TB Swap Etiquette

[+Voodoo7]

What is the proper etiquette for taking a TB or Geocoin? What should you leave or do you have to? I've heard a few different people say different things so I'm posting this question here as there are way more knowledgable peeps.

 

Thanks,

[+Photographer Jim]

My understanding is that you are welcome to take a TB or coin if 1) you are able to help it along on its mission, 2) you are willing to log it promptly after retreiving or placing it, and 3) you will be able to move the TB or coin in a reasonable amount of time (two weeks or less in most cases). You are not required to leave another TB or coin when retreiving one.

[+ComputerCacheBug]

My understanding is that you are welcome to take a TB or coin if 1) you are able to help it along on its mission, 2) you are willing to log it promptly after retreiving or placing it, and 3) you will be able to move the TB or coin in a reasonable amount of time (two weeks or less in most cases). You are not required to leave another TB or coin when retreiving one.

 

That would be correct.

 

Caches that state you have to trade a TB for a TB are wrong in doing so. And you do not have to at all. TBs are a seperate part of the game that has nothing to do with the cache other than a rest stop to its next journey.

[+BlueDeuce]

Travel bugs are not trade items, you are not required to leave a trinket (swag, trade, mctoys) or another TB in its place, but you can if you like. Just don't leave TBs and take trinkets.

[+Voodoo7]

Thanx. That's what I was under the impression.

[+BlueDeuce]

Thanx. That's what I was under the impression.

 

Sometimes cache owners get a little annoyed when people don't follow their rules placed on other people's travel bugs.

 

Feel free to direct them here.

Edited June 13, 2008 by BlueDeuce

[+prastost]

What is the proper etiquette for taking a TB or Geocoin? What should you leave or do you have to? I've heard a few different people say different things so I'm posting this question here as there are way more knowledgable peeps.

 

Thanks,

 

I heard different things from many geocachers too, but from what I understand, the same rule applies: if you take something, then leave something behind ... just remember that if you find a TB, then usually there is a note from the TB owner attached to it. Read it and see if you can help the TB fulfill its goal: if you feel that you can, then retrieve it and bring it along your journey to another cache. If I have a TB in my possession, then I generally like to swap TBs so that the next geocacher locating the very same cache still has a TB to discover . Everyone has their own TB etiquette: I think it is more important to help the TB add mileage than worrying about what to leave or not to leave.

[+BlueDeuce]

Travel bugs are not trade items.

 

You should be considering whether or not you can assist a bug towards its goal. That is the first thing every finder should determine.

[+Eartha]

It's exactly as everyone has stated. A Travel Bug, or any item trackable on geocaching.com is a game piece. People purchase them and send them out in the hopes that they will continue to travel far and wide collecting stories and photos along the way. There is never a need to trade anything when taking or leaving a TB/trackable. You should not take a cache trade item and leave a Trackable in it's place, since the trackable is not "swag". If taking "swag" from a cache, you should trade up, trade even or don't trade at all. If taking a TB, log it as soon as possible, and always try to log in the logbook in the cache that you took it. (This way, if you do forget to log it, someone else can check the cache and find out where it went.)

TB hotel rules asking for a one for one trade do NOT supercede the wishes of the TB owner. The TB's goal is what matters. If you know you can go caching again in three weeks, instead of two, you may still take the TB. If you think you're going caching, and take the bug, and something comes up that keeps you from caching for a while, a simple email to the owner by way of their profile page to let them know it is still alive and well is common courtesy.

The reason I say "any item trackable on geocaching.com" is that I've seen other trackable items, that are tracked on other sites that have said "move it or keep it" Trackables here do not have the option of keeping it. It has to keep moving.

 

Now, here is the most important thing: HAVE FUN!!!

 

Eartha

Groundspeak Volunteer

[+Highpointer]

I just returned home to Arizona after a trip to CT, NY, NY, and PA. I brought 31 trackable items with me and distributed 27 of them to 27 different caches. I picked up a total of 27 trackable items during my trip, so I now still have a total of 31 trackable items in my inventory. However, I found these 27 trackable items in far fewer than 27 caches.

 

Therefore, my trackable item exchanges all balanced out.

[+ByzantineFalcon]

I have a question along the same lines.

 

I am taking a trip out of town this weekend, in part because I have a bug that needs to get to a nearby city (Denver) and I had a few things to do up there anyway. I was planning to cache most of Friday, then go up Sunday. As I am out and about, its ok to pick up multiple bugs to relocate? Is there a 'courtesy limit'? I probably wont find more than a half-dozen at best.

 

The way I read the other replies, as long as the bugs have goals that make relocation a plus, I should move them, right?

 

There are also a few 'hotels' along the way (though none say anything about taking 1 and leaving 1) I was going to hit up and see if any needed a ride up with me. It seems to me that a hotel is a bit of a staging area to distribute to local caches (or to move elsewhere). Should I be leaving some there as well?

[+ncfinn]

Just my own personal opinions, I'm sure some would disagree:

 

Are the caches with TB's visited often? Better to take all the TB's than to leave them "stranded" for weeks/months.

 

If the cache is in poor condition, I believe it is OK to "rescue" the TB's.

 

Not all TB's have clear goals, but if you can help many of them to their destination, go ahead take them.

 

Do not take all from a TB hotel, though.

 

You do not have to leave a TB to take one, even with a hotel. The TB's belong to different people, not to the cache owner.

[+DVader68]

I like the idea of the hotels as I too travel often enough from both coasts enough to warrant respectable travel distances. However, I make it a personal policy not to hang on to more than (2) TB's at any moment.

[+Eartha]

I have a question along the same lines.

 

I am taking a trip out of town this weekend, in part because I have a bug that needs to get to a nearby city (Denver) and I had a few things to do up there anyway. I was planning to cache most of Friday, then go up Sunday. As I am out and about, its ok to pick up multiple bugs to relocate? Is there a 'courtesy limit'? I probably wont find more than a half-dozen at best.

 

The way I read the other replies, as long as the bugs have goals that make relocation a plus, I should move them, right?

 

There are also a few 'hotels' along the way (though none say anything about taking 1 and leaving 1) I was going to hit up and see if any needed a ride up with me. It seems to me that a hotel is a bit of a staging area to distribute to local caches (or to move elsewhere). Should I be leaving some there as well?

 

As long as you log them all and try to help them with their goals, you can move as many as you want.

I'm not a fan of the badly placed hotel. Use your judgement when choosing a location to leave a TB. Is it going to be muggled? Is there a chance the cache might can go missing because of being poorly placed? Check the history of the hotel, see how well it's done.

[+siouxpergirl]

It's exactly as everyone has stated. A Travel Bug, or any item trackable on geocaching.com is a game piece. People purchase them and send them out in the hopes that they will continue to travel far and wide collecting stories and photos along the way. There is never a need to trade anything when taking or leaving a TB/trackable. You should not take a cache trade item and leave a Trackable in it's place, since the trackable is not "swag". If taking "swag" from a cache, you should trade up, trade even or don't trade at all. If taking a TB, log it as soon as possible, and always try to log in the logbook in the cache that you took it. (This way, if you do forget to log it, someone else can check the cache and find out where it went.)

TB hotel rules asking for a one for one trade do NOT supercede the wishes of the TB owner. The TB's goal is what matters. If you know you can go caching again in three weeks, instead of two, you may still take the TB. If you think you're going caching, and take the bug, and something comes up that keeps you from caching for a while, a simple email to the owner by way of their profile page to let them know it is still alive and well is common courtesy.

The reason I say "any item trackable on geocaching.com" is that I've seen other trackable items, that are tracked on other sites that have said "move it or keep it" Trackables here do not have the option of keeping it. It has to keep moving.

 

Now, here is the most important thing: HAVE FUN!!!

 

Eartha

Groundspeak Volunteer

 

Thank you so much. I enjoy moving TBs around, but lately have been a little put off by some misinformed folks in my area (as I am relatively new at this and they are not). I DID understand that the goal is for these TBs to keep moving and add some pictures and life to their travels. I really love to pop a TB into a location that does not currently have a TB. I imagine the cache-owner feels good about that and it attracts new people to the cache. But this ALWAYS leaves me empty-handed (isn't that the point with TBs?). If I always traded bug-for-bug wouldn't that turn me into a bug hoarder?

 

I am releasing two bugs of my own this week. I hope that they are snatched up immediately and that have a blast.