Geocoin Dilemma

[+ohmelli]

I got my first geocoin today - and it's a very special one -- the signal faberge' egg. I'm trying to decide what to do with it, before I log it. Part of me feels like EVEN a very SPECIAL coin is of no use unless others are getting to enjoy it... the other part of me feels like it's sO pretty I just want to keep it. So here's my question(s)...

 

1. What are the chances that my coin would "disappear" if I put it out into circulation? It would be SUCH a FUN coin for cachers to stumble across! But being I'm brand new to caching at all, I'm just wondering how "honest" MOST cachers are I guess.

 

2. If I decide to keep it - I think they say "and let your friends be jealous when they discover it at an event"... how do these events work? What exactly are you doing with the coins that you get them BACK at the end?

[+seldon]

Sooner or later, it will disappear in the wild. It may circulate for a long time, or it might get taken right away. When you leave a geocoin or a travelbug, you have to be prepared for it to disappear. Not nice, but the way it is.

At an event, you let other cachers look at the coins, and record the tracking # so they can "discover" them online, but they stay in your possession.

Edited March 23, 2012 by seldon

[+wimseyguy]

1. The chances are pretty good that it will disappear sooner or later. Most cachers are very honest and some of the best people you will ever meet. Sadly, a small minority are not and once one of them spots the coin it's gone into their private 'my precious' hole.

2. If you really want to hang onto it, just keep it with you and share it with geopals at events to be discovered. Just don't become one of 'those people' who don't really socialize at events and just sit in the corner rubbing coins and collecting code numbers.

[+ohmelli]

Hm. That doesn't seem like nearly as much fun as just stumbling across such a pretty little treasure... oh, decisions, decisions... It didn't occur to me that it might be hard to part with when I ordered it! But I think I'm probably going to take my chances and see how far it goes! (and perhaps pray just a little bit that it makes it faaaaaaaaaaaaar...)

 

ACK! Whimseyguy that sounds HORRIBLE! No! I do NOT want to be one of those people! No... I'm definitely going to turn this little Signal free and pray for the best!

Edited March 23, 2012 by ohmelli

[+Madam Pomfrey]

Good question! I'm new at this, too, and recently purchased three of these very beautiful Faberge egg geocoins. I dropped two, and kept one for myself. One of the dropped coins inspired the person who found it to drive a considerable distance and find a suitable new location for its travels. The second dropped coin disappeared very quickly.

 

Having these disappear is inevitable. But for me, part of the fun in dropping a beautiful coin is thinking about how much fun it will bring to others who find it. I also feel I am doing something good for the sport when I leave a cache better than I found it (in terms of swag or coins - I know better than to "improve" it without checking with the CO). Someone could have picked up the coin and not noticed it is a trackable. But I bet they were excited to get it! Maybe you have inspired a kid to really get "into" geocaching, and once they realize they've held onto a trackable, they will release it. Or, it could have been picked up by a coin thief, who can feel a twinge of guilt, never really get to enjoy it, and look forward to a life of bad karma.

[+larryc43230]

I've been releasing geocoins into the wild for about four years now. I really enjoy watching them travel around the country and sometimes around the world. I just looked at my coin list, and came up with the following numbers:

 

Total coins released: 219

Coins that have moved in the past six months (meaning that, hopefully, they're still circulating): 60 (about 27%).

Coins that have traveled in the last year: 115 (about 52%).

 

Bottom line, the majority of my coins have eventually disappeared. Sometimes the cache the coin is in is muggled or destroyed; sometimes, I presume, a newbie cacher grabs the coin and holds on to it because he doesn't know any better; and sometimes the coin is simply stolen.

 

To me, anyway, it's still worth the risk. I have one coin that's traveled more than 41,000 miles, and a total of fourteen coins that have traveled more than 10,000 miles each. I'm still occasionally buying and releasing coins, and I doubt if I'll stop any time soon.

 

--Larry

[+ByronForestPreserve]

I've run across a couple of caches that were set up as "coin banks," basically a cache to trade coins. Looking over their history, things don't seem to go missing that often, despite them being basically a container full of coins and bugs. You might be able to find one of these banks near you, and it would be a good spot for the coin to start its travels. Do check logs if you're thinking about leaving it somewhere--some have a long history of muggles and thieves. I like to drop coins in caches I really like--sort of like an unofficial favorite point.

 

I have the same fear for my coins...but what am I going to do with one if I keep it? I know some folks have big collections, but I'd rather watch their travels.

[+ohmelli]

Barb - THAT was smart! I wish I had thought to buy two of them. They are now all gone - as a matter of fact, there were only 2 left when I bought this one! Next time I will probably do just that... One for them, and one for me!

 

I did run into something the other day. Someone had made a "copy" of their coin and taped or glued it onto another token type coin - they dropped it with a note that they were tired of having their coins "disappear" and so they were sending out this "copy" instead. The number and all was included on it. But I didn't pick it up... it just wasn't appealing to me. I wonder how other cachers feel about THAT too.

 

You've all been a great help! MY coin is going out into the world... and it will either travel far, or hopefully be ENJOYED by whoever just can't let it go. Some people are just very "thing" oriented. And as I'm writing this I'm thinking if my 7 year old granddaughter came across this coin she would WANT it DESPERATELY! It would take everything under my power to get her to turn it loose! So... WHEN it disappears, I'm going to tell myself some darling little girl discovered it!

 

And Byron - that is a very good idea too, to check the caches log to see how things have gone in the past. I, too, would probably drop it in a cache I really liked!

Edited March 23, 2012 by ohmelli

[+kunarion]

If I decide to keep it - I think they say "and let your friends be jealous when they discover it at an event"... how do these events work? What exactly are you doing with the coins that you get them BACK at the end?

Sometimes there's a table for Trackables, and a spot for "Discover Only" ones. You may find a spot, label your coin "Discover Only", and let others pass it around and log it. Or you may just ask people if they'd like to track your coin, and show it if they're interested. One of my TBs is marked "Discover Only", just for a particular annual Event. I usually just sit in the corner rubbing coins and collecting code numbers (OK, I don't do that, I just liked wimseyguy's quote).

 

I have two revived Trackables which are now designed to be never going cache-to-cache, which would be in a little display case and I wouldn't let them out of my sight, if I brought them to an Event. I'm one of those people who've just about had it with losing Trackables. So I'm over-compensating.

Edited March 23, 2012 by kunarion

[+terrkan78]

My solution to the dilemma was to order two of each geocoin - one to send out into the wild and one to keep (and eventually I ended up sending many of the former "keepers" out into the wild, too).

 

Out of the 19 geocoins I've put out there (mostly in 2009 or 2010), eight are still traveling.

 

I actually don't think too many cachers flat out steal the things - I think it's more that they just lose it, forget about it, quit geocaching altogether, etc. Most of mine that have disappeared have been when either a cache was muggled (and all the trackables in the cache disappeared in one swoop) or a fairly new cacher picks up one of my coins and then stops geocaching shortly after (there's always hope they'll find it some day when they're cleaning out their car, etc., and release it back into the wild).

 

I have a few coins that I'm holding on to for now, because I really like them. I also like sharing coins, but I wait until I'm sure I can stand to lose it (one of my coins disappeared out of the very first cache I put it into - that was disappointing). On the other hand, one of my coins has been traveling around Europe for almost two years, and another just landed in Europe a few months back. Very cool.

[+ohmelli]

If Eggy goes missing out of the first cache I put him in I must admit I will be very disappointed! I want at least $10 worth of FUN out of him!!!

[+DragonsWest]

I'd drill a hole in it and attach a keychain or something to it.

[Keystone]

I am moving this thread from the Geocaching Topics forum to the Geocoin Discussions forum.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

1) Chances of disappearing are better than EXCELLENT! Yes it would be fun to have other cachers stumble across it. Geocachers are people, from all walks of life, all beliefs, all with varying degrees of morality -- true 'honesty' is pretty subjective.

 

2) Events are gatherings to meet other geocachers, swap 'war stories', eat donuts or swig a brew, learn the ins-n-outs of geocaching. You always get your geocoin back because YOU NEVER LET GO OF IT (if you wanna keep it)!

[+kini_ont]

If you release the coin you must go on the presumption there is a 100% chance of it going missing, that may be on the high side I'd say there's a 99% chance

If you want to show and share the coin, activate it and place it in a coin book (only because once you get started on coins you'll want more) and take it to every event you go to.

[+ohmelli]

Yea... I CAN see the fun of having coins -- and showing them... and maybe someday that is the route I'll take... but THIS one I'm going to release... I have come to terms with the fact that it will eventually get gobbled up, but I think it's worth the risk to let SOME cachers FIND it roaming free! I know how excited I would be to find one this pretty! There will be others... and I will buy 2 next time!

[+DragonsWest]

Proxies, though some people don't like 'em are a pretty good way to keep your precious, but have it travel at the same time - proxy disappears not a big loss.

 

Best practice of all though, make your trackable sufficiently ordinary, so it is less likely to be kept and make sure to accompany it with some sort of tag telling people it is not a trade item, but a trackable, mean to move!

[+Otis.Gore]

I mus admit it has heppened to me too...

When I had just started geocaching and barely knew anything about TB's, I found one in a cache and put it in my backpack.

And then I kind of forgot I had it there.

Sure enough, I soon got a new backpack (my geobag ) and the other one with the TB still inside went straigt to the attic.

Ábout 1 1/2 years later I found it again and...oooops

So I took it, but because I was sorry and kind of embaressed, I just put it in cache and dind't log it.

Well, at least it got back into the wild.

I still feel sorry for the owner (and I still wonder if there might be another TB somewhere in my early days caching stuff)

Hmmmm.... better check the attic

[+kini_ont]

Yea... I CAN see the fun of having coins -- ...... There will be others... and I will buy 2 next time!

And that's how it starts May your first coin travel a long, long distance

[+thecookfam]

So about a year ago i bought my wife a stary night geocoin (actualy i bought 2) We activated on and put him in a cach with a gole and never heard another thing about it. Since it was our first coin and we lost it without it even traveling one cache we were realy disapointed. Actualy we have not bought or let one lose since. Actualy we were so disapointed we didn't even go geocaching again till 2 days ago (almost a year since we lost it.) Atleast we went back out because we realy love the search and hunt of finding the caches and when we find a coin we will move it on as the user wants so hopefuly they can enjoy watching the travels. I may try to buy the wife one more and let it lose but if it goes missing with out atleast traveling from one cache i think i will be done with the coins

[+wasa77]

My solution to the dilemma was to order two of each geocoin - one to send out into the wild and one to keep (and eventually I ended up sending many of the former "keepers" out into the wild, too).

 

Out of the 19 geocoins I've put out there (mostly in 2009 or 2010), eight are still traveling.

 

I actually don't think too many cachers flat out steal the things - I think it's more that they just lose it, forget about it, quit geocaching altogether, etc. Most of mine that have disappeared have been when either a cache was muggled (and all the trackables in the cache disappeared in one swoop) or a fairly new cacher picks up one of my coins and then stops geocaching shortly after (there's always hope they'll find it some day when they're cleaning out their car, etc., and release it back into the wild).

 

I have a few coins that I'm holding on to for now, because I really like them. I also like sharing coins, but I wait until I'm sure I can stand to lose it (one of my coins disappeared out of the very first cache I put it into - that was disappointing). On the other hand, one of my coins has been traveling around Europe for almost two years, and another just landed in Europe a few months back. Very cool.