Travel Bugs Are Not Trade Items

January 14, 2006

Probably has been brought up many times before but I have noticed recently in my area cachers "trading" a travel bug for a "swag" item in caches.

If you picked up a travel bug please move it along quickly but it is not for trade on another item because it DOES NOT BELONG TO YOU, you didn't buy it.

Travel bugs operate on a completely separate set of rules.

Just wanted to bring this up because I have a couple of caches that are being depleted of swag because of this practice.

Thanks for your attention, carry on.

1.5k · January 14, 2006

May I suggest a polite (or not so polite as the circumstances dictate) e-mail to the 'cacher(s) in question?

January 14, 2006

May I suggest a polite (or not so polite as the circumstances dictate) e-mail to the 'cacher(s) in question?

I have considered this, but really didn't want to stir any ill feelings in our local caching group. This one just kinda got my goat because after scoring their "freebee" for the TB they went along to the next cache and increased their "profit" by a trade for an even better item:

Log Date: 1/14/2006

Found it no problem. Pretty sneaky! It was a great 50 degree January day. Cache was in good shape. Left XXXX TB, took dominos.

Log Date: 1/14/2006

Fun find. It's great to tromp around urban woods! Wonderful day, can't beat a warm day in January. Left a domino and took pedicure kit.

22k · January 15, 2006

You are correct.

Travel bugs are not trade items. There is no requirement to leave something for taking one (and this includes other travel bugs), nor do you take a trade item for dropping one off.

Move Travel bugs, trade swag.

January 15, 2006

Most likely it's someone new (possibly with kid(s)) that was introduced to caching by a friend or relative and never told the rules or etiquette of caching and never explored this site.

A nice addition to this site would be a welcome email with links to some of the basics like TB's & coins, glossary, etiquette, possibly the cacher's creed sent to new members after the validation email is confirmed.

January 15, 2006

Whoops, I did not know that !! I'm glad I ran across this topic as I have been trading with travel bugs (only twice). I had not thought about it that way, but I see the point now that it has been pointed out. I guess it is newbie error as I certainly wasn't trying to do anything wrong or cheat anybody. If it helps, I often trade up or leave things when I take nothing.

11.3k · January 15, 2006

Most likely it's someone new (possibly with kid(s)) that was introduced to caching by a friend or relative and never told the rules or etiquette of caching and never explored this site.

A nice addition to this site would be a welcome email with links to some of the basics like TB's & coins, glossary, etiquette, possibly the cacher's creed sent to new members after the validation email is confirmed.

That is a good idea. Many cachers never make it to these Forums and the FAQs.

The person is new. They don't have very many finds. Maybe a friendly, welcoming email from a "sock puppet" account, with a little comment about "Travel Bugs not being trade items," is in order. :unsure:

Edit to add appropriate quote . . .

Edited January 15, 2006 by Miragee

22k · January 15, 2006

...

Edited January 15, 2006 by BlueDeuce

1.5k · January 15, 2006

Or if you don't want to stir up anything, get an out of town cacher to write them a nice note for you.

1.5k · January 15, 2006

Something else that helps is for the travel bug to have a laminated tag on it that explains TB etiquette. Geocoins too. This helps the newbies know right on the spot what's expected.

1.5k · January 15, 2006

Something else that helps is for the travel bug to have a laminated tag on it that explains TB etiquette. Geocoins too. This helps the newbies know right on the spot what's expected.

Yeah, it's hard to blame a newbie when all they find in the 'cache is the hitchhiker with the tag attached, and no goal sheet or anything.

1.5k · January 15, 2006

I agree, I've started making generic TB Tag with the basics on it. May not help with its goal, but will help with what to do with it!

1.1k · January 15, 2006

I agree 100% that "Travel bugs are not trade items" Travel bugs are meant to move...some have time-sensitive goals to meet and they need to be on the road as quickly as possible! I have seen logs where people don't pick up bugs because they don't have anything to put in it's place! YEAH SURE....WHATEVER!!!! Anyhoot, I have my opinions of Travel Bug hotels too, but I'm going to save that for another day :laughing:

By the way, doesn't this thread belong in the Travel Bug forums? <_< <_<

January 15, 2006

By the way, doesn't this thread belong in the Travel Bug forums?

I know that it deals with travel bugs but I wanted to direct it to the the newbie audience who may view this thread and not the dedicated travel bug thread (as many may not even know what a travel bug really is). Please indulge me in this request. <_<

Edited January 15, 2006 by Bill & Tammy

1.5k · January 15, 2006

It's both a TB forum and Newbie forum thread I think. I hope it gets left here, as many newcomers may not feel comfortable venturing out of this forum to all the others, and if this isn't in here, then they won't know!

January 15, 2006

I am a newbie to this and I have search the site for info on all the ways to move,trade numerous TB, Geocoins plus other items. This has been self taught for me. The only thing I have noticed is that they do not tell you not to trade items in caches with TB they assume you know all about how to do this properly. They tell you to move TB quickly but they do not tell you not to take an item or leave an item when you take the TB. In the LETS GET STARTED section it tells you to take one leave one. But it did not say to just move the TB and Geocoins and not trade items. I feel maybe an index to the TB, Geocoin, cahe finding ext. with hyper links to find these articles might be helpfull and easier to find right at the begining at "lets get started".FOR NEWBIES

I do not know how all of you got started but I am sure you made mistakes just as I and all the other NEWBIES. Sometimes we forget how we started and made errors. Or did someone walk you threw this so you would not make errors. If we only want to have a perfect cache system maybe someone out there sould assist the NEWBIES so they do not make errors and teach them the ins and outs before they start.That would be great. But it just will not work that way.

I enjoy Geocaching but tring to find these article can be a challange when you have no one to get assistance to your questions. I do all my caching on my own and researches. But with this all said nothing in this world is perfect. Thanks to all the experienced people out there for your help and input.

THANKS AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

January 15, 2006

Yes, I'm glad it was brought up in this forum as I don't often wander into the TB Forum and as I pointed out earlier, I was doing this and didn't know it was improper. I too, appreciate the more experienced cachers sharing their knowledge with us newbies. I learn a lot hanging here in the forums !

I do agree with azell, though. There is very little guidance on this topic for newbies. I went back and looked through much of the documentation in the getting started area and FAQs and didn't see reference to this. I'm kind of an over achiever on being informed about hobbies I take on and I completely missed that I should not trade TBs.

1.4k · January 15, 2006

To be honest, I never thought about it too hard (I too am a relative newbie despite 100+ forum posts in just a couple of months), but it's a good point. I was at a cache where I once took 3 items (because my kids were begging for these items) and only left 2 (because I was intending to trade 2 for 2) with the intention of coming back to even it up and when I had a travel bug in my hands for about 2 weeks and no immediate chance to explore a new cache I went back to put it in with this idea in mind.

In the sense that I had added swag and it wasn't just a single item taken for the travel bug, I don't feel as bad, but the point is well taken; the next time I pick up a travel bug I think I'll move it back there with a swag item to add too so it was truly an even trade. Thanks for the education!

38.2k · January 15, 2006

Probably has been brought up many times before but I have noticed recently in my area cachers "trading" a travel bug for a "swag" item in caches.

If you picked up a travel bug please move it along quickly but it is not for trade on another item because it DOES NOT BELONG TO YOU, you didn't buy it.

Similarly, I've read about instances of cache owners (usually newbs) who complain about someone taking a TB and leaving nothing in return.

Its fine to do that!

By the way, doesn't this thread belong in the Travel Bug forums?

I think its appropriate in the Getting Started forum. With the annual post Christmas surge in new geocachers, threads like this one provide some good information for them.

January 15, 2006

Probably has been brought up many times before but I have noticed recently in my area cachers "trading" a travel bug for a "swag" item in caches.

If you picked up a travel bug please move it along quickly but it is not for trade on another item because it DOES NOT BELONG TO YOU, you didn't buy it.

Travel bugs operate on a completely separate set of rules.

Just wanted to bring this up because I have a couple of caches that are being depleted of swag because of this practice.

Thanks for your attention, carry on.

Someone traded it ?

January 15, 2006

I admit I did this once or twice in my first 2 maybe 3 caches. I'm a newbie and it didn't really 'click' in my head until my 11 yr old son said something. :laughing: <_< Since then I have definately just left it or retrieved it and thought of it as a separate thing from swag.

As for trading crap for something good, I think it's important to teach your kids the 'value' of things. J took a multi-use tool thing. He REALLY wanted it. That was fine but he didn't have anything worthwhile to trade so being the wonderful mom I am (hehhehe) I gave him a new roll of trail tape and an electronic timer to trade. The cache barely fit those two things. We were hoping that was an acceptable trade. I must remember to pick up some more 'expensive' swag items just in case we run into that problem again. When J took the multi-use tool thing we had just been to the local buck store and filled up on swag items. We never expected to come across something as cool as the multi-use tool thing!

As for TB goals, how do you know that say one is just for Boy Scouts to retrieve and move along? We placed one yesterday only to find out that it was intended to visit with other boy scouts after we got back and logged the find. We had no idea when we found it.

2.4k · January 15, 2006

As for TB goals, how do you know that say one is just for Boy Scouts to retrieve and move along? We placed one yesterday only to find out that it was intended to visit with other boy scouts after we got back and logged the find. We had no idea when we found it.

Sometimes the bug owner will include a goal sheet or tag with the bug; if they do, you can read it right at the cache and decide whether or not to take the bug.

But if they don't include any instructions with it, the bugs are totally fair game for anyone to pick up. If you get home and read the bug page and realize that you can't help it, just drop it into another cache and don't worry about it.

22k · January 15, 2006

As for TB goals, how do you know that say one is just for Boy Scouts to retrieve and move along? We placed one yesterday only to find out that it was intended to visit with other boy scouts after we got back and logged the find. We had no idea when we found it.

If the bug doesn't have a goal sheet included then this situation can happen. Don't worry about it.

If you still have the bug, you could ask the owner if they would like you to print a goal sheet (available from the bug's page), throw it and the bug into a baggie before releasing it. This will help the next person finding the bug

Edit: Oops, ol' crabby beat me to it.

Edited January 15, 2006 by BlueDeuce

January 15, 2006

Thanks for the replies on my Q! We have already placed it in a new cache. I did go and edit my retrieval post for the TB and told them I hadn't realized it was for boy scouts. Oh well. Maybe boy scouts in this new town will find it!

January 15, 2006

My two cents:

One school of thought is that TB's are not traded for SWAG (which was the original post). Again, this is fine as long as everyone adopts this consistently (which I think was the OP's intent).

The other school of thought is that from an amount-of-SWAG-in-my-cache perspective, trading a TB for SWAG shouldn't be a problem--as long as everyone treats TB's as if it were SWAG (i.e., when you pick a TB up, you place something in a cache. When you drop it off, you take something from a cache). Think about it. In the OP's followup post--he said that the culprit "took dominoes left XXXX" then "took pedicure kit, left dominoes." This is a normal practice right? The dominoes in this case may as well have been a travel bug. So trading TB's for SWAG isn't a problem if everyone does it consistently. By the way, since the official guidelines is silent about this whole mess, this is a valid perspective--and in fact, may the "official rule." A post trying to force TB's not to be treated as SWAG may as well be "You shouldn't trade an item you got from another cache."

OK, that said, I do believe that the OP is right--travel bugs should not be traded for SWAG--and I would like to see an official guideline to that effect. But not for the reason given by the OP. If everyone handled TB's as SWAG, the desireability for TAKING a TB from a cache goes down... and taken to the extreme, TB's won't move (or will move more slowly) thus negating the intent of TB's.

So whose cage do you rattle to change the guidelines posted on this website?

January 15, 2006

The other school of thought is that from an amount-of-SWAG-in-my-cache perspective, trading a TB for SWAG shouldn't be a problem--as long as everyone treats TB's as if it were SWAG (i.e., when you pick a TB up, you place something in a cache. When you drop it off, you take something from a cache). Think about it. In the OP's followup post--he said that the culprit "took dominoes left XXXX" then "took pedicure kit, left dominoes." This is a normal practice right? The dominoes in this case may as well have been a travel bug. So trading TB's for SWAG isn't a problem if everyone does it consistently. By the way, since the official guidelines is silent about this whole mess, this is a valid perspective--and in fact, may the "official rule." A post trying to force TB's not to be treated as SWAG may as well be "You shouldn't trade an item you got from another cache."

I can see how the "cache economics" of that system might work providing that it didn't start out by someone just grabbing the TB without a trade in the first case (which from what I can tell might have happened in the particular case I cited).

The other difference is that a Travel Bug always is the property of the TB registrant and remains thus although it is passed from hand to hand unlike swag.

5.3k · January 15, 2006

I think a bigger problem is with geocachers that take travels bugs and never release them again. THey just log them in and out of caches as they travel around. Unless they purchsed the TB tags they are common theives. A salution might be a funstion that would not allow a cacher to pick up a bug from a cache they have left it in. I have lost travel bug to TB theives in the past. At this point in time I have to paln on purchasing anymore TB tags.

1.1k · January 15, 2006

By the way, doesn't this thread belong in the Travel Bug forums?

I know that it deals with travel bugs but I wanted to direct it to the the newbie audience who may view this thread and not the dedicated travel bug thread (as many may not even know what a travel bug really is). Please indulge me in this request.

Okay, I see the method to your madness! Sorry, my bad!

Travel Bugs Are Not Trade Items

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