ibeforej Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 Just started geocaching today and found 2 out of 3! And with a new hobby always comes some questions... What is the difference between a geocoin and a travel bug (other than appearance of course)? Also, if the difference isn't that significant is it OK to swap a geocoin for a travel bug? Thanks! Quote Link to comment
+Prime Suspect Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 Just started geocaching today and found 2 out of 3! And with a new hobby always comes some questions... What is the difference between a geocoin and a travel bug (other than appearance of course)? Also, if the difference isn't that significant is it OK to swap a geocoin for a travel bug? Thanks! Trackable items such as coins and bug are not trade items. You pick them and move them to a new cache. No exchange is needed. Quote Link to comment
ibeforej Posted January 27, 2010 Author Share Posted January 27, 2010 (edited) Just started geocaching today and found 2 out of 3! And with a new hobby always comes some questions... What is the difference between a geocoin and a travel bug (other than appearance of course)? Also, if the difference isn't that significant is it OK to swap a geocoin for a travel bug? Thanks! Trackable items such as coins and bug are not trade items. You pick them and move them to a new cache. No exchange is needed. Oh- OK. On one of the cache pages, it asked for anyone taking a TB to leave a TB, so I thought that was a "rule". Thanks so much! Edited January 27, 2010 by ibeforej Quote Link to comment
+Printess Caroline Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 Just started geocaching today and found 2 out of 3! And with a new hobby always comes some questions... What is the difference between a geocoin and a travel bug (other than appearance of course)? Also, if the difference isn't that significant is it OK to swap a geocoin for a travel bug? Thanks! Trackable items such as coins and bug are not trade items. You pick them and move them to a new cache. No exchange is needed. Oh- OK. On one of the cache pages, it asked for anyone taking a TB to leave a TB, so I thought that was a "rule". Thanks so much! Yours is a common misconception about travelers, which is reinforced by cache owners who make "rules" like the one you sited. The cache owner made that "rule" without the authority to do so. Such a restriction benefits the cache owner's desires and no other's. TBs and coins are sent out by their owners to travel. If you can help a coin or TB and you would like to, please pick it up and enjoy the fun of it. There is not a difference between a coin and a TB except in their appearance and that coins have pretty icons that collect in your list of trackables found. Quote Link to comment
+Prime Suspect Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 Oh- OK. On one of the cache pages, it asked for anyone taking a TB to leave a TB, so I thought that was a "rule". Thanks so much! As mentioned above, feel free to completely ignore that. Cache owners can't impose travel restrictions on travel bugs they don't own. If you can help them move on, do so. Quote Link to comment
+The Blorenges Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 The only other differences between the two (that I can think of) are that some geocachers collect geocoins (i.e. buy them themselves) to keep as a personal collection. They are generally kept in some form of album and they may be taken to geocaching events so that other cachers attending can enjoy seeing them and discover them to collect the geocoin icons. The other difference is in the initial purchase price - a set of TB tags will cost about $4.50 but a new, unactivated trackable geocoin will typically be at least $8 upwards to $15, and on upwards to $30+ for some extremely collectable or rare ones! MrsB Quote Link to comment
+SSO JOAT Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 ... and on upward to $66 for solid silver Alaska Geocoins with real gold accents manufactured at the Alaska Mint. (I don't think anyone who invests in one of these coins actually releases it in the wilderness). Quote Link to comment
+Kryten Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 ... and on upward to $66 for solid silver Alaska Geocoins with real gold accents manufactured at the Alaska Mint. (I don't think anyone who invests in one of these coins actually releases it in the wilderness). Oooh, shiny, I can feel irrational coin need kicking in as I type. Quote Link to comment
+PokerLuck Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 The other difference is in the initial purchase price - a set of TB tags will cost about $4.50 but a new, unactivated trackable geocoin will typically be at least $8 upwards to $15, and on upwards to $30+ for some extremely collectable or rare ones! MrsB As a result of this difference in cash value, geocoins have a very short lifetime in caches. I've seen lots of travel bugs, but very few coins. Imagine how long a $10 bill would last in a cache. Sadly, this has killed the usefulness of geocoins as travel items. Quote Link to comment
+SSO JOAT Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 If I were a geocoin manufacturer, I would sell coins as matched sets of 2. The "real" coin made of good metal with all the spit-n-polish. And then a cheap aluminum slug that is just stamped with the line-art of the real coin. The slug would be 2 or 3 times larger than the real coin to help avoid it being "lost" in the cacher's pocket due to the small size. Both coins would have the same tracking number. You keep the real coin and then you can set the slug free to travel. For a little extra $ you could buy a spare slug or two. Then when the first one goes awol you can release a replacement. The real coin stays safely in your coin album for you to enjoy and share through discovery at events and the like. Perhaps the el cheapo slugs would fair a little better. Quote Link to comment
+sdrawkcab Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 If I were a geocoin manufacturer, I would sell coins as matched sets of 2. The "real" coin made of good metal with all the spit-n-polish. And then a cheap aluminum slug that is just stamped with the line-art of the real coin. The slug would be 2 or 3 times larger than the real coin to help avoid it being "lost" in the cacher's pocket due to the small size. Both coins would have the same tracking number. You keep the real coin and then you can set the slug free to travel. For a little extra $ you could buy a spare slug or two. Then when the first one goes awol you can release a replacement. The real coin stays safely in your coin album for you to enjoy and share through discovery at events and the like. Perhaps the el cheapo slugs would fair a little better. So when is the IPO i would like to buy into you Geo-coin company. I wounder if that hase been tried and abandon due to lack of sales. Quote Link to comment
+sdrawkcab Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 Just started geocaching today and found 2 out of 3! And with a new hobby always comes some questions... What is the difference between a geocoin and a travel bug (other than appearance of course)? Also, if the difference isn't that significant is it OK to swap a geocoin for a travel bug? Thanks! Yes if you can move one along do so. These TB Hotels / Prisons are great if its in a location that get lots of hits. But I wouldn't want a trackable of mine getting traped in one just because some one didn't have a Bug or a coin to trade. Fell free to move any you find on.... Quote Link to comment
+Printess Caroline Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 The other difference is in the initial purchase price - a set of TB tags will cost about $4.50 but a new, unactivated trackable geocoin will typically be at least $8 upwards to $15, and on upwards to $30+ for some extremely collectable or rare ones! MrsB As a result of this difference in cash value, geocoins have a very short lifetime in caches. I've seen lots of travel bugs, but very few coins. Imagine how long a $10 bill would last in a cache. Sadly, this has killed the usefulness of geocoins as travel items. I've been able to purchase coins for $5. Those are the ones that I send out into the world. Interestingly, the one traveler that is still moving of the ten I've sent out is a coin. Quote Link to comment
+WRASTRO Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 The other difference is in the initial purchase price - a set of TB tags will cost about $4.50 but a new, unactivated trackable geocoin will typically be at least $8 upwards to $15, and on upwards to $30+ for some extremely collectable or rare ones! MrsB As a result of this difference in cash value, geocoins have a very short lifetime in caches. I've seen lots of travel bugs, but very few coins. Imagine how long a $10 bill would last in a cache. Sadly, this has killed the usefulness of geocoins as travel items. I've been able to purchase coins for $5. Those are the ones that I send out into the world. Interestingly, the one traveler that is still moving of the ten I've sent out is a coin. I have seen more coins than bugs in recent years. I have logged about 1,000 bugs and about 500 coins in six years. Quote Link to comment
Knight-Errant Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 Just started geocaching today and found 2 out of 3! And with a new hobby always comes some questions... What is the difference between a geocoin and a travel bug (other than appearance of course)? Also, if the difference isn't that significant is it OK to swap a geocoin for a travel bug? Thanks! The most simple explanation is that geocoins (as well as [White, Yellow, Green, and Red] Jeep Travel Bugs, Unite for Diabetes Travel Bugs, GeoGems, Cachekinz, Trackable Adventure Guides, etc.) are all just specialized Travel Bugs, all with unique Travel Bug icons. However, there are some other similar items (i.e., PathTags) that are NOT Travel Bugs, but function in a similar manner, except that they are logged on other websites rather than geocaching.com. Quote Link to comment
+jeromehasbargen Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 If I were a geocoin manufacturer, I would sell coins as matched sets of 2. The "real" coin made of good metal with all the spit-n-polish. And then a cheap aluminum slug that is just stamped with the line-art of the real coin. The slug would be 2 or 3 times larger than the real coin to help avoid it being "lost" in the cacher's pocket due to the small size. Both coins would have the same tracking number. You keep the real coin and then you can set the slug free to travel. For a little extra $ you could buy a spare slug or two. Then when the first one goes awol you can release a replacement. The real coin stays safely in your coin album for you to enjoy and share through discovery at events and the like. Perhaps the el cheapo slugs would fair a little better. So when is the IPO i would like to buy into you Geo-coin company. I wounder if that hase been tried and abandon due to lack of sales. I have seen a way that some coin owners have solved the problem mentioned above. They photocopy or take a picture of the geocoin. They laminate or cover the copy with clear packaging tape thus creating a second copy or "slug" of the original coin. Then they release the "slug" into geocaches and events. It takes a little more work but it is worth it to avoid a lost or stolen trackable. Quote Link to comment
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