+Need me glasses Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Having just read the thread about all the trackables that have been missing and are now turning up, years later in some cases! I wondered what percentage of trackables end up this way? I am about to release my first ever one and must say that I am nervous, do some people purposely hang on to them just to get a control kick or something? Quote Link to comment
+Isonzo Karst Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 do some people purposely hang on to them just to get a control kick or something? Yes, some do, but that reason applies to only a tiny tiny fraction of bugs that go missing. Bugs go missing largely because people pick them up and then space out on remembering log them, or do anything with them. They float around in the bottom of somebody's day pack for months or years. Or someone picks up a bug, and then life happens, and they don't cache again for a long time, maybe never. Bugs go missing when caches go missing. Novices pick them up, not even knowing that they are supposed to log them and drop them. I've watched this happen twice recently. I was there, and made the explanation, but I'd guess it's high on the list of reasons bugs disappear. Attach the tag to something that won't attract children as a play thing, and get the exploratory note attached to the object as securely as you can. Quote Link to comment
+Lieblweb Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Everything an anything happens to them...... Isonzo Karst already mentioned the reasons.... I think coins are the worst for 'disappearing'. Coins are very cool..... I have a coin now that's HUGE and is worth $26 if you buy it online. It's a lacky coin and the owner won it as an FTF prize (not very active geocacher). I e-mailed the owner and said, "Are you sure you want this to go into the wild?? I'm pretty certain it'll get stolen!!" and I offered to mail it back to him. I'll hold onto it for a while and visit it around & about....but its a shame to see something that nice get put into the wild. Don't send anything out into the wild that you care about. Assume everything you put out as a TB will get lost or go missing. Put a large laminated tag with the TB to explain what the TB is....and its goal. My husband and I currently have 8 TB's in the wild. Four of them are marked as missing. Believe it or not, but our very first TB (a toy Jeep) is still alive and kicking with 26607 miles on it. We've enjoyed watching its travels. We've e-mailed the folks to say THANK YOU for picking up and traveling with Izzy....Thanking them for the pictures and the adventures. Quote Link to comment
+kunarion Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 I am about to release my first ever one and must say that I am nervous My Trackables have had a little of everything happen. It all seems random, some vanish instantly, some travel the world, and there seems to be nothing that makes them endure or disappear. One of my Geocoins is in a coin flip with tracking info, and it's a shiny gold "pirate skull coin". Another is just the coin, no info. Both are still traveling around just fine (the gold one is in Europe). I'll sometimes do a life check on my TBs and coins. One might not have been logged for a while, and the cache gets stolen. When I've decided it's gone for good, it turns up in another state. It's like magic. I've re-released several of mine (after one year), and just keep them with me for now. Quote Link to comment
+Gitchee-Gummee Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 I am about to release my first ever one and must say that I am nervous.... There is a simply solution to this.... Don't release one. Release ten or more in one shot. It keeps you busy so that you aren't focused solely on one, being so concerned and worried about it. This was NOT posted in jest.... Quote Link to comment
+The Blorenges Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 I know I've said this before, It's a gamble, like sticking $5 into a slot machine - sooner or later you're going to lose it. Whether it lasts for 10 miles, 100 miles or 10,000 miles is mostly down to luck and whether your TB lands up in the hands of cachers who know what they are and how to log them, or ends up in the bottom of the bag of someone who was taken out caching by a friend, was given a TB to log... but then loses interest and forgets all about it. There are dozens of reasons/excuses for why they go missing. Attaching some instructions will shift the odds a bit more in favor of extended life but those who release TBs have to accept the odds and hope that the potential interest and entertainment value outweighs the other risks. It's still a gamble. Are you going to play? MrsB Quote Link to comment
+Need me glasses Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 I am about to release my first ever one and must say that I am nervous.... There is a simply solution to this.... Don't release one. Release ten or more in one shot. It keeps you busy so that you aren't focused solely on one, being so concerned and worried about it. This was NOT posted in jest.... Thanks for this idea, it seems a very good solution! 4 more ordered, should arrive today. Quote Link to comment
+Need me glasses Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 I know I've said this before, It's a gamble, like sticking $5 into a slot machine - sooner or later you're going to lose it. Whether it lasts for 10 miles, 100 miles or 10,000 miles is mostly down to luck and whether your TB lands up in the hands of cachers who know what they are and how to log them, or ends up in the bottom of the bag of someone who was taken out caching by a friend, was given a TB to log... but then loses interest and forgets all about it. There are dozens of reasons/excuses for why they go missing. Attaching some instructions will shift the odds a bit more in favor of extended life but those who release TBs have to accept the odds and hope that the potential interest and entertainment value outweighs the other risks. It's still a gamble. Are you going to play? MrsB Yeah of course I will play! I was thinking of releasing a bug in memory of a loved one but I think I will keep them lighthearted so that it wont upset me so deeply if they go missing, that way I will enjoy the game! Quote Link to comment
+The Blorenges Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I know I've said this before, It's a gamble, like sticking $5 into a slot machine - sooner or later you're going to lose it. Whether it lasts for 10 miles, 100 miles or 10,000 miles is mostly down to luck and whether your TB lands up in the hands of cachers who know what they are and how to log them, or ends up in the bottom of the bag of someone who was taken out caching by a friend, was given a TB to log... but then loses interest and forgets all about it. There are dozens of reasons/excuses for why they go missing. Attaching some instructions will shift the odds a bit more in favor of extended life but those who release TBs have to accept the odds and hope that the potential interest and entertainment value outweighs the other risks. It's still a gamble. Are you going to play? MrsB Yeah of course I will play! I was thinking of releasing a bug in memory of a loved one but I think I will keep them lighthearted so that it wont upset me so deeply if they go missing, that way I will enjoy the game! Remember - If the TB does go missing you can always re-start it after the 'Fingers crossed' period of hope (which is usual recommended to last about a year). MrsB Quote Link to comment
+3Woofs Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 I think it is very common and yet there are many bugs out there. I think I have about 14 or so traveling now and I think 3 are suspect of being MIA. Still like to send them out. Quote Link to comment
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