Newbie trying to start a collection

[+jpbarr]

Hi all,

 

I dont think I would have had the guts to post like this here but taking the advice of a more experianced cacher here it goes.

I have only been caching for a couple of months and am already addicted:P and have also got my family involved too. I resently found a "Best of British" geocoin, loved the theme and decided then and there that I would try and make a collection of coins with national flags on them. I then did a bit of checking on the net I realised the expense of a single geocoin and was imediatelly told by my less impulsive better half that the 250yr old house that we are trying to restore has to come first! Which means no spare cash for the next xx number of years So, if anyone out there has any old or unwanted geocoins with flags on them I would be eternally grateful in getting this collection started. I would even be happy to adopt a coin with the hope it might one day be close enough to pick up.

 

Sorry to the moderators if this type of post is not allowed and I hope I have not over stepped the mark.

 

Thanks in advance

 

JP

Edited July 13, 2011 by jpbarr

[+mpilchfamily]

There is a thread for trades, offers and wants pinned at the top of this section of the forum. You haven't stepped on any toes or anything.

 

Coins are only really expensive once they have been sold out and your buying them second hand. Otherwise they only run about $10 per coin. Its due to the limited numbers most coins are produced in that the prices outside there initial sell go to 2 or 3 times the original price.

 

I would recommend finding the mailing list thread. Get yourself on the mailing list so if a generous person whats to send you a coin they can. You'll also learn of Mystery coins. Which are coins minted by a mystery person and seemingly randomly sent out to lucky collectors. They show up in the mail addressed to you and from you if there is a return address at all.

[+Bear and Ragged]

How about: When certain work is completed on the house, you can buy a coin... OR, if you are doing work yourself, an incentive of -the other half buys the coin when work is completed?

 

Or. Become a First To Find hound. Go for the caches with an unactivated coin as FTF prize. At the least, it gives you a coin to swap.

[+mamoreb]

Nice idea by Bear and Ragged! I have a list of milestones on the wall. Every time I check one as completed, I'm allowed to buy a new coin. Keeps me working hard + controls the amount of coins bought. Of course the magnitude of the milestones must be appropriate. I have listed 15 milestones this year, 7 to go.

[+mpilchfamily]

Maybe i should control my geocoin spending like that as well. The only way i control myself now is evaluating the coin i'm looking at and placing a "reasonable" value to it and stick with it. Wouldn't want to pay too much for a coin. But i have spent as much as $55 on a single coin.

[+mamoreb]

The good thing about limiting my number of purchases, is that I can occationally allow myself an expensive coin. Since I did a good job and it's only one coin, I don't mind if it costs 10 or 20$.

 

Of course, my conscience has some idea about how much money it is worth spending on a small piece of coloured metal. So far, no tranquilities for me.

[+jpbarr]

 

I would recommend finding the mailing list thread. Get yourself on the mailing list so if a generous person whats to send you a coin they can. You'll also learn of Mystery coins. Which are coins minted by a mystery person and seemingly randomly sent out to lucky collectors. They show up in the mail addressed to you and from you if there is a return address at all.

That is a great idea, anyone know how to sign up for the mailing list?

[+jpbarr]

How about: When certain work is completed on the house, you can buy a coin... OR, if you are doing work yourself, an incentive of -the other half buys the coin when work is completed?

 

Or. Become a First To Find hound. Go for the caches with an unactivated coin as FTF prize. At the least, it gives you a coin to swap.

Both great ideas, unfortunately buying any at the moment is just out of the picture:) As to FTF prizes: I live in Estonia and it not common to have unactivated geocoins as prizes, plus there are a few very crazy guys here that always seem to get there first I places my first cache a couple of weeks ago and from the time it was published to the FTF was 12mins!

[CW88]

 

I would recommend finding the mailing list thread. Get yourself on the mailing list so if a generous person whats to send you a coin they can. You'll also learn of Mystery coins. Which are coins minted by a mystery person and seemingly randomly sent out to lucky collectors. They show up in the mail addressed to you and from you if there is a return address at all.

That is a great idea, anyone know how to sign up for the mailing list?

 

I think if you ask here you can get an invite.

So far I haven't been lucky enough to recieve any coins but maybe one day

 

I also like Mamoreb's idea. When I first discovered geocoins I went a bit crazy, but now I've managed to cut back a bit and am only trying to get my favourite ones.

[+mpilchfamily]

Another option is to keep an eye out for cointests. Eventually you could win a coin or 2 and then you'll have coins to use in trades and missions. Eventually you'll be able to get your hands on the coins you want. Have a look through the Geocoin section and add a submission to every cointest you can find. Just get yourself as active in the geocoin community as you can.

[+Droo]

Traditionally national flag coins aren't very expensive as they are often made commercially. One vendour whose name starts like geocoin but ends in swag has made tons of them and they have been reasonably priced and the runs did not sell out with any speed. I'm not sure what shipping costs are to Estonia but I bet they are less from the US than the other way around... also US based coin sales tend to be more affordable than sales overseas - from what I've noticed. Building a collection from free or gifted coins may take a long long time but saving $15 a month ($0.50 a day) for coin purchases will at least get you a binder page filled up each year.

[+jpbarr]

This is all great info, thanks everyone

[+fox-and-the-hound]

There have been a number of people in similar situations over the years who have traded or bartered for coins as well. It doesn't have to be coins for coins either. I've seen coins traded for crocheted/knitted/quilted goods, clever signature items, scrimshaw, wooden boxes, etc., etc. Everybody has skills and access to items that can be unique or hard to find and trades like this often result in friendships as well as coins. So think about what you can come up with and share with the community. The community has been very, very good about sharing in return (oh, and welcome to the addiction!)

[+jpbarr]

There have been a number of people in similar situations over the years who have traded or bartered for coins as well. It doesn't have to be coins for coins either. I've seen coins traded for crocheted/knitted/quilted goods, clever signature items, scrimshaw, wooden boxes, etc., etc. Everybody has skills and access to items that can be unique or hard to find and trades like this often result in friendships as well as coins. So think about what you can come up with and share with the community. The community has been very, very good about sharing in return (oh, and welcome to the addiction!)

Thanks for the idea, I would not have thought of it. I have a śet of signiture items that I made. I use them for leaving in caches I find. I'm not sure if people would be interested in them but I guess I could post a photo and see

[+Fianccetto]

 

I have a śet of signiture items that I made. I use them for leaving in caches I find. I'm not sure if people would be interested in them but I guess I could post a photo and see

 

There's a thread for this here. Would be very interested to see the kind of sig items you make. It might give you a few ideas of other things you could try out too. I've been making some signature items for somebody else, with some simple little motifs which connect to their geocaching name/country etc that I've seen in their photos/ coins. I'm quite pleased with the results so far, it's getting me to try out new things. (There is no telling if someone else is going to like them or not, but that can be said for anything you send on a mission, although people are happy to get things of good quality and of equal value to whatever they send out. Also with missions, you have to send off an unactivated geocoin as part of the trade/ mission (plus whatever the missions host suggest) but your home made items don't have to be made by yourself, you can include home made items from your local area - crochet, cross stitch, woodland crafts or whatever - a nice way to support all our local craftspeople or charities.

[+jpbarr]

 

I have a śet of signiture items that I made. I use them for leaving in caches I find. I'm not sure if people would be interested in them but I guess I could post a photo and see

 

There's a thread for this here. Would be very interested to see the kind of sig items you make. It might give you a few ideas of other things you could try out too. I've been making some signature items for somebody else, with some simple little motifs which connect to their geocaching name/country etc that I've seen in their photos/ coins. I'm quite pleased with the results so far, it's getting me to try out new things. (There is no telling if someone else is going to like them or not, but that can be said for anything you send on a mission, although people are happy to get things of good quality and of equal value to whatever they send out. Also with missions, you have to send off an unactivated geocoin as part of the trade/ mission (plus whatever the missions host suggest) but your home made items don't have to be made by yourself, you can include home made items from your local area - crochet, cross stitch, woodland crafts or whatever - a nice way to support all our local craftspeople or charities.

Thanks for that, I checked out the thread you posted about and I didnt see anything like I have done (although I'm sure someone somewhere has ) I'm just finishing off a set and will post some photos. I'm hoping to trade some for geocoins. Due to finances, or lack of them , I cant afford to buy any for a while but really want to take part in the missions. So we will see, fingers crossed

[+Fianccetto]

If you are quick, you can enter these cointests!

 

The photographic caching story cointest

 

and

 

The really lame story cointest

 

and there's a few more hours for this one - 5 entries per person, email the OP with your photos as well as posting them...

 

Discover Your World II Geocoin

 

They're fun to join in with, and you might win a coin. it is also entertaining to see what other people contribute, so the more who join in, the better. You don't need a geocoin to give anyone for this type of cointest (for a 'mission' type you do) so feel free to enter and you might win a prize. (That goes for you lurkers out there as well!)

Edited July 17, 2011 by Fianccetto

[+jpbarr]

If you are quick, you can enter these cointests!

 

The photographic caching story cointest

 

and

 

The really lame story cointest

 

and there's a few more hours for this one - 5 entries per person, email the OP with your photos as well as posting them...

 

Discover Your World II Geocoin

 

They're fun to join in with, and you might win a coin. it is also entertaining to see what other people contribute, so the more who join in, the better. You don't need a geocoin to give anyone for this type of cointest (for a 'mission' type you do) so feel free to enter and you might win a prize. (That goes for you lurkers out there as well!)

Thanks for the info, I have entered a couple of cointests including lame story one But am staying away from photo contests as my photos usually suck

[+goosefraba1]

Personally, i like seeing any pictures from places that I doubt I will ever see.