Why do people collect geocoins?

[TrynaFindaCache]

what the title says lol, if they are trackable what is the point of collecting? wouldnt it be better to collect pathtags and release geocoins?

just curious....

[+geoquino]

Why do people collect mail stamps when they can stick them on envelopes and send out?

[+usyoopers]

Why did some of us ( ) collect Beanie Babies??

[+Glindower]

I do completely the contrary of collecting geocoins. I help them to travel, to stay in motion.

[+Relheok]

I think that people need to follow the wishes of the trackable's owner. If it is "collectible", then collect. If it is not, then please pass along. Just saying...

[+pastor_b]

from the "for what it's worth department" - if there is such a thing

 

I collect unactivated coins because of a fever or disease that I have...

 

there are several coin themes and artist/makers that I am loyal to - they just keep producing awesome coins...then there are the limited XXLE and Artist's Editions...only a few can own them

 

on the other hand...

 

I do not collect coins or any other travelers that belong to another; not sure what motivates stealing...well, I do understand but that conversation is best for a blog (given my geocaching handle) :lol:

 

I have released over 70 travelers and about 70% of them have "been collected" by someone else

 

"part of the game" I suppose, but to me this is the only downside of a great hobby...

 

happy caching, but let's keep our mitts off other people's travelers

Edited March 8, 2011 by Pastor_B

[+Droo]

I think that people need to follow the wishes of the trackable's owner. If it is "collectible", then collect. If it is not, then please pass along. Just saying...

Dude you have it all wrong. If it's in a cache and activated it's a traveller. Should you keep a traveller under any circumstance you've essentially stolen it (exception - it's mission is to get to you).

 

To answer the OP.... it's because tooooooo many coins in the wild go missing waaaaayyyyy toooo fast.

Edited March 8, 2011 by Droo

[+G & C]

Because I like them. And I like to share them with folks at events. And because I paid for them, and I can. That pretty much sums it up.

[+drneal]

People actually collect these things?

 

ILYK

[eseurat]

People actually collect these things?

ILYK

 

Someone is funny this morning

[GregsonVaux]

what the title says lol, if they are trackable what is the point of collecting? wouldnt it be better to collect pathtags and release geocoins?

just curious....

 

Based on the responses, there may be some confusion as to what is meant by collecting. Collecting is when someone buys a coin with their own money and keeps it in a safe place instead of putting it in a cache. They do this because they like the way the coin looks and they want to hold it in their hand from time to time. If someone takes a coin from a cache without logging it and the coin does not belong to them, then that is called stealing. This confusion seems to pop up every few weeks.

 

Most of the people in this forum collect coins and spend vast quantities of money to do it. This hobby is a bit on the crazy side due to the financial blow, but it is legal and ethical.

[+Smort78]

I think that people need to follow the wishes of the trackable's owner. If it is "collectible", then collect. If it is not, then please pass along. Just saying...

Dude you have it all wrong. If it's in a cache and activated it's a traveller. Should you keep a traveller under any circumstance you've essentially stolen it (exception - it's mission is to get to you).

 

To answer the OP.... it's because tooooooo many coins in the wild go missing waaaaayyyyy toooo fast.

 

I think the "collectible" option has a lot of cachers confused - this is not the first time I've seen that someone think they can take a traveler if it's status is set as "collectible"

 

And to the OP: Because they are so shiny, nice and precious

[GregsonVaux]

what the title says lol, if they are trackable what is the point of collecting? wouldnt it be better to collect pathtags and release geocoins?

just curious....

 

My last post was about collecting versus stealing, but let me try a different answer that is more interesting to me. Why collect geocoins and not pathtags? By the way, we are not supposed to discuss pathtags here and I will not get upset if the moderator deletes this post, but what I am doing is comparing the two.

 

I think the main advantage of pathtags is their lower cost, which makes it easier to mint them and people are more willing to use them as a signature item that they don't mind losing.

 

Geocoins are almost always larger than pathtags and thus can include more complex designs. As a collector, the designs on geocoins appeal to me much more.

 

Pathtags are made of iron (or steel), while geocoins are usually made of bronze (or brass). Iron is harder than bronze, but it rusts easily and thus is much less durable than bronze over hundreds of years. The current platings and enamels on both pathtags and geocoins are probably not very durable. After 100 years, you will be seeing a lot of the base metal underneath, which is why the composition of the base metal is so important to me.

 

Geocoins have a tracking number that allows logs to be kept over time so that stories and histories can be recorded. My undertsanding of pathtags is that their identity number really does not allow for tracking. In my opinion, geocoins become more valuable over time as their history grows. Imagine that it is 2050 and geocaching is still a fairly popular hobby. You are at an estate sale and you see a box full of trinkets that includes a coin. You buy the coin and take it home, you may or may not even know what a geocoin is, but there is a web address printed on it. Of course, in 2050, the web is different, but all browsers are still able to read the old addresses and convert them to the new addresses. The website on the coin is pretty old, but not as old as many other sites such as Amazon and the Boyscout site, which are still going strong. After reading a bit, you figure out how to log in the number and find that the coin has been all over the world! It started traveling in 2007, but then disappeared in 2009. There were no logs until 2013 when someone logged that they bought it on eBay. It then traveled for two more years. There were no logs from 2015 until 2025. In 2025, a boy named Tom Bonner logged it in. He said that it had been given to him by his grandfather. He wrote that he tried to write to the original owner by e-mail, but never got any response. The next log was dated 2042. Tom Bonner was now married and wrote that he was going to give it to his newborn son when he turned 8. So, how did the coin end up in that box? Maybe you want to do some research on the previous owners. Maybe you will want to add your own logs. This durable little piece of metal has survived 45 years since it was first minted and could very well last another 200 years collecting stories. If the coin is still around in 2200, the stories will be even more interesting and the logs from the early parts of the 21st century will seem so quaint and old fashioned. Did the people back then really talk like that?!

 

Is it realistic to believe that geocoins will last 200 years? Definitely yes. If you search for coins on eBay, you will see that it is very simple to buy coins that are 100 or 200 years old for under $10. A little more effort will allow you to buy a coin that is over 1000 years old for under $100. Many collectors have coins that are 2000 years old. It should also be remembered that metallurgy today is far better, meaning that coins made today will last much longer.

[avroair]

what the title says lol, if they are trackable what is the point of collecting? wouldnt it be better to collect pathtags and release geocoins?

just curious....

 

You can't sell a non-trackable tag in these forums. I design coins because the artwork is can be more intricate, and I can mint my own instead of having to go through a middleman vendor.

Edited March 8, 2011 by avroair

[+JackHoe]

Speaking for myself, I collect coins because I like the design, collours, shapes. Sometimes I buy 2 of the same coin, so I can keep one in my collection and send the other one out. I also like the icons, thats why I prefer them more than pathtags and that's why I activate all my coins, except the ones I have for trade.

[+GoldBugGirl]

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever

-John Keats

 

...or at least for as long as the plating & enamel holds up! I collect geocoins because having them & holding them brings me joy! Pathtags are nice...but they just don't carry the impact of an outstanding coin. The artists, such as Avroair, & Jackalgirl, & GregsonVaux, & many others, have shared a facet of their heart & soul in their design...some of the coins almost seem to communicate with me as I hold them in my hand! Some of these coins have been mailed directly from the hands of the artist to me; one of my coins is even signed by the artist. I have collected other items over the years, but never felt a sense of connection with the designers as I have with geocoins. Plus, the logs will record my transient ownership of the coins, & their discovery by others with whom I've crossed paths, when they are eventually passed on to other hands (hopefully of someone who will cherish the coins the way I do).

[+PokerLuck]

I do not put geocoins in caches because they're quickly stolen.

 

I do collect geocoins because I like the way they look. I activate them and take them with me so my friends can discover them.

[+mpilchfamily]

I collect the coins for many of the same reasons as everyone else.

 

There are allot of so called Geocoins and many that where around before they started getting tracking numbers. Some coins are numbered and only offered as a very limited edition. Some people like to collect the early coins because of there rarity. Some prefer to get the numbered coins. Often numbered items like that can be worth more much like first edition books.

 

I prefer the trackable Geocoins because there story can evolve. If they are numbered as well that's even better. Just knowing you have number 25 of 500 or 8 of 50 is pretty cool.

 

Currently i only have one coin activated but stays with me and visits all the caches i visit. Allowing the coin to remain safe while it records my caching adventures. I was recently give 2 Pieces of Eight coins. Both are numbered. One is 025 and the other is 258 i think. I may activate the latter and send it on its way.

[+Bhob]

this is not the first time I've seen that someone think they can take a traveler if it's status is set as "collectible"

it is my understanding that this is one of the purposes of the attribute

 

if an owner wants their trackable to travel, then they should set the attribute to "non collectible"

 

but if they wish to allow someone to keep it, then they may set the attribute to "collectible"

 

I cannot think of any good reason that a trackable owner would set the attribute to "collectible" if they did not want to allow it to be collected

[+Laval K-9]

this is not the first time I've seen that someone think they can take a traveler if it's status is set as "collectible"

it is my understanding that this is one of the purposes of the attribute

 

if an owner wants their trackable to travel, then they should set the attribute to "non collectible"

 

but if they wish to allow someone to keep it, then they may set the attribute to "collectible"

 

I cannot think of any good reason that a trackable owner would set the attribute to "collectible" if they did not want to allow it to be collected

 

I'm afraid a lot of people seems to think that when we choose ¨collectible¨ for one coin in particular, this means that they can just keep this item for themselves. Perhaps there should be a better way to show the difference between a traveler and one we choose to keep in our collection. Any thought about this matter that would help people understands that no matter the status, it still belongs to the owner?

[+Bhob]

here is what Groundspeak has to say on this subject

 

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=250

 

it appears that the best thing for a trackable owner who turns their item free, and wants it to keep travelling, is to set the attribute to "non collectible"

[+keewee]

From the thread This is collectible

Please use the link in my signature to read more about how collectibles works. Basically, it was added for the people who choose to activate their coins, but not release them. It makrs it easier for them to log the trackables they do move, without having a really long list to scroll through to drop them off. It is confusing and should NOT mean that someone can take it and keep it, not without your OK. Choosing not to mark it either way means it is meant to travel, and leaves it in your inventory.

 

The intent of the option seems to be to help out those who have a collection with a lot of geocoins by giving them somewhere to "store" their geocoins other than the Inventory list or a ghost (or archived) cache.

 

The problem is Groundspeak have created a huge amount of confusion out there with this option and there's not been a lot done to clear it up. I wonder if there is even confusion within Groundspeak about it as the knowledgebook article goes at it from 2 different directions (as the owner, or as someone who collects the coin out on the trail/at event) and talks about both - but how can the one option satisfy both camps!?

[+BlueDeuce]

what the title says lol, if they are trackable what is the point of collecting? wouldnt it be better to collect pathtags and release geocoins?

just curious....

 

My last post was about collecting versus stealing, but let me try a different answer that is more interesting to me. Why collect geocoins and not pathtags? By the way, we are not supposed to discuss pathtags here and I will not get upset if the moderator deletes this post, but what I am doing is comparing the two.

 

I think the main advantage of pathtags is their lower cost, which makes it easier to mint them and people are more willing to use them as a signature item that they don't mind losing.

 

Geocoins are almost always larger than pathtags and thus can include more complex designs. As a collector, the designs on geocoins appeal to me much more.

 

Pathtags are made of iron (or steel), while geocoins are usually made of bronze (or brass). Iron is harder than bronze, but it rusts easily and thus is much less durable than bronze over hundreds of years. The current platings and enamels on both pathtags and geocoins are probably not very durable. After 100 years, you will be seeing a lot of the base metal underneath, which is why the composition of the base metal is so important to me.

 

Geocoins have a tracking number that allows logs to be kept over time so that stories and histories can be recorded. My undertsanding of pathtags is that their identity number really does not allow for tracking. In my opinion, geocoins become more valuable over time as their history grows. Imagine that it is 2050 and geocaching is still a fairly popular hobby. You are at an estate sale and you see a box full of trinkets that includes a coin. You buy the coin and take it home, you may or may not even know what a geocoin is, but there is a web address printed on it. Of course, in 2050, the web is different, but all browsers are still able to read the old addresses and convert them to the new addresses. The website on the coin is pretty old, but not as old as many other sites such as Amazon and the Boyscout site, which are still going strong. After reading a bit, you figure out how to log in the number and find that the coin has been all over the world! It started traveling in 2007, but then disappeared in 2009. There were no logs until 2013 when someone logged that they bought it on eBay. It then traveled for two more years. There were no logs from 2015 until 2025. In 2025, a boy named Tom Bonner logged it in. He said that it had been given to him by his grandfather. He wrote that he tried to write to the original owner by e-mail, but never got any response. The next log was dated 2042. Tom Bonner was now married and wrote that he was going to give it to his newborn son when he turned 8. So, how did the coin end up in that box? Maybe you want to do some research on the previous owners. Maybe you will want to add your own logs. This durable little piece of metal has survived 45 years since it was first minted and could very well last another 200 years collecting stories. If the coin is still around in 2200, the stories will be even more interesting and the logs from the early parts of the 21st century will seem so quaint and old fashioned. Did the people back then really talk like that?!

 

Is it realistic to believe that geocoins will last 200 years? Definitely yes. If you search for coins on eBay, you will see that it is very simple to buy coins that are 100 or 200 years old for under $10. A little more effort will allow you to buy a coin that is over 1000 years old for under $100. Many collectors have coins that are 2000 years old. It should also be remembered that metallurgy today is far better, meaning that coins made today will last much longer.

 

So in 200 years I can buy a geocoin for 10 bucks, otherwise pathtags are the way to go.

[+Tonyalynnm]

I collect coins because the only one I have released into the wild, didn't even make it out of the cache I put it in before it went missing It's a risk you take but when you figure you spend $10-15 on a coin (a least) you would like to be able to see it or something from it... a travel log for instance. I don't like spending money to throw away.

[+BlueDeuce]

I collect coins because the only one I have released into the wild, didn't even make it out of the cache I put it in before it went missing It's a risk you take but when you figure you spend $10-15 on a coin (a least) you would like to be able to see it or something from it... a travel log for instance. I don't like spending money to throw away.

 

So not on the 200 year plan, eh?