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"first-to-find" geocoin etiquette


White Buffalo 1959

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Hi. I am fairly new to geocaching (about six months "at it" and about 150 "finds") and am preparing to place my first geocaches. I have seen listings offering a geocoin to the ftf: is it considered "ok" to retain ownership of this geocoin as the CO, or should this coin be "given" unregistered? I would prefer register this coin myself so I can continue monitoring its progress, if any, and make decisions regarding missions, etc. But do not want to seem discourteous.also, what are your thoughts on "collectible status"- list as "collectible" for the ftf, then change status to "non-collectible " if the ftf passes it on? Thanks for your replies.

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Hi. I am fairly new to geocaching (about six months "at it" and about 150 "finds") and am preparing to place my first geocaches. I have seen listings offering a geocoin to the ftf: is it considered "ok" to retain ownership of this geocoin as the CO, or should this coin be "given" unregistered? I would prefer register this coin myself so I can continue monitoring its progress, if any, and make decisions regarding missions, etc. But do not want to seem discourteous.also, what are your thoughts on "collectible status"- list as "collectible" for the ftf, then change status to "non-collectible " if the ftf passes it on? Thanks for your replies.

Make it clear that it is an activated coin if it is, and the Drop should be logged (usually done once the cache is published). You don't have to have a "prize" at all, but I think it's a little tacky to post "Geocoin for FTF" when it's activated and meant to travel. It may even confuse people so much, they don't know what to do.

 

Your plan for "Collectible" and "Not Collectible" is OK. Although the "Collectible" feature is mainly for cachers that own a ton of activated coins, it's designed to be flexible. It would be good to specify the conditions the coin may be kept indefinitely. For one thing, a "Collected" coin is always to be properly logged by the current holder.

 

Or just leave it "Not Collectible" (or no selection), and specify the restrictions on the coin's page. "Collectible" merely adds the ability to place it into the cacher's Collection so it doesn't show up as a log option when making a cache log. So be ready to answer questions on how to log it, when the cacher tries to place it into a cache later, and the expected options aren't showing up.

Edited by kunarion
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If you plan on making the geocoin a FTF "prize", leave it unactivated.

- It would no longer belong to you and you wouldn't have any say over what happens to it after the FTFer happily accepts it as a cool gift.

 

If you want to see it move along however, you activate it.

- But it isn't really a prize if you owned it (by activating), is it...

 

Be sure to make it clear on the cache page if it's a gift for the FTF.

 

You don't have to put FTF prizes in your hide. Most are happy just to be the first to log.

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...should this coin be "given" unregistered? I would prefer register this coin myself so I can continue monitoring its progress....

 

You could give it away and still track its progress. See who gets it, then when they register it & it's on their list of trackables, put it on your watchlist. Of course, the owner will choose missions, if any.

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When I published my series of caches I launched a Travel Bug to celebrate the fact we had placed a series. It wasn't a gift and we set the mission and have online control etc...

 

Basically as most have said you either activate it and launch the coin in celebration of placing your caches, or you place it as a prize for the FTF. I believe that there are specific geocoins that can be placed for the FTF prize listed in the geocaching shop. I think that a very popular online auction site will also have a selection of different style FTF geocoins. Hope this helps.

 

Happy caching!! B)

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1 hour ago, Elektrazz said:

Ok another question on this subject.  For FTF coins would you prefer the "FTF" coins or a random trackable that is not activated?  I dont really like any of the FTF Trackable coins.

 

Place whatever you think is pretty cool.  Or if you have too many of one style, place the extra one. :cute:

 

Or place something like this shiny polished gold dragon coin.  Who wouldn't want that! :P

 

But no special "prize" is required.  It's signing the log at your very cool cache.  That's the "prize".

 

Edited by kunarion
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3 hours ago, Elektrazz said:

Ok another question on this subject.  For FTF coins would you prefer the "FTF" coins or a random trackable that is not activated?  I dont really like any of the FTF Trackable coins.

 

Similar to kunarion, now that so many cachers are playing, I'm not so sure I'd think about a FTF "prize" these days.  Especially if a low D/T.

Years ago here, many offered a FTF prize simply because there were so few cachers at the time.  It was an added draw to get folks there.  :)

If you feel you must have a "prize", I'd say get whatever you're happy to give away. 

 

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