NooB question...

[Kopfschuss]

Hi everybody,

 

I'm pretty new to geocaching, and I have a question about geocoins that I couldn't find the answer to in the FAQ's.

 

Is it possible to create your own trackable geocoin? That is, can I create my own coin at home and still have it be trackable on geocaching.com? Will they give me a number to put on the coin?

 

I know I can have the "approved" websites make me some, but making my own sounds much more fun.

 

thanks.

[+Jackalgirl]

Hi everybody,

 

I'm pretty new to geocaching, and I have a question about geocoins that I couldn't find the answer to in the FAQ's.

 

Is it possible to create your own trackable geocoin? That is, can I create my own coin at home and still have it be trackable on geocaching.com? Will they give me a number to put on the coin?

 

I know I can have the "approved" websites make me some, but making my own sounds much more fun.

 

thanks.

 

Yes and no. Groundspeak only gives out geocoin numbers in batches of 250, so you'd have to buy 250 (at $1.50 each).

 

However, there's nothing to stop you from buying a travel bug (which usually runs around $4-5) and using its number on your home-made geocoin. You just keep the original tags (you'll get one regular tag and a "COPY" tag, which is used if the regular tag goes missing).

 

A caution: only one traveler (such as a travel bug or geocoin) can be associated with a single tracking number. That means that you cannot, for example, buy one travel bug and then put that same tracking number on all of your home-made coins. It also means that once you've used the travel bug number on your coin, you cannot then attach the tag to some other item and send it out.

 

Each tracking number out there that's traveling out there -- whether it be a bug or a coin -- needs to be unique: one traveler, one number.

 

That's what I'd recommend you do, though, especially if you're thinking about a low number of home-made coins or sig items.

 

If you are interested in buying a chunk of 250 codes, though, take a look at this thread and let us know if you have any questions.

 

I hope this helps -- enjoy!

Edited December 25, 2008 by Jackalgirl

[+RifleMan81]

Hi everybody,

 

I'm pretty new to geocaching, and I have a question about geocoins that I couldn't find the answer to in the FAQ's.

 

Is it possible to create your own trackable geocoin? That is, can I create my own coin at home and still have it be trackable on geocaching.com? Will they give me a number to put on the coin?

 

I know I can have the "approved" websites make me some, but making my own sounds much more fun.

 

thanks.

 

Yes and no. Groundspeak only gives out geocoin numbers in batches of 250, so you'd have to buy 250 (at $1.50 each).

 

However, there's nothing to stop you from buying a travel bug (which usually runs around $4-5) and using its number on your home-made geocoin. You just keep the original tags (you'll get one regular tag and a "COPY" tag, which is used if the regular tag goes missing).

 

A caution: only one traveler (such as a travel bug or geocoin) can be associated with a single tracking number. That means that you cannot, for example, buy one travel bug and then put that same tracking number on all of your home-made coins. It also means that once you've used the travel bug number on your coin, you cannot then attach the tag to some other item and send it out.

 

Each tracking number out there that's traveling out there -- whether it be a bug or a coin -- needs to be unique: one traveler, one number.

 

That's what I'd recommend you do, though, especially if you're thinking about a low number of home-made coins or sig items.

 

If you are interested in buying a chunk of 250 codes, though, take a look at this thread and let us know if you have any questions.

 

I hope this helps -- enjoy!

 

+1, good advice there.

[+ECplus3]

According to the current coin tracking policy, you can order as few as 100 tracking numbers. But that's still a hefty chunk of change!

 

I love Jackalgirl's idea! Sounds like a winner!

[+Bhob]

also note that any geocoin design must be approved by Groundspeak

 

so even if you did purchase 100 (or 250) tracking codes, all of the coins made would have to be the same, or you would have to go through the design approval process for each new creation

 

the travel bug code route is probably your best bet, if you want to make various unique creations

[+Jackalgirl]

D'oh! You're all correct. The minimum for purchase is 100 coin codes, not 250. Two-hundred fifty is the minimum for a custom icon.

 

Thanks for the correction!

[+Droo]

The only thing I would add to Jackalgirl's concise and succint post is that while it's true that only one traveler can be associated with a tracking number it's only true concurrently. Should you lose a coin you can use your tracking number on another coin to replace it.

You can even print, etch, or carve the tracking number into your traveler/coin and keep the TB Dog Tags for reference.

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

I'm not 100% sure on this one, but you can look further into it, or someone else can elaborate. I beleive that you can buy smaller Blocks of numbers form the vendors who have bought them from Groundspeak in large chunks. This way, if you wanted to make say 10 or 20 of the coin(all the same artwork) you would only need the artwork approved, and then find a vendor to sell you a few numbers. Or you could do that in the opposite order.

[+Jackalgirl]

I'm not 100% sure on this one, but you can look further into it, or someone else can elaborate. I beleive that you can buy smaller Blocks of numbers form the vendors who have bought them from Groundspeak in large chunks. This way, if you wanted to make say 10 or 20 of the coin(all the same artwork) you would only need the artwork approved, and then find a vendor to sell you a few numbers. Or you could do that in the opposite order.

 

Yowza -- that would be an AWESOME option if a vendor were willing to do that!

 

I think that it's of note that when you order 1000 tracking numbers , you're entitled to a personal prefix (the usual prefix for geocoins is GC). So the other thing to keep in mind is that if, say, I were to order a 1000 codes and all my codes began with, say, JG, the 10 or 20 that you buy from me will start with "JG".

 

Still, that's an excellent out-of-the-box solution - thanks, WSR! : )

 

Edited to add: Eartha, do you know whether this is something Groundspeak would allow? I mean, is GS very controlling about where its tracking numbers go, or would it be enough for me to write and say "Pending your approval of his/her design, I would like to sell codes JGxxxx through JGyyyy to Kopfschuss"?

Edited December 26, 2008 by Jackalgirl

[Kopfschuss]

Thanks for all the advice so far.

 

I like the idea of using travel bugs. I plan on only making 15 or 20 coins.

[+surteb]

Thanks for all the advice so far.

 

I like the idea of using travel bugs. I plan on only making 15 or 20 coins.

 

I wonder if you might be better off making a special signature item since you're thinking of such a small quantity. It would be a lot cheaper, unless you might someday want to mint more of the same coin. Then you wouldn't have to pay for the die fees the second time around. There are some pretty cool signature items out there, though. Cachers are very creative folk!