MnGCA

bflentje · Geocacher Joined: 29 May 2006 Posts: 3655

Obviously, I don't own quite the inventory some of you do. But if some of you are having the luck that I am, I pity the cash you've paid for your items. Of the 15 items I have out there, I can only account for about 5 of them. And three of those items are virtually dropped and sitting on my desk.

Bflentje's King Boreas 1000th Hide Geocoin lost on 8/9/2007 after only 497 mi.

Bflentje's POWMIA Dog Tag not heard from since 6/25/2008 after having travelled 10169 mi, cache went missing.

Bflentje's Purple Heart Dog Tag held by some loser that won't answer cordial email since 11/20/2008 after having travelled 4128 mi.

Ground Forces Dog Tag last heard from on 10/4/2006 after having travelled 2469 mi, cache replaced or missing.

King Boreas 1000th Hide Geocoin held since 8/24/2008 by some loser that won't answer cordial emails after having travelled 10505 mi.

King Boreas 1000th Hide Geocoin last heard from on 4/18/2007 after a lame 2756 mi. Cache missing or replaced.

Rosemount Racer #1 placed in New York Central Park, made it all the way back to Stillwater, now held since 11/2/2008 by someone who won't answer emails. Travelled 10471 mi .

Rosemount Racer #2 held captive since 7/23/2007 by some schmuck. It travelled 4472 mi before getting kidnapped.

Top Flight allegedly lurching in some German cache since 11/16/2008 after having travelled 24574 mi . Cache had issues and sounds like TB gone.

speedysk1 · Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2009 8:18 pm Post subject:

That's the risk we take when we release an item into the wild. This will only get worse as it becomes easier and cheaper to go geocaching. When it was a niche thing for those willing to pony up a lot of money for a gps, everyone that was caching knew the rules. Now, it's easy to get in, easy to get out and there's lots of newbies that stop after a few caches. Sometimes they just don't realize the significance of the TB or coin. I've had a similar experience. I released a coin, a local cacher took it out east. Another cacher grabbed the coin put it in a TB hotel. Never seen again. Will I release items still. Sure. It's fun to see what happens.
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Jam3s · Geocacher Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 842

I have to agree with speedysk1. Even though I have seen the few that I have had out go nowhere, I will still send them out. I have noticed that most of them go missing in the state parks. Could you imagine having one placed there?

I think that the coins are going to be the ones that are grabbed as we see more collectors. I am worried and reluctant to putting out some of the coins that I just purchased since two are rare coins (only 10 coins were made of one of them), but I still think that I will set them free. Maybe some of the people that are taking them and ignoring the purpose for them will feel guilty about them and eventually send them out.

I do understand a cache getting muggled and the cache going missing though. That is something that we all take chance to. I think that the only way we can guarantee that they do not go missing is education of the public.

Good luck with your coins. When they go, Godspeed!
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~~ I was told all I needed was a GPS. I wanted everything else. ~~

pfalstad · Geocacher Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 963 Location: Edina

I have lots of missing items too. It comes with the territory. I'll still release them.

bflentje · Geocacher Joined: 29 May 2006 Posts: 3655

I wasn't advocating that everyone stop releasing travel items. I was merely pointing out that I won't be anymore and identified why. Of course it comes with the territory. But good thing they're people like Pfalstad. Half my travel icons are probably from his coins. Wink

Pear Head · Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:46 am Post subject:

I've drilled holes in the couple of coins that I released. I know IBcrashen drills his and puts locks through the holes.

A coin with a hole in it probably isn't worth as much to a collector...
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Hmm...

speedysk1 · Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:55 am Post subject:

EPMinnesota · Past MnGCA Board Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Posts: 1898

I have started drilling holes in my coins as well. Then I put a keyring with a see through tag that has the coin owner and mission info on it as well as noting that if picked up it should be placed in another cache in a timely manner (which according to etiquette is about 2 weeks). So far so good but I still don't release any that I can't stand to lose like my MNGCA coins unless I get 2 sets, one to keep and one to release.
My travel bugs are generally not worth anything but I try to choose things that would look fun for people to grab and move along but not so fun that they'd actually want to keep them.
I had a favorite Kirby Puckett travel bug go missing for a whole year in Alaska and all of a sudden one day it popped up as being picked up from a different cache in Alaska and was taken to Kentucky and it's been back in circulation since. Go figure.

andrewmcc · Past MnGCA Board Joined: 29 Jul 2007 Posts: 979

This topic was on my mind lately. Pfalstad, What is a ballpark of mia from your collection?
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pfalstad · Geocacher Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 963 Location: Edina

andrewmcc · Past MnGCA Board Joined: 29 Jul 2007 Posts: 979

bflentje · Geocacher Joined: 29 May 2006 Posts: 3655

I heard back from one of the holders of one of my TBs. She's been sitting on it for months. She described to me that what's left is nothing more than the tag. The $19.99 Purple Heart that I attached to it with a chain AND a nylon tie is no where to be found. She said she'd be happy to drop it back into a cache, "when she gets around to it".

MNMizzou · Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:44 am Post subject:

Of the 60 TB's we have only 6 have officially gone MIA. I've had a few that will sit for months in a cache or with someone, and really I don't notice too much anymore, as we have so many others that are moving around, then all of a sudden movement on one you haven't seen for ages, and it is kind of fun to see it is still alive. The majority of ours are little duck keychains that probably cost less than 50 cents each, but are quite popular. We set a bunch free last summer when we went over to Switzerland, it is interesting to see all the places they are ending up. (Not to mention I think people across the pond treat TB's better)

Having said all that I can admit we too are guilty of holding TB's for extended periods of time too. Sometimes it is just a micro kind of day where none of them will fit, or I forget them at home, or just grab a cache that I see pop up on the GPS and none of them are with me at the time. God bless events, mass TB purging!

pfalstad · Geocacher Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 963 Location: Edina

spinowner · Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:54 am Post subject:

Of 5 released, 3 are missing, one is listed as held by a cacher in Germany for over a year, one is still traveling.
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