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Missing Geocoins


the_qweepys

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My husband and I are not exactly new geocachers, but I would like to get other opinions about our geocoin experiences. Over the past two years we have left four geocoins in various geocaches and three out of four have been picked up and never logged.

 

I am wondering if this is common or if we just have unusually bad luck.

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I always seem to hold my breath as my coins travel from one cache to another.

 

I love geocoins, but they seem to becoming harder and harder to find in the wild.

 

A note ... I geocached Hilton Head Island while on vacation last week.

 

It seemed everywhere I went there were coins and other traveling items listed in inventory at the various caches.

 

Never once did I see anything listed in inventory actually in the cache while I was there.

 

Hopefully, people were just late in logging, but I started to wonder if someone was moving along and cleaning em out. ;)

Edited by MOON'S EYE
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None of my coins overseas are missing, but I have many MIA here in the States. Two of them didn't make it past their first or second cache. If I ever find anyone stealing travelers, you can bet that I will take action to resolve that situation.

 

Don't let it keep you from sending some out though, b/c we cachers really do enjoy moving them. You just have to set it free with the mindset that it's probably going to get stolen or lost along the way. At which point, you can make a custom TB and reuse the tracking number. Just be sure to rename the "coin" accordingly, so folks don't get aggravated.

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I have noticed that more than half the time I go after a coin or TB the cache is empty. I have rleased two coins that I purchased last year and both came up MIA. I cache mainly in southern Claifornia but have tried to find coins in Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky and Arizona in the past year and more times that not there is no coin or TB in the cache.

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It's muggles and coin thieves,mostly!

Coin thieves watch caches, when they get logs.

Muggles watch people and what there doing.

Best to release a replica of the coin to send off and keep the real coin home. I only lost one. But I'll never release one again, on my own.

Opalsns

I saw the picture of your cacheing crow geocoin, I checked to see if it was mine. I have one just like it. I met the geocacher that is holding it at a geoevent. He is a true geocacher, I'm sure he will place it this summer. Probally in a camp ground, he's a camper. I collect geocoins that I own, it is hard to find them in the wild because too many people steal them. If I do place one I create a members only cache or hike so far into the deep woods with an ammo can that has a chain and lock on it.

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Well....the sad truth is that coins make lousy travelers. In fact, nice travel bugs make lousy travelers.

 

You can have 99 honest people in the game and only 1 dishonest person to ruin it.

 

Some areas are better than others, so you can decide for yourself. Personally, I now only release coins that I assume will be taken at some point sooner rather than later. Sometimes I am happily surprised. Of my dozens of coins out there, most are gone.

 

I *do* re-name my coins once I confirm they are gone to STOLEN/MISSING "Original Name".

 

This is mostly to prevent eBay sales, private sales, and limits the ability to share a collection with others.

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I have learned that there are several unethical cachers out there, therefore, when I release coins into the wild for the purpose of traveling, I usually put a hole in the coin to devalue it, and place a small brass lock in it that you can find at any Walmart or general hardware store - see photo.

 

locked.jpg

 

Have faith that your traveling coins will actually travel, and if you can't... discourage coin thieves by defacing in some manner the coin that is to travel.

 

Regards,

~J

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People are very quick to accuse thieves, but many times people simply do not know how to log, or forget. Geocoins and travel bugs are usually small and slip to the bottom of the backpack a lot. Show new cachers all aspects of the game when you intorduce them to it.

 

Agreed - forgot to mention - also have faith in your fellow cacher!

Regards,

~J

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I am curious about this. I picked up a geocoin the other day. I would very much like to move it along. I am taking a trip in a month and would like to release it to the wilds then. Is that to long a period to hold the coin or should I release it sooner but then it won't travel with me as far? What is the best protical? ;)

 

Might be an idea to contact the coins owner to see what they would prefer you did. If they know your plans they may want you to hold onto the coin.

 

Just keep people informed and it takes the stress out of coin ownership

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People are very quick to accuse thieves, but many times people simply do not know how to log, or forget. Geocoins and travel bugs are usually small and slip to the bottom of the backpack a lot. Show new cachers all aspects of the game when you intorduce them to it.

 

So true, so true! And some folks also forget, lives may change. Change of circumstance, illness and in some cases even death, may have an effect on the movement of a coin or bug.

 

Right on Earth - explaining trackables is part of the game as well as kindly helping folks whose lives may have changed. Cache on ~ cache happy!

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People are very quick to accuse thieves, but many times people simply do not know how to log, or forget. Geocoins and travel bugs are usually small and slip to the bottom of the backpack a lot. Show new cachers all aspects of the game when you intorduce them to it.

 

My Nice Cache coin went 40 miles ? last year and is gone. I put a fire fighter coin in one of laughing Terry's Caches ,It was signed out but never signed in and the cacher secretly said it was placed in EMSDaniels cache.It wasn't there????

I moved a Maine Coin from Kayakerinme it was moved logged out , logged in to Mummamias cache and is GONE , and it had a HOLE drilled in it.????????

I had my Trout tb go 4 miles, was picked up by a cacher in the next town, who is a member of the Maine website. THat was Last year also. I have emailed them SEVERAL times with no reponse and NOone seems to know who they are???????????These were all DIFFERENT people. EVERBODY"S life changed ??????

C'mon. I'll say it. I think it's Thieves and Muggles.!!!! When I see it returned then I"LL APOLOGIZE untill then, I THINK IT"S THIEVES AND MUGGLES. How many people here showed someone how to cache and didn't tell them about coins and TBs????????? Honest people that don't know, ask on the forums.

WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO EARTHA,

In MY OPINION, It's not always a good honest cacher, let's be Honest here folks!!!! Just read the posts on a TB graveyard and see what half those folks say. I don't know why we shouldnt WARN new cachers, ???????

 

JMHO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Opalsns

Edited by opalsns
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People are very quick to accuse thieves, but many times people simply do not know how to log, or forget. Geocoins and travel bugs are usually small and slip to the bottom of the backpack a lot. Show new cachers all aspects of the game when you intorduce them to it.

 

I'm generally an optimist, but there is also a time to accept facts.

 

Anyone that can operate a GPS and a computer can and should be able to figure out the deep complexity of logging a trackable item.

 

I'll give ya 10% of missing coins for folks that don't "get" it. I'll give ya another 10% for the folks that misplace them or have life events preventing them placing them into caches.

 

However, I'm saying 80% are rotten dirty scoundrels! I don't see too many McToys going "missing". Caches tend to have a downward trend in content quality - this is the result of human activity and trading down.

 

While geocaching *does* use billion dollar satellites launched into space in rockets - logging a coin is NOT rocket science.

 

Again - all it takes is ONE person. I'm not saying that there are a lot of these folks in the hobby, but all it takes is ONE.

Edited by Lemon Fresh Dog
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Loss of 75% is unusual in my experience. Around 20% of my geocoins and TBs go missing each year. It sucks, but I accept it when I send them out into the wild. Some have interesting or long trips which helps to make up for those that don't.

 

In MY OPINION, It's not always a good honest cacher, let's be Honest here folks!!!! Just read the posts on a TB graveyard and see what half those folks say. I don't know why we shouldnt WARN new cachers, ???????

 

I agree that the problem is not always new cachers, but they are a significant portion of those who lose coins. Every 4-6 months I go through my geocoins in the wild to mark missing ones out of circulation. The major problem is cachers (typically with ferer than 100 finds) who pick them up and quit caching. I politely e-mail those who have held a coin over 3 months and I've either received apologies, stories of illness or death in the family, and (surprise) no response. The gentle reminders do get a fair number of coins sprung back into caches. Often life gets in the way of geocaching. And, many cachers give it a try and decide that its not for them - and, sadly, don't realize the importance of or forget to get the travelers in their posession back into the wild. There is a tendancy to brand those people as thieves, but inconsiderate is probably a more accurate term.

 

Muggled caches are the second leading cause of loss of my coins. Another source of loss is people who pick up a coin and don't realize that it is a traveler or that they should log it. I've had a couple identifyable missing coins due to lack of understanding of travelers. Many folks fall into caching on their own and don't have the benefit of a mentor to explain caching courtesy. As Eartha suggests, those with more experience should be atune to those with less experience at events and help to explain the ropes as needed. A minority of my coins have probably been lost to thieves.

 

To paraphrase LFD's advice, only release something that you are willing to lose - because your traveler will go missing eventually - hopefully it will last for many miles and many logs in the interim.

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I am curious about this. I picked up a geocoin the other day. I would very much like to move it along. I am taking a trip in a month and would like to release it to the wilds then. Is that to long a period to hold the coin or should I release it sooner but then it won't travel with me as far? What is the best protical? :lol:

 

I think it's OK to wait this long, especially if you can really move it to a location that fits the coin owner's plans for his traveler, but... it would be a courtesy to shoot the owner an email and let him know what you intend to do so he isn't worrying his coin got stolen.

 

I've held onto coins for more than a month... sometimes things crop up and you can't get out caching as much as you'd like... but a courtesy email usually solves any hard feelings with the owner.

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I am curious about this. I picked up a geocoin the other day. I would very much like to move it along. I am taking a trip in a month and would like to release it to the wilds then. Is that to long a period to hold the coin or should I release it sooner but then it won't travel with me as far? What is the best protical? :D

 

I think it's OK to wait this long, especially if you can really move it to a location that fits the coin owner's plans for his traveler, but... it would be a courtesy to shoot the owner an email and let him know what you intend to do so he isn't worrying his coin got stolen.

 

I've held onto coins for more than a month... sometimes things crop up and you can't get out caching as much as you'd like... but a courtesy email usually solves any hard feelings with the owner.

 

Very Well put !!!!! COURTESY Email!!!!!! Exactly!!! :P:)

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I have learned that there are several unethical cachers out there, therefore, when I release coins into the wild for the purpose of traveling, I usually put a hole in the coin to devalue it, and place a small brass lock in it that you can find at any Walmart or general hardware store - see photo.

 

locked.jpg

 

Have faith that your traveling coins will actually travel, and if you can't... discourage coin thieves by defacing in some manner the coin that is to travel.

 

Regards,

~J

Hey GeocoinGuy, I have a metal stamp with my last name that I use to mark my geocoins and make my persosial swag with. It still don't seem to help discourage geo-jerk coin mugglers. I would never use my stamp on another persons property unless it was a geocoin mugglers ear.

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Hey GeocoinGuy, I have a metal stamp with my last name that I use to mark my geocoins and make my persosial swag with. It still don't seem to help discourage geo-jerk coin mugglers. I would never use my stamp on another persons property unless it was a geocoin mugglers ear.

 

YUP , YUP .... why stop at the ear.....LOL!!!!! THE WHOLE FACE!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

One thing I must say, ... I'm sick of hearing it's NooBs. I was a NooB, And so were my hubby, my bro, new friends and ALL of you , saying it's NooBs. I NEVER STOLE anybodys things, nor did my bro, hubby and friends that I know caching.

Did YOU, Noob accusers, not move something as a Noob ??????? Then why say it was.

If it's not curious muggles, then , I THINK, it's THIEVES, who know what they are doing and read and research caches to see what's in them.

MY missing, Daffy's Dream , Ariels Adventure , NICE CACHE coin , Speed Racer's Quest, Trash Talkin', Travelin' Trout , All in different parts of the country, and gone,?????????

LIFE CHANGES made them do it, PLEASE!!!!!!!!! THese things cost $$$$$$ , our $$$$$$$, it's not right to make excuses for any THIEF..

 

Know this, If you release it, IT WILL BE GONE,

Curious, a show of hands, How many Travelers have made it home again ????

 

JMO

 

Opalsns

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I have noticed that more than half the time I go after a coin or TB the cache is empty. I have rleased two coins that I purchased last year and both came up MIA. I cache mainly in southern Claifornia but have tried to find coins in Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky and Arizona in the past year and more times that not there is no coin or TB in the cache.

 

Note to all, if you don't find the listed traveler in the cache - Please say so in your cache log!

 

This will help the owners tremendously in determining if the item should be removed from the cache listing.

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I have had several TBs and coins go missing. One was picked up and despite multiple (and polite) emails and postings....nada. Plain and simple: this cacher has my coin and it is going to be in their posession until they either die or get rid of it. I have accepted this and now wish them luck in their life, because I certainly have a better life without that hopeless anger.

I still leave coins and TBs. I NEVER expect to find TBs or coins in caches, no matter when or where they were placed. Now, I go for the cache only and if I want a coin, I save and buy it. If I get to the point that I don't appreciate it, I drill, tag, pray and release it to the whims of man and nature.

Whole point of this post:

1) There are people who do not share our morals, ethics and mores.

2) These people WILL steal your things if given an opportunity, heck they might even do worse!

3) We can only change our approach and reaction to these people

 

I say keep on releasing travellers: take a chance, you might be surprised!

Sorry for the long-winded moral dissertation [getting off soapbox]

Edited by Blue Devil PA
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1) There are people who do not share our morals, ethics and mores.

2) These people WILL steal your things if given an opportunity, heck they might even do worse!

3) We can only change our approach and reaction to these people

 

I say keep on releasing travellers: take a chance, you might be surprised!

Sorry for the long-winded moral dissertation [getting off soapbox]

 

1.1) Understand that people will take your traveler with the best of intentions but can have things happen in their life that will prevent them from replacing it in a timely manner. You can't always know what is happening in that cacher's life so there is no point in assuming the worst in them.

 

Release your coins and bugs with the understanding that they may go missing, for many reasons but also remember that chances are actually pretty good that it will travel quite far.

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The Gweepy's

We all have different views on how things go in the caching world.

 

Take'em , don't takem, send them , don't send them , It's really up to you and yours. Try it, , I wouldn't put a treasured coin out there , but maybe a double and hope for the best, because IT WAS FUN to see my things travel, but now , I watch my Giant Event Crashing TB move around and that's fun.

I hope we have given you something to work with and that you enjoying caching YOUR WAY and to the Fullist!!!!

Good Luck , my forum friend,

Opalsns

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Well.... not to be overly negative, but I am no longer willing to assume the "best" in people. It's more often a surprise when folks do the right thing rather then when they do wrong.

 

This topic often comes up, because it is not a rare occurrence.

 

One of the biggest problems is that the cache listing shows travelers. It's like putting a sign on your house saying: "Big screen TV in basement, Jewelry in the left-back bedroom, stack of money under the couch".

 

Travel Bugs are more fun to use for travel purposes.

 

Coins are something to collect or give out as gifts.

 

In fact, I'm even afraid to pick-up coins that I see in caches - I don't want to be the last person to see it "alive".

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Consider a coin lost when you drop it in a cache to travel. That way you are less frustated when it realy gets lost. Out of 19 coins I have traveling I lost three over a short period of time. One I released for my deceased partner and two coins that were traveling for the Bike Awareness project. Pretty important missions to me.

I have replaced them for new travelling coins. The fun of reading the logs and seeing them travel is worth more than any loss of coins (well at least to me).

If you don't want your coins to get lost, don't let them travel. That is the only way to keep them save.

Edited by Sivota
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Echoing Lemon Fresh Dog here, I'm getting wary of moving coins, and I always wait anxiously for someone else to move it after me, just to be sure I wasn't the last one to see it.

 

Another possible explanation for some missing coins and TBs, and probably fits one missing coin I know about. Grandpa/grandma, mom, or dad will post in their online log that they signed the logbook while the kids traded swag. If the adults don't check on what the kids are trading... Yes, I know some do, but I'm also sure that some don't. A plain generic geocoin from geoswag wouldn't look very different than a foreign coin to a little child.

 

It'll be a year tomorrow since it was last seen :)

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The Gweepy's

We all have different views on how things go in the caching world.

 

Take'em , don't takem, send them , don't send them , It's really up to you and yours. Try it, , I wouldn't put a treasured coin out there , but maybe a double and hope for the best, because IT WAS FUN to see my things travel, but now , I watch my Giant Event Crashing TB move around and that's fun.

I hope we have given you something to work with and that you enjoying caching YOUR WAY and to the Fullist!!!!

Good Luck , my forum friend,

Opalsns

 

Thanks for all of the input on this topic. I thought maybe there was something going on with geocoins that I clearly missed. Call me niave but for the life of me I could not understand why someone would take the time to steal my coins, it seems to me they are not worth too much (I try not to pay more than $10 for mine simply because of the chance that it will get stolen). Now that i know that it is a fairly common occurance I will wonder no more........thanks all....for the help

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How many people here showed someone how to cache and didn't tell them about coins and TBs????????? Honest people that don't know, ask on the forums.

WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO EARTHA,

In MY OPINION, It's not always a good honest cacher, let's be Honest here folks!!!! Just read the posts on a TB graveyard and see what half those folks say. I don't know why we shouldnt WARN new cachers, ???????

 

JMHO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Opalsns

 

Just for a little history to explain how I know that people don't know.

When the Unite For Diabetes TBs were sent out (4000 of them) many were sent to cachers, but some were sent to non-cachers that ordered them from the U4D website. So many were not being logged, that when I saw someone's post with an alphabetical list of the U4D TBs, I thought to myself "I should see if I can help." So, I started at the top of the list posting a note, with logging instructions, to all the ones that had not yet been logged. I got up to almost the D's, when I thought to myself again "This could take forever!!!" so I stopped at the D's. I had posted hundreds of logs, and I knew this, because I put a watch on every single one I put a note on. To this day I am still getting logs from the very first person to log it. Many times it is an experienced cacher saying they found it in a cache, but have no idea how it got there. Many times it's a simple "Moving this, now that I know how" and many times it's a note like "Found this in a drawer". The latest one was someone who found it because someone else just threw it in the drawer at work. Then there are the many that were logged as discovered, but the person said "placed it in XYZ cache" but it was still logged improperly. I've sent many an email telling them how to correct it, and it doesn't always happen. Sometimes they only post notes, and said they moved it. Even with instructions, they don't always know. Not everyone is computer literate, and can't find things like "links" and "drop down menus" HUH? Wassat? So, I refuse to think that there are that many thieves out there, and prefer to think better of the geocaching community. Also, and this happens a lot right after Christmas. People will get a handheld GPS for a present, go out and find a few caches, maybe pick up a trackable or two, and then quit. There are also times when children get to the cache first, and Mom and Pop are signing the log while the children are looking at pretty shiny things. And Mom and Dad might not see them "trade". Lots of people won't reply to emails from people they don't know, even if it's a geocacher. Sometimes people change their email address and forget to update their profile, so they never get the email. Sometimes people lose the item on the way back to the car, forgot they took it, lost it in the backpack, the car, the house, and they don't want people mad at them, so they won't admit it until they find it and even then, they might just drop it without logging it so no one gets mad at them. People don't like other people mad at them. That's why we always say "Make sure your email to them is friendly".

My point is, I don't think there that many thieves out there. People who don't care or don't know, maybe, but outright thieves wouldn't log anything they stole.

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How many people here showed someone how to cache and didn't tell them about coins and TBs????????? Honest people that don't know, ask on the forums.

WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO EARTHA,

In MY OPINION, It's not always a good honest cacher, let's be Honest here folks!!!! Just read the posts on a TB graveyard and see what half those folks say. I don't know why we shouldnt WARN new cachers, ???????

 

JMHO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Opalsns

 

Just for a little history to explain how I know that people don't know.

When the Unite For Diabetes TBs were sent out (4000 of them) many were sent to cachers, but some were sent to non-cachers that ordered them from the U4D website. So many were not being logged, that when I saw someone's post with an alphabetical list of the U4D TBs, I thought to myself "I should see if I can help." So, I started at the top of the list posting a note, with logging instructions, to all the ones that had not yet been logged. I got up to almost the D's, when I thought to myself again "This could take forever!!!" so I stopped at the D's. I had posted hundreds of logs, and I knew this, because I put a watch on every single one I put a note on. To this day I am still getting logs from the very first person to log it. Many times it is an experienced cacher saying they found it in a cache, but have no idea how it got there. Many times it's a simple "Moving this, now that I know how" and many times it's a note like "Found this in a drawer". The latest one was someone who found it because someone else just threw it in the drawer at work. Then there are the many that were logged as discovered, but the person said "placed it in XYZ cache" but it was still logged improperly. I've sent many an email telling them how to correct it, and it doesn't always happen. Sometimes they only post notes, and said they moved it. Even with instructions, they don't always know. Not everyone is computer literate, and can't find things like "links" and "drop down menus" HUH? Wassat? So, I refuse to think that there are that many thieves out there, and prefer to think better of the geocaching community. Also, and this happens a lot right after Christmas. People will get a handheld GPS for a present, go out and find a few caches, maybe pick up a trackable or two, and then quit. There are also times when children get to the cache first, and Mom and Pop are signing the log while the children are looking at pretty shiny things. And Mom and Dad might not see them "trade". Lots of people won't reply to emails from people they don't know, even if it's a geocacher. Sometimes people change their email address and forget to update their profile, so they never get the email. Sometimes people lose the item on the way back to the car, forgot they took it, lost it in the backpack, the car, the house, and they don't want people mad at them, so they won't admit it until they find it and even then, they might just drop it without logging it so no one gets mad at them. People don't like other people mad at them. That's why we always say "Make sure your email to them is friendly".

My point is, I don't think there that many thieves out there. People who don't care or don't know, maybe, but outright thieves wouldn't log anything they stole.

 

Eartha,

WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO YOU,

I do not want to go back and forth with this, and I'm sure you don't either.

I've contacted all concerned with My missing TBs only to get BS stories of how it was placed in a Premium cache and their not a premium member , so couldn't log, or no reply at all and <name removed by moderator - innocent until proven guilty>, the cachers that have my trout and never got back to me, have a web page that I contacted them through as well, and as for "they don't log what they steal", well here's a link to GCGXJ1 ,,, check out the logs, please!!

 

GCGXJ1

 

And I don't feel it's the"Geocaching Community" It's Thieves and NOT The Geocaching Community!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I believe what I believe and as I stated earlier, if they show up, Then I will appologize to that cacher, But untill then,

I Think They're Thieves

 

Opalsns

Edited by Eartha
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opalsns,

 

I think you need to take a step back and breathe a bit here. I would venture to say that 90% or more of the people in this forum and the TB forums have had at least one traveler go missing - it happens to everybody who sets them free.

 

Even good-natured people lose them. It's ok to be upset, but please refrain from outright calling people thieves without solid proof. The fact that somebody last touched your coin/TB does not make them a thief. Not does the fact that it still shows in their possession. Life happens sometimes.

 

Sometimes people pick them up and forget that they have them, only to find them later. Sometimes people don't get email because their spam filters kick in and put everything from GC.com into the JUNK folder. Sometimes, people don't check email that often. Sometimes, things bigger than caching get in the way and moving a trinket from cache to cache becomes last on the list of priorities.

 

Now, you as the owner are free to be upset. Heck, you're even free to come in here and rant a bit - but within the guidelines. that includes not throwing out accusations that cannot be proved.

 

We all take risks with our travelers - such is the life of a geocoin/TB.

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People are very quick to accuse thieves, but many times people simply do not know how to log, or forget. Geocoins and travel bugs are usually small and slip to the bottom of the backpack a lot. Show new cachers all aspects of the game when you intorduce them to it.

 

When you set a geocoin free, watch your coin.

 

I just checked all my coins who are traveling, I ask if somebody has my coin, i ask cache owners to check there cachelogs.

 

I have changed the name from a coin ..in ...i am a lost carion crow.

 

I have email a cacher who is very new to this.

 

Last time i have ask help for check at a coin from me who was in a cache who stopped.

 

The naughty little coin was hide in a logbook, so after the cachers looked at the logbook it was popped out.

 

I never email to say please set my coin fast free, i only want to know if it is save in a cache of by a cacher.

 

And yes coins from me are stolen, most in the Netherlands :)

 

But remember if you set a coin free and don't watch what his moves are.. cachers think you don't care about that coin and keep them easy. :laughing::D

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Hmmm..

 

Seems like there are TWO types of "missing" coins:

 

1) Cacher grabs coin and notes it in the log and/or "grabs" the coin and adds to inventory.

2) Coin goes missing. No note in logbook, no note online, shows as still being in a cache.

 

IF we are talking about type 1 above - then it may be procedural ignorance. I still think it's weak as it's not rocket science, but everyone learns at their own pace.

 

IF we are taking about type 2 above - then I still say it's mostly pure theft. Sorry, but that's the deal.

 

I had a cache called Lemon Fresh Dog's Coin Cache". It was very obviously stolen. I have placed coins in some of my own caches (close to home) and then visited shortly afterwards to find the coin missing - no log, no note.

 

There is a time for understanding and a time for facing facts.

 

Coins have a perceived value to them. They are also the nicest item you are likely to find in a cache. Caching is a relatively "anonymous" activity if you want it to be. That all adds up to theft.

 

All that said - I still like placing coins in caches!

For awhile I used non-trackable ones and just left them as gifts.

My new thing is to use trackables, but state on the page that they can be kept, traded, or moved along, but NOT sold.

 

I'm not terribly adverse to just giving a coin as a gift, but I don't want to become part of the eBay supply-chain (unless I'm the one minting, buying and reselling).

 

Most unlogged missing coins are due to theft. That's my opinion.

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Most unlogged missing coins are due to theft. That's my opinion.

 

I agree with this opinion as well. Our local area has had a coin thief in operation for quite some time now. Dozens of coins have been stolen.

 

I drill and tag all of my travelers so unless the new cacher is unable to read (either a young child - in which case the parents should be keeping closer track; or illiterate - in which case how can they read a cache page?) there is no way this is simply a mistake made by a newbie.

 

I do think that some cachers grab travelers and then life gets in the way and they don't get back out to drop the coin/TB again. Usually a nice email will at least get them to either drop the coin in the mail back to us or they will return it to a cache close to them to drop it off again - typically a cache they've already found.

 

One thing that I request on the traveler's page is to request the coin be dropped back into a cache that is either PMO, a puzzle cache, or a multi-cache - or AT LEAST a cache with a higher difficulty rating than 2. Thieves don't seem to like to work terribly hard to steal and most of my travelers live on when I put them in more difficult caches. The problem is that some cachers don't take the time to read the traveler's page and wind up dropping them in easy caches that are ripe for the picking by thieves.

 

One other thing that I've begun doing is to post a note on the cache page of the cache my coin has gone missing from. I do this when I go to mark the coin missing...once I'm absolutely sure the coin is no longer in the cache. The note just simply says that one of my trackables has gone missing from this particular cache and that other cachers should be aware that travelers may not be safe there. Maybe that way I can prevent someone else's traveler from being stolen too. I've even had cache owners take a cue from my note and they amend their cache page to request that no travelers be left in their cache due to theft.

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I drill and tag all of my travelers so unless the new cacher is unable to read (either a young child - in which case the parents should be keeping closer track; or illiterate - in which case how can they read a cache page?) there is no way this is simply a mistake made by a newbie.

 

I do think that some cachers grab travelers and then life gets in the way and they don't get back out to drop the coin/TB again. Usually a nice email will at least get them to either drop the coin in the mail back to us or they will return it to a cache close to them to drop it off again - typically a cache they've already found.

 

 

I do this as well and get the same results from nice emails. Although not even a tag helps in all cases. One of my coins is tagged with a laminated sheet stating it's goal to hit all counties in California. Somebody picked it up and took it to Oregon :laughing:

 

They do go missing, however you'd be surprised by how many times I get email replies to my inquiries about coins that say something like "Sorry, I forgot we had it. We'll drop it ASAP!".

 

It's a risk we take when we set them free. Yes they cost money and it sucks when they go missing, but your choices are either to not set them free at all, or to take the risk.

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It's a risk we take when we set them free. Yes they cost money and it sucks when they go missing, but your choices are either to not set them free at all, or to take the risk.

 

I agree. And at this point, I'm not willing to stop trying to get coins out there.

 

One other thing that I make a point of doing - and I encourage coin-lovers to do also - is when I see a coin pop up in an easy cache nearby, I try to grab it even if I've been to that cache before and then drop it in a more difficult cache...preferably a PMO cache.

 

And no matter what - when I come across a coin in a cache I always thank the coin-owner in the coin page log for keeping geocoins a part of this sport. I would hate to see a day come when the only things out there are proxy-coins. I really appreciate all of you who keep sending these coins out. It really is a big part of why we love geocaching. :laughing:

Edited by ThePetersTrio
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People are very quick to accuse thieves, but many times people simply do not know how to log, or forget. Geocoins and travel bugs are usually small and slip to the bottom of the backpack a lot. Show new cachers all aspects of the game when you intorduce them to it.

 

So true, so true! And some folks also forget, lives may change. Change of circumstance, illness and in some cases even death, may have an effect on the movement of a coin or bug.

 

Right on Earth - explaining trackables is part of the game as well as kindly helping folks whose lives may have changed. Cache on ~ cache happy!

 

This is a good point Eartha and Hollora...in August I packed up my coins to send to Australia in our shipment and a traveler slipped into the shipment in the shuffle. The shipment arrived 5 days before Christmas here in Perth and I found the coin and set it free. That's 4 months. Imagine how long it could of been if I wasn't such a fast unpacker!

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This thread reminded me that I needed to track down some of my coins that haven't moved lately. I sent some emails out last night and thought I would share some replies. These coins showed as being in someone's posession for 30+ days:

 

Thanks for your mail!

I have checked my geocaching backpack and your travelbug is in there...but not in the regular 'TB/Coin pocket', so it got out of sight.

In a few days I will go out to find some more caches, so I'll drop it then.

 

Sorry for the delay, hopefully you are happy with the positive news it is not MIA...

 

Yes we still have your XXXXX coin. And we know that we need to move it along as soon as we can and will be glad to do so.

 

I am glad that you do understand that things do come up and that we can't get out to geocache when we want to. But rest asure that it is in safe hands and it will be moved along shortly.

 

Its here somewhere, I'll get it out soon

 

Hi, Your item will be moved very soon!
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I put in a suggestion in the geocaching.com Forum suggesting that some of the bug options be folded into the cache log entry form.

 

It seems to me that if someone needs detailed instructions on logging a bug or coin, then the process is too difficult. Obviously, you can't always make something super-easy for everyone, but if the problem is actually due in large part to people not being able to figure out the system (or losing patience), then it's harder than it should be.

 

My suggestion was basically this: when you create your cache log, there is also a pick list of the bugs/coins in the cache that would allow you to retrieve the bugs/coins into your inventory. You'd have to enter the tracking number for each, of course, but this would allow you to combine all of your cache actions in one form. Another user by the name of Corey made the excellent suggestion to have some blank fields in there that would allow you to enter the tracking numbers of bugs that you found in in the cache that aren't in the online list.

 

If you put it all together on one single page, I think that people are more likely to "grok" what to do, and I think it would improve the situation -- the situation that is being caused by people not "getting" that there are several separate steps.

 

There's been no response from Groundspeak people to the thread -- but then again, I didn't expect one. But I do hope that it is implemented because I really do think it would help.

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I love releasing geocoins into the wild. Everything I do with geocoins is focused on that goal. I have about 1500 out now. A bunch have gone missing. I could care less. I do not email people anymore asking about them. I have been putting the geocoin buddy in the flip so people know how to log it and that it is a geocoin and should be logged and put in a cache. That helps I think. But I think there are lots of folks who are new or lose stuff and I get emails all the time where people have discovered one in their couch, car, napsack, etc.

 

The guiding principal is I do this for fun not profit and it is no fun to get worked up over a geocoin that has gone missing. I remember when my first travel bug, The Easter Bunny, got left in the top of a tree in Australia and never was heard from again. I was so heart broken. Eventually, I just recirculated the TB number and forgot about the Easter Bunny. Maybe someday the Easter Bunny will be found and if that happens I will just have to deal with it. But I think the Easter Bunny is gone forever.

 

I know that some of my geocoins have been intentionally taken over by Lee's Summit, MISSOURI by some low life scumsucking bushwacker, but I just let it go. Those Missouri bushwackers have been doing this since before the Civil War to us Kansas folks. We got our revenge back then and we get it every year at Arrowhead Stadium on the gridiron. Go Jayhawks. But I digress. If that low life bushwacker gets a little joy from stealin my geocoins then part of my purpose is fulfilled. It is about Karma afterall. Perhaps someday his grandkids will be going through his drawers after his funeral and will find my geocoins and get on the internet of the future and type into geocaching.com and log my geocoins again. My grandkids will get the email and Eartha will say "See, all is not lost." But you know that bushwacker gene is pretty powerful.

 

So keep your chin up and keep smiling. And if you ever see one of those little Kansas Sunshines think of me. :)

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I love releasing geocoins into the wild. Everything I do with geocoins is focused on that goal. I have about 1500 out now. A bunch have gone missing. I could care less. I do not email people anymore asking about them. I have been putting the geocoin buddy in the flip so people know how to log it and that it is a geocoin and should be logged and put in a cache. That helps I think. But I think there are lots of folks who are new or lose stuff and I get emails all the time where people have discovered one in their couch, car, napsack, etc.

 

The guiding principal is I do this for fun not profit and it is no fun to get worked up over a geocoin that has gone missing. I remember when my first travel bug, The Easter Bunny, got left in the top of a tree in Australia and never was heard from again. I was so heart broken. Eventually, I just recirculated the TB number and forgot about the Easter Bunny. Maybe someday the Easter Bunny will be found and if that happens I will just have to deal with it. But I think the Easter Bunny is gone forever.

 

I know that some of my geocoins have been intentionally taken over by Lee's Summit, MISSOURI by some low life scumsucking bushwacker, but I just let it go. Those Missouri bushwackers have been doing this since before the Civil War to us Kansas folks. We got our revenge back then and we get it every year at Arrowhead Stadium on the gridiron. Go Jayhawks. But I digress. If that low life bushwacker gets a little joy from stealin my geocoins then part of my purpose is fulfilled. It is about Karma afterall. Perhaps someday his grandkids will be going through his drawers after his funeral and will find my geocoins and get on the internet of the future and type into geocaching.com and log my geocoins again. My grandkids will get the email and Eartha will say "See, all is not lost." But you know that bushwacker gene is pretty powerful.

 

So keep your chin up and keep smiling. And if you ever see one of those little Kansas Sunshines think of me. :)

 

:) I like your coin!!!

 

Opalsns

Edited by opalsns
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I like every one else losses coins to unknown . but i have been able to get over it a little easier by if it was a personal coin and i had drilled it witha tag than i know it is not going to show up on ebay. and cant be showed around . So if the person that found it liked it soo much that they had to keep it , it make it a little easier I have given away a lot of unactivated coin or left them behind in caches so a defaced one is no big deal. But it does suck. But i can deal with it. If you just can't deal with losing them them you shouldn't let them go. If you can deal with the lost then you can get the pleasure from the ones that keep moving. Karma is a powerful force ..

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This thread reminded me that I needed to track down some of my coins that haven't moved lately. I sent some emails out last night and thought I would share some replies. These coins showed as being in someone's posession for 30+ days:

 

Thanks for your mail!

I have checked my geocaching backpack and your travelbug is in there...but not in the regular 'TB/Coin pocket', so it got out of sight.

In a few days I will go out to find some more caches, so I'll drop it then.

 

Sorry for the delay, hopefully you are happy with the positive news it is not MIA...

 

Yes we still have your XXXXX coin. And we know that we need to move it along as soon as we can and will be glad to do so.

 

I am glad that you do understand that things do come up and that we can't get out to geocache when we want to. But rest asure that it is in safe hands and it will be moved along shortly.

 

Its here somewhere, I'll get it out soon

 

 

Hi, Your item will be moved very soon!

 

Kealia,

 

Did those emails get your coins get moving again??

 

Opalsns

Edited by opalsns
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