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where can I purchase just a travel bug "number"?

beatrixkiddo

By beatrixkiddo
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beatrixkiddo

beatrixkiddo

Posted
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I am wanting to place travel bugs in some of my caches. I am wanting to use my own items and just attatch a travel bug number to it. I know that I can buy travel bugs, but where can I purchase just the number because I dont want to have to pay for the actual item if i'm not going to use it anyway. Also, I don't want to pay for a "LOT" of numbers. I just want to purchase them individually.

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jholly

jholly

Posted
Posted

I am wanting to place travel bugs in some of my caches. I am wanting to use my own items and just attatch a travel bug number to it. I know that I can buy travel bugs, but where can I purchase just the number because I dont want to have to pay for the actual item if i'm not going to use it anyway. Also, I don't want to pay for a "LOT" of numbers. I just want to purchase them individually.

 

From Groundspeak. You might find it cheaper to just buy the tags and use those numbers instead of getting the numbers only.

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t4e

+t4e

Posted
Posted (edited)

you're not getting any item, you getting the dog tags with the tracking number and GC logo on them and you attach it to any item of your choice

 

i doubt it you can just purchase number, but i may be wrong, the TB is a registered trademark of Groundspeak

Edited by t4e
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BlueDeuce

+BlueDeuce

Posted
Posted

I am wanting to place travel bugs in some of my caches. I am wanting to use my own items and just attach a travel bug number to it. I know that I can buy travel bugs, but where can I purchase just the number because I dont want to have to pay for the actual item if i'm not going to use it anyway. Also, I don't want to pay for a "LOT" of numbers. I just want to purchase them individually.

 

I am not aware of any place to purchase just the number at a discount.

 

Although I'd be happy to discuss the best ways to release a bug without an attached dogtag. I'll start by saying there is a risk in releasing a traveler that doesn't conform to what people expect to be a bug. Clear travel bug identification is important to keeping your TB in circulation.

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Gitchee-Gummee

+Gitchee-Gummee

Posted
Posted

Truth be known, you aren't purchasing dogtags. You are purchasing the number and the use of the facilities with which to track it by.

 

The tags are merely what the number is recorded upon in order to deliver it to you (two of them, so that you have a copy should you need it). B)

Nobody says that you have to use the tag(s) themselves.

 

...just a different perspective on TB numbers. :)

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BCProspectors

BCProspectors

Posted
Posted

I think you're a little confused here. My understanding is that you think a Travel Bug is a trinket purchased with a tracking number attached. That's incorrect.

 

When you buy a Travel Bug it is merely a dog tag with a tracking number. You will be able to attach this tag to a trinket, which sounds like what you're trying to do. So you're not buying an item, you're buying something to attach to your own item.

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BlueDeuce

+BlueDeuce

Posted
Posted

Truth be known, you aren't purchasing dogtags. You are purchasing the number and the use of the facilities with which to track it by.

 

The tags are merely what the number is recorded upon in order to deliver it to you (two of them, so that you have a copy should you need it). B)

Nobody says that you have to use the tag(s) themselves.

 

...just a different perspective on TB numbers. :)

 

Well yeah...but getting away from a standard release sets up a whole new logistic and issues. People really need to give their bug the best chance to stay in circulation.

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beatrixkiddo

beatrixkiddo

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I think you're a little confused here. My understanding is that you think a Travel Bug is a trinket purchased with a tracking number attached. That's incorrect.

 

When you buy a Travel Bug it is merely a dog tag with a tracking number. You will be able to attach this tag to a trinket, which sounds like what you're trying to do. So you're not buying an item, you're buying something to attach to your own item.

 

Right. I was just wondering if there was somewhere that you can just buy the number. Then they could just email it to you, instead of having to buy an actual item.

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t4e

+t4e

Posted
Posted

 

Right. I was just wondering if there was somewhere that you can just buy the number. Then they could just email it to you, instead of having to buy an actual item.

 

do you understand what a "trademark" is?

 

than of course you can send an email to Groundspeak and ask them

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BCProspectors

BCProspectors

Posted
Posted
Right. I was just wondering if there was somewhere that you can just buy the number. Then they could just email it to you, instead of having to buy an actual item.

There's no way to do that. Part of what makes a Travel Bug a Travel Bug is the Travel Bug logo. Without the logo, your item wouldn't be recognized as easily as a Travel Bug.
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Eartha

+Eartha

Posted
Posted

I just saw a TB recently that was a scan or photocopy of the actual, metal TB, and then this was laminated with instructions on the back.

 

I assume the actual TB just sits at home with all his friends.

 

(This is the travel bug, if you're curious.)

 

That was probably one that was sent out, lost, the copy sent out, it got lost, so they made one. Many geocoin owners send out "proxy" coins, because they can't bear to part with the real thing, or the original went missing, and they made a copy, and then many cachers are disappointed not to see the real thing. Some go so far as to throw them out and this is just wrong. It's still a traveler. Others will make a very nice hard copy, not just a laminated tag, and people don't mind them AS much.

 

The OP wants to just purchase a number, well, they'll still need to buy the tag, unless they want to buy a block of tracking numbers and go through design approval. People won't recognize their item as a TB without the tag, and it will probably go missing faster than a TB with a tag would. Especially if the item is kid friendly. Kids can grab things pretty quickly when Mom and Dad are distracted by a log book. :)

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BlueDeuce

+BlueDeuce

Posted
Posted
It's still a traveler. Others will make a very nice hard copy, not just a laminated tag, and people don't mind them AS much.

 

I find people don't mind it at all. Bugs aren't about the tag or the traveler itself for that matter. Goal, Mission, fun is why bugs never have to die. Lose a coin and you've lost a pretty shiny cool looking thing. Ugly bugs live longer.

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captnkirk17

+captnkirk17

Posted
Posted (edited)

You may not be able to buy the numbers, but we were able to win them back in 2017.
The prize for the Mary Hyde contest a while back, was a tracking number that was emailed to you that you could use to turn anything into a trackable.
The tracking codes had the prefix AR and the Mary Hyde logo Mary Hyde's Treasure and here is what I made:  https://coord.info/TB8NG40

Edited by captnkirk17
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