Mount that Pathtag!

If you are like me, you have collected quite a few Pathtags. When you trade or buy a Pathtag, they usually come in a small cellophane pouch that is stapled on the open end.

I started putting them in a Lock & Lock for storage. This was fine when I had just a few, but, I have collected nearly a hundred of these little buggers! It's time to organize.

I looked at many options, but finally settled on products used by coin collectors. A cardboard coin holder sometimes referred to as a "flip" is an inexpensive little item that makes storing and collecting coins easy.

A "flip" comes in several sizes for just about any size coin. It is made of a cardboard shell lined with Mylar. There is a hole punched in the center a little larger than the coin you intend to display. For Pathtags, the U.S. Quarter size is just perfect. The Mylar film and punched hole creates a round window that you can view the coin or Pathtag through while protecting it from fingerprints and the elements.

I found a good source of the 2" x 2" U.S. Quarter sized flips on eBay. I bought 100 flips that come in a red storage box. Once you mount your Pathtags you can use the box as a storage container. The price including shipping was $6.95 and the seller was very prompt on shipping the flips. You can view his eBay auctions here.

One way to mount coins or Pathtags in a flip, is to center the Pathtag over the window area and fold over the flap and staple on all four sides of the flip surrounding the Pathtag. Make sure you wipe the Pathtag clean of all fingerprints before mounting. I tried this method and it works well, but the staples don't look good and they take up more space in the storage box.

A better method us to use a "permanent glue tape" dispenser to apply a layer of the sticky substance on double-sided tape without the Mylar strip. Just run a strip along all four sides between the window and the edge of the flip. Now center the Pathtag in the window and close the flap. This gives a cleaner look to the final Pathtag mount.

To finish the mounting, I write the Pathtag number on the corner. This makes it easy to file them in order and also lets you reference the Pathtag quickly.

You can keep the mounted Pathtags in the storage box that came with the flips or you can buy three ring notebook size clear vinyl sheets designed to hold the 2" x 2" flips. There are other coin collector options available to Pathtag collectors. Just remember to use the U.S. Quarter size mounting products.

I have prepared a slide show of the mounting process below. Enjoy your Pathtag with style!

The GSAK Pathtag has arrived!

I just received the latest of my Pathtags. The GSAK Pathtag recognizes the contribution that GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife) has made to the geocaching community.

The GSAK software gives geocachers the flexibility to focus his or her geocaching activities precisely on the desired objective. GSAK lets you filter geocache listings by many criteria. This lets the geocacher load only the geocaches he or she wants to search for.

There are too many features that GSAK has to list here. Visit the GSAK website to learn more!

I will have very limited trading on this Pathtag. If you would like to purchase one, see the side-bar to the right.

I got my first Pathtag today!

I got my new Pathtag in the mail today. I am very happy with the results.

I decided to show my interest in GPSgames.org with this Pathtag. If you are not sure what Pathtags are, they are similiar to a geocoin, but smaller and far less expensive. They are the size of a United States quarter.

They differ from geocoins in that they are not trackable on Groundspeak. There is a serial number on the back. This lets you log it at Pathtags.com and add it to your collection.

There is a large group of Pathtag traders. You can offer any Pathtag you have for trade. If accepted, you both will send each other the Pathtags traded.

The cost of a new Pathtag is $99. This includes the making of the stamping die and 50 Pathtags. You can select an number of colors you want. Since the Pathtags are small, you can't get too detailed with the design, but with a little creativity, you can design a very nice Pathtag.

If you are interested in creating a Pathtag, I offer my help in designing it. Just send me a message and I will get all the details and start designing.

Take a tour of Pathtag by watching this YouTube video.

I am addicted! My next Pathtag is being minted.

I have ordered my second Pathtag. This can be addicting. If you have to have an addiction, I guess this one is relatively harmless.

Many geocachers know of GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife). GSAK is a fantastic database manager for all of your pocket queries downloaded from Groundspeak, GPSgames, and Terracaching.

I contacted Clyde at GSAK and he gave his permission to use his logo on my latest Pathtag. I will have a limited supply of these, so I will not be trading them right away.

My Pathtag is being minted.

I finally took the plunge. I ordered my first Pathtag. Pathtags are a custom design coin about the size of an American quarter. You submit your design and in four to six weeks, you have your . A PathtagPathtag!

They are not geocoins. They do have a serial number on the back, but it is the same for every coin in the series. Each coin is not trackable like a geocoin or travel bug. The benefit is that they are much cheaper! You get the first 50 minted for $100. Additional coins are less than $1.00 each.

My first tag represents my appreciation for GPSgames.org; a geocaching games service that offers many games to be played using your GPS receiver.

If anyone would like to consider having a Pathtag minted, I will be happy to help you with the design. Just contact me and we will work on one for you.