+Leo+3 Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 (edited) At least half of my geocoins that I purchased and placed in December of 2011 and January of 2012 are now missing! I placed some more of my geocoins in caches today but I am worried that they will go missing too. I would like to think of ways to prevent this and remind all cachers not to keep geocoins that are supposed to travel. Edited June 1, 2014 by Leo+3 Quote Link to comment
Pup Patrol Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 At least half of my geocoins that I purchased and placed in December of 2011 and January of 2012 are now missing! I placed some more of my geocoins in caches today but I am worried that they will go missing too. I would like to think of ways to prevent this and remind all cachers not to keep geocoins that are supposed to travel. Good luck. I don't put out coins any more. It's an exercise in futility and frustration. You can post that reminder here on the forum, but hardly any of the total number of cachers actually visit the forums. Numerous suggestions have been made to try and remedy this situation, but I doubt that anything that any of us can do will be of any use. B. Quote Link to comment
+kunarion Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 Numerous suggestions have been made to try and remedy this situation, but I doubt that anything that any of us can do will be of any use. I sent out both an ugly coin and a gold "pirate dubloon" coin. The gold coin remained in play for a little longer. I sent out coins defaced (my initials scratched into them, holes drilled), I tried attaching extra info, sent coins by themselves (no pouch or anything, just the coin), and sent some in their flip sleeve and in a ziplock and all. I can't detect any difference in planning vs. loss. Mine did OK from 2009-2010, then began to evaporate, and now the majority are lost. Since these are eminently "Trackable", having tracking numbers and their own pages, they could be picked up by an honest person and returned to the game at any time. Even years from now. I'm not waiting around for that to happen, but it can happen. I also expect any coin that resurfaces to be lost again pronto. So it's never ending. Quote Link to comment
+Leo+3 Posted June 2, 2014 Author Share Posted June 2, 2014 (edited) Numerous suggestions have been made to try and remedy this situation, but I doubt that anything that any of us can do will be of any use. I sent out both an ugly coin and a gold "pirate dubloon" coin. The gold coin remained in play for a little longer. I sent out coins defaced (my initials scratched into them, holes drilled), I tried attaching extra info, sent coins by themselves (no pouch or anything, just the coin), and sent some in their flip sleeve and in a ziplock and all. I can't detect any difference in planning vs. loss. Mine did OK from 2009-2010, then began to evaporate, and now the majority are lost. Since these are eminently "Trackable", having tracking numbers and their own pages, they could be picked up by an honest person and returned to the game at any time. Even years from now. I'm not waiting around for that to happen, but it can happen. I also expect any coin that resurfaces to be lost again pronto. So it's never ending. That's happened to me once before, but I think you have to admit for most geocoins if they go missing they go missing. Edited June 2, 2014 by Leo+3 Quote Link to comment
+nevadanick Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 That's happened to me once before, but I think you have to admit for most geocoins if they go missing they go missing. Agreed. Gone ... is gone in most cases. A resurfaced trackable is certainly a pleasure ... but seldom happens. This isn't limited to geocoins either. Travel bugs of all kinds suffer the same fates as geocoins in what appears to be the same ratio. I can say, from our experience, that our geocoins placed in the wild will travel farther and safer in NON-USA locations. Sad, but true ... Quote Link to comment
+kunarion Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 our geocoins placed in the wild will travel farther and safer in NON-USA locations. Sad, but true ... I was told that Geocoins in Germany get circulated, that they stay in that country, but stay active. So I sent one of mine through a "Stargate Cache" (where Trackables are sent directly to another Stargate Cache) to Germany. It was placed back into the Germany Stargate, and arrived back here in Georgia . So it didn't travel long, but it's the only coin that ever returned to my possession. Quote Link to comment
+kunarion Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 Travel bugs of all kinds suffer the same fates as geocoins in what appears to be the same ratio. I have a theory that Geocoins are coveted for the coin, but TBs are coveted for the attached item. So the Tracking Number stays with the coin, when it may not with a TB. That's why I suspect a Geocoin might resurface years later when a TB would be less likely to. Just a theory. Quote Link to comment
+Leo+3 Posted June 2, 2014 Author Share Posted June 2, 2014 I've had a few go to Non-USA locations, and they got missing in Non-USA locations. Quote Link to comment
+TrinIzzyCar Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 I have 2 that I put out recently that didn't make it past the first cache a few that got picked up and moved about visting caches then no movement at all I don't get upset When I place them I have limited expectations. But when I see them move WOHOOO HAPPY DANCES EVERYWHERE!!!!!! You cant keep a coin from going missing unless you just don't send it out at all. Quote Link to comment
+Frozen Buns Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 I have 2 that I put out recently that didn't make it past the first cache a few that got picked up and moved about visting caches then no movement at all I don't get upset When I place them I have limited expectations. But when I see them move WOHOOO HAPPY DANCES EVERYWHERE!!!!!! You cant keep a coin from going missing unless you just don't send it out at all. For any coins that have gone AWOL you can get a Proxy Stunt Double with the code laser engraved on it for $3 at GxProxy.com as they sell minted coins with matching Proxy so you don't release the original coin so it will never go missing. I do know of one that returned after 4.5 years that resurfaced so I guess there is always hope. Quote Link to comment
+mo pirate Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 (edited) and here is one after 4 years of going missing (since Sept 2010) I got a note from a cacher who found my geocoin ingot and placed it back into the wild! Edited July 22, 2014 by mo pirate Quote Link to comment
+s.f.g. Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Ya I'm thinking a proxy is the least bad solution. They still go missing but depending on how you do it you can just print off a new one and go again. Best I've seen is the image of the coin on a poker chip, it had good weight, looked good and if it went missing it's easily replacable. Nothing compared to having the real thing out there but I've given that up too after so many of mine went into other peoples collections. Quote Link to comment
+runninbear1 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I bought a coin a month ago at the e-place. Upon receiving it in the mail, I checked the tracking # and found it had been activated, placed into it's first cache, and then disappeared, all back in March of 2008. It looks like it had been kept in coin collections and had gone to Germany, Pennsylvania, and then to me in Utah. I wrote the owner with the info, and the owner requested it to be sent back home to Maryland... where it's back home with it's owner in the owners collection.... I guess sometimes they return, but on another note... the latest one bought from e-place ended up having the tracking #s scratched out with an engraver.. so no way to find the owner of that one. What luck.. 2 for 2, makes you wonder about some people... Quote Link to comment
+nevadanick Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I won't buy anything off the e-place unless it is specified by the seller to be unactivated. That way, if it turns out to be activated you can get your $$ back through e-place and the seller looks bad. Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.