I am not putting out any more Travel Bugs!

[+jeepdelfuego]

I am not putting out any more Travel Bugs because it can get expensive ($5 per tag). I am on a budget and it seems that most of my TB's get lost after traveling for a few months. I've only put out 5 TB's. But, they all seemed to have come up missing a short time later. I wonder what percentage of TB's go missing in their 1st year. I've been a good steward of other people's TB's and I'm kind of bitter right now.

[+releasethedogs]

What is there to discuss here? Is there a reason why we should care or did you just want to jump up on the soap box?

[knowschad]

$5? What's that when it comes to entertainment? How much is a box of popcorn at the movies these days? Yeah, it is frustrating, for sure. But if you have a few weeks or months of fun for your $5, its been well worth it. Plus, you've given to others enjoyment by putting it out.

[+kunarion]

They seem very sporadic, but I don't think any of mine are lost yet, and one's a gold Geocoin. Just as I become convinced a certain TB is out of circulation, it gets logged again.

 

I'm working on a set of five Travel Bugs to place. Guess I won't stop any time soon.

 

Looking at your collection, I see that 2 are probably still in play (in people's hands), and some of mine have been held for at least as long. Unfortunately two of your TBs were in caches that got muggled. "Baby Jaguar" is a mystery, but it may be in a different cache than the one it's listed in -- maybe?

 

So, as the life of a TB goes, looks like you've experienced some of everything. Take a break from Travel Bugs. Sometime if you want to place more, try some tips from the TB Longevity threads, and try again.

Edited October 3, 2010 by kunarion

[+Scubasonic]

I am not putting out any more Travel Bugs because it can get expensive ($5 per tag). I am on a budget and it seems that most of my TB's get lost after traveling for a few months. I've only put out 5 TB's. But, they all seemed to have come up missing a short time later. I wonder what percentage of TB's go missing in their 1st year. I've been a good steward of other people's TB's and I'm kind of bitter right now.

 

Well it is true if you don't take the attitude that they will go missing you might as well not put them out, TB are not as bad as Geocoins I stopped butting out both months ago. But on the other hand I have had some that have traveled 30,000+ miles and I think are still moving.

 

Scubasonic

[+The Blorenges]

It's true that some TBs have a very short life, others get lucky and travel for years.

 

Remember, you've bought the tracking number and that lasts for ever! Once you're certain that your TB has gone for good* re-release it on the Copy tag... create something new... try a different idea. TBs can be resurrected...

 

again...

 

and again...

 

MrsB

 

*This usually means waiting a year - unless it's a confirmed loss in flood, fire, earthquake, muggling, or similar Armageddon-like scenario.

[+BlueDeuce]

I am not putting out any more Travel Bugs because it can get expensive ($5 per tag). I am on a budget and it seems that most of my TB's get lost after traveling for a few months. I've only put out 5 TB's. But, they all seemed to have come up missing a short time later. I wonder what percentage of TB's go missing in their 1st year. I've been a good steward of other people's TB's and I'm kind of bitter right now.

 

Yep, it can be very frustrating.

 

Keep in mind that once your bug is confirmed lost you can re-release it using a copy tag. No need to purchase another bug. Sure there's a bit of cost to make another but you can do it for a couple bucks or just find something around the house to set off on an adventure.

 

If you are absolutely done with releasing bugs you could adopt your old ones over to me and I'll re-release them.

[+BlueDeuce]

What is there to discuss here? Is there a reason why we should care or did you just want to jump up on the soap box?

 

Plenty of things. How to keep your bugs in circulation. How to deal with the frustrations of being a bug owner come to mind.

[+BlueDeuce]

<snip> ... it seems that most of my TB's get lost after traveling for a few months.

 

I took a look at some of your bugs.

 

First of all you don't want to show the tracking number in the photos, bad things can happen. You can use Microsoft Paint to smudge them out.

 

Rule #1 in TB Longevity: Eliminate any collectible qualities of your TB. Do not release a cute little item that someone would want to keep for themselves. Interesting is good, cute or cool is bad.

 

Make sure you include logging instruction and any necessary mission information. An attached laminated tag is best. At least print off a bug sheet to go with it.

 

Give it some kind of mission or task the finder can at least make an attempt to achieve. No mission is no reason to move your bug.

[Keystone]

I am moving this thread from the Geocaching Topics forum to the Travel Bug forum.

[+KMCRVGeocaching]

I am not putting out any more Travel Bugs because it can get expensive ($5 per tag). I am on a budget and it seems that most of my TB's get lost after traveling for a few months. I've only put out 5 TB's. But, they all seemed to have come up missing a short time later. I wonder what percentage of TB's go missing in their 1st year. I've been a good steward of other people's TB's and I'm kind of bitter right now.

 

I have just started sport and have 5 bugs/coins to put out, did put one out so far. I have found 56 caches and today went to 2 that should have contained a total of 5 bugs....none were there, I leary about putting mine out in spots where there appears to be poor logging. I have logged everything I have moved, picked up, dropped off and still have in my possession, including taking for visits, so at least owners know I am trying to put them in/trying to find a cache that they will continue to move in. Is it lazy, theft, don't care, what??

[+anakerose]

The way I look at it: you place it, consider it gone forever. If it gets logged, great, if not, then whatever.

[+JasNBex]

We currently have 3 active travel bugs of our own. One has not moved since I dropped it into a TB hotel (prison) I think I am going to grab it myself and move it elsewhere. Our second one moved several miles down the road and the third somehow quickly made it from Ohio to Canada. Was very pleased with that!! Like someone said earlier, $5 is $5. Think about whatelse you end up spending that money on....a bottle of soda and chips at lunch? Starbucks coffee? Don't have much to show for that right? Well with a TB, you have the POTENTIAL to have fun. Its sad that some people just pocket them...you never know, that's the risk you gotta take. We are personally anxious to send some more bugs and coins out and see how far they go. If they get lost along the way, that sucks...but oh well.

[+Walts Hunting]

Great, there's to many of those annoying things already.

[+jeepdelfuego]

Great, there's to many of those annoying things already.

 

Funny Mr. Walts. You've moved 255 of them!

[+TreasureKid's]

My 8 year old son just recently dropped 2 coins out in the wild. One was an achievement coin that was engraved with the info for that achievement in the spot on the coin provided. The second was a cool pumpkin coin that we had his caching name engraved on, not the easiest to see on this one. We figure anything will help mark it so it is less likely to go MIA. We also warned him what could happen and I am sure I asked him about a million times before even putting them in the car if he was sure. I then also as he was putting them in the caches asked him another couple times. He just keeps saying "Isn't that what they are for Mom, and if someone who is not playing fair takes them then we will have to replace it." Sometimes kids see it way clearer than adults, he is also a huge fan of moving others and states he is doing it the right way everytime.

[+terrkan78]

My 8 year old son just recently dropped 2 coins out in the wild. One was an achievement coin that was engraved with the info for that achievement in the spot on the coin provided. The second was a cool pumpkin coin that we had his caching name engraved on, not the easiest to see on this one. We figure anything will help mark it so it is less likely to go MIA. We also warned him what could happen and I am sure I asked him about a million times before even putting them in the car if he was sure. I then also as he was putting them in the caches asked him another couple times. He just keeps saying "Isn't that what they are for Mom, and if someone who is not playing fair takes them then we will have to replace it." Sometimes kids see it way clearer than adults, he is also a huge fan of moving others and states he is doing it the right way everytime.

Thanks for sharing that - it was nice to read.

 

I sometimes get frustrated with all the coins I've lost to someone else's pocket, but it's definitely inevitable. But to have one coin travel far, or a long time, or to get a neat log from someone who obviously cares, that's fun. Makes up for the lost coins/bugs.

[+Zangvogel]

Good that you stop putting out new TB's. There's too many of them already.

 

They were great while they were a rare find, something to cherish really. These days there are loads of travel bugs in every cache with the correct size.

 

I'm still moving them along, but the feeling of finding something special is gone for me.

[+The Blorenges]

Good that you stop putting out new TB's. There's too many of them already.

 

They were great while they were a rare find, something to cherish really. These days there are loads of travel bugs in every cache with the correct size.

 

I'm still moving them along, but the feeling of finding something special is gone for me.

 

Wow.

 

That doesn't seem to be the experience of the cachers in USA, not by what is regularly posted on this forum anyway.

 

Maybe there's some sort of Black Hole effect centred on the Netherlands and all these missing trackables are being sucked into your area!

 

MrsB

[jerosk]

Trust me, I'm Dutch and I still like it to find TB's and coins... I even bought three today to set on a trail Just have fun with them and if you don't want to put them in a cache anymore then don't... Don't see the point here

[+BlueDeuce]

Good that you stop putting out new TB's. There's too many of them already.

 

They were great while they were a rare find, something to cherish really. These days there are loads of travel bugs in every cache with the correct size.

 

I'm still moving them along, but the feeling of finding something special is gone for me.

 

Wow.

 

That doesn't seem to be the experience of the cachers in USA, not by what is regularly posted on this forum anyway.

 

Maybe there's some sort of Black Hole effect centred on the Netherlands and all these missing trackables are being sucked into your area!

 

MrsB

 

Apparently they are moving too many into the area and aren't moving enough of them out to make them rare finds. I blame them.

[jerosk]

I guess are government/companies have to give us more days off to go on a holiday Stimilating the circulation of TB's around the world