is a consequence of the magpie mentality if to send out a PROXY. That's a photo of your coin encased in a coin case with tracking # clearly discernible. The better the photo the better the proxy. Some folks even add a big washer to add weight to the fake but it's still a fake and some folks loathe fakes and that includes Magpies. :laughing:

:) I like that idea. Get a big steel washer, take a good photo of the coin - both sides, glue photos on front and back of washer, trim, and release :D Genius! :ph34r:

 

And I hear that you should , as common courtesy, declare on the coins page that it is a proxy :ph34r:

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Here Here, Hang on to your cherished coins and only send out coins you wont be upset about losing

 

I do a mixture of drilling and sending out just in coin case with some details. So far the only coins I have lost I have lost myself! (Dropped one at a cache site and my daughter pinched another and lost it!)

 

I have lost far more TBs that coins - even thought they where all inexpensive items, never mind

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Everyone has given you great advice. I would like to add that if it was me, I would keep it. Then I would search out another geocoin or tb that I could release with a mission related to the gift coin. For example, sending out a TB called "The Gift of New Mexico" with a mission to visit 2005 geocaches before returning home to NM. I would outline on the bug/coin page the story behind the gift and pictures of it (with the tracking number blurred of course!).

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Just for your information, almost 50% of the geocoins I have released have gone missing or been stolen. I have released 39 geocoins and 19 of those are now missing or stolen.

 

I always release the actual original geocoin but after a coin has been missing for over a year I send out a copy to continue the travels of the original. Some of the original coins have disappeared from the very first cache I placed them in without logging a single mile of travel. That seems like such a waste to me so after a year I release a proxy. The names of all of my copy coins start with "*COPY*" so they are clearly identified as copy coins. I still get flack from some people that don't like copy coins, but since I sent the original geocoin out into the geocaching community in good faith and it was stolen or lost I feel I am justified in sending out a replacement copy after a year.

 

Model Citizen - Zero Discipline

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Everyone has given you great advice. I would like to add that if it was me, I would keep it. Then I would search out another geocoin or tb that I could release with a mission related to the gift coin. For example, sending out a TB called "The Gift of New Mexico" with a mission to visit 2005 geocaches before returning home to NM. I would outline on the bug/coin page the story behind the gift and pictures of it (with the tracking number blurred of course!).

Great idea! Thanks for the idea :D

 

I'll keep it. I have to consider sending out a proxy versus sending out a related coin with a mission tied to the original. Both are good ideas. What gives me pause is negative feelings towards proxies, even when marked as such. I may just go with El Tada's idea just to keep from ruffling any feathers.

 

Again, thanks to all who took the time to opine here :)

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I think if the coin hold any sentimental value to you whatsoever, you'd be better off hanging on to it. As a new geocacher myself, I sent out a handful of geocoins recently. I wish for the best, but the complete understanding that some of them could likely go missing. Its a matter of being willing enough to take the risk to lose them.

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Conrats on your coin. The feeling you got when you received that coin is why I send coins out to travel - it's neat to see the responses from excited folks. Yes, they go missing, but so do TBs.

 

Some get stolen and kept, some get lost, and some get picked up and forgotten about. I received an email from somebody the other day that had one of my coins and just found it months later in the bottom of his backpack. He apologized and is dropping it again soon. It happens.

 

Oh, and count me as one the ones who doesn't like proxies. Send out the real thing, or keep it. :huh:

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Oh, and count me as one the ones who doesn't like proxies. Send out the real thing, or keep it. :huh:

 

How do you feel about option 3: Send out the real thing, then send out a proxy when the real thing is stolen without traveling much?

 

Or are proxies disliked regardless of the reason? I'm just trying to get a feel for the general consensus.

 

Model Citizen - Zero Discipline

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Oh, and count me as one the ones who doesn't like proxies. Send out the real thing, or keep it. :huh:

 

How do you feel about option 3: Send out the real thing, then send out a proxy when the real thing is stolen without traveling much?

 

Or are proxies disliked regardless of the reason? I'm just trying to get a feel for the general consensus.

 

Model Citizen - Zero Discipline

 

I've seen this done before, but it's still merely a copy in a coin's "clothing". It's almost like a museum putting the real artwork in a safe while displaying a rendition...no matter how good the rendition is, it's not the real thing!

 

It's your coin, you can choose as you please!

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Just for your information, almost 50% of the geocoins I have released have gone missing or been stolen. I have released 39 geocoins and 19 of those are now missing or stolen.

 

I always release the actual original geocoin but after a coin has been missing for over a year I send out a copy to continue the travels of the original. Some of the original coins have disappeared from the very first cache I placed them in without logging a single mile of travel. That seems like such a waste to me so after a year I release a proxy. The names of all of my copy coins start with "*COPY*" so they are clearly identified as copy coins. I still get flack from some people that don't like copy coins, but since I sent the original geocoin out into the geocaching community in good faith and it was stolen or lost I feel I am justified in sending out a replacement copy after a year.

 

Model Citizen - Zero Discipline

 

Coins often go MIA for a long time before reappearing elsewhere, don't give up hope on those missing! I've had a TB go missing for almost 6 months before the holder released it again...it's now happily traveling on!

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I've seen this done before, but it's still merely a copy in a coin's "clothing". It's almost like a museum putting the real artwork in a safe while displaying a rendition...no matter how good the rendition is, it's not the real thing!

 

It's your coin, you can choose as you please!

 

I know you said "It's almost like a museum putting the real artwork in a safe while displaying a rendition", but just to be clear, I'm not putting the real artwork in a safe.

I sent the actual, real "artwork" out to travel. It hardly traveled at all before going missing for over a year.

 

So far, none of my original coins that went missing for a year have turned up again. Some have been missing for over two years.

 

Model Citizen - Zero Discipline

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I've seen this done before, but it's still merely a copy in a coin's "clothing". It's almost like a museum putting the real artwork in a safe while displaying a rendition...no matter how good the rendition is, it's not the real thing!

 

It's your coin, you can choose as you please!

 

I know you said "It's almost like a museum putting the real artwork in a safe while displaying a rendition", but just to be clear, I'm not putting the real artwork in a safe.

I sent the actual, real "artwork" out to travel. It hardly traveled at all before going missing for over a year.

 

So far, none of my original coins that went missing for a year have turned up again. Some have been missing for over two years.

 

Model Citizen - Zero Discipline

OK....it's almost like an art collector displaying a rendition because hi/her real piece was stolen! lol

 

If you'd like, I would be happy to send a coin out for my Todie's Wild Ride cointest. You can name it (with the Todie's Wild Ride prefix of course) and give it a secondary mission (main mission to be raising bike awareness). I'll activate and adopt the coin to you then release it when you have it ready!

 

Putting out copies of the original doesn't work for me, it might for others! Myself, I'd just as soon put out a "sister" coin in memory of the missing! Besides, the real coin could eventually turn up and then you'd have 2 coins with the same tracking numbers moving about...

 

I say this as a friend is making a copy coin of one of my missing coins. I lost a very special tribute coin in honor of Tod when I missed my pocket (had my leather pants on and thought I had hit my jeans pants pocket underneath...must have slid down my leg and hit the road somewhere). While I wouldn't do this and won't set it out in the wild, she has good intentions...and the "coin" won't circulate as the original's mission was to be my pocket coin!

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If you'd like, I would be happy to send a coin out for my Todie's Wild Ride cointest. You can name it (with the Todie's Wild Ride prefix of course) and give it a secondary mission (main mission to be raising bike awareness). I'll activate and adopt the coin to you then release it when you have it ready!

 

Thanks so much for the kind offer! That's really VERY nice of you. However, I have so many coins traveling and a huge backlog of coins I plan on sending out to travel, perhaps it would be better to adopt the coins out to someone else that doesn't have a lot of coins or is just getting started in the hobby. Thanks again for the offer though!

 

Blue skies and happy caching!

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If you'd like, I would be happy to send a coin out for my Todie's Wild Ride cointest. You can name it (with the Todie's Wild Ride prefix of course) and give it a secondary mission (main mission to be raising bike awareness). I'll activate and adopt the coin to you then release it when you have it ready!

 

Thanks so much for the kind offer! That's really VERY nice of you. However, I have so many coins traveling and a huge backlog of coins I plan on sending out to travel, perhaps it would be better to adopt the coins out to someone else that doesn't have a lot of coins or is just getting started in the hobby. Thanks again for the offer though!

 

Blue skies and happy caching!

 

Never even looked lol! Hey, if you'd like a chance at winning a 2007 LACKEY coin or other prizes, enter some of those coins you plan to release in the Todie's Wild Ride release/race cointest! It's for a great cause and is in honor of a friend as well!

 

Still prowling for newb coiners, I enjoy giving the coins to them! :huh:

 

Rockin Roddy

 

oops....and now, back to you're regularly scheduled programming!

Edited by Rockin Roddy
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I have 8 TB's and maybe 3 or 4 coins out in the wild. None of them have moved in a while except for Star Voyager Buzz, which has done well over the years. But it is a shame about all the others. Just gone somewhere else. My quote below says it all. Nothing else you can do about it.

 

But I love making apple pie! Just because I didn't invent the apple doesn't mean we can't enjoy a nice treat. :P

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I have 8 TB's and maybe 3 or 4 coins out in the wild. None of them have moved in a while except for Star Voyager Buzz, which has done well over the years. But it is a shame about all the others. Just gone somewhere else. My quote below says it all. Nothing else you can do about it.

 

But I love making apple pie! Just because I didn't invent the apple doesn't mean we can't enjoy a nice treat. B)

 

That's not the quote I was referring to. Something about "fingers crossed" is the right one.

 

I'm partial to cherry pie myself.

 

:P

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While driving through Ann Arbor I picked up one of the Tod's Wild Ride geocoins and that was when I first heard about these coins and decided to check out this forum. My wife and I have bikes and I wanted to grab and drop the coin here locally in Kalamazoo for several other cachers who also ride. I still consider myself new to geocaching and I just purchased my first geocoin that was auctioned in memory of Tod. I hope it helps the family.

Now that I just received it, I too was wondering whether or not to activate the coin and release it, and the opinions here have helped me decide to keep it safe at home. But I don't want it to be hidden away. So my question is, since I would like to show it to other cachers, should I activate it and just let people discover it? What are "icons"? I'm not sure what the icons are and what they do or even where they are at. Does activating a coin reduce it's value or make it hard to trade?

I do know one thing though, these silly little things are like Jays potato chips - you can't stop with one! :P

 

Bill

 

" moldslug "

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While driving through Ann Arbor I picked up one of the Tod's Wild Ride geocoins and that was when I first heard about these coins and decided to check out this forum. My wife and I have bikes and I wanted to grab and drop the coin here locally in Kalamazoo for several other cachers who also ride. I still consider myself new to geocaching and I just purchased my first geocoin that was auctioned in memory of Tod. I hope it helps the family.

Now that I just received it, I too was wondering whether or not to activate the coin and release it, and the opinions here have helped me decide to keep it safe at home. But I don't want it to be hidden away. So my question is, since I would like to show it to other cachers, should I activate it and just let people discover it? What are "icons"? I'm not sure what the icons are and what they do or even where they are at. Does activating a coin reduce it's value or make it hard to trade?

I do know one thing though, these silly little things are like Jays potato chips - you can't stop with one! :P

 

Bill

 

" moldslug "

 

Some of my coins are activated just for the purpose of taking them to events and letting others discover them. It's a good thing to do. It does lessen the value of the geocoin. But only to everyone else, not me. And it shouldn't make any of yours mean less to you. I don't plan on selling mine or giving them away anyway. So enjoy your coins, share them with others, and keep them safe.

 

The "icons" are the little images on your trackables page in your profile. Most trackable coins, but not all, have a unique icon. Some people like "adding" them to their trackables page almost as much as they like collecting the geocoin itself.

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While driving through Ann Arbor I picked up one of the Tod's Wild Ride geocoins and that was when I first heard about these coins and decided to check out this forum. My wife and I have bikes and I wanted to grab and drop the coin here locally in Kalamazoo for several other cachers who also ride. I still consider myself new to geocaching and I just purchased my first geocoin that was auctioned in memory of Tod. I hope it helps the family.

Now that I just received it, I too was wondering whether or not to activate the coin and release it, and the opinions here have helped me decide to keep it safe at home. But I don't want it to be hidden away. So my question is, since I would like to show it to other cachers, should I activate it and just let people discover it? What are "icons"? I'm not sure what the icons are and what they do or even where they are at. Does activating a coin reduce it's value or make it hard to trade?

I do know one thing though, these silly little things are like Jays potato chips - you can't stop with one! :rolleyes:

 

Bill

 

" moldslug "

 

email on it's way soon my friend!

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I've watched quite a few disspear here in the last six months. Caches that show a 4 coin drop are bone dry and empty three days later when I get there, and they are still showing the coins as "in the cache" four months later.

 

My coins won't be going out.. instead a "mystery voucher" (blank dog tag, engraved with "mystery voucher' and the tracking code) will be, which will match up with the coins on the website. (Which will also be listed as a proxy, as well).

 

With the increasing price of coins, and some real art (like the compass rose, and sextants and such), I'm not putting it out there for some magpie to sit on. Just not happening.

 

Besides, I can get 25 blank tags for about 20 bucks.. seems like cheap insurance!

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