Trackable Items? What will we be seeing?

[+NeoAddict]

I like the idea of the following trackables:

 

1. Travel Bug Tags.

2. Coins.

3. People.*

 

That's about it.

 

* Those whacky cachers that get a valid TB# tattooed somewhere on their body. Kinda creepy, but ballsy.

 

THAT is neat.

I might just do that, because I'm that crazy.

 

At least it will never get muggled.

[+Mama Cache]

As far as trackables go, I think this is positive thing. I don't think there will be the collectible market for them like there is for geocoins. Hopefully a higher percentage of them will be out traveling, and I think that's great. I mean, isn't that what the tracking number is for?

 

--Marky

 

That's a great point. I think the biggest concern for people right now is:

"How do we let the general caching public know that these are trackable and not swag?"

 

TBs are easy. They are a consistent 'brand' and image that people can easily identify. Once you've seen one, you know what they look like and can easily identify the next one by the tag.

 

Coins are harder since they all look different and some coins are trackable and some are not.

 

New items will be even harder because (within reason I'm sure) anything could be trackable. People may not know that a gem, rock, action figure, wooden totem pole (or festivus pole ) is trackable and may keep it as swag.

 

The best thing may be to add a tag to the trackable item, in which case you would come full circle to just using a TB tag. The only difference I can see in this scenario would be having a unique icon for your trackable swag. This is all speculation of course...

 

I think you summed it quite nicely there! I'm not interested in this particular trackable, but other things are sure to catch my fancy eventually. The biggest issue, I agree, is making sure people know they're trackable. While I think the idea is unique and even kinda cool, I don't see the point in not just adding a TB tag to a similar item except for the icon. Makes me wonder what is in store for us down the trail. The public will decide what they like and time will tell what works and what doesn't.

 

When you think about it though. I is more cost effective to purchase an item with the number on it then having to also purchase a 5.00 travel bug tag.

Edited April 9, 2008 by Mama Cache

[+Shop99er]

Trackable Caches...

 

Find the cache - move it.. publish new location on it's log page....

 

Those aren't allowed anymore......

[+Shop99er]

I like the idea of the following trackables:

 

3. People.*

 

That's about it.

 

* Those whacky cachers that get a valid TB# tattooed somewhere on their body. Kinda creepy, but ballsy.

 

Now I have something new to search for....very selectively, though.

[+tokencollector]

My first reaction was "Yawn"

 

I have no problem with it and I'll move one if I see it in a cache (as long as it isn't a picture of the item). But, I doubt that I would buy one to release.

 

Most of the traditional TBs that I've released are unique in some way. They may be kitschy (Paradice [a pair of dice]), meaningful to me is some way (Georgia Tech Keychain), bizzare (Deer Dentist), have a specific mission related to the item in mind (Emily), or be in a race (Zippy Z). I guess someone could put a tracking number on a die for me, but I really don't care.

 

I like geocoins as TBs for a number of reasons. I like travelers, and, for me, geocoin's are easier to prepare and release than traditional TBs. With the number of micro-coins out there, they don't require large caches to move - many travel well through the network of small (micro) caches that have been springing up in recent years. They also seem to last longer, travel faster, and travel furhter than the traditional TBs that I've released. I really enjoy finding them in caches and they are easy (not bulky) to take with me when I go caching on business trips. (I really wish I could have grabbed the trackable bowling pin I saw when I was in ME a couple of weeks ago)

 

Although McToys with pre-engraved tracking numbers would be easy, they just don't seem that unique, or special, to me. But, as I started out typing - I would have no problem with moving them if I could help them on their mission.

 

One other thought - I hope that they wouldn't be all that collectable. I'm of the general opinion that trackable items belong in caches. While I'm all to guilty of collecting geocoins, ultimately I've received more enjoyment from the 350+ I've released than the hundreds more that sit around in boxes. I probably ought to follow Castleman's lead and release more into caches rather than wait around for my wife to call that TV show that sells your stuff for pennies on the dollar at a yard sale to clean and organize your house.

[ATMouse]

For your information:

 

I have trademarked the following items:

 

GeoStars™

GeoBeads™

GeoPencils™

GeoSmurfs™

GeoBlingBling™

GeoTrinkets™

GeoWacko's™

GeoBars™

GeoNuggets™

GeoFossils™

GeoShells™

 

An application is running for 20 more, so be quick or beware....don't even get the idea of making money on those ideas.

I will sue you to the last nickle.

 

 

And with that my interest in these items have waned considerably.

 

[Tooeygeotrashed]

For your information:

 

I have trademarked the following items:

 

GeoStars™

GeoBeads™

GeoPencils™

GeoSmurfs™

GeoBlingBling™

GeoTrinkets™

GeoWacko's™

GeoBars™

GeoNuggets™

GeoFossils™

GeoTrilobites™

GeoShells™

GeoMarbles™

 

An application is running for 20 more, so be quick or beware....don't even get the idea of making money on those ideas.

I will sue you to the last nickle.

 

Mmm well Geobars is already taken !

[+Twin Peaks]

For your information:

 

I have trademarked the following items:

 

GeoStars™

GeoBeads™

GeoPencils™

GeoSmurfs™

GeoBlingBling™

GeoTrinkets™

GeoWacko's™

GeoBars™

GeoNuggets™

GeoFossils™

GeoTrilobites™

GeoShells™

GeoMarbles™

 

An application is running for 20 more, so be quick or beware....don't even get the idea of making money on those ideas.

I will sue you to the last nickle.

 

Mmm well Geobars is already taken !

 

Impossible, just had it registered. Show me the trademark on it please..

 

Oh, and by the way: GeoFroggs™ was OK'd a minute ago

 

--edit- Yoohoo!: GeoYimes™ got through as well!! (sorry Dave )

Edited April 9, 2008 by Twin Peaks

[+ArtieD]

For your information:

 

I have trademarked the following items:

 

GeoStars™

GeoBeads™

GeoPencils™

GeoSmurfs™

GeoBlingBling™

GeoTrinkets™

GeoWacko's™

GeoBars™

GeoNuggets™

GeoFossils™

GeoTrilobites™

GeoShells™

GeoMarbles™

 

An application is running for 20 more, so be quick or beware....don't even get the idea of making money on those ideas.

I will sue you to the last nickle.

 

Mmm well Geobars is already taken !

 

Impossible, just had it registered. Show me the trademark on it please..

 

Oh, and by the way: GeoFroggs™ was OK'd a minute ago

 

--edit- Yoohoo!: GeoYimes™ got through as well!! (sorry Dave )

 

Mmmmhmm...it seems someone is way too bored for their own good.

[+fox-and-the-hound]

As far as trackables go, I think this is positive thing. I don't think there will be the collectible market for them like there is for geocoins. Hopefully a higher percentage of them will be out traveling, and I think that's great. I mean, isn't that what the tracking number is for?

 

--Marky

 

That's a great point. I think the biggest concern for people right now is:

"How do we let the general caching public know that these are trackable and not swag?"

 

TBs are easy. They are a consistent 'brand' and image that people can easily identify. Once you've seen one, you know what they look like and can easily identify the next one by the tag.

 

Coins are harder since they all look different and some coins are trackable and some are not.

 

New items will be even harder because (within reason I'm sure) anything could be trackable. People may not know that a gem, rock, action figure, wooden totem pole (or festivus pole ) is trackable and may keep it as swag.

 

The best thing may be to add a tag to the trackable item, in which case you would come full circle to just using a TB tag. The only difference I can see in this scenario would be having a unique icon for your trackable swag. This is all speculation of course...

 

I think you summed it quite nicely there! I'm not interested in this particular trackable, but other things are sure to catch my fancy eventually. The biggest issue, I agree, is making sure people know they're trackable. While I think the idea is unique and even kinda cool, I don't see the point in not just adding a TB tag to a similar item except for the icon. Makes me wonder what is in store for us down the trail. The public will decide what they like and time will tell what works and what doesn't.

 

When you think about it though. I is more cost effective to purchase an item with the number on it then having to also purchase a 5.00 travel bug tag.

 

That's true, but I was thinking 1) cost of item + 2) cost of code + 3) cost of icon + 4) cost of geotag (if you like those nice metal ones

[Tooeygeotrashed]

For your information:

 

I have trademarked the following items:

 

GeoStars™

GeoBeads™

GeoPencils™

GeoSmurfs™

GeoBlingBling™

GeoTrinkets™

GeoWacko's™

GeoBars™

GeoNuggets™

GeoFossils™

GeoTrilobites™

GeoShells™

GeoMarbles™

 

An application is running for 20 more, so be quick or beware....don't even get the idea of making money on those ideas.

I will sue you to the last nickle.

 

Mmm well Geobars is already taken !

 

Impossible, just had it registered. Show me the trademark on it please..

 

Oh, and by the way: GeoFroggs™ was OK'd a minute ago

 

--edit- Yoohoo!: GeoYimes™ got through as well!! (sorry Dave )

 

Mmmmhmm...it seems someone is way too bored for their own good.

 

Yeah - agreed, what he said ! Is Twin Peaks serious, or is this a wind up? If you are serious the tone of your posts will not do you any credit when it comes to trying to market your geostuff (gonna TM that one too?).

[+gardengorilla]

Trackable Caches...

 

Find the cache - move it.. publish new location on it's log page....

 

 

We have one of those here in Calgary. It's called Stash n' dash. The cache itself is not trackable, but everytime it is rehidden, it has new coordinates and you can find it multiple times. However, I do not think new caches of this sort are allowed anymore. Too bad, it's great fun.

[+Twin Peaks]

Yeah - agreed, what he said ! Is Twin Peaks serious, or is this a wind up? If you are serious the tone of your posts will not do you any credit when it comes to trying to market your geostuff (gonna TM that one too?).

 

C'mon guys, those of you who really know me (and there are a few) know better then that.

 

Of course I am pulling your legs....but there is a bit of truth in what I am trying to say, (if you can read between the lines)

 

When I first heard of this, I was lead to believe that this was meant to create a possibility for cachers to have their own, Groundspeak trackable, handcrafted or otherwise, sig-items. Buy a number of tracking codes and an icon to go with it and get creative and make your own.

To trade, share, give away in caches, have travelling around, whatever, and I loved the idea.

 

What I see now, is that it is already been embraced by (commercial) companies, selling 25ct (trademarked) riffraff, made by the thousands, for $5 or $6 or more, just because it is trackable.

What is a trademark for? right!! to be sure no other than you benefits from the idea.

Don't try to tell me "it 's for the cacher" and not for the money. I think we know better.

 

I am not talking about the fee Groundspeak charges for the tracking code and the icon. They need it to run the show, and the costs of running an operation like GC, are huge....I know by experience.

 

What happened to the "cachers creativity" idea behind it?

 

I was truly interested in buying a run of tracking-codes and creating my own sig-item, to trade and give away in caches, but my previous enthousiasm has waned considerably also....

 

But hey, we live in a free world, and everyone has a right to earn a living...

It is just not what I expected of the idea... ( call it good faith or ignorance...)

 

So in short.....yes...this is a wind up

 

Oh, and btw....with GeoBars, I had something like this in mind:

 

(always fun, to find in a cache!)

Edited April 9, 2008 by Twin Peaks

[+ThePetersTrio]

I've already trademarked the name "Geo-garbage" so hands off everyone!

[+slowdownracer]

Geez!?!?!?!?!? How about trackable MickeyD kids toys?

 

I like geocoins as long as they are round, square, or triangular.

 

I like the decoder coins and spinners, they do something other than sit there and look back at you.

 

I like the navigation coin series but prefer to call them "geogadgets".

 

I rarely buy anything geocoin that shaped like a rabbit, bird, frog, or other kind of animal.

 

If it's not flat, I don't consider it a coin and probably won't buy it.

 

But that doesn't mean there isn't a market for it, and my opinion is just that, my opinion.

 

TPTB should start a new category for trackable items that don't resemble coins. JMO

[+Twin Peaks]

TPTB should start a new category for trackable items that don't resemble coins. JMO

 

That is just what this is, and that new category is going to happen in the near future.

(at least that is what I think I read earlier in the topic)

[+Eartha]

TPTB should start a new category for trackable items that don't resemble coins. JMO

 

Please refer back to my post here, and to the original post in this thread.

[+slowdownracer]

TPTB should start a new category for trackable items that don't resemble coins. JMO

 

Please refer back to my post here, and to the original post in this thread.

 

Well alright then.

[+Landsharkz]

I was thinking about this today on the ferry to Port Angeles... lots of time to think if we're not detouring around whales .

 

Is it possible that we already have a whole lot of things that aren't geocoins in this forum already. We're calling them coins for lack of a better word but some of the shapes we've made I'm actually hard pressed sometimes to call it a coin. What about our shark shaped 'coin', Quigley Jones Schooner 'coin' or Pearlwind's Oyster shell shaped 3D shaped 'coin'? We have more coming up that would be closer to GeoShells than a 'coin'. I think the straying has happened - maybe we'll go back to calling round ones coins and the rest by some other name.

[+tsunrisebey]

I was thinking about this today on the ferry to Port Angeles... lots of time to think if we're not detouring around whales .

 

Is it possible that we already have a whole lot of things that aren't geocoins in this forum already. We're calling them coins for lack of a better word but some of the shapes we've made I'm actually hard pressed sometimes to call it a coin. What about our shark shaped 'coin', Quigley Jones Schooner 'coin' or Pearlwind's Oyster shell shaped 3D shaped 'coin'? We have more coming up that would be closer to GeoShells than a 'coin'. I think the straying has happened - maybe we'll go back to calling round ones coins and the rest by some other name.

 

I've thought the same thing at times, especially after the RJ's. When those came in I thought these should be hanging around my neck instead. Geojewelry/geometals? Either way, it's trackable shiny metal and I like them shaped or round. Heck even some of the round coins are pretty darned fancy with all the colors and textures, etc. I still like 'em though! I suppose a geocoin in the more traditional sense would be metal with limited colors, so I agree we've stretched the term there.

 

However, as far as trackables go; for me personally, if it's not metal than I don't think it should be placed in geocoins, even now to start but I suppose there is a bigger customer base here in the geocoin area rather than TB's. The sooner the new nonmetal trackables get their own section, the better I guess after giving it some thought, I don't mind the new trackable items but it's not something I'm interested in myself and even TB's I never really got into but good luck to those diving into new ventures.

 

I do call TM on geochiapets though in case I change my mind in the future

[+PengoFamily]

I call TM on GeoPenguins LOL!

 

It will be interesting to see how these new trackable items evolve. To help out cachers that don't frequent the geocoin forums, and there are a lot that don't, it may be a good idea to post on the forum boards in your local caching groups. Then maybe cachers will be on the look out for other items besides TB's and geocoins that are travelling.

[+ZSandmann]

I read the GeoJems thread and now this one, and for some reason I keep seeing Beanie Babies in my head.

 

It started with a few hard to find toys with a neat idea (Moun10bike) behind them, then when demand set in everyone went after it (USA Geocoin, Colorado, ...) then there was pushing in the ailes, profiteering and general craziness (Current State IMO) and finally TY began making other kinds of toys and other companies started copying them with knock off, people sold the on Ebay and what happened?

 

The market collapsed.

[+Marky]

I like the idea of the following trackables:

 

3. People.*

 

That's about it.

 

* Those whacky cachers that get a valid TB# tattooed somewhere on their body. Kinda creepy, but ballsy.

 

Now I have something new to search for....very selectively, though.

I was clicking on some of the supporters of GW6 from the GW6 website and one of the supporter sites sold cool car window stickers that looked like a travelbug and had a tracking number. I thought that was insanely cool, but then I'm kind of a geek.

 

--Marky

[+Marky]

I read the GeoJems thread and now this one, and for some reason I keep seeing Beanie Babies in my head.

GeoKins™

or

GeoBeanieBabies 3.0 ™

 

 

--Marky

[+Mama Cache]

One trackable you will be seeing very soon is This cute little guy.

[+UncleJimbo]

One trackable you will be seeing very soon is This cute little guy.

Wow, someone at Hogwild might want to read Snoogans' TB Longevity Clinic before releasing something like that trackable figurine.

[+Mama Cache]

One trackable you will be seeing very soon is This cute little guy.

Wow, someone at Hogwild might want to read Snoogans' TB Longevity Clinic before releasing something like that trackable figurine.

 

He has had several test runs...first round not successful. Went back and remade him and he is a tough little guy.

[+Nochipra]

Are all the geocoin places letting everyone create these new items like geocoins if they like the idea or only certain places?