+ibycus Posted January 10, 2005 Share Posted January 10, 2005 I know this has been asked multiple times, but I've yet to see an official responce on it, just lots of people saying they would like it. Any chance of just selling the number for a travel bug, and not the actual tag? You guys could keep the same profit on it, but it would be nice to have the option to 'make your own tag', and would simplify shipping to remote locations. Link to comment
rescue557 Posted January 10, 2005 Share Posted January 10, 2005 I know this has been asked multiple times, but I've yet to see an official responce on it, just lots of people saying they would like it. Any chance of just selling the number for a travel bug, and not the actual tag? You guys could keep the same profit on it, but it would be nice to have the option to 'make your own tag', and would simplify shipping to remote locations. The latest I've heard is that you will be sold just one tag instead of two. I'd like to see the # only option as well. Link to comment
tubby and Posted January 11, 2005 Share Posted January 11, 2005 Maybe try posting this on the GC.com suggestions forum. You might hear more. Link to comment
+ibycus Posted January 17, 2005 Author Share Posted January 17, 2005 I don't really want to post it outside of this forum, as it really is specific to the travel bug (thats why we have different forums right?). I guess it kinda fits there too, but I think it fits better here. Guess it will have to make do with a *bump*. IMHO, TPTB are missing out on a great opportunity to make money on this one, with virtually 0 investment. I know if they had some kind of program in place to buy numbers, I would certainly have considered it very seriously for the Calgary GeoCoin. Considering how few logs most coins get before they go off the map, I don't think it would cost them much, oh well I'll have to make do with some custom code... Oh well. Link to comment
Rupert2 Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 My guess that there is substantial investment. Keep in mind that when you buy a TB you are not only paying for little hunk of metal but also for the tracking itself (servers, programming, technical support, bandwith, etc). I would bet that most of the cost of the TB goes for the latter. Yes, I agree that Groundspeak should sell just the numbers. It provides them with the cashflow but eliminates the headache of coordinating manufacturing and distribution. Besides, geocoins are becomming somewhat of a collectible. To provide numbers for these would be a huge financial boon if you keep in mind that many are never circulated (wind up in private collections). Sounds like a moneymaker to me...$$$ Link to comment
+ibycus Posted January 17, 2005 Author Share Posted January 17, 2005 I don't know. I mean the programming is already done (doesn't seem too complicated to me either, but then what do I know right?). Tech support is pretty minimal (most would be answered with an autoresponce quoting the FAQs). Now bandwidth/servers, who's going to be looking at these in general except the people logging them? (of course if an interesting one is posted in the forums, it might get more hits...). So really more or less we're looking at maybe a couple of dozen database hits, per bug, and not much else (longer lived bugs *might* get a couple hundred...). Now I don't know what the physical tag costs, or the distribution of the tag for that matter, but I imagine it is not insignificant (bearing in mind Jeremy's comment in the pinned thread about removing the copy tag to save on manufacture costs ...). I imagine, they could sell just the numbers for whatever there profit margin was on the tags+the numbers, and pass on a substantial (couple of dollars) savings to the end user. And it isn't just to save money that this would help. I mean there is the issue of shipping a physical item to a remote location. That can get expensive. Then there are the Geocoins, if they were labeled with TB numbers it would save quite a bit of hassle trying to re-invent the wheel each and every time someone wants to release a new coin (I would imagine that for such as a GeoCoin, where hundreds of numbers would be purchased, the savings would be more substantial...). Then there is people who *want* to make their own tags, the list just goes on and on... Link to comment
+bazzle Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 They will not do it for any more coins. It is more than just the DB hits, DB space is a factor as well. We tried with the Oregon coins, as did California, Texas, and several others. Simply not an option. As for selling just numbers, well there are plenty of others sites that do just that. GC is a profit machine now and there are many factors besides the basic ones you have given that they must consider... Link to comment
+ibycus Posted January 18, 2005 Author Share Posted January 18, 2005 As for selling just numbers, well there are plenty of others sites that do just that. GC is a profit machine Which is why I would think anything they could to do up their sales would be good thing... there are many factors besides the basic ones you have given that they must consider... Like? (Honestly, I'd like to know) Link to comment
+welch Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 I know this has been asked multiple times, but I've yet to see an official responce on it, just lots of people saying they would like it. Any chance of just selling the number for a travel bug, and not the actual tag? You guys could keep the same profit on it, but it would be nice to have the option to 'make your own tag', and would simplify shipping to remote locations. Would you be referring to an discussion about weither people would buy just the number? Or one about if plastic tags would be acceptable since they might be slighty cheaper to make and therefore sell? Off hand I recall the one of the former ending with Jeremy saying they would look into it more and maybe do it (but that was a couple years ago and has not happend yet), and a latter one in which people seemed to like the idea of plastic but only if it was additonal style not a replacement and Jeremy said they would keep looking for better alternatives. Link to comment
+welch Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 As for selling just numbers, well there are plenty of others sites that do just that. GC is a profit machine Which is why I would think anything they could to do up their sales would be good thing... there are many factors besides the basic ones you have given that they must consider... Like? (Honestly, I'd like to know) for one, how cheap is too cheap. some would say if you bring the price down to low then every cache will be flooded with TBs and they will no longer be unusal or interesting. Not that I agree, its an idea. I figure such a thing (TB flooding) will never happen because even if the numbers were given away someone still have to go and 'create' one (items, missions, etc). And of course many that get eaten by invisable alien space dogs (or whatever happens to all the MIA travelers). And even IF the number of TB increased a substantial number, that would mean gc.com is collecting money (right?), But if they TPTB are happy with the numbers they are selling at X profit rate (which I doubt think they are telling), then what can you do? Link to comment
+ibycus Posted January 20, 2005 Author Share Posted January 20, 2005 Actually I just thought of one while reading the travelertags thread. I guess if people don't recognize them as a bug, they might not pass them on as willingly. If it doesn't *look* official it might get lost quicker, and they may be wanting ensure the integrity of the system as much as possible (if they made it easy to buy just the numbers, people would probably buy just the numbers a lot more readily than the tags, and it might sour them on the whole experience, and then not get more...). Link to comment
rescue557 Posted January 21, 2005 Share Posted January 21, 2005 Besides, geocoins are becomming somewhat of a collectible. Sadly, one of mine became someone elses collectible. Link to comment
Dancingfool Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 I have just discovered the world of geocion variation. I bought 2 Joy of Geocaching coins and promptly sent them out as travel bugs with tags firmly fixed and instructions on how to purchase if they are interested. I will wait to see how far they get they are numbered and really nice but reasonable to purchase. Is it naive to think people will pass them on. I hope not. I am trying to generate interest in a Maryland state coin and perhaps one of my own . If you attach a standard TB tag it adds to the cost but is tracked through GC.com Link to comment
+ibycus Posted March 8, 2005 Author Share Posted March 8, 2005 Since this thread was started, the official word has been given. You can see it in another thread here. Anyways, basically if you are having a couple hundred coins minted, you can get gc.com to track them, for $1.50 per coin, plus they have to be minted with pseudo-random alpha-numeric sequences. So that is 'the word' so to speak. Think I'll lock this thread now, as the issue has been resolved, and is already being discussed in another more recent thread. Link to comment
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