This is collectible

January 20, 2011

Hello, I am new to the trackable world. I just bought two trackables. I activated one , it all went smoothly but I don't understand the choice between " make this collectable " and " this is not collectable ". I want it to travel between any caches and anyone can take it on its little journey. I did a search on this forum and I didn't see anything. I must have missed it because its probably explained somewhere. I am hoping someone can in very simple terms ( I am not overly bright ) explain what the two choices mean. Thank you.

January 20, 2011

"Collectible" means someone can take it home with them and make it part of their personal collection and keep it forever and ever. It sounds like you would want to select "This is not collectible."

Edited January 20, 2011 by Happy Bubbles

8.8k · January 20, 2011

Please use the link in my signature to read more about how collectibles works. Basically, it was added for the people who choose to activate their coins, but not release them. It makrs it easier for them to log the trackables they do move, without having a really long list to scroll through to drop them off. It is confusing and should NOT mean that someone can take it and keep it, not without your OK. Choosing not to mark it either way means it is meant to travel, and leaves it in your inventory.

11.6k · January 20, 2011

It is confusing and should NOT mean that someone can take it and keep it, not without your OK.

Trackable Collections. The more I read it, the more uncertain I become. Definitely where it says "Collectible = The coin may be collected by another player". If I select an active coin as "Collectible", I'm asking for trouble.

If someone's held a TB for a long time, and I ask them to move it, and if that player has decided to "collect" it, they have it in writing that "The coin may be collected by another player". And so they did. The end.

Sure I'm probably doing it all wrong (although I only have "Collectible" on 2 things I keep with me, not placed into caches -- one's a hiking stick). I basically select various "Inventory" & "Collectible" combinations for my menu convenience (say, I want it listed on the cache page when I do a log, but have certain options available for others when they log it). But the link above doesn't specifically say "It remains the property of the listed Trackable's owner". It can be read that by choosing "Collectible", I've selected it as a gift to whoever wants it.

Edited January 20, 2011 by kunarion

8.8k · January 20, 2011

You can change it at any time. Looks like we should work on a clarification. Because at no time should it mean that someone is able to keep your trackable.

January 21, 2011

Thank you for your help. I will select not collectable on my first trackable. I watched the video in the link on how to set up a trackable but they don't mention it. Thanks for the replies.

1.7k · January 21, 2011

You can change it at any time. Looks like we should work on a clarification. Because at no time should it mean that someone is able to keep your trackable.

(Bolding mine)

DUH!!!.... This has been said ever since it came out. The easiest clarification is to get rid of the "collectible" thingy...then there is no confusion at all.

8.8k · January 21, 2011

You can change it at any time. Looks like we should work on a clarification. Because at no time should it mean that someone is able to keep your trackable.

(Bolding mine)

DUH!!!.... This has been said ever since it came out. The easiest clarification is to get rid of the "collectible" thingy...then there is no confusion at all.

That would defeat the purpose of making it easier for the people who asked for this feature. We'll get it clarified instead.

1.7k · January 21, 2011

You can change it at any time. Looks like we should work on a clarification. Because at no time should it mean that someone is able to keep your trackable.

(Bolding mine)

DUH!!!.... This has been said ever since it came out. The easiest clarification is to get rid of the "collectible" thingy...then there is no confusion at all.

That would defeat the purpose of making it easier for the people who asked for this feature. We'll get it clarified instead.

IMHO.... and I'd bet there are others with the same opinion/outlook..... any feature that causes so much confusion is not a feature, regardless of how many people may have asked for it.

"The needs of the many out-weigh the needs of a few, or the one." There are probably more people that either don't care or don't want the feature than the few that have asked for it.

22k · January 21, 2011

IMHO.... and I'd bet there are others with the same opinion/outlook..... any feature that causes so much confusion is not a feature, regardless of how many people may have asked for it.

"The needs of the many out-weigh the needs of a few, or the one." There are probably more people that either don't care or don't want the feature than the few that have asked for it.

I'd get rid of the collectible option, and the Discover option...and geocoins (as travelers)

Chances are pretty good Groundspeak isn't going to answer my wishes any time soon.

8.6k · January 21, 2011

IMHO, the feature is good - it's the ambiguous nature of the word "collectible" which causes the confusion.

If the two (radio button) options on trackable could be something like

"Non-traveller: in owner's collection" and "Travelling trackable: on a journey"

it might make it clearer.

MrsB

22k · January 21, 2011

Yep, "collectible" is the word giving us this challenge.

22k · January 21, 2011

"Non-traveller: in owner's collection" and "Travelling trackable: on a journey"

it might make it clearer.

What else?

Private.

Personal.

Owner maintained.

Not for circulation.

Why not be obvious?

For Discover only.

1.7k · January 21, 2011

"Non-traveller: in owner's collection" and "Travelling trackable: on a journey"

it might make it clearer.

What else?

Private.

Personal.

Owner maintained.

Not for circulation.

Why not be obvious?

For Discover only.

Which begs the question..... Why wasn't it made clear from the start? :unsure:

22k · January 22, 2011

Which begs the question..... Why wasn't it made clear from the start?

I find it's common when you have people with product experience designing and implementing new features. Which is great in some directions, but not so much if people forget to take into account the completely uneducated users.

January 23, 2011

Hi folks

I also just bought 2 TB. I read the thread carefully but can't get it.

What means collectible? That the Bug can be taken form a cache into the cachers inventory, to take it to another cache ant put them down there, or that he can take it forever for him self??

I am a Austrian cacher, maybe someone can answer me in german.

happy hunting

January 24, 2011

You can change it at any time. Looks like we should work on a clarification. Because at no time should it mean that someone is able to keep your trackable.

(Bolding mine)

DUH!!!.... This has been said ever since it came out. The easiest clarification is to get rid of the "collectible" thingy...then there is no confusion at all.

That would defeat the purpose of making it easier for the people who asked for this feature. We'll get it clarified instead.

Thank you . I just launched 6 Travel Bugs and marked them all non collectible. I know I can change it but it seems that I can not leave it blank now so I'll wait and see if this is fixed.

Scoop & Shell

1.7k · January 28, 2011

So Eartha.... what's the status?? What is the clarification we've been seeking?

1.7k · February 5, 2011

Bump

February 6, 2011

Please use the link in my signature to read more about how collectibles works. Basically, it was added for the people who choose to activate their coins, but not release them. It makrs it easier for them to log the trackables they do move, without having a really long list to scroll through to drop them off. It is confusing and should NOT mean that someone can take it and keep it, not without your OK. Choosing not to mark it either way means it is meant to travel, and leaves it in your inventory.

I collect geocoins and none of them are in circulation. From that perspective, it really doesn't matter whether I mark my geocoins as collectible or non-collectible. I understand from the forums and from Groundspeak knowledge that the purpose of the ability to mark a coin as collectible is to remove those coin listings from the active inventory so that one doesn't have to sort through a large number of collection coin listings each time a traveling coin is dropped into a cache. Great idea .... if it worked. I had all of my collection coins listed in 2 archived caches of mine so that only the traveling trackables in my possession showed up on my inventory list. It's much easier, obviously, to sort through a list of a few trackables than it is to sort through a list of 100+ collection coins. With the collectible option, I started "retrieving" my coins from the archived caches and marking the coins as collectible - every one of them are now listed on my inventory. Either I was wrong about the purpose of collectible vs non-collectible or there is a glitch in the system. Please clarify the purpose of being able to mark a coin as collectible or non-collectible especially with respect to the active inventory list.

February 6, 2011

I've found the "collectable" option completely confusing and unnecessary. Most of my geocoins stay with me now since I read of lots going missing, but ALL my trackables are marked "non-collectable" as I understand this to mean that no other cacher can get confused that they have the right to walk off with one.

Hasn't stopped a couple going missing. I know you shouldn't release them if you're not prepared to lose them (which is why I've hung on to most of the coins), but it's still annoying when you spend the time and money in getting them on the road in the first place.

As for "discovering" - it's a great button. I "discover" all the time! Please keep the option...

2.4k · February 6, 2011

I collect geocoins and none of them are in circulation. From that perspective, it really doesn't matter whether I mark my geocoins as collectible or non-collectible. I understand from the forums and from Groundspeak knowledge that the purpose of the ability to mark a coin as collectible is to remove those coin listings from the active inventory so that one doesn't have to sort through a large number of collection coin listings each time a traveling coin is dropped into a cache. Great idea .... if it worked. I had all of my collection coins listed in 2 archived caches of mine so that only the traveling trackables in my possession showed up on my inventory list. It's much easier, obviously, to sort through a list of a few trackables than it is to sort through a list of 100+ collection coins. With the collectible option, I started "retrieving" my coins from the archived caches and marking the coins as collectible - every one of them are now listed on my inventory. Either I was wrong about the purpose of collectible vs non-collectible or there is a glitch in the system. Please clarify the purpose of being able to mark a coin as collectible or non-collectible especially with respect to the active inventory list.

It has been very confusing terminology for sure. I'm not sure of your exact process here, but the act of retrieving might be the problem... or not. It's possible the switch gets changed when you take it into 'possession' again... but it doesn't change the listing... OR more likely, there is a problem with another term... INVENTORY... that is a list of what you have... I believe that this collectible setting only affects the list which shows on the LOGGING page which allows you to drop trackables... I'm not enough of a player to be sure, but mine only come and go from that list... but I still see all of my trackables in my Inventory.

Another point is that you can only influence trackables that you owner of... but I think that is obvious... people usually use archived caches for storing other peoples items, not currently circulating.

It will be 'clarified' soon we hope.

Doug 7rxc

February 6, 2011

I collect geocoins and none of them are in circulation. From that perspective, it really doesn't matter whether I mark my geocoins as collectible or non-collectible. I understand from the forums and from Groundspeak knowledge that the purpose of the ability to mark a coin as collectible is to remove those coin listings from the active inventory so that one doesn't have to sort through a large number of collection coin listings each time a traveling coin is dropped into a cache. Great idea .... if it worked. I had all of my collection coins listed in 2 archived caches of mine so that only the traveling trackables in my possession showed up on my inventory list. It's much easier, obviously, to sort through a list of a few trackables than it is to sort through a list of 100+ collection coins. With the collectible option, I started "retrieving" my coins from the archived caches and marking the coins as collectible - every one of them are now listed on my inventory. Either I was wrong about the purpose of collectible vs non-collectible or there is a glitch in the system. Please clarify the purpose of being able to mark a coin as collectible or non-collectible especially with respect to the active inventory list.

It has been very confusing terminology for sure. I'm not sure of your exact process here, but the act of retrieving might be the problem... or not. It's possible the switch gets changed when you take it into 'possession' again... but it doesn't change the listing... OR more likely, there is a problem with another term... INVENTORY... that is a list of what you have... I believe that this collectible setting only affects the list which shows on the LOGGING page which allows you to drop trackables... I'm not enough of a player to be sure, but mine only come and go from that list... but I still see all of my trackables in my Inventory.

Another point is that you can only influence trackables that you owner of... but I think that is obvious... people usually use archived caches for storing other peoples items, not currently circulating.

It will be 'clarified' soon we hope.

Doug 7rxc

Thanks. Retrieving them from a storage cache might be part of the problem but the coins that I just activated, marked as collectible and that have never been in a storage cache show up on the inventory and the list on the logging page. I have the exact same list on both my inventory and on the logging page. The coins that are "stashed" in one of my archived caches do not show up on either list but are listed on my profile trackables list.

8.6k · February 6, 2011

If you look at your profile, under the Trackables Inventory link ( http://www.geocaching.com/my/inventory.aspx ) you'll see the information headed "Your Trackables Inventory" and a list of trackables...

Although it says "Your Trackables Inventory" it doesn't actually mean that it list only your trackables. It is a list of trackables that you have "in your hands" now, which are designated for travel. They will be trackables belonging to other cachers that you have retrieved from caches with the intention of moving them onwards soon and also any trackable belonging to you that is a non-collectible (i.e. you intend for it to move in and out of caches). These could be your own trackables that are activated but not yet placed into their first cache or perhaps an active trackable that you use as a "personal tracker" to visit caches and track your own caching mileage.

The ones that are in "Your Trackable Inventory" that actually belong to you show a link to the right side "Move to Collection" to enable you to remove them from their current travelling status to a static status in your Collection, if you so wish.

I also had a small personal collection of geocoins stashed in an archived cache originally. I had to retrieve each one from the cache first, so that they appeared in my inventory and then clicked the Move to Collection to transfer each one there.

Does that make anything any clearer?

MrsB

February 6, 2011

If you look at your profile, under the Trackables Inventory link ( http://www.geocaching.com/my/inventory.aspx ) you'll see the information headed "Your Trackables Inventory" and a list of trackables...

Although it says "Your Trackables Inventory" it doesn't actually mean that it list only your trackables. It is a list of trackables that you have "in your hands" now, which are designated for travel. They will be trackables belonging to other cachers that you have retrieved from caches with the intention of moving them onwards soon and also any trackable belonging to you that is a non-collectible (i.e. you intend for it to move in and out of caches). These could be your own trackables that are activated but not yet placed into their first cache or perhaps an active trackable that you use as a "personal tracker" to visit caches and track your own caching mileage.

The ones that are in "Your Trackable Inventory" that actually belong to you show a link to the right side "Move to Collection" to enable you to remove them from their current travelling status to a static status in your Collection, if you so wish.

I also had a small personal collection of geocoins stashed in an archived cache originally. I had to retrieve each one from the cache first, so that they appeared in my inventory and then clicked the Move to Collection to transfer each one there.

Does that make anything any clearer?

MrsB

Thanks! Got it! I appreciate the response and the help.

1.7k · February 18, 2011

I STILL want Groundspeak to clarify what "collectable" is. We all have our own opinion but .... I'm still waiting.

1.2k · February 19, 2011

The "collectible" option, the way described by Eartha, is practical. If I have activated 20 coins that I'm keeping at my house (not dropping in/visiting caches), this option helps clean up the cache log page.

The problem is that the collectible status is displayed to everyone. Especially "the owner has not selected their collectible preference" (or something like that) seems to confuse people.

Why not place the collection option and status somewhere only the owner can see? I.e. same place as the button for "recalculate distance"? Would be great to be able to swap between collection and "log-able" with the press of a button (i.e. when going to events). Instead of the current method of editing page, changing setting, posting log to move to collection... AND the trouble of other users getting confused about collection status.

1.7k · February 19, 2011

The "collectible" option, the way described by Eartha, is practical. If I have activated 20 coins that I'm keeping at my house (not dropping in/visiting caches), this option helps clean up the cache log page.

But even Eartha has said that they may not be right and that GS needs to clarify this matter.

Why not place the collection option and status somewhere only the owner can see?

Why not get rid of it totally. Then there is no confusion. :huh:

3.1k · March 9, 2011

BUMP...

Anyone heard anything more on this?

March 24, 2015

2015 and still no "Clarification" :-p

11.6k · March 25, 2015

no "Clarification"

Here's what I think the clarification is. Eartha clarified it well in post #3 years ago (and many times since). But here's way more than anyone ever needs to know:

"This is Coillectible" (and "Collections") are to be used by the probably way less than 1% of Geocachers who need it. If you don't know what the checkbox is for, you don't need it. Don't checkmark it. If you checkmarked it already, be sure "Not Collectible" is checked. As with "Geocoin Adoption" (the actual way to officially give away your activated coin), it's a feature available for those who need it, and not useful to just play around with.

“Collections” were designed as a way to avoid needing to digitally move one's Geocoins to a cache page in order to remove them from Inventory. If someone owns a lot of activated coins, yet keeps them at home, the owner's Inventory list and the coin list on any cache log could be huge, and be a chore to search through, to see the coins moving cache-to-cache. The coins are instead digitally stored in the Collection.

But Collections also have a ton of flexibility. If you wish to loan, for indefinite periods, your Geocoins to any finder, yet you want to retain ownership and have a "paper trail" of logs, you can mark them Collectible. A finder who wishes to then add one to his collection may do so while it's in his inventory. This would be an unusual way as an owner to manage your coins, but it's available if that's what you want. It remains your coin, just listed in another's Collection. This is kinda-sorta the idea of how a Moun10Bike Geocoin works, although those aren't necessarily involved with "Collections". They're just an example of coins that are, let's say, on loan. If you make a nice Geocoin and wish it to be never "sold", yet kept indefinitely as desired, it's simpler to not even mess with "Collectible". But it's there if you want it.

Or if someone finds your coin and wants to borrow it to complete a set, after appropriate communications between the two of you, mark it Collectible, and the person adds it to his Collection. Even on the other side of the world. You don't need to be awake for the transaction. This is one important reason to leave “This Is Collectible” shown in a Profile, since it shows that all is in order and the owner is waiting for the coin to be added to a Collection.

Once in the Collection, mark it “Not Collectible”. Mark all of your coins “Not Collectible” while you're not actively getting them into the Collection process (OR leave them at the default "Unselected", since you're not involved with the Collecting business at all). If you see any coins marked “Collectible”, ask before adding them to your collection. Many people just like to click buttons, or they assume “Collectible” means “I have a really cool coin!”, or they just plain don't expect that some actual “Geocachers” mainly “Geocache” for the purpose of messing with people. In a perfect world, Trackables would travel at all times as the owner desires (the phrase "Don't Keep Me" is evidently too complicated a concept for Geocachers to grasp, therefore the term "Collectible" is certainly beyond all comprehension), and an owner would never have his coin kidnapped for any reason, let alone for a menu selection he made.

A coin in a “Collection” remains the property of the owner. This ownership trail is “clarified” on the coin's page. If you wish to give a coin away, either both parties work on the adoption process, or the owner wouldn't have activated it in the first place. Again, if there's confusion, ask the coin owner. When in doubt, place the coin into a cache and log that you did so.

Although “Collectible” is designed for managing Inventories, as the owner you may use the “Collectible” and “Collection” feature as you see fit. Maybe you select it merely because the menu options are limited for finders – maybe you're tired of people “Grabbing your car”, and you want “Discover” to be the available log option, not “Grab”. In that case marking your car TB "Collectible" is appropriate since it can't be placed into in someone else's Collection because it can't be "Retrieved".

The term “Collectible” seems poorly conceived, as it applies to the abundance of coin thieves, although they seem quite capable to rationalize stealing regardless of the terminology on a web page. Pretty much any menu option anywhere on Geocaching.com is best handled by the ethical. Ever see the posts around here about cachers taking and keeping a Geocoin "just in case the guy might mark it Collectible"? Those takers (and many others with similar rationalizations for stealing) deserved a Clarification "upside da head". As it were.

Anyway, “Collections” and the “Collectible” feature are for the convenience of the owner. “Collectible” in no way means the coin is “Stealable”. If a cacher is adding your coin to their Collection (for example), a chain of proper logs must be made to do so, and then everyone can see the transaction was approved by the owner. At any time, the coin in a Collection or not, the owner may request the coin return to circulation, or back to the owner, and the current holder complies.

Edited March 25, 2015 by kunarion

This is collectible

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