+Crafty Turtle Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 I do not mean commissioning a coin with a company who will register it and give me an activation number. I mean I want to physically manufacture my own one-of-a-kind coin with my own bare hands. Yes, I have the skills to do this. I am quite crafty. What I need to know is how can I get it registered/activated so I can track it? I need a GC code to stamp on the coin. Where can I get one? I have not been able to find this info - everything just points me to companies that will make a coin with my design. Grrrr. Anyone done this? Quote Link to comment
+ace862 Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 This may be the information you are looking for. It's from the Groundspeak Knowledgebase. Creating Trackable Geocoins Quote Link to comment
+The Blorenges Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 If you simply want to make one hand-crafted geocoin that you can track on the GC.com site then why not just buy a travel bug and use the tracking number from it on your own geocoin? MrsB Quote Link to comment
+Crafty Turtle Posted October 11, 2009 Author Share Posted October 11, 2009 Oh wow - both responses are very helpful, thank-you. Blorenges - I like your outside the box thinking. Have you tried this? Does it work? I mean, can I just transfer a number like that? It sounds so simple! There's got to be a catch. Ace862 - it looks like I can buy a tracking code from a coin-maker. I couldn't see which ones do this, though - any clues? Hmmmm.... if the buy-a-TB-and-use-the-number thing works, I'll do that. (It sounds the simplest) Quote Link to comment
+Smurf Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 (edited) Blorenges - I like your outside the box thinking. Have you tried this? Does it work? I mean, can I just transfer a number like that? It sounds so simple! There's got to be a catch. I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work, it is after all just a number (yes .... we know it's not about the nubers) put the number on your "coin", and set it free, the only downside i can see is that it won't have its own "icon" it will just just show as an ordiary TB in a caches inventory ..........Smurf Edited October 11, 2009 by Smurf Quote Link to comment
+Crafty Turtle Posted October 11, 2009 Author Share Posted October 11, 2009 Smurf - what about naming it? Can I name it what I want? Quote Link to comment
+The Blorenges Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 If you use the tracking number from a set of TB tags and stamp/engrave it onto your own crafted coin it will be tracked in exactly the same way as any other TB item and the TB icon will show up against any cache where it's dropped. Like any TB you can call it whatever you want. You can put all the interesting info about it into its description, you can add a photgraph of it and set whatever mission you'd like it to have. The only slight drawback is that TBs are usually recognised by the fact that they have the usual metal TB tag attached to them: Your coin might not be immediately recognised as a trackable item because cachers might not notice the tracking number on it... So it might be a good idea to put it into some small protective bag with an explanatory note saying "trackable on geocaching.com". MrsB Quote Link to comment
+Crafty Turtle Posted October 11, 2009 Author Share Posted October 11, 2009 Okay, thanks. I'm gonna do it. I'm going to make it look like any other coin. I'm designing it in my head now. ....ooh quick, open photoshop, get me my pencils.... Thanks again. Watch this space, I'll post a picture when I've made it. Quote Link to comment
+The Blorenges Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 I don't know what you're going to make it with but it would be worth making two or three of them at the same time. That way, when it gets lost/stolen/strayed (and it will... eventually) you'll have duplicate one that you can send out as a replacement to continue the journey. Good luck MrsB Quote Link to comment
+Crafty Turtle Posted October 11, 2009 Author Share Posted October 11, 2009 That's a good idea. I'll make a few. I'm probably going to make it out of hard-glazed ceramic. Tough enough that you can drop it onto a hard surface and it will not even chip. Quote Link to comment
+Gitchee-Gummee Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 (edited) Drill a non-silver dollar, place a cable through with TB tag and mission tag attached. Now you have a real travel coin. Less likely to be taken, because by drilling it through, you have deactivated its' usefulness to the rest of the world as currency. EDIT: This works very will with US "golden" dollars, and CA "loonies". Edited October 11, 2009 by Gitchee-Gummee Quote Link to comment
+Crafty Turtle Posted October 11, 2009 Author Share Posted October 11, 2009 But it won't have the picture I want on it. Nor will it look all purdy and shiny so folks want to pick it up and take it home and look at for a few days before dropping it off somewhere. Is it just me, or are other people attracted to pretty shiny things? It's a girl thing, isn't it? Quote Link to comment
+Gitchee-Gummee Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Is it just me, or are other people attracted to pretty shiny things? It's a girl thing, isn't it? No, it's not a girl thing.............. it's more of a crow thing. They take all sorts of shiny things! Are you an old crow? (kidding, of course) Quote Link to comment
+Chrysalides Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 About $4 for a tracking number seems rather steep to me, and your coin won't have a custom icon (as far as GC is concerned, it is a TB). If these two points are not show stoppers, go for it. As an alternative, you can try: 1. Look into buying a small block of numbers from a geocoin manufacturer. I'm not sure if this still happens, I stumbled across a discussion about this a while back. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable can give more details 2. Have it trackable at a site other than geocaching.com. For example, sigitem.com - do note that chances are people wouldn't bother to do it. Quote Link to comment
+AbMagFab Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 About $4 for a tracking number seems rather steep to me, and your coin won't have a custom icon (as far as GC is concerned, it is a TB). If these two points are not show stoppers, go for it. As an alternative, you can try: 1. Look into buying a small block of numbers from a geocoin manufacturer. I'm not sure if this still happens, I stumbled across a discussion about this a while back. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable can give more details 2. Have it trackable at a site other than geocaching.com. For example, sigitem.com - do note that chances are people wouldn't bother to do it. Tracking numbers cost $1.50 from this site, just for the number (at least in bulk of 100 at a time). Custom icons here run $150 I think. Tracking somewhere else is kinda useless right now - it's like having a betamax. It might work, but you'll be all by yourself. Easiest way is to buy a travel bug, as suggested earlier. Quote Link to comment
+Crafty Turtle Posted October 12, 2009 Author Share Posted October 12, 2009 Yeah I think it's all very well to buy in bulk, to get a cheaper per-unit cost, but if you only want one or two, it's a bit of a false economy. Why pay $150 for 100 when you can pay $4 for one? I'm pretty sure I'd never use 100 in my lifetime. Imagine keeping track of them all! And as creative as I am, I don't think I could come up with 100 designs, or 100 travel purposes for the coin. Really, one is enough. Maybe when I travel overseas, I could drop one in a cache there, with the mission of it finding its way home to me. It would be nice of there was a reseller who would sell individually: a number and an icon from a selection of their more popular icons... flags, caching icons, animals, smilies, peace sign, stars, etc, So nothing is "custom", just you choose from an existing list. That would be nice. Quote Link to comment
+murphyrulez Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 She could also just buy a cheap (4-5 dollar) coin off ebay or somewhere unactivated, and transfer that number to her coin. That way it will at least show up as a coin on GC.com instead of a TB generic metal tag.... The icon will be up for grabs though... Quote Link to comment
+Chrysalides Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 She could also just buy a cheap (4-5 dollar) coin off ebay or somewhere unactivated, and transfer that number to her coin. That way it will at least show up as a coin on GC.com instead of a TB generic metal tag.... The icon will be up for grabs though... Don't have to use eBay for that, you can get CacheKinz from the Groundspeak store for $5 (possibly cheaper elsewhere). Good suggestion, almost any coin looks more visually interesting than the dog tag. Might even get the OP addicted to collecting geocoins And, yeah, if you're only doing 1 or 2, forget what I said about getting blocks of numbers. That'll be way more trouble than it is worth. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 Moving to the appropriate forum Quote Link to comment
+Crafty Turtle Posted October 12, 2009 Author Share Posted October 12, 2009 Moving to the appropriate forum Thanks for that. Although it started as a newbie query "I can't find the info I need", it has evolved. Quote Link to comment
+ZeroHecksGiven Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 I've been playing with some ideas in my head for making my own coins and I'm talking, 100 just to start and I'll be buying the codes and hand stamping them all. I cannot wait to get started on this project. Looking forward to see what the crafty turtle has in store for us! Quote Link to comment
+Jackalgirl Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 That's a good idea. I'll make a few. Make sure you have a separate tracking number for each coin that you make; multiple items with a single serial number is against the rules and will result in your item being locked. Another option you might want to consider is to contact some of the vendors and see if they'll sell you a small quantity (say, five) of geocoin tracking codes. Unless you pay an extra $150, you won't have a custom icon, but rather a "personal geocoin" icon, but at least it'll be a coin icon instead of the TB icon (if you care about such things). Your coin design would still have to be approved by Groundspeak, and I'd recommend getting in touch with them anyway just to make sure this would fly. If so, though, I'm sure that there are some vendors who'd be willing to sell you some codes for a custom product. Please, by all means, though, post pictures when you're done -- I'd like to see what you make, and I'm sure everyone else will, too! If you're interested, btw, check out the Upik Nuannertoq thread (all hand-made, home-cast coins) and also the Coalcache thread (hand-made coin made from pulverized coal and resin). These are just two examples of how clever, crafty people make really cool geocoins by hand. : ) Quote Link to comment
+forthferalz Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 hi, 1.to avoid the TB icon you can purchase a travel tag sort of coin - coinsandpins have them as well as lots of other manufacturers. These will have a unique icon and the person picking it up would ordinarily be expecting the tag to be attached 2.I would be willing to ask GC about order some spare codes for crafty things as this question comes up a lot and i have to order a block anyway soon. The other point about using a coin code is you MUST get the design/s approved first. So you need at least a drawing. Travel bug tags do not have this stipulation. 3. re 1 and 2 - not sure if leaving the tags off violates some sort of GC rule but i expect so. Quote Link to comment
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