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Thread: 2008 Maine Geocoin

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
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    Bangor, ME
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    Quote Originally Posted by dubord207 View Post
    Question: Is there a designated person or committee that normally coordinates both the creation and purchase of these coins? Seems too bad to miss a year.
    No, there is not. Sudonim had done a great job the past few years helping us with the ordering and collection of payments, but no one has stepped up to the plate to see that the coin process flows smoothly.

    On October 31st of last year I got the ball rolling with this thread, after the subject was brought up in Maine chat the night before. In that thread, I also sent out a couple pleas for someone to take the coin project on and help Sudonim with the process. And yet, no one offered. A few people pushed at different times and it seems like the coin will happen, over a year after I started that thread.

    I hate to sound like a broken record, but if members want to produce a coin or see any other project happen, someone needs to step up and take it on. If we're going to have a coin next year, we are already behind compared to last year, since it's already November 11th and it hasn't been discussed.

    As far as whether to keep this a 2008 coin or make it 2009, I think I lean toward 2008, but will go with the majority.
    DNFTT! DNFTT! DNFTT!

    "The funniest thing about this particular signature is that by the time you realize it doesn't say anything it's to late to stop reading it..."

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
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    Brewer, Maine
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    1,832

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    Typically the only problem I've had was soliciting artwork ideas. If you'd have seen my artistic talents, you'd know why!
    This year was a little different. By the time we finally got a design and got the estimates back from the manufacturer, I was knee deep in a couple of other projects. I still hope to have a final price this week, but it should have been out 3 weeks ago. Life gettin' in the way...

    Just to clarify, once the coin process was underway, I've had great response on any help I've needed, from stuffing envelopes to shipping and even envelope supply (thanks Barry). I just have to plug all the numbers into Excel and get the "real" coin price with shipping. Since my intent is not to make any money on the coin, I want to make sure the numbers are good so I'm not losing on it either.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Freeport, Maine
    Posts
    241

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    I'm excited about this coin sight unseen. I'm new to caching and coins. Starting my Maine geocoin collection and would love it if anyone had the back years they would be willing to sell. Anyone?

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Canaan , Maine
    Posts
    498

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    Quote Originally Posted by brdad View Post
    No, there is not. Sudonim had done a great job the past few years helping us with the ordering and collection of payments, but no one has stepped up to the plate to see that the coin process flows smoothly.

    On October 31st of last year I got the ball rolling with this thread, after the subject was brought up in Maine chat the night before. In that thread, I also sent out a couple pleas for someone to take the coin project on and help Sudonim with the process. And yet, no one offered. A few people pushed at different times and it seems like the coin will happen, over a year after I started that thread.

    I hate to sound like a broken record, but if members want to produce a coin or see any other project happen, someone needs to step up and take it on. If we're going to have a coin next year, we are already behind compared to last year, since it's already November 11th and it hasn't been discussed.

    As far as whether to keep this a 2008 coin or make it 2009, I think I lean toward 2008, but will go with the majority.


    Actually, Your wrong,
    I volunteered on several posts to help get the ball rolling and was, of course, shot down and my ideas questioned. You can ask Medaweisla about that because she READ the posts. Or I can cut and paste them to this thread so you can read them !

    BTW, We were introduced to landsharkz by Hollora , ordered our 1 st coin in June, recieved it end of August, Got a CUSTOM Icon with only 250 coins ordered, Approved the design of our second coin Yesterday and We should have it in February.
    Thank You Hollora !!!!!!!!

    Maybe the board shold use another coin maker ???????

    Opalsns

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    ME
    Posts
    3,529

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    Opalsns - you are welcome but I caution it doesn't always go as smooth as you described.

    You produced your own coin with family and there were I am sure a limited number of people to make decisions. The decision making and approval process takes time and can slow down or delay things. Also, the Chinese New Year! Which can slow things to a total halt until they return to the factories.

    You have been fortunate, your timing has not run into that season or there were not mint hitches (which do happen and are beyond the control of the coin company). The more people involved with decisions (a couple of pals as cachers vs. family, a group of a few vs. largre group such as GCM or others) the slower decisions are made. A while ago I had a very experienced Geocoiner tell me - the less people involved in working on and approving a coin the better - 4 is the absolute max! That individual has done a lot of coins.

    All of the Geocaching.com Groundspeak rules (and there are rules - the design even has to be approved by Groundspeak) are available for anyone to read on the Groundspeak web site, in the Forums on Geocoins. They are there for any interested person to learn more about producing a coin.

    As for changing companies, GCM has a relationship with Coins & Pins (I believe they did the first coin). I also believe money was saved on the second coin by reusing one half of a die from the first coin. Working with one company is not a bad thing as they know you and you know them.

    The company I recommended was one of several I would have done business with. They just happened to be the one we used for the MPQ coin. Coins and Pins is extremely good and very reputable.

    As for the quality of the coins - I have many coins and they are about all the same......landsharkz coins are coming down the line of the same factory doing coins for lillysue and many other "coin makers" doing Geocoins. The mint is just minting what they are told.

    The coin is not what "coin maker" did it - it is the design, the elements, the marketing, advertising, method of selling, the pricing and a ton of other things which make a coin popular, collected and a winna!

    JMHO - last but not least, I believe Sudonim is doing this through his business so we are in compliance regarding Maine state law on sales! For that I thank him!

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    So. China Maine
    Posts
    1,597

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    Thanks brdad and Sudonim for responding to my questions. So now I'll ask a few more. So Andy runs the money through his personal account? Does Geocaching Maine have an account where our donations go? If so, why wouldn't that be the place to accept coin deposits and pay for the coins? Seems odd to me to have one member to be the only person responsible for the finances. It's great that he's willing to do that but it's not what I see in the many non-profits I do work for.

    So who manages the usual financial end of the organization and/or the checkbook? I know we're not talking about Wall Street financing here but I'm genuinely curious about these type of matters as the viability of most organizations is usually directly proportional to the checkbook balance. While I participated in a recent thread about donation levels I would like to now know more about who is saddled with the responsibility with the finances. Maybe nobody cares and if that's the case fine but if there's just a few "worker bees" doing all the work then maybe that explains why so few of the "members" even took the time to vote.
    Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason.

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Solon, Maine
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    5,965

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    Quote Originally Posted by brdad View Post
    On October 31st of last year I got the ball rolling with this thread, after the subject was brought up in Maine chat the night before. In that thread, I also sent out a couple pleas for someone to take the coin project on and help Sudonim with the process. And yet, no one offered. A few people pushed at different times and it seems like the coin will happen, over a year after I started that thread.
    I note that the discussion about the design didn't even end until Jul 1, 2008! LOL!

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    ME
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    3,529

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    Quote Originally Posted by WhereRWe? View Post
    I note that the discussion about the design didn't even end until Jul 1, 2008! LOL!
    You are right WhereRWe!! and hence part of the reason this has taken so long......

    If this had been a joint project, where we each could buy the number we wanted and personalize the trackable coin bought as a group for ourseleves like the GeoJellies geocoin project and a few others, the delay would be understandable..to get everyone to agree and get the orders in....but, this dragged on for what seems like eternity.....mostly go get the design nailed down........

    And.......don't ask........No, I will not organize a joint coin project.

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Canaan , Maine
    Posts
    498

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    Quote Originally Posted by hollora View Post
    Opalsns - you are welcome but I caution it doesn't always go as smooth as you described.

    You produced your own coin with family and there were I am sure a limited number of people to make decisions. The decision making and approval process takes time and can slow down or delay things. Also, the Chinese New Year! Which can slow things to a total halt until they return to the factories.

    You have been fortunate, your timing has not run into that season or there were not mint hitches (which do happen and are beyond the control of the coin company). The more people involved with decisions (a couple of pals as cachers vs. family, a group of a few vs. largre group such as GCM or others) the slower decisions are made. A while ago I had a very experienced Geocoiner tell me - the less people involved in working on and approving a coin the better - 4 is the absolute max! That individual has done a lot of coins.

    All of the Geocaching.com Groundspeak rules (and there are rules - the design even has to be approved by Groundspeak) are available for anyone to read on the Groundspeak web site, in the Forums on Geocoins. They are there for any interested person to learn more about producing a coin.

    As for changing companies, GCM has a relationship with Coins & Pins (I believe they did the first coin). I also believe money was saved on the second coin by reusing one half of a die from the first coin. Working with one company is not a bad thing as they know you and you know them.

    The company I recommended was one of several I would have done business with. They just happened to be the one we used for the MPQ coin. Coins and Pins is extremely good and very reputable.

    As for the quality of the coins - I have many coins and they are about all the same......landsharkz coins are coming down the line of the same factory doing coins for lillysue and many other "coin makers" doing Geocoins. The mint is just minting what they are told.

    The coin is not what "coin maker" did it - it is the design, the elements, the marketing, advertising, method of selling, the pricing and a ton of other things which make a coin popular, collected and a winna!

    JMHO - last but not least, I believe Sudonim is doing this through his business so we are in compliance regarding Maine state law on sales! For that I thank him!
    Woo Hoo, Hollora,
    Now I'll go to my corner !!!
    I'm sorry I misunderstood you at the event . I thought you recommened Landsharkz to us, Because you didn't mention another company.
    Also, there were only 2 of us on our design not a whole membership of people, so the design did come fast and we are using our same back so there isn't a new die charge for the back and it's alot cheaper.
    All our designs were approved by Groundspeak, Including the use of the Regestered Trademak Travel Bug. WE are one of the few they approve for use of TB on a Geocoin.That approval didn't take long at all.
    I never mentioned the marketing or selling of the coins, so I don't know what your talking about there. They don't have to be marketed to us, The Organization already wants them and are willing to buy them. Any Geocoin is a winner, they are all popular and collected, so much so that they get stolen from caches, and sold for big bucks on ebay.
    I never mentioned the quality of the coin. I havn't seen a cheaply made coin yet so I never thought of a cheaper quality.
    We keep all our coins and sell them rather than letting dealers get them on preorder and sell them for the bigbucks. If you sell 10 on the Geocaching.com forum, those 10 will be on ebay before they recieve them.
    Remember the Lois that got 30.00 for a Pirate Quest coin on Ebay. We emailed each other about it.
    GM.com could sell cheaper to members and get an ebay account and sell them to collectors and get the $20, and $30 dollar bids that dealers get, that would get Sudonum his money back quicker and make xtra for the site to ease Attroll's burden.
    And I didn't know we were using Sudonum's company. Maybe that's why he handles everything. Thank You to him.

    And I'm sorry to Duboard for going sidetrack , I was responding to the "no help from the group" comment.

    Opalsns

    Ps... I sent an email to Coins and Pins re: our coin. Two weeks later, I hadn't heard from them. That's why I asked you.

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Brewer, Maine
    Posts
    1,832

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    Quote Originally Posted by dubord207 View Post
    Thanks brdad and Sudonim for responding to my questions. So now I'll ask a few more. So Andy runs the money through his personal account? Does Geocaching Maine have an account where our donations go? If so, why wouldn't that be the place to accept coin deposits and pay for the coins? Seems odd to me to have one member to be the only person responsible for the finances. It's great that he's willing to do that but it's not what I see in the many non-profits I do work for.

    So who manages the usual financial end of the organization and/or the checkbook? I know we're not talking about Wall Street financing here but I'm genuinely curious about these type of matters as the viability of most organizations is usually directly proportional to the checkbook balance. While I participated in a recent thread about donation levels I would like to now know more about who is saddled with the responsibility with the finances. Maybe nobody cares and if that's the case fine but if there's just a few "worker bees" doing all the work then maybe that explains why so few of the "members" even took the time to vote.
    As far as the coin goes, I set up a checking account linked to a new paypal account just for the coins. It doesn't go through my other bank account but remains separate. I did this in '05 for the first coin and used it for last years as well. After the '05 coin, there was about $75 left in the account, which sat there until the '07 coin. It went towards that coin. I try to estimate all the coin costs as a wash, but estimate cautiously as I don't want to end up short. Because of this, I would rather have a little sit in the account between coins instead of ponying up money to cover a shortage.

    If you look back at the old coin threads from '05, one of the concerns (among MANY, liability etc.) was that we were selling in and out of the state of Maine. The issue of sales tax was raised. I have priced tax into the coin cost and write a "sale" after the coins are sold to cover it to the state.

    As far as the donations to the site or any fundraising for the site, that is Rick's venue. I used the coin paypal site this summer for the coin raffle, but all other site funds are handled elsewhere.

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