Another stolen geocoin

[+Geominionsヅ]

Just found this listing on Ebay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Compass-Rose-Geocoin-2007-Geocaching-/290702915531?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43af3e77cb

[+ByronForestPreserve]

Well, the coin might belong to someone out there, as the seller indicates s/he doesn't know if it's activated. Doesn't look like the seller deals solely in geocoins either, based on the other items up for auction. I dunno...that's a hard call. I know it happens, but if I weren't into geocaching and bought a box of stuff at an auction, I might learn just enough about the coin to know kinda what it is and how much to sell it for, but not that it originally belonged to someone else and not the estate I bought it from. A polite message might let the seller know how they work, but if s/he did buy it at an auction it's not really "stolen," at least from the ebay seller's POV. S/he probably thought, "This thing is worth something??"

[+Geominionsヅ]

Well, the coin might belong to someone out there, as the seller indicates s/he doesn't know if it's activated. Doesn't look like the seller deals solely in geocoins either, based on the other items up for auction. I dunno...that's a hard call. I know it happens, but if I weren't into geocaching and bought a box of stuff at an auction, I might learn just enough about the coin to know kinda what it is and how much to sell it for, but not that it originally belonged to someone else and not the estate I bought it from. A polite message might let the seller know how they work, but if s/he did buy it at an auction it's not really "stolen," at least from the ebay seller's POV. S/he probably thought, "This thing is worth something??"

I have contacted the Ebay seller of said coin and let them know that the coin was indeed activated and that it appears to have gone missing back in 2007 - and that it was a possibility the coin was stolen, the seller was appreciative of the info and has now ended the auction.

[+SoloSeekers ヅ]

Well, the coin might belong to someone out there, as the seller indicates s/he doesn't know if it's activated. Doesn't look like the seller deals solely in geocoins either, based on the other items up for auction. I dunno...that's a hard call. I know it happens, but if I weren't into geocaching and bought a box of stuff at an auction, I might learn just enough about the coin to know kinda what it is and how much to sell it for, but not that it originally belonged to someone else and not the estate I bought it from. A polite message might let the seller know how they work, but if s/he did buy it at an auction it's not really "stolen," at least from the ebay seller's POV. S/he probably thought, "This thing is worth something??"

 

regardless of how the Ebay seller acquired the geocoin, it appears to have come up missing from a cache in 2007, and interestingly enough, the seller ended the Auction early. So it would appear they are now aware that this geocoin belongs to someone other than the person they bought it from! Hopefully it gets back to it's rightful owner.

[+Droo]

Okay.... a coin that disappeared as soon as it was released turned up in an estate sale and finally on Ebay. That the seller ended the auction points to their decency. But calling the coin stolen is a bit premature. Maybe the cacher who picked it up in 07 died and their "belongings" were auctioned off at an estate sale where the Ebayer bought it along with other items. A lot of unknowns here. Bit I should think the owners would like to know that their coin has resurfaced and between them and the seller they can work out an equitable arrangement and that would be a good thing.

[+LadyBee4T]

I hope the the original owner is able to get it back. But I have to wonder about the statement in the ebay auction "Don't know if it is activated or not." If they don't know much about geocoins I'm surprised they knew that they could even be activated. If they researched enough to find that out it's pretty easy to determine if it is activated or not...In any event the auction has been pulled.

[+Geominionsヅ]

Good News, I just received an email from the Coin's Owner, he was very appreciative to find out that his coin has resurfaced and has contacted the ebay seller;

 

We have sent an eMail to the Seller and have asked for it's return.

 

Thanks again! -SCOTT

[+steben6]

I agree that the ebay seller sounds like a decent person with ending the auction early! I also agree that the assumption that the coin was stolen is maybe a little unfair since nobody knows how it made its way to the estate. Either way, it's nice to see one resurface for its owner!

[+Geominionsヅ]

Whatever, the coin went missing in it's maiden cache. It's been gone 5 years without even an attempt by whomever grabbed it to put it back into circulation. I would guess it was stolen.