TB Hoarders

[+OMChops]

I have a problem I could use some help with. I released my first ever TB in one of my own caches. It's a small model of a Disney Cruise Ship. It has a specific mission to travel the world, see other cruise ships and ports of call. It was picked up a month after it was released by a local team and has sat in their possession since (6 months now). I monitored it since and finally decided that I would check out the profile of the team. It appears to be a teenager who caches with his parents (on occasion) and he has logged 28 travel bugs launched by others. His profile shows that 22 are STILL in his possession. Has anyone else out the encountered a TB collector of this sort?

 

I sent an email to the cacher in question requesting that he release it or contact me to return it. Is that proper protocol?

 

Has anyone else found that their TB's are prisoners? How did you handle arranging it's release?

 

It's frustrating to spend the time, imagination and money setting a TB up with a specific mission only to have the first finder rathole it in such a way

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Omchops

[square_peg]

A VERY polite email is probably your best bet. Getting the hoarder ticked-off is a sure way to keep your bug from ever resurfacing.

 

Bugs are gonna disappear. If you put one out there you need to accept that's it's most likely a goner.

 

Just release a few more and hope for the best.

[+DaFunkyFrogs]

The 'Hoarder' may not be aware that TB's are travelers and actually belong to someone. A polite explanation along the lines of "you may not be aware of this, but TB's need to be logged and released in a timely manner"

[Neos2]

The same teens have one of the TBs my class sent out. The picked it up 9/17/2007.

 

I sent them an email a couple of months ago, figuring they hadn't had time to get out for awhile. They haven't answered, but they have logged on since I sent them the email.

 

I had such good luck with the rest of the TBs my classes have sent out, too. I was hoping they would put that out back out when they saw the email--or at least take me up on my offer to mail it back to me at my expense. Perhaps they have a new email address or aren't getting emails (may be hitting the spam folder).

 

Since you say they are local to you, do you know the folks or anyone that does know them? Do they come to events? Perhaps they could bring the TBs to an event and get them moving again.

 

edited to add an "a" to local

Edited March 22, 2008 by Neos2

[+joranda]

I also have a Travel Bug that is being held captive by a "fellow cacher" if that is what you want to call him. Many emails later and requests to him from a fellow cacher in his area still hasn't gotten my TB freed. I'd glady send them another "toy" just to get mine back.

[+xjrob]

I totally understand how you feel! I sent out Sponge Bug Square Pants TB They had it since 12/29/2007 with no replies from 3 emails. They cache all the time latest find was today so I know they are geocaching and are totally able to drop my TB. They pick up other TB's and drop them off in a timely manner, but why is mine being held hostage. I totally understand how you feel.

Edited March 24, 2008 by xjrob

[+BlueDeuce]

Careful about calling out people by name. Forum guidelines don't allow it.

Edited March 23, 2008 by BlueDeuce

[+OMChops]

Thanks for all the tips. I HAVE sent 2 seperate emails to the teens, requesting release of the imprisoned TB's. I am disappointed that others have experienced the same cachers capturing their TB's. Heck, I have yet to see a ransom note or other political demands related to the TB Gulag they have established.

[+ThirstyMick]

Honestly, I hate to admit this, but I find the TBs with the most detailed goals seem to sit in my possession the longest. I try to make plans to help them out and the plans seem to continually fall through.

 

I picked up a bug once in New Jersey that had a goal of never leaving Connecticut (it was released there) so I figure, hey there's an easy one, lets make a trip to Connecticut, Greenwich is only a half hour from my parents in the Bronx. So we planned a weekend... my parents went away.. we planned another weekend... it rained the whole time... finally we got to a park in Connecticut and DNF'd a cache. The next one was a micro. Then we got to a big park with several regular size caches....and proceeded to drive around the park roads for an aggravating hour searching for a parking lot. or anywhere to leave my car.

 

So after "sitting" in my possession for a month or two the bug was eventually left in another Jersey cache.

 

I'll admit that 22 out of 28 is a lot of bugs to hang on to, but maybe the kid is looking for the *right* cache to leave it in, or thinks he'll see a cruise ship sometime in the future. A friendly email to see whats going on might inspire him to just drop it off in the next cache. Friendly is the operative word there, accusing him of hoarding bugs might not be the best way to get it moving again

[Neos2]

Oh, I suspect they just got busy with some other pastime and lost interest in caching. The boys look to be just about the right age to really get interested in dating or other fun teen stuff like that.

 

Hopefully there is nothing wrong with their families or something else terrible like that. They haven't logged finding a cache since Oct 27, 2007, and they haven't logged into the site at all since February January 8th of this year. If they cache under some other name, too, I'd certainly like to know about it.

 

I wish they'd respond. I need to get my TB moving again--it's part of a classroom project and my classes are using that TB to collect data. I have the copy tag of course, and I could just send it out--but that would scew the data and knowing my luck, as soon as I did that the other one would start moving again and the class data would be warped even worse.

[Jack O Lantern]

I WAS GIVEN A BUG AS A BIRTHDAY PRESENT BY MY WIFE. I STASHED IT ON NOV. 25TH AND IT WAS PICKED UP THE SAME DAY BY A PERSON I BUMPED INTO AT ANOTHER CACHE. HE CLAIMS TO HAVE SEVERAL HUNDRED FINDS BUT HAS NOT HAD TIME TO PUT MY BUG IN A NEW LOCATION. I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HE PICKED IT UP IN THE FIRST PLACE.

[+BlueDeuce]

I hear ya. Looks like this cacher has picked up a few other bugs around the same time as well. Just wait a bit longer.

 

I have a bug that was held for a year, then when it was released the very next cacher picked it up and has held it for over a year now. They finally responded last month. (Of course I'm stilling waiting for the release)

[+ThirstyMick]

I WAS GIVEN A BUG AS A BIRTHDAY PRESENT BY MY WIFE. I STASHED IT ON NOV. 25TH AND IT WAS PICKED UP THE SAME DAY BY A PERSON I BUMPED INTO AT ANOTHER CACHE. HE CLAIMS TO HAVE SEVERAL HUNDRED FINDS BUT HAS NOT HAD TIME TO PUT MY BUG IN A NEW LOCATION. I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HE PICKED IT UP IN THE FIRST PLACE.

 

deep breath... it looks like he hasn't done too much caching since then.. Two finds and an event since Nov 25th, I'm sure now that it's getting warmer, your bugger will be on the move soon.

[+krusesj]

I, too, am having the same problem. My travel bug has been with the same person for several months now. She'll take it and drop it in a cache for 15 min and then retrieve it. I have to say she was very nice in the beginning because I sent her something to attach to my travel bug, and she was very accomodating with that, but now she won't let it go. I guess I could send her a nice e-mail, but I don't want to offend her. This is very frustrating. It's not the way the game is supposed to be played.

Edited April 13, 2008 by krusesj

[+BlueDeuce]

Yeah I see what you mean. I think this person might be taking an excursion around the country and is taking your bug along for the ride in support of the mission to visit all 50 states.

 

You can wait a while longer, or send them a friendly appreciative note asking that they drop it off.

 

Not much else I can suggest.

[+OMChops]

Oh, I suspect they just got busy with some other pastime and lost interest in caching. The boys look to be just about the right age to really get interested in dating or other fun teen stuff like that.

 

Hopefully there is nothing wrong with their families or something else terrible like that. They haven't logged finding a cache since Oct 27, 2007, and they haven't logged into the site at all since February January 8th of this year. If they cache under some other name, too, I'd certainly like to know about it.

 

I wish they'd respond. I need to get my TB moving again--it's part of a classroom project and my classes are using that TB to collect data. I have the copy tag of course, and I could just send it out--but that would scew the data and knowing my luck, as soon as I did that the other one would start moving again and the class data would be warped even worse.

 

After reading this post I reviewed the data for the "kids". My Fiesta Island cOTL series cache appears to have been the last time they posted a find of any kind. But their profile is showing a visit of April 20th 2008. They appear to be active on the website, just not in the field. I added my own note to their cache page like you did. I hope that they do something soon to help you class project along. FREE THE TRAVEL BUG 22!!!

[+Harry Dolphin]

And sometimes you just say "Oh, well", and continue on with life. Helps prevent the angst. I have one being held by a prolific geocacher for over a year. No response to a polte e-mail. Oh, well.

[Neos2]

And sometimes you just say "Oh, well", and continue on with life. Helps prevent the angst. I have one being held by a prolific geocacher for over a year. No response to a polte e-mail. Oh, well.

Yeah, I agree, and then I don't...

 

I mean, the TB of mine they have is just a little pewter General--sort of cheesy looking really (but shhh, I didn't say that, he's our school mascot!). It probably cost all of 50 cents to make, and I think the secretary sold me a handful of them for 2 bucks each after prom (They were originally purchased to help raise money to pay for prom). The tag cost me more than the keychain.

 

I liked it because I could have identical keychains out there, collecting data for my classes. Each year a new class would send out one of the Generals, and then track them to see where they go. (They have to figure out what kind of biome the little guys land in and plot it on a map).

 

I only "care" because that one had some nice data for my classes--and because now I have one entire class (My 2003-2004 Biology class, who are seniors now) asking me how "their" TB is doing. It was the first one, and it had 13874 miles on it before those teens picked it up.

 

Some of them still look it up online every now and then. They come to me and ask me to email those kids and ask them to move it along. (I have). Now I have a bunch of seniors who aren't real happy to learn that teens are the ones who (apparently) took off with other people's cheesy little keychain. They feel disappointed because they feel it makes all teens look bad that some teens would do this. Their getting pretty vocal about the "few who mess up things for the many". (Well, it's been a rough year at school, too, and they've all lost some privledges because of a few irresponsible class members, so they aren't being rational about it--but hey, they are teens!).

 

I can explain it all sorts of ways to them, and they nod their heads politely, but they still see it as a sort of personal disappointment that any other kid would do something so unkewl . I can understand how they might feel. I remember being indignant because someone else did something that made adults think "all kids were awful these days" when most of us were really pretty decent.

[+Gustav129]

And I feel bad when I'm getting at two weeks with the Geocoins I am holding. Finally found a nearby cache big enough to put one of them in.

[+Firespinner]

I have a problem I could use some help with. I released my first ever TB in one of my own caches. It's a small model of a Disney Cruise Ship. It has a specific mission to travel the world, see other cruise ships and ports of call. It was picked up a month after it was released by a local team and has sat in their possession since (6 months now). I monitored it since and finally decided that I would check out the profile of the team. It appears to be a teenager who caches with his parents (on occasion) and he has logged 28 travel bugs launched by others. His profile shows that 22 are STILL in his possession. Has anyone else out the encountered a TB collector of this sort?

 

I sent an email to the cacher in question requesting that he release it or contact me to return it. Is that proper protocol?

 

Has anyone else found that their TB's are prisoners? How did you handle arranging it's release?

 

It's frustrating to spend the time, imagination and money setting a TB up with a specific mission only to have the first finder rathole it in such a way

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Omchops

 

I would say, a VERY polite email...but to the PARENTS, not the teen. Typically, that would get more action.

[Neos2]

I would say, a VERY polite email...but to the PARENTS, not the teen. Typically, that would get more action.

Good idea! Do you have their email address?

 

The parents cached under the same account name as the teens (if they cached at all). That's the only contact info I have. The emails go unanswered--and the account has been logged into recently. The last time before this was February, but they've been online in the last week.

[+Firespinner]

I would say, a VERY polite email...but to the PARENTS, not the teen. Typically, that would get more action.

Good idea! Do you have their email address?

 

The parents cached under the same account name as the teens (if they cached at all). That's the only contact info I have. The emails go unanswered--and the account has been logged into recently. The last time before this was February, but they've been online in the last week.

 

I don't know them. I assumed since you know that the teen caches with their parent that you knew something about them. In other topics like this back in the fall someone was talking about a situation like this, but the parents and kids had seperate accounts. I thought that was the same in this case. The people emailed the parents and the problem was quickly solved. If in this case they are using the same account, you're probably out of luck considering the teen probably is the one logging in and getting the emails.

 

Sorry it didn't work for you.

[Aquakeeper]

I came across two TB's today in one cache but they are in such a sweet spot that it made no sense for me to take them since I am doing most of my caching right now in my county. The one had a note that said it wanted to make it to NY and I know Im not going anywhere near there and its got a good shot in the location that it will make it there in no time.

 

Its tempting to take one just to have one but U gotta resist the urge and find a nice peice of swag instead.

[+BlueDeuce]

You know, if half of the cachers would have moved my bugs a tenth of a mile, most of them would have made it to their destinations by now.

 

Move them Bugs!

 

There's no sitting pretty in geocaching!!!

Edited April 24, 2008 by BlueDeuce

[Neos2]

I would say, a VERY polite email...but to the PARENTS, not the teen. Typically, that would get more action.

Good idea! Do you have their email address?

 

The parents cached under the same account name as the teens (if they cached at all). That's the only contact info I have. The emails go unanswered--and the account has been logged into recently. The last time before this was February, but they've been online in the last week.

 

I don't know them. I assumed since you know that the teen caches with their parent that you knew something about them. In other topics like this back in the fall someone was talking about a situation like this, but the parents and kids had seperate accounts. I thought that was the same in this case. The people emailed the parents and the problem was quickly solved. If in this case they are using the same account, you're probably out of luck considering the teen probably is the one logging in and getting the emails.

 

Sorry it didn't work for you.

It was a good idea, though. It's really too bad that we don't have a way to contact the parents of minors who cache. Locally we had a young one who jumped in the game and could have used some parental guidance on some of the things he was trying to do as a cache owner, some of the information he was releasing about himself, and some of the logs he was writing. It was a touchy situation.

 

Yeah, we know they say it takes a village to raise a child, but none of us knew the parents or how to get in touch with them. Obviously it would have been best for his parents to handle some of that, and if they didn't want to be the heavies one of us in the group would have done so with their permission --or perhaps had one of our caching teens fill him in--but we certainly felt like someone needed to take him under their wing. (Of course, in that particular case, knowing them may not have helped--His parents would let him come to events near his home and they never even bothered to come themselves to meet the rest of us. I have three kids myself, and there is no way would I let them take up a hobby that involved hanging our with adults I hadn't at least met and approved!).

[+anlufu]

I have a travel bug that is supposed to be competing in the South African Travel Bug Race. It has a tag atached that tells the whole story. I placed in a cache of my own in February, it was picked up by a German couple who picked up a few others while here in SA. But they haven't been heard of since. I have asked them twice now, with not even a courtesy reply! What part of "this bug is in a race - please move on quickly" don't they get?