Geocoin cards

[+redtailforester]

There are several of us in the area that have released laminated cards depicting a picture and mission statement of owned geocoins. Typically, these are coins that I would not like to go missing but would still like to have out there logging miles. Some people have had negative comments on these not being the real coin. That being said I'm not willing to have a newbie take my coins (some prizes, some gifts, etc.) and keep /lose them.

 

Your thoughts???

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

Opinions vary from:

1) That's a great way to share but keep your coin safe.....to

2) I hate them and think they are stupid

 

You can search here using terms like "fake coin", "replica", & "proxy" for past threads with the same debate.

[+RifleMan81]

If you do a forum search for Proxie or Proxies, you'll get hundreds of other topics with the same question. Some people don't mind proxies, and some people hate them. Some will even destroy the card b/c they hate them so much. Personally, I don't care either way. I would just add the word "proxie" to the coin title. That way, someone who really dislikes them won't be "bothered" by your proxie.

[+StealthRT]

Are these people also complaining because the McToys in the cache they visited have frayed fur?

 

Let them buy you the coin and send it out under your profile. Unless they are willing to pony up the $15, don’t worry about their whining.

 

Of course, keep in mind, a note saying they would have liked to seen the real coin is to be expected. Is that complaining, flattery, or just the truth? They may be intending their comment as a compliment to your coin collection. I also think we would all agree that we would rather touch metal than paper when moving coins along. Unless someone is being deliberately sharp, I would assume they really are just stating the obvious and possibly being polite.

 

I agree with RifleMan81 though. Add Proxy to the end of the coin name or in parenthesis at the end of the coin name. That will give folks a heads up that the coin is a proxy. It will also help cachers know the coin has not been stolen and replaced in the field without your knowledge.

[+Degai]

I know I have seen this topic before and as the FSM has mentioned, it runs the gambit on how people feel about this topic. I have personally released quite a few coins and every single coin I have released in the US has disappeared. There have been a few abroad that have disappeared, but at least they traveled a bit before doing so. I still have several coins abroad that are still traveling.

 

If someone has a card with a nice quality picture of the coin placed in a cache, it would be fine, provided they mentioned that it is a proxy. That way, if there are cachers out there who are only interested in finding the real thing, they can avoid being disappointed. I am sure many wouldn't like it, but as the owner of the geocoin mentioned they didn't want to see their coin disappear; I totally agree. It will probably go missing after some time, especially if it is a rare, interesting, or beautiful coin.

 

For the most part, I leave my coins in caches as swag, that way I don't get disappointed when they are taken. And sometimes cachers actually thank you. . .

[+Bhob]

given the choice between a geocoin card (aka proxy) and nothing at all, I will take the card every time

[+JJball]

given the choice between a geocoin card (aka proxy) and nothing at all, I will take the card every time

 

Ditto

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

We have seen laminated card proxies, but these are "stationary" coins -- ones that are meant to stay in the cache that the owner placed them into. Have not had a problem with that.

 

Have also seen proxies that are a home-fabricated coin (most were tastefully done), along with the mission card which included a photo of the actual coin (which really should accompany a geocoin or TB, anyway). We think this is the best choice on "how-to" do it.

 

Sending out the photo proxy as the traveler itself, gets a [no] vote from us.

 

If you are going to send something out, at least put some effort into it!

[+Fiery Searcher]

My issue with geocoin proxies is more philosophical. The traditional purpose of a geocoin was to be a trackable. Granted, geocoins have evolved into a collectible, but if you are buying for the collectible aspect then it seems to me that activating and releasing aren't really part of the collecting process?

 

I DO understand how fun it is to watch a trackable accumulate miles and smile when that one-in-a-hundred cacher actually snaps a photo of my trackable. Who doesn't like this?

 

My question is why don't you purchase the considerably cheaper travel bug dog tags? Sure, these also go missing, but you certainly aren't out of pocket $15, not by a long shot. And they do the same thing as geocoins: log miles with a unique tracking number.

 

I can certainly understand not wanting to lose something you've invested money in, which is why we see all the time "don't release something you're not willing to lose." However, if you own a geocoin and don't want it lost, why not keep it in your collection? Or take it to events and let others discover it? Or turn it into your personal coin and "dip" it into every cache you find, which would be fun to see how many miles you've logged via geocaching?

 

I guess I'm a purist at heart, but to me the desires to have "something" accumulate miles AND to hold on to something forever can be resolved with two different things. If you want miles, buy a TB dog tag. If you want to "have" something, then purchase your geocoin and keep it safe. No disrespect to anyone choosing to send out proxies, but they seem to be a carelessly selfish way to have one's cake and eat it too, not to mention adding yet another facet of confusion when it comes to new geocachers and trackables in their many forms. I, personally, don't move proxies or discover them or abuse them, but do appreciate proxies with the word "PROXY" somewhere in the name of the traveler.

 

I might encourage everyone to put more thought into WHY they want to activate a geocoin, and then weigh their feelings about losing that geocoin against the desire to see "something" travel.