Geocoin thief

[+geocyclist94]

I bought a Canada 2007 geocoin so I could place it somewhere in England during my two week vacation. While caching during my vacation, I looked for a cache that gets visited somewhat frequently so that it would be picked up by another cacher quickly. I placed it in this cache thinking that it was the right cache. About a day later another cacher puts another trackable in this cache.

A week later someone finds the cache and notes on the fact that there is no trackables in the cache.

Reading that disappointed me very much as this was my first geocoin I have owned which never got any chance to be moved along.

I’m guessing that there must be a thief that visits this cache periodically to take the trackables left in it.

 

What I would like to know is:

 

1. Has what happened to me ever happened to you?

 

2. What do you look for in a cache before you place your trackables?

 

Thanks,

 

--mich5483

[+wenzelbub]

Maybe the finder of your coin is on a journey and has no web-access... probably it could take some days or weeks till he/she logs your coin....

 

dont't worry... and your note is

[Odyssey Voyager]

i would say most people here have experienced what you have...a placed activated geocoin goes missing after only moving to a few caches. sad but true. in an effort to prolong the life of her own geocoins/travelbugs and geocoins/travelbugs owned by someone else that she would move, a friend of mine would always place them in "members only" caches. of course, this is no guarantee that muggles won't find the cache too, but theft from a "members only" geocache is probably significantly less than from a traditional cache. you could place a note with your geocoin and ask that it be moved to another "members only" cache. again...there are no guarantee's once the geocoin is out of your hands.

 

don't give up on placing geocoins, i've recently had a geocoin travel over 32,000 miles around the world before going missing!

 

.

Edited September 6, 2009 by Odyssey Voyager

[+uktim]

I bought a Canada 2007 geocoin so I could place it somewhere in England during my two week vacation. While caching during my vacation, I looked for a cache that gets visited somewhat frequently so that it would be picked up by another cacher quickly. I placed it in this cache thinking that it was the right cache. About a day later another cacher puts another trackable in this cache.

A week later someone finds the cache and notes on the fact that there is no trackables in the cache.

Reading that disappointed me very much as this was my first geocoin I have owned which never got any chance to be moved along.

I’m guessing that there must be a thief that visits this cache periodically to take the trackables left in it.

 

What I would like to know is:

 

1. Has what happened to me ever happened to you?

 

2. What do you look for in a cache before you place your trackables?

 

Thanks,

 

--mich5483

 

Yes it has happened to me and the coins have turned up later, patience is useful in this game. If someone is on holiday it's quite possible to go a week before they get home to log their pickup. I've had coins disappear for far longer than this.

 

However personally I wouldn't choose to drop a coin ion a cahce in that sort of very public location, especially one like that that had been set up to attract a lot of traffic which can only increase the cahnces of it getting found by a non-caching magpie.

 

Good luck with your coin and don't panic yet.

[+BlueDeuce]

1. Has what happened to me ever happened to you?

 

Sure, but I don't release anything I'm not willing to lose. Coins are pretty little things and tend to go missing.

I set my expectations low and am never disappointed.

 

2. What do you look for in a cache before you place your trackables?

 

It doesn't matter, because after it's moved I have no control over what type of cache it is placed in.

[+Team Noodles]

*peeks @ log note *

 

Look on the

, you now have an excuse to come over to the UK again, HURRAY!

 

[+Droo]

I took a look at the cache you chose to drop your coin in and I personally would not have chosen this cache or caches like this for a coin drop. 1*/1*s typically are muggled easily and this one has so many spoiler pictures pasted on it's cache page a blind muggle could run into it blindfolded. I mean have you seen how many times it's been found in the 6 weeks since it's been hidden? 385 times.... that's quite a disturbance to the foliage and vegetation it's supposed to be hiding in, not to mention the curious behaviour attracting the attention of neighbours and passersby.

 

Yes, it's disappointing to lose your first traveling coin that's still got it's new coin sheen on. But be patient as it's early yet. You say another trackable has gone missing along with your coin so I'm assuming that's a TB. Coin thieves don't usually steal TBs.

 

Another note about 1*/1*s is they attract visitors from out of town or other countries (as this one did you) and they can sometimes be a little forgetful in logging trackables and finds.

Edited September 6, 2009 by Droo

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

I took a look at the cache you chose to drop your coin in and I personally would not have chosen this cache or caches like this for a coin drop. 1*/1*s typically are muggled easily and this one has so many spoiler pictures pasted on it's cache page a blind muggle could run into it blindfolded.

 

Yes, it's disappointing to lose your first traveling coin that's still got it's new coin sheen on. But be patient as it's early yet. You say another trackable has gone missing along with your coin so I'm assuming that's a TB. Coin thieves don't usually steal TBs.

 

Another note about 1*/1*s is they attract visitors from out of town or other countries (as this one did you) and they can sometimes be a little forgetful in logging trackables and finds.

 

When placing a trackable (mine or others'), I usually avoid the PNG caches, those located in highway rest areas, and those that show an overabunance of junk SWAG and McToys. So far, though not 100%, those I have placed have at least made it a bit further and even a long ways. Most are still moving, too!

 

Stay with it, some movements or even logging can take weeks or a month to show up. Is OK to be concerned, just don't "worry" about it........... leads to ulcers.

[+stickerooni]

Yes, it has happened to me. I've seen maybe 1/5 of my released coins go missing -- that would be about 20 coins to date.

 

The most painful one was the first one that I released.

 

However, I have learned since that sometimes the coins get legitimately lost in a cachers bag, or, as others have said here, simply get picked up by someone who isn't able to log their caching for some time. I had a coinc that I was sure was lost or stolen suddenly turn up a year and a half later. And another one turned up after a year with a nice note from the cacher who said they found it in the crack of the car seats when they were cleaning.

 

It may turn up, it may stay lost, keep letting them go and you'll enjoy some great journeys.

 

I have also learned that my coins that go to Europe tend to travel a lot more and don't get stolen/lost nearly as much as my US traveling coins.

 

Happy caching!

[+The Blorenges]

The cache where you placed your geocoin was specially set for the BPJC competition here in U.K. with the aim of having as many finds as possible before the end of 2009. It was deliberately placed at a very easy and accessible location in Weston-Super-Mare, on the sea front, so that all the 1000+ cachers who attended the UK Mega Event would be tempted to log it.

 

You placed the geocoin on 28th August. There have been only 4 visits from that date until a cacher reported the coin "not seen". One of those visits was from a very new geocacher.

 

I feel your concern but I think it's a bit soon for you to write off your geocoin as having been stolen after only 10 days - it may have been... or it may simply be in the bottom of someone's caching bag and they've just forgotten to log it out of the cache.

I suggest you start by sending a friendly email to each of those 4 cachers who visited just to ask them whether the recall seeing your geocoin in the cache. Your email may just be enough to jog their memory that they have it.

 

I hope it re-appears soon.

 

MrsB

[+LadyBee4T]

Yes I've had that happen many times. Every once in a while they do turn up. The first coin I found was not too long after I started to cache. I thought it was really cool swag. It didn't have anything attached to it to tell me it was a traveler at all. After I learned about tbs and coins I decided to check it out. Sure enough it was activated and it was supposed to stay in West Virginia and I brought it home to Michigan. Now how was I supposed to know that? AND it was placed in a cache near a tourist attraction. After I placed it here someone put it in a very nice case with a card stating its mission.

 

I now drill holes in all my own coins that I sent out traveling. Even the hole hasn't stopped them from disappearing. I also agree that it is too soon to say that your coin is stolen. I would simply say that someone is late to log it. If they do see your note on that cache page they may say to heck with it I'm slready called a thief in a public forum so I may as well keep the thing

 

in an effort to prolong the life of her own geocoins/travelbugs and geocoins/travelbugs owned by someone else that she would move, a friend of mine would always place them in "members only" caches. of course, this is no guarantee that muggles won't find the cache too, but theft from a "members only" geocache is probably significantly less than from a traditional cache. you could place a note with your geocoin and ask that it be moved to another "members only" cache. again...there are no guarantee's once the geocoin is out of your hands.

 

Being a members only cache doesn't really protect the coins from going missing. Since they are found less often it may just prolong the time before it does but during that time it is just sitting in a cache. It also implies that a member is more honest than non members. In this area a suspected coin thief IS a member....

[Odyssey Voyager]

 

in an effort to prolong the life of her own geocoins/travelbugs and geocoins/travelbugs owned by someone else that she would move, a friend of mine would always place them in "members only" caches. of course, this is no guarantee that muggles won't find the cache too, but theft from a "members only" geocache is probably significantly less than from a traditional cache. you could place a note with your geocoin and ask that it be moved to another "members only" cache. again...there are no guarantee's once the geocoin is out of your hands.

 

 

Being a members only cache doesn't really protect the coins from going missing. Since they are found less often it may just prolong the time before it does but during that time it is just sitting in a cache. It also implies that a member is more honest than non members. In this area a suspected coin thief IS a member...

 

 

no, i never said a "members only" cache "protects" the coins from going missing, and i certainly didn't mean to imply that "members" are more honest than "non-members". however, a "members only" cache page and the online search results do not show the trackable contents on the page itself like the regular caches do, so in a way, this makes it a little more difficult to see any geocoins placed in a particular "members only" cache, thus a bit more difficult for the contents to go missing as well. similar to drilling a hole in your geocoin, it doesn't guarantee it won't disappear, but it certainly makes it less attractive. so, this is in line with what mama used to say: "never tempt a thief."

 

.

Edited September 6, 2009 by Odyssey Voyager

[+LadyBee4T]

 

in an effort to prolong the life of her own geocoins/travelbugs and geocoins/travelbugs owned by someone else that she would move, a friend of mine would always place them in "members only" caches. of course, this is no guarantee that muggles won't find the cache too, but theft from a "members only" geocache is probably significantly less than from a traditional cache. you could place a note with your geocoin and ask that it be moved to another "members only" cache. again...there are no guarantee's once the geocoin is out of your hands.

 

 

Being a members only cache doesn't really protect the coins from going missing. Since they are found less often it may just prolong the time before it does but during that time it is just sitting in a cache. It also implies that a member is more honest than non members. In this area a suspected coin thief IS a member...

 

 

no, i never said a "members only" cache "protects" the coins from going missing, and i certainly didn't mean to imply that "members" are more honest than "non-members". however, a "members only" cache page and the online search results do not show the trackable contents on the page itself like the regular caches do, so in a way, this makes it a little more difficult to see any geocoins placed in a particular "members only" cache, thus a bit more difficult for the contents to go missing as well. similar to drilling a hole in your geocoin, it doesn't guarantee it won't disappear, but it certainly makes it less attractive. so, this is in line with what mama used to say: "never tempt a thief."

 

.

 

I didn't mean you specifically said that--I meant in general since I've heard that "argument" before. Sorry I should have said that when I quoted your post.

 

The coins show in the search result for members of course and I couldn't remember if they showed for nonmembers. Icons don't mean much to me so I never paid much attention to them in the search results. I just checked through my dog's account (nonmember) and they showed there too.

 

Yep I've had some of those drilled coins disppear too. If they want it they will take it.

[+Droo]

 

no, i never said a "members only" cache "protects" the coins from going missing, and i certainly didn't mean to imply that "members" are more honest than "non-members". however, a "members only" cache page and the online search results do not show the trackable contents on the page itself like the regular caches do, so in a way, this makes it a little more difficult to see any geocoins placed in a particular "members only" cache, thus a bit more difficult for the contents to go missing as well. similar to drilling a hole in your geocoin, it doesn't guarantee it won't disappear, but it certainly makes it less attractive. so, this is in line with what mama used to say: "never tempt a thief."

 

 

Well, I'll be dipped.... I learned something new today. I never noticed that Subscription Only caches don't show trackable icons in searches.

 

On a more relevant note.... I had a coin go missing 6 months ago - a cacher sent me a note saying the coin was not in the cache in question so I marked it MISSING and added the word 'STOLEN' to its name. Today I got another note about this coin, from the cache owner this time, saying the coin is in the cache... mind you 17 other cachers have logged finds to this cache since and not a one was ever tempted to move it or discover it. Whoever took it brought it back!! I won't look the gift horse in the mouth and I await to hear it's been picked up again and is traveling.

[+geocyclist94]

Thanks everyone for the replies. All of your advice will help me with the placement of my next coin.

 

*peeks @ log note *

 

Look on the

, you now have an excuse to come over to the UK again, HURRAY!

 

 

The cold weather we got last week gives us no intentions to come back for a while!

 

 

I suggest you start by sending a friendly email to each of those 4 cachers who visited just to ask them whether the recall seeing your geocoin in the cache. Your email may just be enough to jog their memory that they have it.

 

Ok, I will e-mail them.

 

If they do see your note on that cache page they may say to heck with it I'm slready called a thief in a public forum so I may as well keep the thing

 

I left a note so that more TBs and geocoins don't get left in the slew of missing trackables.

[Odyssey Voyager]

 

however, a "members only" cache page and the online search results do not show the trackable contents on the page itself like the regular caches do, so in a way, this makes it a little more difficult to see any geocoins placed in a particular "members only" cache, thus a bit more difficult for the contents to go missing as well.

 

 

oops...i was mistaken. after some extensive page searching, it seems that trackable icons DO indeed show up in the search results next to "members only" caches and regular caches too. of course, you still need to be a paid member to see the page and any details regarding the trackables found in the cache. so, to be honest, not being a paid member myself, i cannot say from personal experience that "members only" caches are more or less prone to theft. it was simply a suggestion, in a mad mad mad world...lol...i hope the geocoin turns up again!

 

.

[+Team Noodles]

The cold weather we got last week gives us no intentions to come back for a while!

 

 

HA! Success, you'll be back!

[+Beege49]

"A week later someone finds the cache and notes on the fact that there is no trackables in the cache.

I’m guessing that there must be a thief that visits this cache "

 

I'm guessing that lots of people move things without logging them, too. I'm new to geocaching, and in the 2 months I've done it, have already found several trackables that were not where they were logged in, many of them there for months (one over a year in same unlogged cache). I "discover" them and put in my trackable log where they actually are, but don't know if there is anything more I can do at that point. At least the owner finally finds out where they are!

 

So it's not all thieves, just people messin' up, what a surprise.

[+BlueDeuce]

...

Edited September 7, 2009 by BlueDeuce

[+BVnLJ]

We've had many go missing from caches and once we are notified of it we pull the coin from the cache and like Droo said above mark it as "stolen/missing" beside it's name. To date have had 3 of them show back up with 2 emails asking why it is marked like that : ) So yours might still make a come back for you

 

on a side note here...is there a way to search for "member only" caches?

[bnt0726]

We've had many go missing from caches and once we are notified of it we pull the coin from the cache and like Droo said above mark it as "stolen/missing" beside it's name. To date have had 3 of them show back up with 2 emails asking why it is marked like that : ) So yours might still make a come back for you

 

I have a coin that has been listed in another users possession for over 2 years now. I have sent them a couple of emails hoping they would respond and put the coin back into circulation. Should I mark it as "missing/stolen" and if so will it still be listed in their possession?? I want it to stay in their inventory in hopes they will get it moving again.

 

I know it is not a big deal over a $5 coin but it is more of the principle of the matter. Don't take someones trackable item and keep it for 2 years.

[+BlueDeuce]

on a side note here...is there a way to search for "member only" caches?

 

Using Pocket Queries - yes. That: Are for members only

[+BlueDeuce]

We've had many go missing from caches and once we are notified of it we pull the coin from the cache and like Droo said above mark it as "stolen/missing" beside it's name. To date have had 3 of them show back up with 2 emails asking why it is marked like that : ) So yours might still make a come back for you

 

I have a coin that has been listed in another users possession for over 2 years now. I have sent them a couple of emails hoping they would respond and put the coin back into circulation. Should I mark it as "missing/stolen" and if so will it still be listed in their possession?? I want it to stay in their inventory in hopes they will get it moving again.

 

I know it is not a big deal over a $5 coin but it is more of the principle of the matter. Don't take someones trackable item and keep it for 2 years.

 

No need to make a point, just consider the coin lost. You can either leave it as is, mark it as missing or find a way to re-release it.

[bnt0726]

OK, thanks for the advice I will just leave it as is. I figured it was lost a long time ago, it is just irritating because I would never take someones coin unless I could move it along within a few weeks. Even if the person would just email me and tell me they lost it I would tell them no big deal.

[vze2kz7b]

Not to thread cap, but please answer this scenario. We are new to geo-caching. Today we found our 7th cache and in it was a trackable coin!!! My 11 yr old son, who has caught the caching bug, was very excited and asked to trade it for an item. I said yes. He traded it for a little toy. We took the coin home, got on-line and marked that we found it. Now we want to 'hold' it for one to two months until we go to Montana which is a few states away. This coin originated in Europe. So, what we did, was it wrong or was it appropriate? Thanks for your help!

fourrays + 1 dog

[+BlueDeuce]

Not to thread cap, but please answer this scenario. We are new to geo-caching. Today we found our 7th cache and in it was a trackable coin!!! My 11 yr old son, who has caught the caching bug, was very excited and asked to trade it for an item. I said yes. He traded it for a little toy. We took the coin home, got on-line and marked that we found it. Now we want to 'hold' it for one to two months until we go to Montana which is a few states away. This coin originated in Europe. So, what we did, was it wrong or was it appropriate? Thanks for your help!

fourrays + 1 dog

 

Next time feel free to open your own thread. No harm in that.

 

Keep in mind that Travelers are not trade items. You are not required to leave trinkets (swag, trade, mctoys) or another Traveler in its place, but you can if you like. Just don't leave a traveler and take trinkets.

 

As for holding it that long, check with the owner first. Most will be cool about it as long as they know it hasn't been forgotten.

 

Happy Caching!

[+dakin55]

Now we want to 'hold' it for one to two months

 

Is wrong, from what I have read 2 weeks should be about the most to hold onto this, place it in another cache and there will be more to catch before you head to Montana

[+Droo]

Now we want to 'hold' it for one to two months

 

Is wrong, from what I have read 2 weeks should be about the most to hold onto this, place it in another cache and there will be more to catch before you head to Montana

Actually it's okay so long as you have the coin owner's approval. Without it why not dip it in a cache or two to keep within protocols.

[vze2kz7b]

Thanks for the info. We will check with the coin owner.

[+opalsns]

Yup,

I'd keep dipping it, ( Dropping , then Retrieving ) as I went to caches before the Montana Trip. It'll rack up milage and still keep the coin active,

Welcome and

HAPPY cACHING

[+uktim]

Yup,

I'd keep dipping it, ( Dropping , then Retrieving ) as I went to caches before the Montana Trip. It'll rack up milage and still keep the coin active,

Welcome and

HAPPY cACHING

 

I'd suggest contacting the owner before doing this. I really dislike having someone playing around on the assumption that we want them to rack up mileage for the sake of it If wanted tpo artificially rack up mileage it would be defined as part the coins current goal.

[+Droo]

Yup,

I'd keep dipping it, ( Dropping , then Retrieving ) as I went to caches before the Montana Trip. It'll rack up milage and still keep the coin active,

Welcome and

HAPPY cACHING

 

I'd suggest contacting the owner before doing this. I really dislike having someone playing around on the assumption that we want them to rack up mileage for the sake of it If wanted tpo artificially rack up mileage it would be defined as part the coins current goal.

I used to be bothered by that too until I saw the alternative.... coins just sitting in caches not going anywhere or worse, sitting in remote hard to get to caches with no hope of seeing and being picked up by anyone and when someone did come by they thought they had to trade to move it along.... maddening!! At least if they are being dipped someone is playing and having fun with 'em, that is the point of releasing coins too.

[+hollora]

Not to thread cap, but please answer this scenario. We are new to geo-caching. Today we found our 7th cache and in it was a trackable coin!!! My 11 yr old son, who has caught the caching bug, was very excited and asked to trade it for an item. I said yes. He traded it for a little toy. We took the coin home, got on-line and marked that we found it. Now we want to 'hold' it for one to two months until we go to Montana which is a few states away. This coin originated in Europe. So, what we did, was it wrong or was it appropriate? Thanks for your help!

fourrays + 1 dog

 

Next time feel free to open your own thread. No harm in that.

 

Keep in mind that Travelers are not trade items. You are not required to leave trinkets (swag, trade, mctoys) or another Traveler in its place, but you can if you like. Just don't leave a traveler and take trinkets.

 

As for holding it that long, check with the owner first. Most will be cool about it as long as they know it hasn't been forgotten.

 

Happy Caching!

 

It probably won't take long to learn, what I post perhaps may not be popular. I hope it is not the case.

 

Anyway, on any coins I have out - all I ask is please log them (picked up and dropped off). And if holding them for a bit - a great bonus if you shoot me an email - but not required. If you are holding a coin or TB of mine for awhile - eventually (it could be 6 months or more) you will get an email from me.

 

Again - all I care about is responsible logging. To me - the mileage doesn't matter, the dipping is retorical if I didn't ask for it - just responsibily care for it and eventually move it on and drop it off.

 

Someone who takes the time to log a coin as picked up I don't believe is a thief. Dropping them off - well, I guess someone could theorize you dropped it off and never did, but really, what is the benefit? Remember - this is a person who bothered to log picking in it (when this is the point they didn't need to do it). JMHO

 

Move the coin when you can and if you would like let the owners know what is up just post it. Once you have the coin in hand and have honestly logged it as such - this is between you and the coin owner. No one else!

Edited September 9, 2009 by hollora

[+opalsns]

Yup,

I'd keep dipping it, ( Dropping , then Retrieving ) as I went to caches before the Montana Trip. It'll rack up milage and still keep the coin active,

Welcome and

HAPPY cACHING

 

I'd suggest contacting the owner before doing this. I really dislike having someone playing around on the assumption that we want them to rack up mileage for the sake of it If wanted tpo artificially rack up mileage it would be defined as part the coins current goal.

I used to be bothered by that too until I saw the alternative.... coins just sitting in caches not going anywhere or worse, sitting in remote hard to get to caches with no hope of seeing and being picked up by anyone and when someone did come by they thought they had to trade to move it along.... maddening!! At least if they are being dipped someone is playing and having fun with 'em, that is the point of releasing coins too.

Yes it would be the best to ask the coin owners first I know i would want to know it's at least dipping rather than forgotten in a bag for a year. Dipping it keeps it on your mind and moving and adding a story or photo along the way would probabally be liked too!!!! Especially if you cache on the way to Montana and it could be logged as being there.

Best to ask!

Have Fun.