New Travel Bug Tags - Not Stamped Like Old Ones?!?!

[+solid-rock-seekers]

I just found my first example of the new TB tags (as described in the New TB Design, Comments are welcome discussion) a few days ago. I like the new design, but I am very disappointed with what is probably the most important aspect of the new tag...

 

I was stunned to see that the new tags do not have a stamped TB code, but rather a TB code that is simply printed onto the aluminum tag!?!

 

(You can see what the new printed codes look like on the new photo in the Groundspeak store.)

 

In my experience, the printing on the TB tags eventually starts to wear off. A wonderful feature of the old tags is that the stamped TB code couldn't wear off. With the new ones, however, the TB code is likely to wear off of the TB tag eventually.

 

I am very disappointed in the decrease in quality of the TB tags by this new feature. For me, moving TBs around and watching the progress of my own TBs is a major part of my geocaching. Basically, I really enjoy helping TBs along on their travels! However, I see the new TB tag as potentially leading to a lot of "untrackable" TBs as the printing wears off. I'm glad that I still have a fair supply of the old ones to use for TBs I plan to release.

 

Count me in as one member that is very particular to TB tags which have a "stamped" TB code, rather than a printed one. Can we please have the TB tags with stamped IDs back again? When my current supply of stamped TB tags runs out, I can't see myself buying any of the new printed ones.

 

PS: I would also note that the text of the "Travel Bug for Hitchhikers" page still advertises that "Bugs have a unique tracking number stamped into the metal tag." Does this mean that the printed tags are a result of a temporary production glitch and the TB tags with stamped ids are coming back soon?

[+Eartha]

This is the thread where you should be posting your thoughts on the subject. It's the pinned "New TB Design" thread.

[+solid-rock-seekers]

This is the thread where you should be posting your thoughts on the subject. It's the pinned "New TB Design" thread.

I'm sorry if my making a new topic was a breach of etiquette. I was aware of the other thread (I even provided a link to it in the first sentence of my post above) but presumed (possibly inaccurately) that the other thread probably wasn't getting much current readership as it is now nearly two years old! I was interested to find out what others thought about this without burying the discussion in a thread that is two years old.

 

Are you suggesting that I should add this same comment to the other thread?

[+Eartha]

You could. Since the new design is out and has been in production, I'm not sure it will make a difference, but your opinion is important, and if they should re-redesign the TB tag, that does seem to be an issue that may cause problems in the future. These tags do have to sit out in the elements of nature, and all suggestions should be recorded for future reference (or if they can still modify the process, it's a good point).

[+solid-rock-seekers]

I'm reposting this note over in the New TB Design, Comments are welcome discussion. Future comments in this thread should be posted there, rather than here.

 

Thanks, Eartha, for the encouragement to take the discussion over to the other thread.

[+solid-rock-seekers]

For the record, I want to add to this thread that I was absolutely wrong with my above observation about the lack of stamping on the new TB tags!

 

It turns out that the TB code is engraved into the new tags, with the black printing being in the recessed engraving! When I looked at the tag the night I found it in a cache by the light of my headlamp, I hadn't realized that this was the case and mistakenly thought that the TB code was only printed. In reality, the new tags do have engraved TB codes.

 

The new engraved & printed style is easier to read than the older style where the TB code is only stamped into the tag. With the new tags, I am quite confident that even if the black printing wears off, the TB code should still be legible due to the way the code is engraved in the tag!

 

Kudos to Groundspeak on the new tag! I apologize for my erroneous claims from yesterday. (This isn't the first time I've been able to sample some "humble pie" and it surely won't be the last, either!)

 

Thanks to nielsenc for pointing out that the TB codes are clearly engraved if one takes the time to do an inspection under good lighting!

[+BlueDeuce]

Cool, good news.