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Looking for a cheap trackable items that I can ideally customize

WanderingTraveler

By WanderingTraveler
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WanderingTraveler

WanderingTraveler

Posted
Posted

Greetings,

 

Let me start off by saying, 4 days ago I was a muggle. I just got a new moble phone and it has a GPS in it. Searching for applications to put on it I stumbled accross a GeoCashing program. This led me to wonder what it was and my family and I found our first cache 2 days ago. I haven't really had anyone show me what this is all about, but it seems very fun. So with that in mind, I appologize if this might be a silly question.

 

Ok, so like I said, I started this just a few days ago, but already I know this is something I am going to really like. I had this idea I am sure is not unique. I would like to leave little "calling cards" at every cache I ever find. I was thinking it would be cool if these were trackable items that could then hop from cache to cache. This way, even if I can't visit every cache in the world, maybe I can do so vicariously through my trackable items (sort of like a 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon thing).

 

However, a quick search tells me that this sort of idea can get very expensive, as GeoCoins and GeoTags don't appear to be cheap (even in bulk). I was wondering if there was a low cost option here? I was thinking like somethig like a wodden nickel. I found a website that I can put my own design on, and include a unique number for each wooden nickel... and I can get about 1000 for about $200 (I can even get a free rubber stamp of the same design as the coin for log books). This would make me happy. Unfortunately these aren't trackable (and that is sort of half the point for me).

 

So my question is, is there a low cost option for what I want to do? GeoCoins are too expensiv for my budget, and from the posts there seems to be a high "lost" rate on them.

 

Thanks in advance for any help and advice,

Daniel

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WanderingTraveler

WanderingTraveler

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Greetings,

 

Let me start off by saying, 4 days ago I was a muggle. I just got a new moble phone and it has a GPS in it. Searching for applications to put on it I stumbled accross a GeoCashing program. This led me to wonder what it was and my family and I found our first cache 2 days ago. I haven't really had anyone show me what this is all about, but it seems very fun. So with that in mind, I appologize if this might be a silly question.

 

Ok, so like I said, I started this just a few days ago, but already I know this is something I am going to really like. I had this idea I am sure is not unique. I would like to leave little "calling cards" at every cache I ever find. I was thinking it would be cool if these were trackable items that could then hop from cache to cache. This way, even if I can't visit every cache in the world, maybe I can do so vicariously through my trackable items (sort of like a 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon thing).

 

However, a quick search tells me that this sort of idea can get very expensive, as GeoCoins and GeoTags don't appear to be cheap (even in bulk). I was wondering if there was a low cost option here? I was thinking like somethig like a wodden nickel. I found a website that I can put my own design on, and include a unique number for each wooden nickel... and I can get about 1000 for about $200 (I can even get a free rubber stamp of the same design as the coin for log books). This would make me happy. Unfortunately these aren't trackable (and that is sort of half the point for me).

 

So my question is, is there a low cost option for what I want to do? GeoCoins are too expensiv for my budget, and from the posts there seems to be a high "lost" rate on them.

 

Thanks in advance for any help and advice,

Daniel

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wsgaskins

+wsgaskins

Posted
Posted

... oh, and you can buy the travel bug and just etch the number onto something as well, if you wish. Just be sure that you have "trackable at geocaching.com" somewhere near the number so that people know what to do with it. But if it's not a coin and it's not a "travel bug tag", it might be mistaken for a trade item and get picked up but never logged.

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WanderingTraveler

WanderingTraveler

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Yea... I saw these. They look to be like $4 each, which is out of my price range when I think about putting one in each cache I find. Do folks have their own tracking system? Like something off of GeoCaching.com (like their own website or something)? How kosher is this (meaning is is proper GeoCaching ediquit to not use GeoCashing.com for something)?

 

-Daniel

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drneal

+drneal

Posted
Posted

travelers and travel bugs could be added to your personal item...this way you could purchase a few at a time, and they are a little less likely to be stolen...I'm sure you'll get more responses from geocachers with other alternatives too! Welcome to caching, and welcome to the forum!

 

drneal

 

ILYK
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Jackalgirl

+Jackalgirl

Posted
Posted

Hi, Daniel, and welcome to Geocaching!

 

You've got a couple of alternatives. One would be to use Travel Bug dog tags. These can go from a bit more than $3 per to almost $5 per, depending on the vendor and the quantity you buy. Shop around.

 

The advantage is that these can be attached to anything, or their tracking codes can be carved onto anything (just remember: there can be only one tracking code traveling around at a time -- you can't, for example, carve the same code onto multiple things). If you only want, say, three trackables, this is probably the best route to go. Disadvantage: a generic "Travel Bug" icon. On the other hand, you have to have 250 coins in order to earn a custom icon, so if you're not thinking big numbers, the point really is moot.

 

Another option would be to see if any of the vendors would be willing to sell you a small quantity of tracking numbers. You'll have to have your design approved by Groundspeak before you can use geocoin tracking codes, though (and I imagine that Groundspeak will need to give its approval for the transfer of codes, which they may or may not do). If you're thinking to produce a very limited run of interesting coins, that might be a step to take.

 

Pathtags, btw, are very cool and fun and also not terribly expensive. But be aware that they're not trackable on Geocaching.com, in the sense of people being able to log them in and out of caches. You might want to Google "Geotag" or otherwise hunt around for personalizable, trackable versions of small golf-marker-type coins. And keep your eye on the Forums -- every now and then vendors offer personalizable coins in small, affordable lots.

 

Hope this helps!

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fox-and-the-hound

+fox-and-the-hound

Posted
Posted

Google pathtags I think you find thats what you are looking for. Cheers gibbo003

 

I'm a big fan of 'tags, but they're not trackable from cache to cache. They only show where their owners are. They are a very nice signature item though and can be made trackable later by attaching themselves to a "host" geocoin that can carry them from cache to cache.

 

First thing I would advise is to think about a personal signature item and don't worry about trackability initially. There are some wonderful threads showing an amazing variety of beautiful and inventive sig items to leave in caches. Some are trackable by personal websites and you might be able to build something similar if you're web-savy.

 

Trackable items can be expensive to do in bulk so you might want to spend some time learning more about them, how they work and then what might work best for you. :D

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Eartha

+Eartha

Posted
Posted

Before you go investing any money in trackables, make sure this is a hobby you will enjoy for a long time to come. Then I'd recommend a TB to start. Geocoin collecting can be addicting! Also, as Blue Deuce recommends, never release something you are not willing to lose. Feel free to check out the link in my signature to the Groundspeak Knowledge Base.

Trackables are a fun way to see places you'd normally never get to, by receiving emails and photos from cachers each time one of your own is logged. But they are a piece of this hobby, not the mainstay of it. You don't have to purchase anything to play. But you can if you want to :D

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WanderingTraveler

WanderingTraveler

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

Thanks everyone.

 

I think somehow I might have double posted this question twice (sorry about that mods... it wasn't intentional).

 

After researching some more (and reading all these great posts) I have come to the following conclusions (please correct me if I got something wrong):

  • If I want something (anything... coin, tag, bug, whatever) that is trackable via the GeoCaching.com website I should expect to pay 3-6 dollars or more per trackable item. This puts leaving a "GeoCaching.com trackable" item at each cache I find out of my budget.
  • It seems people collect GeoCoins more often then releasing them into the wild. This is not to say that they are stolen, just that it seems to me that these are primarly a collectible items and only sometimes released.
  • GeoCoins are small by nature and so might get lost by accident between caches.
  • GeoTags, if lost, can be "rereleased" especially if you kept the origional tag and "etched" the tracking number on something else. The downside of doing this is that folks might not know the item that was "etched" was a tag and so might not treat it appropriately. To mitigate this, the item "etched" should be clearly labeled.
  • Signature items are common, and some people have alternate tracking methods for this. PathTags was mentioned, as was some peraonal website tracking... even business cards and wodden nickels. Does anyone have any examples of "personal website" tracking? I am actaully fairly websavvy and can probably code soemthing without too much trouble. The downside of this is can't be linked to GeoCaching.com. Does anyone know where the rules around this (if any exist) are? Specifically I am courious about the use of GeoCaching icons (which I assume I can't use without permission, which I assume I won't get) and the use of the GeoCaching.com website name (which I assume I CAN use someone on my personally tracked items... or rather that I can't be forbidden to use on my item any more than I would be forbidden to link to the site from my webpage or use the name in a forum post somewhere).

Thanks for all the help everyone!

Edited by dcolpi
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wsgaskins

+wsgaskins

Posted
Posted

Do folks have their own tracking system?

 

In my caching time, I've seen quite a few different "not-officially-trackable" trade items in caches. A cool deck of playing card (with WWII bomber info on each one), laminated together with a slip of paper saying basically:"let me know where you found this. I'm at : abc@email.etc". This one was big enough to not get lost in the cache but it was easily "collectible" and still didn't guarantee you that someone will actually contact you. Also I've seen some fish beads with a small tag and a sequence # that were tracked on the owner's personal website.

 

With a TB or Geocoin, the fact that it gets "checked in" to the cache listing means that other cachers will be on the lookout for it when they visit and (may) report it missing. And everyone knows (hopefully!) that they should not take out a TB or Coin without logging it online.

 

So - in summary - get a TB tag (or geocoin!), attach it to something cool enough to make people want to take it with them and log it online, but not so cool that they want to steal it. And if you want to leave a personal 'calling card' in the cache, you're still free to do so. But unless it's really unique, don't expect anyone to notify you that they have taken it. And most certainly, it's very unlikely that anyone will drop *your* calling card into another cache.

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Nathan Wert

+Nathan Wert

Posted
Posted

I purchased some travel bugs (just received my vehicle decals today). I ordered some customized "finger boards" with two lines of text...

 

"www.geocaching.com

Nathan Wert"

 

I also ordered some pencils to put in caches saying the same thing (for caches I'm going to start in the future). Oriental Trading Company has a customizable section of their websites (where I purchased mine).

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Eartha

+Eartha

Posted
Posted

I've merged your two thread.

I think you have gotten the idea that you MUST leave something trackable in a cache. You do not. The basic etiquette about trading swag in caches is "Trade up, trade even, or don't trade at all." You do not have to have trackable items, and a lot of people find great trade items at the local dollar store, or even in your junk drawer. If you would like to find it in a cache, so might someone else. But this thread is turning into an advertisement for a lot of things that are not trackable on geocaching.com, which is against our forum posting guidelines, so I am closing it. I think you have enough information to proceed.

 

Geocaching is not meant to be an expensive hobby, but it's like fishing. You can grab a piece of bamboo and a safety pin and land a fish, or you can go out and get the $700 Orvis rod, the $7 fly, the $30 fishing line and catch the same fish. It all depends on how you want to play.

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