unique icons yes or no

[+wobegon crew]

I'm a volunteer with a Florida state park. With the help of local geocachers,volunteers,and park management, the park will be hosting is first ever geocaching event! Park staff would love to see 75-100 or more catchers descend on the park!! To help add incentive we've been given a small budget to produce a coin. My volunteer task has been to get 100 coins minted to commemorate this epic event.

My question(s): is it more important/alluring to get it with its own icon? Will a unique icon attract more cachers to the event?

 

Help me make a well informed decision!

 

Thanks (BTW: this U's my first post ever, go easy on me!)

[+GeoCharmer81]

I hope I'm in Florida when this Event comes together!!!

As for the Icon question, I believe many coin enthusiasts would want a unique icon.

Since you seem to only expect to have a small quantity of Coins, you really need to consider costs

of a unique icon. I also believe many cachers who attend an Event appreciate a Coin as a remembrance. As long as it is trackable (at Geocaching.com)some will not care if there is a unique icon. As with anything, there will be lots of different opinions!!!

I'd want a Coin as long as it was trackable, no matter if it had the unique icon or not!!!

All the best for the planning and execution of the Event and Coin!!!

[+tsunrisebey]

Geocoiners (the majority) love icons, they love to collect them almost as much as the coin itself.

 

tsun

[+Droo]

If the coin is FREE and you're giving them away you will attract loads of folks. If it's trackable then it'd be like Free x Free = Free Squared!! And if you have money left over and want to splurge on the custom icon then a FREE trackable coin with it's own custom icon is like mana from heaven... you can't go wrong with that. And keep in mind that trackable coins mean traveling coins and traveling coins means a certain free publicity to your park system. However don't scrimp on the design to get the custom icon to fit your budget. A good design trumps a custom icon any day of the week.

[+palmetto]

To help add incentive we've been given a small budget to produce a coin.

 

You might contact the Florida cacher ocklawahaboy for info on how he made his coins. He produced trackable coins for his event. No unique icon, I expect to hold down costs.

 

A small budget won't produce a Geocaching.com trackable coin through a mint, with or without a unique icon. Especially not in those numbers. There are set costs, die fees, attached to a coin, and then "per coin" pricing, which drops with numbers.

 

75 to 100 cachers will attend an event in a State park, if a some number of caches are placed. If the budget is limited, spend it on quality containers. Just a suggestion. This will continue to attract over time, the event and coins will be a one shot deal.

[+Harry Dolphin]

The time has long passed since a 'unique' geocoin icon will attract much attention. I have 'retrieved", 'discovered' a few hundred trackables icons. A new 'unique' one would have little interest for me. Spend you money wisely on good caches.

[+LadyBee4T]

I don't think a unique icon will attract more cachers to the event but it "may" help you sell them (if you do plan to sell some)

[+wobegon crew]

Great points from all of you. We will be selling them but not for much over cost and there will be as give a ways and as awards for challenges and a raffle. Also, we are planning to hide some 50-100 New caches in the area but that's being done by another group of volunteers. We know we want the coin to be trackable, 2D on 1 side and 3D on the other. It's just the extra $150 for the icon that has me puzzled.

 

And I want to attract as many people to the event as possible. It's a good faith thing. Getting a state park to embrace the whole caching thing down to holding an event is a positive step. So I thought an icon might help. Of course any savings child go to better containers....so much to think about. I open to all ideas...keep them coming and thank you for the help.

[+kini_ont]

Great points from all of you. We will be selling them but not for much over cost and there will be as give a ways and as awards for challenges and a raffle. Also, we are planning to hide some 50-100 New caches in the area but that's being done by another group of volunteers. We know we want the coin to be trackable, 2D on 1 side and 3D on the other. It's just the extra $150 for the icon that has me puzzled.

 

And I want to attract as many people to the event as possible. It's a good faith thing. Getting a state park to embrace the whole caching thing down to holding an event is a positive step. So I thought an icon might help. Of course any savings child go to better containers....so much to think about. I open to all ideas...keep them coming and thank you for the help.

 

As someone who has and is working with a group on a mega event, I would add that the event coin will sell to the attendees (those who collect or wish to have a memento) and to the general public (us coiners) if the design catches our eye not because of the unique icon.

 

What I would suggest is that you work and submit for a souvenir of your event. Now it could be just me but it has been my observation that the events with souvenirs available have more attendees. Your group involvement with a state park and that many caches sounds like great caching day to be topped off with a coin, souvenir and a smiley. Best of caching .

[+wobegon crew]

Great points from all of you. We will be selling them but not for much over cost and there will be as give a ways and as awards for challenges and a raffle. Also, we are planning to hide some 50-100 New caches in the area but that's being done by another group of volunteers. We know we want the coin to be trackable, 2D on 1 side and 3D on the other. It's just the extra $150 for the icon that has me puzzled.

 

And I want to attract as many people to the event as possible. It's a good faith thing. Getting a state park to embrace the whole caching thing down to holding an event is a positive step. So I thought an icon might help. Of course any savings child go to better containers....so much to think about. I open to all ideas...keep them coming and thank you for the help.

 

As someone who has and is working with a group on a mega event, I would add that the event coin will sell to the attendees (those who collect or wish to have a memento) and to the general public (us coiners) if the design catches our eye not because of the unique icon.

 

What I would suggest is that you work and submit for a souvenir of your event. Now it could be just me but it has been my observation that the events with souvenirs available have more attendees. Your group involvement with a state park and that many caches sounds like great caching day to be topped off with a coin, souvenir and a smiley. Best of caching .

 

What do you mean by souvenir? Sounds like this could be good but I need to explain it to others.

[+nevadanick]

Rating ... 1 = no interest / 10 = high interest

 

coin design - 10

coin quality - 10

trackable - 9

quantity made/distributed - 8

purpose of coin - 9

unique icon - 3

 

But that's just me ...

[+wobegon crew]

Rating ... 1 = no interest / 10 = high interest

 

coin design - 10

coin quality - 10

trackable - 9

quantity made/distributed - 8

purpose of coin - 9

unique icon - 3

 

But that's just me ...

 

That was great! I can wrap my mind around a point system for sure! So since the coins will only be available at the event and (if there are any left over) at the visitor center does that add an element of interest or collectability?

 

Again thanks for the pointers everyone! I'm open to ideas on how to get donations for a raffle too.anybody up for a coin donation?

[+wobegon crew]

To help add incentive we've been given a small budget to produce a coin.

 

You might contact the Florida cacher ocklawahaboy for info on how he made his coins. He produced trackable coins for his event. No unique icon, I expect to hold down costs.

 

A small budget won't produce a Geocaching.com trackable coin through a mint, with or without a unique icon. Especially not in those numbers. There are set costs, die fees, attached to a coin, and then "per coin" pricing, which drops with numbers.

 

75 to 100 cachers will attend an event in a State park, if a some number of caches are placed. If the budget is limited, spend it on quality containers. Just a suggestion. This will continue to attract over time, the event and coins will be a one shot deal.

 

You make a great point. The goal of the park is to increase visitors and they see the value in a new (or really not so new) user group who also shares a love for the outdoors via caching. Thanks.

[+kini_ont]

Great points from all of you. We will be selling them but not for much over cost and there will be as give a ways and as awards for challenges and a raffle. Also, we are planning to hide some 50-100 New caches in the area but that's being done by another group of volunteers. We know we want the coin to be trackable, 2D on 1 side and 3D on the other. It's just the extra $150 for the icon that has me puzzled.

 

And I want to attract as many people to the event as possible. It's a good faith thing. Getting a state park to embrace the whole caching thing down to holding an event is a positive step. So I thought an icon might help. Of course any savings child go to better containers....so much to think about. I open to all ideas...keep them coming and thank you for the help.

 

As someone who has and is working with a group on a mega event, I would add that the event coin will sell to the attendees (those who collect or wish to have a memento) and to the general public (us coiners) if the design catches our eye not because of the unique icon.

 

What I would suggest is that you work and submit for a souvenir of your event. Now it could be just me but it has been my observation that the events with souvenirs available have more attendees. Your group involvement with a state park and that many caches sounds like great caching day to be topped off with a coin, souvenir and a smiley. Best of caching .

 

What do you mean by souvenir? Sounds like this could be good but I need to explain it to others.

 

I'll direct you to the Groundspeak "Help Center" which can explain it better then I in a few lines Souvenirs

 

Sorry that was Latitude 47 showing the many souvenirs (I got distracted ) this is the Help center

Edited April 12, 2013 by kini_ont

[+LadyBee4T]

Rating ... 1 = no interest / 10 = high interest

 

coin design - 10

coin quality - 10

trackable - 9

quantity made/distributed - 8

purpose of coin - 9

unique icon - 3

 

But that's just me ...

 

That was great! I can wrap my mind around a point system for sure! So since the coins will only be available at the event and (if there are any left over) at the visitor center does that add an element of interest or collectability?

 

Again thanks for the pointers everyone! I'm open to ideas on how to get donations for a raffle too.anybody up for a coin donation?

 

Yes if they are hard to get for nonattendees that would add to their desirability I think. But again for someone who wouldn't be there it's the design that makes me want one or not

[+wobegon crew]

Thanks to everyone for the great advice!!!! We're making the coin trackable and no unique icon. Look for it. It will be a beauty!!! Keep your eyes open for this event and many more to come!!!! The next event coin...unique icon... just so you know...I'm open to donation.