Category Archives: Hobby

Luck sells

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Geluksdubbeltje 2014!Luck can be used to make products more desirable. Good luck charms, horse shoes, four leave clovers, they have all found a good market with people seeking good fortune. The royal dutch min is also trying to get some of the action in the good luck market. After the 2012 good luck 10 cent coin issued especially for the football competition (and failing to be really lucky) there is now a new 2014 lucky 10 cents coin aimed at good luck throughout the year. The coins are sold for 4.95 euro so they should provide a healthy profit. The coins can be recognized by some orange paint over the number 10 and they are sold in the popular coin-card format. This discrete layer of paint also renders the coins legally worthless.

The amount of coins that will be painted and packaged will be determined later, probably based on the number of orders that will be placed. This is the first colored coin from 2014 and it looks like colored coins are getting more popular. In addition to the royal Dutch mint there are also various other companies offering colored coins, which is legal because the colored coins are no longer legal forms of tender. The colored coins painted by the royal Dutch mint until now are:

Year Coin Quantity Introduction
price		 KNM
2014 Lucky 10 cents ? coins
Nominal value 10 cent *		 € 4,95 info
2013 200 year kingdom combinationset 1500 sets
3 two euro coins per set
1 colored two euro coin
Nominal value 2 euro per coin *		 € 75,00 info
2013 Vrede van Utrecht color set 1000 sets
6 silver coins per set
Nominal value 5 euro per coin *		 € 275,00 info
2012 Lucky 10 cents 15.000 coins
Nominal value 10 cent *		 € 4,95 info
2012 Tulpen vijfje color set 750 sets
4 silver coins per set
Nominal value 5 euro per coin *		 € 200,00 info
* Nominal value is the value of the coin before it is painted. After painting the coin has no legal value, only a collector value.

Colors

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Colors!Sound is a very direct form of stimulation. Sound waved go directly to your mind. Images can be stopped by simply closing your eyes, but sound waves are more difficult to stop. Sometimes when I listen to music shivers run down my spine and I get a feeling of euphoria, warmth and happiness.

The euphoria I experience is comparable to the feeling you get after a heavy physical exercise. After running 10 kilometers you get the feeling that you can take on the world. Your mind feels focused and thinking becomes easy. You clearly notice that adrenaline and endorfines are pumping through your body.

Then driving my car I always have the radio turned on and sometimes I have a similar experience. A song on the radio combined with my emotions on that moment have an incredible effect. The same affect after running 10 kilometers, but so much stronger. Suddenly I have absolute confidence in the future and absolute confidence in myself. It feels like I’m flying, with light and warmth all around me. Problems, worries and insecurities disappear and my path through the future becomes clear. Difficult choices I must make become easy. On these moments it seems like all my senses are enhances and I know that everything will be okay.

Headhunterz ft Tatu – Colors

When you find that life is neither black or white
And the rain outside turns to glory
You’ll see colors

When you mark the sky and the sun comes through
Know your greatest days are ahead of you
You’ll see colors

A spark of light will seize the night
And reach beyond your vivid mind
There’s an end to your darkest day
You’ll see colors

A race of shame if we don’t evolve
Paint your dreams
Fill the sky with art
And ignite with the others
When we see colors

Fourth postcard to Spain

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The fourth postcard comes with quite a bit of explanations. All the prices of all four postcards need to be collected, en the sets of two prices need to be pasted together.

This needs to be done in the following manner:
Latitude: – xx.xxxx
Longitude: -xx.xxxxx

The coordinates refer a a place somewhere on earth. A place we wanted to go a long time ago, but we never did. Will this be the occasion where we do realize one of our dreams?

Postcard 4 (send of the 10th of oktober):
Ana in Zara reclame!

Third postcard to Spain

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The third postcard comes with a little help. It is explained that there need to be made a few combinations. The price of the happy meal and the price of the dress are related. The prices of the sun glasses and the broom are also related.

Postcard 3 (send on the 7th of oktober):
Ana in Ray Ban reclame!

Second postcard to Spain

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The second postcard also had an advertisement. This time it features a nice broom from the Gamma, but rest assured. There is no deeper meaning to the card as our home is always nice and clean.

Postcard 2 (send on the 3rd of October):
Alex in a Gamma broom advertisement!

First postcard to Spain

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This month is a special month and to celebrate I have send a couple of postcards to Spain. Each card has a commercial on it, and together the cards form a riddle. I wonder if Ana will figure it out.

Postcard 1 (send on the 1th of October) :
Alex in a McDonald advertisement!

Colored once again

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Progress can’t be stopped and it looks like we’re moving ever faster to a new digitally oriented society. Payments are done using plastic and the future promises even more advanced possibilities using your phone to pay for things. Everything turns digital which makes things easier and faster. Except where there is a power outage. In that case we still need to rely on old bank notes and coins.

To keep the market for coins alive the Dutch mint is researching different approaches targeted at the various market segments. One of the markets identified is the collectors. Coins collectors have by definition access to financial means, and most are happy to spend a little bit to keep their collection complete.

Since a few years coins are packaged in a credit card format. A little piece of added carton which raises the price about 400%. The same way old coins are release in a new package, and for a much higher price. These carton versions are very popular. More recent the Dutch mint also started experimenting with colored coins. These have existed for a longer time, but now they have reached a more official character; specifically because they are being sold by the Royal Dutch Mint (KNM).

Dutch 2 Euro 2013 in color!Since a few years the KNM started creating colored coins. Last week there was another one, and this time it was a colored two euro coin minted in honor of 200 years of Dutch kingdom. The 1500 sets of colored coins were sold out within the hour.

It still remains unclear what is the status of the colored coins. According to the KNM the coins are “Official 2 euro 200 years Monarchy 2013 in Proof-quality with color“. The coin might be official, but legally it is a modified (painted) coin, which means it cannot be used as legal tender. Based on the low amount of coins being minted it seems clear this colored set is solely aimed at collectors.

The (official) colored coins minted so far by the KNM:

Year Coin Quantity Introduction
price		 KNM
2013 200 year kingdom combinationset 1500 sets
3 two euro coins per set
1 colored two euro coin
Nominal value 2 euro per coin		 € 75,00 info
2013 Vrede van Utrecht color set 1000 sets
6 silver coins per set
Nominal value 5 euro per coin		 € 275,00 info
2012 Lucky 10 cents 15.000 coins
Nominal value 10 cent		 € 4,95 info
2012 Tulpen vijfje color set 750 sets
4 silver coins per set
Nominal value 5 euro per coin		 € 200,00 info

Geocache

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Geocache!Geocaching is a hobby that really has two sides to it. One is hiding something and publishing the location and some hints on where to find it on the geocaching website. The other part is going out to find hidden caches. There are really a lot of caches out there and almost certain in Holland you’ll find one close near your location. To find a cache you can use your phone or a gps receiver and search for the published coordinates.

Last week I went to search for my first caches and it was quite fun! Some caches are hard to find because they are very small or well hidden but others are much easier. It is nice to go somewhere you normally would not venture. At some caches you can leave your name, or make a trade of some small item inside.