Can someone please explain this to me

[+Treywpga]

I am getting back into geocaching and have always wondered.....are geocoins supposed to be traded or collected or both?

 

I see coins for sale constantly...Do some people have for example 20 minted, keep a couple for their collection and then set the others free to travel.

 

If someone could clarify a little bit, I would be much more versed in the art of the geocoin...lol

 

thanks

 

Trey "treywpga" Wilson

[+Droo]

Quite simple really. First one has to understand where geocoins come from (creationism or birds & bees thingie).

 

Before geocoins find their way into caches they are designed and minted by individuals who do so for a variety of reasons. Primary of which is to get a return on the initial investment which can be steep. So they are sold either from online stores, from the e-marketplace, or even just through the forums here (the caveat being they have to be trackable on Gc.com to be sold or traded here).

 

Once sold/bought the life of the geocoin can go in the different directions you alluded to. They can be activated and released in the wild to travel. Or they can be collected and traded with other collectors or re-sold at the e-marketplace. This is the legitimate path as tracking ownership goes with the coin.

 

Once in the wild geocoins can be found by individuals who were either geocaching or who stumbled upon a poorly hidden cache. In the hands of total strangers the geocoin can be treated as intended and logged into the tracking system and moved to another cache OR can go the way that was not intended... into illegitimate collections. Coins found in these illegitimate collections cannot be legitimately sold or traded as ownership cannot be passed on to the receiver/buyer as the tracking ownership still lies with the person who activated and released the coin into the wilds.

 

So there is really only two routes geocoins can take.... be created, sold/traded, collected and/or released legitimately OR found and pocketed with the expectation of selling/collecting/trading someone else's coin without getting caught... these folks are known a coin thieves.

[+JoergWausW]

I try a more structured approach:

 

possible intentions of creators and/or buyers:

-> activate the coin and put it into a geocache/bring to an event to travel around.

-> activate and put it into a private collection to have other people discover them (at events or somewhere else)

-> put them into geocaches/events unactivated (as gift/price,...)

-> put them into a private collection to show them off (unactivated)

-> have several unactivated ones to trade them to get other cacher's coins in exchange (or give them away as gifts)

-> have several unactivated to sell them if you expect to make a profit doing so

 

possible additional intentions of creators of coins:

-> have a personal item that reflects your geocaching hobby

-> trade for other cacher's personal coins

-> sell them to other cachers who don't have trade objects

-> sell them to cover cost

-> just make money (some businesses exist), for a living or sometimes for a charity

 

and, last, possible ways of action of cachers who find coins in caches/get them handed at events:

-> move them along as intented (and log them properly - sometimes people fail)

-> take them to log, but forget/lose/don't go caching soon enough...

-> move/take them without knowing what it is, (and maybe give it away to people who even don't know what geocaching is, but might like it)

-> take them purposefully to keep them for a private collection (as in theft)

 

For every person out there probably more than one of the mentioned aspects are true, e.g. most coin creators who made their personal coin sell some to cover cost and trade some, keep at least one and let at least one travel...

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

are geocoins supposed to be traded or collected or both?

Answer to the question is YES. Unasked, but they also are meant to be moved as are Travel Bugs. logged into and out of caches -- sometimes with a "mission", sometimes simply to wander freely.* Also unasked, but also as a means of income (as in selling off the 'coins).

 

*This is in regards to trackable geocoins.

 

There also exists non-trackable geocoins, normally meant for collection only. They cannot be tracked without an assigned tracking number.

 

I see coins for sale constantly...Do some people have for example 20 minted, keep a couple for their collection and then set the others free to travel.

I believe (could be mistaken) a minimum minting order is 50, and that may depend on the minting contractor. Usually, some are kept but others are given away or sold to supplement minting costs. Probably some are produced with the full intent of retail/wholesale selling of the entire lot.

 

If someone could clarify a little bit, I would be much more versed in the art of the geocoin...lol

Not a full clarification, but I hope it helps -- even if only a little bit.

[Rat_Tails]

Thanks to all who replied, this was helpful to me too as I am also new to Geocaching.

 

Thinking of releasing my own trackable coin into the wild