Cache stolen/muggled TB gone

[+hat_man]

Hello everyone,

 

I have a cache here in Illinois that has been either stolen or severely muggled. I spent almost an hour searching the surrounding area (100' radius) for any remains of it but there is nothing there. The log book contained history on the indian mounds near the cache, but to me the biggest loss is the 2 travel bugs that were in the hide. One has been out there for 5 years and had over 50,000 miles on it. I contacted both owners to let them know the bad news.

 

This is my question----- Can these TB's be replaced and re-placed in another cache to keep them "alive"? I feel bad for the owners and would be willing to give them my home address if they want to mail me new ones or even just order new ones myself if they want. I have never dealt with tracking or logging TB's but have seen many of them in hides. I guess I just don't know the protocol for having one come up missing in one of my hides. Any advice out there from the TB community?

 

Thanks

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

The fact that the traveler's are missing is not really your problem. You have already done more than what many cache owner's do by informing the TB owners about what happened. You have no obligation to replace them.

 

The owners probably yet have the "copy" tags. If there is to be a re-release, it rests upon them.

 

Should the owners not mark the travelers as "missing" within a reasonable period of time, you, as the cache owner may do so, rather than to leave them in a cache that has gone AWOL. I say a reasonable period of time because strange things happen -- they and the cache just could magically reappear. It has happened before.

[+hat_man]

I know that it's not my responsibility to replace the TB's, I just wanted to help make it easier to keep them in play. After reading some of the posts in the TB forums I still wonder, if they are re-released will they lose their milage? If I re-released them (at the owners discretion) in another hide near there or in another one of mine, would they retain milage and age?

 

Just doing what I can to help.

Edited June 12, 2010 by hat_man

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Part of the problem with YOUR re-releasing them, you have no access with which to make adjustments on the TB page -- outside of a simple log.

 

A re-release by the owner (using the "copy" tag) would keep everything intact (including the mileage and previous logs) if done properly.

 

This sort thing happens all the time, that is what the "copy" tag is all about.

I see that you don't have any TB yourself. If you aren't aware, all TB tags are supplied in pairs, one labeled as "copy" just for this type of instance.

 

Your concern is admirable, but the mechanism works if the owner desires to use it.

 

My advice: Sit back, relax and take care of your missing cache problem. Let the TB owners' take care of the TB problem. It's blunt, but it works better that way.

[+Lovey Pigs]

a sad part of caching when TB's go MIA....who knows they may show up elsewhere! we have had a few that we thought for sure were MIA, but a few months later, with amazing stories they did reappear! take care of your cache....good job on checking!

Edited June 12, 2010 by Lovey Pigs

[+ngrrfan]

When one releases a TB or coin into the world, one has no control over what may happen to it. It may survive and complete it's goal, or it may die a horrible death in someone's private collection.

 

It is a chance we all take when we send anything out on its own.