Addicted to Geocoins - When Did You Know

[+Chickahominy]

When did you realize you were addicted to collecting geocoins? Did you stay up all night waiting for a sale? Is your desktop covered with them? Was it when you could name all of the editions by a certain designer? Let us hear your Ah-Ha moment!

 

Mine was when my bank called yesterday to confirm all of the transfers of money for the coins I've ordered lately. LOL! I had to tell them, "Yes, I did authorize the transfer.. and Yes, I really did mean to spend that much on coins."

[+Howlingmoon]

I bought my first geocoin on January 10th tis year at the Paris, Arkansas event, where I saw over 300 trackables spread across two tables for discovering and moving. That's when I knew I was addicted and would be addicted to geocoins. Almost four months later, I have 107 geocoins with 13 more on the way any day.

[+Belfrypotters]

Not so much an "ah ha!" moment as it was an "uh oh" moment, but mine was a few weeks ago when I paid a ridiculous amount of money for a LE coin on ebay and barely flinched when I hit the Pay Now button. The Earth Turtle ups and downs over the past few weeks and then the excitement of being one of the lucky ones this week sort of clinched it.

[+Howlingmoon]

Not so much an "ah ha!" moment as it was an "uh oh" moment, but mine was a few weeks ago when I paid a ridiculous amount of money for a LE coin on ebay and barely flinched when I hit the Pay Now button.

Yeah, that was another one for me. The gold Anthus Laptop coin was the most expensive one I've bought to date. lol I spent almost $50 on it.

[+ThirstyMick]

I'm not addicted, I can stop at any time. I don't NEED them, I just LIKE them. Yes, yes, I can stop at any time, I am not addicted. (where's the signal icon shaking from withdrawl?)

[+ECplus3]

I think my moment of realization was last month when Capt. Zulu put his entire collection up for sale. I bid on nearly every coin on the list! The total price of my bid was ridiculously high, but I was only half hoping that I would be outbid on some coins. In the end, the price did drop considerably, but let's just say I could have had a new Colorado instead of the coins.

[+Chickahominy]

Loving it! Love the "uh-oh" comment! I know my mailman has to wonder why he delivers these little packages to me every day. I wouldn't be surprised if I've been reported to some local authorities for suspicious behavior! Yep... I could have had a face lift by now with the money I've spent on coins.

[+Howlingmoon]

LOL I've spent well over $1,000 on geocoins. And I went out a week or two ago to check my mail, just as the mailman was walking from one building to mine. He said, I bet you're waiting for these, and handed me several padded envelopes with a rubber band around them. He said I'll just put the rest of it (junk mail and bills) in your box. LOL

Edited May 6, 2009 by Howlingmoon

[+Clan Doyle]

Mine was when my wife (she does all the bills so theres no lapse when I travel for work) openned the quicken and gasped, "OH MY GOD!" Yep, that put me in the dog house for a week. She put me on a coin budget, and that helped alot. I don't do ebay anymore, either. But when one comes along I really like, she still lets me indulge...as long as she checks the quiken first.

[SCP-173]

I bought one coin for $80 and another one recently for $120. I guess it's a good thing I don't buy a lot of coins.

 

I guess you can still call that addiction though.

[+ST13PILOT]

What?

I'm not addicted but I recieved this in an email from a friend yesterday. "STOP INFECTING OTHER PEOPLE WHO'VE GOT THE SAME COIN TASTES I DO!". When he found out another friend got a coin he wanted?

So I'm not addicted, BUT, I've got a friend that is.

[+Chickahominy]

I bought one coin for $80 and another one recently for $120. I guess it's a good thing I don't buy a lot of coins.

 

I guess you can still call that addiction though.

 

Are you willing to tell which coins brought such a premium price?

[SCP-173]

I bought one coin for $80 and another one recently for $120. I guess it's a good thing I don't buy a lot of coins.

 

I guess you can still call that addiction though.

 

Are you willing to tell which coins brought such a premium price?

One was a 2003 USA coin that wasn't activated and the other was a Dhobby v2. That one was for charity though. I wonder if I could use that as a tax write off...

[R/GBOTS]

I've always loved coins and small collectibles. So when we started caching in 2003 we got hooked right away on geocoins.

We bought or traded for every coin that came out, until they started coming out too fast to keep up.

We even joined a coin buying group, to make sure we didn't miss out on any. We made 10 versions of our own personal coin, and amassed a collection of over 1500 unique coins.

I loved getting coins in the mail everyday, and handing out extras to the mail carrier, family, and coworkers.

 

Now, I'm not sure what happened, but we seem to have become unaddicted. Didn't think that would ever happen. I rarely visit these forums and don't recognize most of the names or know anything about the new coins. And with GCF in our hometown this year too!

 

Anyway, I'll be at GCF with a pocket full of coins.

Maybe there is a chance of a re-addiction?

 

[+sunsetmeadowlark]

I think I realized I had a problem when I started finding excuses to leave work for a few minutes just so I could run home to see if the mail had come yet. I've finally made the connection that the same carrier delivers to my house and my work and she goes to my house first. So now I just sit here and stare blindly at the window until that white van goes by then I race out the door to run home and see what coins I got today!

[+GEO*Trailblazer 1]

When I created the Serenity Geocoin.

[+wildhawk]

For me it was when I thought about making a list and counting up just how much money I had invested in them and then I got a nervous knot in my stomach and realized that maybe I just didn't want to know exactly how much I had spent.

 

Anyway, still buying coins, just fewer and maybe one day soon I will write that list, we'll see.

 

Did I say invested??

[+Jackalgirl]

I should have known I had a problem a long time ago. The time, the money, the fact that this is the first place on the Interwebs I check when I turn on the computer.

 

But what really sent it home for me was when I was actually depressed because the email order I sent for this year's ETs was delayed by my work server and didn't get to Tsun before all the coins were sold. I mean, I was bummed for the rest of the day and could barely think about anything else.

 

Scary!

[+Ravenhawk44]

I have read all the posts, I thought I was alone, and now I know I have a few buddies who understand.

Then again I was feeling really bad about the coins I do have and the "investment", until I read further.

Now I see, I am but a weak link compared to many here. This caused me some serious giggles..

 

I dont have an addiction, I have an obsession! However keep in mind I have only just started,

 

But when did I really know? Last night EBAY, Magic 8 ball geocoin. New unactivated, waiting for me.

I went to bid in the last 15 seconds, and Ebay said I had to sign on again!! OMG, the sweat on my brow, what if I didnt get my bid in on time, never have my fingers cleared so fast on a kepboard. The bid was $20 and someone had bumped it 3 times, I knew I had competition. But I dont lose, however it seemed EBAY did me in.

 

I had to make fast decisions in the last 5 seconds, how high would I go for the dang coin!!

Lets say, I bid more then I would ever pay for something, because I wanted that coin. I was choking on the beating of my heart in my throat. I felt faint from holding my breath.

 

The bid went in, and I had 1 second left!! ONE SECOND! A lilfetime can pass in that..

However..I won the bid.. $35.47 later.. I almost cried..sad.. addicted and acknowledged it.

 

I have coins here for caches and coins for keepers.

I made a treasure box to keep my private booty in like some pirate from a past life..

It is covered in sea shells, and filled in coins.

sigh...

I feel so much better.. Thank you...

Ravenhawk44

Cece

[+gardengorilla]

hmmm, I have to say I knew I was addicted when my husband gave me the ultimatum...

[+Chickahominy]

hmmm, I have to say I knew I was addicted when my husband gave me the ultimatum...

 

Well, I'd say an ultimatum is better than an intervention followed by a 12 step program, wouldn't you?

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

I bought one coin for $80 and another one recently for $120. I guess it's a good thing I don't buy a lot of coins.

 

I guess you can still call that addiction though.

 

Are you willing to tell which coins brought such a premium price?

One was a 2003 USA coin that wasn't activated and the other was a Dhobby v2. That one was for charity though. I wonder if I could use that as a tax write off...

If everything is above board as far as the charity aspect, then you should be able to write off everything that was beyond the regular price of the coin. It would be considered a donation, with a thank you gift. Subtract the value of the gift from the amount of the donation, and the balance should be deductible, but I'm not a tax man. If you try doing that, be sure that the one you bought it from is not claiming your money as their donation.

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

I think I realized I had a problem when I started finding excuses to leave work for a few minutes just so I could run home to see if the mail had come yet. I've finally made the connection that the same carrier delivers to my house and my work and she goes to my house first. So now I just sit here and stare blindly at the window until that white van goes by then I race out the door to run home and see what coins I got today!

Maybe you could just have them delivered to your work??

[avroair]

The first time I saw a geocoin icon in someone else's profile. Must have been Nov 2003

[+fuzziebear3]

Two nights ago, I dreamed about looking for and finding an egg. Last night I dreamed of a suncatcher coin and that other nasty coin . I'm not sure if I am addicted to geocoins, but I think I might be spending too much time in the forums!!

[SCP-173]

I can't remember the details but last night I had a dream about geocoins, too. I think it was my first one ever.