Resurecting lost TBs

[+EXMAN]

There must be a 'gazillion' lost TBs/coins out there.

 

has anyone tried to get some of them tracking #s back into circulation?

[+EXMAN]

Taboo subject????????

[+kunarion]

There must be a 'gazillion' lost TBs/coins out there.

 

has anyone tried to get some of them tracking #s back into circulation?

Lots of people have. Clip the "copy" Travel Bug tag to a new item, send it out again. The tracking number's reusable. The trick is making your replacement coin or bug non-confusing to the finders, if you aren't using a "real" TB tag.

Edited October 5, 2011 by kunarion

[+mpilchfamily]

What do you suggest? They go missing often. Some are stolen, some are lost, so disappear with the cache they where last left in. What do you think we can do to make these items come back into existence.

[+goosefraba1]

You can only do this to the bugs that YOU own.... it is what I have been doing after missing for one year. I realize that eventually a coin might reappear... I will cross that bridge when I get to it.

[+The Blorenges]

Not taboo at all, many lost TBs get resurrected, and some people resurrect lost geocoins, too. It's best to wait about a year before resurrecting a MIA item.

 

Here are some of my resurrected TBs

 

Bright Blessings (I think this one's on its third incarnation)

 

English County Counter (The original got accidentally taken to Czech Republic so I asked the cacher to bin it and I started off the replacement one.)

 

Geefer's Ghost (Replacement for the original Geefer)

 

Wandering Far Star (Proxy) Replacement for a lost geocoin

 

 

MrsB

Edited October 5, 2011 by The Blorenges

[+the hermit crabs]

There must be a 'gazillion' lost TBs/coins out there.

 

has anyone tried to get some of them tracking #s back into circulation?

I've recently revived a few dozen bugs that have been missing for anywhere between two and five years. I attached the COPY tag to something new, updated the TB page, and off they went.

 

In some cases, if I had a similar object, I left the TB name and goal the same. Other times I changed it -- sometimes to something related, and sometimes to something completely different. (But in all cases, I left all of the previous logs alone, so no one loses any credit for trackables.) If any renamed bugs had people watching them, they may be a bit confused when they start getting watchlist emails for bugs they've never heard of, but that's not too big an issue.

 

Here are some of my recent TB reincarnations.

 

No change in name or goal, but hitchhiker may look different:

Last Letter Morphing Bug

Color My World

Muggle Thwarter

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Good Luck!

In Search of Springfield

Lost in Translation

 

Name & goal changed, but sort of related to missing one:

Bookworm's Mom (replaced "Bookworm")

Sailor Moon in search of Alphonzo (replaced "Alphonzo")

Cannonball Brain's Revenge (replaced "Cannonball Brain")

See what happens when you don't floss? (replaced "Meals on Wheels")

Land Rover vs. Jeep (replaced "Mount Washington (NH) Green Jeep Travel Bug")

 

Changed to something completely different:

Flat fish

Gnome sayin'?

Howdy Kitty

Little Green Watering Can (or is it?)

Little black dress... form

What a Croc!

LEGO Inspector

Caveman art

Jellyfish

Jingle Bug

peace, man, cool, yeah

 

... and there's plenty more where those came from

[+EXMAN]

What do you suggest? They go missing often. Some are stolen, some are lost, so disappear with the cache they where last left in. What do you think we can do to make these items come back into existence.

 

excellent question......... and i'm interested to hear what other's can come up with.

But for starters, i'd be willing to put some TB's together.

i'l stamp the IDs on an aluminum tag, add a key ring and a small trinket.

i'll post a pic when i make one up, and then interested parties can send me a "DEAD" ID# and we'll put it in a cache and send it on it's way.

the TB owner will continue to have control over the TB and can change it's name/mission statement ETC...

 

i'm retired and travel the country full-time, so these TBs will be placed all over the place.

SPREAD THE WORD !!!

LET"S RESURRECT SOME "DEAD" TB#s !!!

[+mpilchfamily]

There are proxy services available. Some make plastic coins you can send out in place of a geocoin. I think most people just send a new tag of coin out rather then trying to resurrect a lost coin. Every once in a while a long lost TB/Coin will turn up again.

[+EXMAN]

There are proxy services available. Some make plastic coins you can send out in place of a geocoin. I think most people just send a new tag of coin out rather then trying to resurrect a lost coin. Every once in a while a long lost TB/Coin will turn up again.

 

OK.....I'M willing to be a FREE proxy service.

 

how much are these other services charging??

i figure i can make one of these for 50 cents and i want to do it just for fun.

it'll be like collecting smilys.

 

i'll get some satisfaction from having resurecting an ID# that's already been paid for.

and if the old TB ever shows up, the new one can just be taken out ov cirrculation.

 

ANY TAKERS ?????

[+EXMAN]

My game plan will even allow for TBs small enough for "film canister" sized caches!!!

[+mpilchfamily]

Sounds like your putting a business plan together. You may be able to turn this into a profitable venture.

[+EXMAN]

You can only do this to the bugs that YOU own.... it is what I have been doing after missing for one year. I realize that eventually a coin might reappear... I will cross that bridge when I get to it.

 

i THINK you meant i can do this only for those TBs for wich i have the "PERMISSION of the OWNERS"

Edited October 7, 2011 by EXMAN

[+EXMAN]

Sounds like your putting a business plan together. You may be able to turn this into a profitable venture.

 

i have absolutely NO intentions to turn this into a profitable venture.

 

everybody plays this game for there own reason.

- exercise.

- collecting smilys.

- collecting souveners for caching in different

----states

----provinces

----countries

----delorme pages

----types of caches

----difficulty/terrain

----following the travels of their TBs/coins

 

so......my intent is the satisfaction i'll get for resurrecting "DEAD" ID#s.

Whether they be coins or TBs those ID#s deserve to be out there on their missions.

----etc.....

[+EXMAN]

i think we should "PIN" this topic.

how do i do that??

[+EXMAN]

There are proxy services available. Some make plastic coins you can send out in place of a geocoin. I think most people just send a new tag of coin out rather then trying to resurrect a lost coin. Every once in a while a long lost TB/Coin will turn up again.

 

can you guide me to a site or two that sells the proxies?

[+EXMAN]

What do you suggest? They go missing often. Some are stolen, some are lost, so disappear with the cache they where last left in. What do you think we can do to make these items come back into existence.

 

I THINK SOME KIND OF "CAMPAIGN"

would be fun.

put the word out and have a bar graph and a goal.

like 'fund raisers' do.

 

think i could put something like that out there?

[+BlueDeuce]

There are proxy services available. Some make plastic coins you can send out in place of a geocoin. I think most people just send a new tag of coin out rather then trying to resurrect a lost coin. Every once in a while a long lost TB/Coin will turn up again.

 

Well, apparently you've lead this person down the yellow brick road. You should have tempered their excitement with the fact that the majority of people don't care to find geocoin proxies. On top of that, Travel bugs are Travel bugs, not proxies.

 

 

bd

Edited October 9, 2011 by BlueDeuce

[+EXMAN]

There are proxy services available. Some make plastic coins you can send out in place of a geocoin. I think most people just send a new tag of coin out rather then trying to resurrect a lost coin. Every once in a while a long lost TB/Coin will turn up again.

 

Well, apparently you've lead this person down the yellow brick road. You should have tempered their excitement with the fact that the majority of people don't care to find geocoin proxies. On top of that, Travel bugs are Travel bugs, not proxies.

 

 

bd

 

i understood them as saying:

- there are companies that make items that can be sent out as a replacement for a lost coin or TB.

- some lost items may show up again.

- and then there was a typo in their statement saying "I think most people just send a new tag OR coin out rather then trying to resurrect a lost coin.

 

Now......to address your statement. "the majority of people don't care to find geocoin proxies."

i think most people that enjoy the coin/TB game just like to find, log, and move them from cache to cache. They also like to read about them and sometimes even follow their travels. Sure, seeing a beautiful coin is nice, but i'll bet most of us don't care whether it's a coin, or a TB. And we don't care if the TB has a cute stuffed toy, an army man or a chunk of fake dog poop attached. We just want to play the game.

 

So to say "the majority of people don't care to find geocoin proxies." is not true.

Only someone who planned to "steal the coin" would be upset when he saw a proxy.

[+Fandango739]

Two favorite trackables that I've transported thus far were geocoin proxies. One was a handcrafted wooden replica; the other was a laminated dedication to a family pet. Both were memorable and enjoyable.

[+EXMAN]

Two favorite trackables that I've transported thus far were geocoin proxies. One was a handcrafted wooden replica; the other was a laminated dedication to a family pet. Both were memorable and enjoyable.

 

BRAVO ! 1 thumb up for proxys

[+ThePetersTrio]

Only someone who planned to "steal the coin" would be upset when he saw a proxy.

 

LoL - you must be new around here.

 

Try doing a search for "proxy" here and on the geocoin section and you'll begin to get the idea.

 

Personally, I have recycled a few of my MIA geocoins as proxies and so far the majority of them have done pretty well.

[+NanCycle]

Now......to address your statement. "the majority of people don't care to find geocoin proxies."

i think most people that enjoy the coin/TB game just like to find, log, and move them from cache to cache. They also like to read about them and sometimes even follow their travels. Sure, seeing a beautiful coin is nice, but i'll bet most of us don't care whether it's a coin, or a TB. And we don't care if the TB has a cute stuffed toy, an army man or a chunk of fake dog poop attached. We just want to play the game.

 

So to say "the majority of people don't care to find geocoin proxies." is not true.

Only someone who planned to "steal the coin" would be upset when he saw a proxy.

 

Well, except for the dog poop (even fake) part, I'd agree.

 

But, apparently not everyone does. See this thread:

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=282572

[+EXMAN]

Now......to address your statement. "the majority of people don't care to find geocoin proxies."

i think most people that enjoy the coin/TB game just like to find, log, and move them from cache to cache. They also like to read about them and sometimes even follow their travels. Sure, seeing a beautiful coin is nice, but i'll bet most of us don't care whether it's a coin, or a TB. And we don't care if the TB has a cute stuffed toy, an army man or a chunk of fake dog poop attached. We just want to play the game.

 

So to say "the majority of people don't care to find geocoin proxies." is not true.

Only someone who planned to "steal the coin" would be upset when he saw a proxy.

 

Well, except for the dog poop (even fake) part, I'd agree.

 

But, apparently not everyone does. See this thread:

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=282572

 

i checked out the thread.

i love YOUR statement !

 

"Unless they wanted to steal the coin and add it to their own collection, why would they care whether it was a real coin or a proxy? I realize the people most likely to know the answer are the least likely to give it here, so I guess I'm really just asking for speculation. I move trackables the same whether they are real coins or proxies, whether they have the original TB tag, or the "official" copy, or a homemade one. True, when I see a beautiful real coin, I do admire and enjoy it more, but it doesn't really matter to me. When I see proxies, it mostly just makes me sad that we can't send out something nice without having some jerk stealing it."

 

this statement by Droo really scares me.

 

"Because some people really really hate proxies. REALLY HATE them. There have been a few tirades here on the forums and many have come out and posted their ferocious disfavour of them. Are they right or wrong? doesn't matter, they are there and should be looked out for .... kinda like malware."

 

if there are threads where people have stated that they "REALLY HATE" proxies.

OR "have come out and posted their ferocious disfavour of them."

then these people should be monitored by us members and or GS.

we have a few bad apples out there

[+BlueDeuce]

if there are threads where people have stated that they "REALLY HATE" proxies.

OR "have come out and posted their ferocious disfavour of them."

then these people should be monitored by us members and or GS.

we have a few bad apples out there

 

You're getting there. Ready for the next level?

 

[+EXMAN]

if there are threads where people have stated that they "REALLY HATE" proxies.

OR "have come out and posted their ferocious disfavour of them."

then these people should be monitored by us members and or GS.

we have a few bad apples out there

 

You're getting there. Ready for the next level?

 

 

[+EXMAN]

i thought this TOPIC would generate a lot more posts.

 

i'm guessing that, like me, most cachers don't come to the forums very often.

they come when they have an issue, and once it's 'handled' they're gone until something else pops up.

 

sound about right?

[+the hermit crabs]

i thought this TOPIC would generate a lot more posts.

 

i'm guessing that, like me, most cachers don't come to the forums very often.

they come when they have an issue, and once it's 'handled' they're gone until something else pops up.

 

sound about right?

It's like any other public forum: the 90-9-1 Rule.

 

But back to your original topic: at first I thought you were talking about people reviving their own dead TBs, which they currently can do if they choose, and many do.

 

But after reading more of your posts, it sounds like you want to revive other people's bugs? Be careful with that -- I, for one, would be furious if you decided to revive some of mine. I have some that might look dead, but they aren't. In some cases I have told people who liked my bugs that they could keep them, and I don't want them suddenly grabbed and "revived" because some stranger thinks that they deserve to be back out traveling.

[+EXMAN]

i thought this TOPIC would generate a lot more posts.

 

i'm guessing that, like me, most cachers don't come to the forums very often.

they come when they have an issue, and once it's 'handled' they're gone until something else pops up.

 

sound about right?

It's like any other public forum: the 90-9-1 Rule.

 

But back to your original topic: at first I thought you were talking about people reviving their own dead TBs, which they currently can do if they choose, and many do.

 

But after reading more of your posts, it sounds like you want to revive other people's bugs? Be careful with that -- I, for one, would be furious if you decided to revive some of mine. I have some that might look dead, but they aren't. In some cases I have told people who liked my bugs that they could keep them, and I don't want them suddenly grabbed and "revived" because some stranger thinks that they deserve to be back out traveling.

 

not what this stranger had planned at all.

actually, i'm not sure this stranger could do that even if he wanted to, could he?

[+the hermit crabs]

i thought this TOPIC would generate a lot more posts.

 

i'm guessing that, like me, most cachers don't come to the forums very often.

they come when they have an issue, and once it's 'handled' they're gone until something else pops up.

 

sound about right?

It's like any other public forum: the 90-9-1 Rule.

 

But back to your original topic: at first I thought you were talking about people reviving their own dead TBs, which they currently can do if they choose, and many do.

 

But after reading more of your posts, it sounds like you want to revive other people's bugs? Be careful with that -- I, for one, would be furious if you decided to revive some of mine. I have some that might look dead, but they aren't. In some cases I have told people who liked my bugs that they could keep them, and I don't want them suddenly grabbed and "revived" because some stranger thinks that they deserve to be back out traveling.

 

not what this stranger had planned at all.

actually, i'm not sure this stranger could do that even if he wanted to, could he?

Sure you could. If you have saved the tracking numbers of every bug you've ever picked up (as many do, including me), and then you look at all your past logged trackables and see that one hasn't been logged in years, you could decide, all on your own, to grab it (since you have the tracking numebr) and then make a replacement for it and send it out. (But don't )

 

So... if that is not what you have in mind, and since people already have the ability to easily revive their own dead bugs if they so choose, I guess I can see why this topic did not generate the level of interest that you had hoped it would. Those who are interested in this already do it, those who are not interested in it have moved on already.

[+EXMAN]

i thought this TOPIC would generate a lot more posts.

 

i'm guessing that, like me, most cachers don't come to the forums very often.

they come when they have an issue, and once it's 'handled' they're gone until something else pops up.

 

sound about right?

It's like any other public forum: the 90-9-1 Rule.

 

But back to your original topic: at first I thought you were talking about people reviving their own dead TBs, which they currently can do if they choose, and many do.

 

But after reading more of your posts, it sounds like you want to revive other people's bugs? Be careful with that -- I, for one, would be furious if you decided to revive some of mine. I have some that might look dead, but they aren't. In some cases I have told people who liked my bugs that they could keep them, and I don't want them suddenly grabbed and "revived" because some stranger thinks that they deserve to be back out traveling.

 

not what this stranger had planned at all.

actually, i'm not sure this stranger could do that even if he wanted to, could he?

Sure you could. If you have saved the tracking numbers of every bug you've ever picked up (as many do, including me), and then you look at all your past logged trackables and see that one hasn't been logged in years, you could decide, all on your own, to grab it (since you have the tracking numebr) and then make a replacement for it and send it out. (But don't )

 

So... if that is not what you have in mind, and since people already have the ability to easily revive their own dead bugs if they so choose, I guess I can see why this topic did not generate the level of interest that you had hoped it would. Those who are interested in this already do it, those who are not interested in it have moved on already.

 

you save tracking numbers ?????

 

and i thought resurecting lost TBs was a little silly.

[+BlueDeuce]

I have saved practicality every tracking number I've ever found. And that you think it's silly doesn't mean you are right.

Edited October 13, 2011 by BlueDeuce

[+EXMAN]

I have saved practicality every tracking number I've ever found. And that you think it's silly doesn't mean you are right.

 

no right or wrong here.

just a little verbal dueling.

[+BlueDeuce]

I'd rather see discussion as to why re-release a tb is a problem rather than it's silly.

[+BlueDeuce]

There must be a 'gazillion' lost TBs/coins out there.

 

has anyone tried to get some of them tracking #s back into circulation?

 

Yes and we usually assist the owners in understanding that once its lost, give it time (usually a year) and then you can re-release it. and, this is how to help it stay in circulation. Maybe add a tag, pick the right traveler, what to expect, etc.

 

In other words, the Travel Bug Forum.

[+EdrickV]

What he was offering to do above, as I understand it, was offer a free service making essentially replacement dogtags with a lost TB/Geocoin number, add a key ring and small traveller, and place the new TB into a cache.

 

Wouldn't be any use to me as I don't yet have any trackable items, much less lost ones.

[+the hermit crabs]

you save tracking numbers ?????

 

and i thought resurecting lost TBs was a little silly.

Yes, I do save tracking numbers.

[+EXMAN]

you save tracking numbers ?????

 

and i thought resurecting lost TBs was a little silly.

Yes, I do save tracking numbers.

 

which makes me think of another question !!

 

off to the Geocaching Topics forum.