What does it mean when you activate a trackable and it says is this collectible or not

[Lensterhawks838]

hi when i activate trackables it comes up with a bit saying is this collectible or not and i only mean for it to travel and travel and for someone not to keep it so which one do i press

[+The Blorenges]

If you want it to travel from cache to cache select the "not collectible" option.

 

"Collectible" is used mainly for geocoins where the owners keep them in a private collection and they don't intend them for travel.

 

MrsB

[nonaeroterraqueous]

"Collectible" is used mainly for geocoins where the owners keep them in a private collection and they don't intend them for travel.

 

I'm also setting up a bunch of them to be kept by the finders as souvenirs, if they want them, or released, if they don't. I've got them listed as collectable, so the finders can move them into their personal inventory. I've never seen anyone do this, before, so it's going to be an experiment. I think people might get confused about it, but it's worth a try.

[+kunarion]

I'm also setting up a bunch of them to be kept by the finders as souvenirs, if they want them, or released, if they don't. I've got them listed as collectable, so the finders can move them into their personal inventory. I've never seen anyone do this, before, so it's going to be an experiment. I think people might get confused about it, but it's worth a try.

The Moun10Bike coins have a similar offer. I don't know if any are marked "Collectible", but they should be if the finder may keep them indefinitely.

 

But if you do this, add some kind of text fully explaining the offer (see Moun10Bike's coins), and that it's unusual. Please don't cause more people to arrive here asking why a TO marked a coin "Collectible".

Edited April 27, 2013 by kunarion

[+kunarion]

hi when i activate trackables it comes up with a bit saying is this collectible or not and i only mean for it to travel and travel and for someone not to keep it so which one do i press

Leave it unselected. Or click "Not Collectible".

 

MrsB is correct, the "Collectible" feature is for people who purchased an unmanageable number of coins, and need a way to tidy their Inventory list.

 

But if you ever have a need to mark it Collectible (many people do this with the car stickers), it's no problem. The menu options are for the Trackable Owners' convenience. Nocacher is allowed to keep your Trackables without your permission, regardless of what option you select.

[nonaeroterraqueous]

But if you do this, add some kind of text fully explaining the offer (see Moun10Bike's coins), and that it's unusual. Please don't cause more people to arrive here asking why a TO marked a coin "Collectible".

 

Okay, I got a standardized note explaining this on the travel bug pages. Here's an example: TB Prisoner

 

Incidentally, it's one of eighteen travel bug prisoners, specifically made for travel bug prisons. I'm planning to make a prison and stock it with my own bugs (I'll also leave instructions on the cache page asking people to keep other travel bugs out of it. The entire region is difficult to access, and many caches in the area have warnings against travel bugs).

[Lensterhawks838]

thanks for the help

[+kunarion]

But if you do this, add some kind of text fully explaining the offer (see Moun10Bike's coins), and that it's unusual. Please don't cause more people to arrive here asking why a TO marked a coin "Collectible".

 

Okay, I got a standardized note explaining this on the travel bug pages. Here's an example: TB Prisoner

 

Incidentally, it's one of eighteen travel bug prisoners, specifically made for travel bug prisons. I'm planning to make a prison and stock it with my own bugs (I'll also leave instructions on the cache page asking people to keep other travel bugs out of it. The entire region is difficult to access, and many caches in the area have warnings against travel bugs).

Crazy! You've put a lot of work into those!

 

Placing it in the "Collection" is just a menu option to remove it from the list on the cache page, when logging caches. So once cachers do that, fewer log options will be available, and new questions will arise.

 

I'd think a Trackable designed to be kept should be marked "Collectible" (or the TO should select that when requested), just so all options are available. But most people won't use that option. If they're Visiting caches with the item, they must leave it in their Inventory. Unless it's being "Discovered" only, it's inconvenient to have it in their Collection.

Edited April 28, 2013 by kunarion

[nonaeroterraqueous]

I'm still a little new with the terminology. I think I might be confusing the terms, inventoy and collection.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

I'm still a little new with the terminology. I think I might be confusing the terms, inventoy and collection.

The confusion comes from the terms Collectible, Not Collectible and Collection.

 

Collection has no bearing on whether or not a trackable is Collectible or Not Collectible, or vice-versa.

------------

 

A trackable in your possession is held either in Inventory or in your Collection.

Items in your Inventory may be logged as "Grabbed...", "Placed...", "Visited", "Discovered" or "Note"; in other words, available to be moved.

Items in your Collection may be logged ONLY as "Discovered" or "Note". They cannot be logged otherwise while still in your Collection.

------------

 

Collectible or Not Collectible applies to whether or not it would be acceptable for another person to take and KEEP the item.

Edited April 28, 2013 by Gitchee-Gummee

[+kunarion]

Collection has no bearing on whether or not a trackable is Collectible or Not Collectible, or vice-versa.

That's incorrect. You must mark a Trackable "Collectible" to place it into a Collection, to remove it from appearing in Inventory lists. I can keep my Trackables and may offer them to other people, regardless of the setting. If someone else keeps it (legitimately), they may want to Visit it through caches, and therefore would not place it into their Collection. Therefore, the item should not be marked Collectible, unless the intention is to have it in a Collection, out of Inventory.

 

When you wish your Trackable to be added to a particular cacher's collection and remain your property, contact the cacher, mark it Collectible. They choose to add it to their Collection (or they don't), and then you mark it Not Collectible. It would be rare, unusual, to leave a coin "Collectible" while in the wilds. If it is intended as a gift, either leave it unactivated, or adopt it to the finder -- "Collectible" is not suitable for gifting coins, not express permission to keep it, and never to steal it.

 

Collectible or Not Collectible applies to whether or not it would be acceptable for another person to take and KEEP the item.

That seems to be a common belief: That a Trackable marked “Collectible” may immediately be pocketed (kept forever). Some Geocachers around here have said they take and keep Trackables where the collectible preference has not been set just in case it will be marked Collectible in the future. However, the text stamped on the TB “Don't Keep Me” has not changed. The Trackable's page should state the intentions. DO NOT keep Trackables without express permission of the TO.

 

I understand that "Collectible" is designed for flexibility, since there are many ideas for coin placements. And I understand the reasons why TPTB created this confusion . But the text of the coin's page must clearly state the terms if it may be kept. "Collectible" alone is not permission to keep it. You cannot give away your Trackable with any menu selection.

 

The "Collectible" preference is not to be used as permission to take Trackables (and certainly not without a log). The menu is for the convenience of the TO.

Edited April 28, 2013 by kunarion

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Collection has no bearing on whether or not a trackable is Collectible or Not Collectible, or vice-versa.

That's incorrect. You must mark a Trackable "Collectible" to place it into a Collection, to remove it from appearing in Inventory lists.

 

Sorry ku, have to disagree with you. Check the following links to view 'coin pages that are in my Collection (not Inventory), yet are marked as "This is Collectible". As far as I have ever been able to determine the Collectible/Not Collectible status still has no bearing on whether it is or is not in one's "Collection".

 

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=1120926

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=955196

 

To show you they are Collection, go ahead and log. You'll find that your choices are ONLY Discovery or Note. Without the numbers, of course, you can only file a Note log.

If they were held in my Inventory, you would also have the option to Grab them.

 

On the flip side, these 'coins are listed as "Not Collectible" and they are also in my Collection.

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=2342717

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=1515770

Your log options are the same as the two linked previously.

 

If what you say is true, how can all of them be held in my Collection?

 

I believe I understand what TPTB wanted to do by providing this Collectible/Not Collectible option, but I yet fail to see where there is some mechanism built into that which prevents (or allows) them being placed into either Collection or Inventory.

[nonaeroterraqueous]

Well, it seems apparent to me that "collectable" means that the trackable can be taken out of circulation. When the object is marked as collectable, it enables the item to be moved to one's private collection, and that serves the purpose of helping it be taken out of circulation. When it's in one's private collection, it stops showing up in the drop-down list when logging caches, and people cannot grab it from a person. Now, if making it collectable serves to get it out of circulation, then I think it's a fair assumption that being collectable means that the item is available to be kept by somebody. We could argue that it was meant to be kept by the owner (arguably the primary purpose of this function), but if the owner really intended to keep it, then he shouldn't have placed it in a cache. We could argue that it was meant to be kept by a specific person, but if it's left in the "collectable" designation, without explanation, then it's just an open invitation. Someone's supposed to be able to keep it, or it shouldn't be marked as collectable. Otherwise, the designation could serve no conceivable purpose. If someone keeps a bug or coin marked as collectable, and the owner did not really want it to be kept, then I'm inclined to think that it was the owner's mistake for his designation, and not the mistake of the one who kept it.

 

It seems pretty straightforward to me: if you don't want it collected, then don't call it collectable.

[+kunarion]

Collection has no bearing on whether or not a trackable is Collectible or Not Collectible, or vice-versa.

That's incorrect. You must mark a Trackable "Collectible" to place it into a Collection, to remove it from appearing in Inventory lists.

 

Sorry ku, have to disagree with you. Check the following links to view 'coin pages that are in my Collection (not Inventory), yet are marked as "This is Collectible". As far as I have ever been able to determine the Collectible/Not Collectible status still has no bearing on whether it is or is not in one's "Collection".

 

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=1120926

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=955196

 

To show you they are Collection, go ahead and log. You'll find that your choices are ONLY Discovery or Note. Without the numbers, of course, you can only file a Note log.

If they were held in my Inventory, you would also have the option to Grab them.

 

On the flip side, these 'coins are listed as "Not Collectible" and they are also in my Collection.

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=2342717

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=1515770

Your log options are the same as the two linked previously.

 

If what you say is true, how can all of them be held in my Collection?

 

I believe I understand what TPTB wanted to do by providing this Collectible/Not Collectible option, but I yet fail to see where there is some mechanism built into that which prevents (or allows) them being placed into either Collection or Inventory.

That's mostly all correct. Marking an item Collectible doesn't move it from your Inventory. And You can place it into your Collection, then mark it Not Collectible, and it stays in the Collection.

 

But you first must mark it Collectible in order for the ability to move it to the Collection to appear as an option.

[+kunarion]

If someone keeps a bug or coin marked as collectable, and the owner did not really want it to be kept, then I'm inclined to think that it was the owner's mistake for his designation, and not the mistake of the one who kept it.

 

It seems pretty straightforward to me: if you don't want it collected, then don't call it collectable.

The best practice would be to mark the item Not Collectible all the time until the point when it is to be added to a Collection. Then mark it Collectible, which causes the new selection "Add To Collection" to appear. Then it can be added to the designated Collection.

 

But the most important thing is, the owner is still listed as the owner, and all of the above options require accurate logs. If I can mark it Collectible "by mistake" and someone keeps it, then I can correct the mistake by marking it Not Collectible, and the holder immediately must release it as I desire. Except that outright stealing of Trackables seems to be rationalized in so many ways, even excused by others, and TPTB perpetuate the assumption that "Collecting" is a synonym for "Theft".

Edited April 29, 2013 by kunarion

[+Kacher82]

Collection has no bearing on whether or not a trackable is Collectible or Not Collectible, or vice-versa.

That's incorrect. You must mark a Trackable "Collectible" to place it into a Collection, to remove it from appearing in Inventory lists.

 

Sorry ku, have to disagree with you. Check the following links to view 'coin pages that are in my Collection (not Inventory), yet are marked as "This is Collectible". As far as I have ever been able to determine the Collectible/Not Collectible status still has no bearing on whether it is or is not in one's "Collection".

 

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=1120926

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=955196

 

To show you they are Collection, go ahead and log. You'll find that your choices are ONLY Discovery or Note. Without the numbers, of course, you can only file a Note log.

If they were held in my Inventory, you would also have the option to Grab them.

 

On the flip side, these 'coins are listed as "Not Collectible" and they are also in my Collection.

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=2342717

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=1515770

Your log options are the same as the two linked previously.

 

If what you say is true, how can all of them be held in my Collection?

 

I believe I understand what TPTB wanted to do by providing this Collectible/Not Collectible option, but I yet fail to see where there is some mechanism built into that which prevents (or allows) them being placed into either Collection or Inventory.

A coin has to be marked "collectible" in order for you to move it to your collection. I just tried it with my own travel dogtag, and I had to make it collectible before I had the option to move it to my collection. Your coins marked "not collectible" must have been collectible when you put them in your collection.

 

Edit: I posted this before seeing Kunarian's last post.

Edited April 29, 2013 by Kacher82