Why are the marked TBs and coins almost always missing?

[The_Tobinator]

The Tobinator Team has only been at this for a little while so sorry if we're missing something... I did try a forum search before posting this query but couldn't find any solid answer.

 

We have now visited at least a dozen caches that supposedly have Trackable inventory which is, in reality, missing. Sometimes it is a whole bunch of 'em.

 

Now... I can see one or two getting taken and then misplaced or grabbed by someone who doesn't know what it is but it can't be 95% of them right?

 

Is this the work of the Seattle dude who steals and hoards these things I've heard tell of? My friend who turned me on to Geocaching told me of him.

 

If indeed this is the case... we have found an awesome TB with a really nice story and cool destination that has traveled 2700 miles and I want to make sure this TB keeps on its journey.

 

Is this something we need be strategic about?

 

We will be traveling 1000's of miles away at the end of the month to a place that would work (in a round about way) towards this TBs final destination.

 

Thanks for any advice you might have.

 

-T

Edited June 7, 2013 by The_Tobinator

[+Isonzo Karst]

What you're seeing is the gradual accumulation of TBs and coins over time. Those that were picked up by someone (usually novice) and never logged out, never logged at all.

 

Some cache owners will mark these missing to remove them from their cache's inventory. Many won't. Some trackable owners will mark these missing, so they don't show up in caches where they aren't. Most won't.

 

I just looked at cache you've found that was placed in 2008. The trackables in inventory were mostly dropped years ago. Many others have been successfully logged through that cache.

 

Generally, with any more convenient cache, any coin in inventory that was dropped more than 6 months ago is missing. TBs can sit around for a while, especially if the attachment is large.

Edited June 6, 2013 by Isonzo Karst

[The_Tobinator]

Ok thanks. That makes sense. So, if we place it in a nearby cache it is not likely to be "captured," correct? Just trying to do right by this little fella.

[+crs98]

In my opinion, the vast majority of missing trackables around the Seattle area are not missing because of a certain individual, but rather do to the large number of people who are relatively new to the game and take trackables and then misplace/lose them, perhaps because they stop geocaching or don't do it again for 8 months or a year. New cachers are much less likely to understand the concept of trackables than experienced cachers and may not even log them online to begin with.

 

While there are certain individuals who are better at collecting trackables than placing them back out, that does not account for most missing trackables. Just my $0.02.

 

The Tobinator Team has only been at this for a little while so sorry if we're missing something... I did try a forum search before posting this query but couldn't find any solid answer.

 

We have now visited at least a dozen caches that supposedly have Trackable inventory which is, in reality, missing. Sometimes it is a whole bunch of 'em.

 

Now... I can see one or two getting taken and then misplaced or grabbed by someone who doesn't know what it is but it can't be 95% of them right?

 

Is this the work of the crazy Seattle dork who steals and hoards these things I've heard tell of? My friend who turned me on to Geocaching told me of him.

 

If indeed this is the case... we have found an awesome TB with a really nice story and cool destination that has traveled 2700 miles and I want to make sure he keeps on his journey.

 

Is this something we need be strategic about?

 

We will be traveling 1000's of miles away at the end of the month to a place that would work (in a round about way) towards this guys final destination.

 

Thanks for any advice you might have.

 

-T

[DannyCaffeine]

I blame the n00b hipsters with smartphones that don't know how geocaching is done.

[The_Tobinator]

I blame the n00b hipsters with smartphones that don't know how geocaching is done.

 

Well The Tobinator team is one of them (not really hip - but n00b's with smartphone) and we're trying to do right by the GC world and are learning fast. Learned more details about this issue by going straight to the master local cachers (very nice people) and won't discuss details any further here. If you're not in Seattle metro you can disregard. If you are in Seattle you might want to message an experienced cacher in the community directly if you're encountering this phenom and don't know why.

 

Do find it sad (maybe even pathetic) that so many cachers in this forum regularly express disdain for people who cache with smartphones. Just cause we haven't bought a $300 GPS device (yet ) doesn't mean us noobs are all bad. Luckily the local COs and local veteran cachers seem much friendlier many of the peeps who seem to frequent this forum.

 

Local COs have given very helpful hints and also solid advice on this here topic despite our low cache count and (until recently) non-premium membership. If we had been treated with disdain we probably would have just quit before we even got started which is apparently what many of you want.

[+Kacher82]

I blame the n00b hipsters with smartphones that don't know how geocaching is done.

Remember, we were all newbies once. Also, it's not just newbies that take coins without logging them.

 

I've been caching since 2009, and have considered getting a smartphone and using it to cache with. Several veteran cachers around here use them, and seem to like them.