Missing TB's

[+charbella]

Hi,

Although I have been caching for just 9/10 months. I am concerned at the number of caches I have found which have no TB's, even though the web site claims otherwise.

Am I unlucky or is this a trend other cachers are experiencing?

Who would want to take a TB, not register it, and who want to aquire it knowing it was "Stolen" and unable to pass it on?

Why take a trackable , register it, hold on to it for months, and not pass it on, even though the logs show the cacher has been active?

Regards,

Charbella

[+BruceS]

Moving to the Travel Bug section of forums.

[+Walts Hunting]

This issue comes up several times a week and is much discussed. In fact there is one right below yours with 79 responses you might want to read. If I could filter down all the responses to two types it would be this.

 

1. That's the way it is and will always be so a Zen approach (or my signature) are the best ways to deal with it.

 

2. Several people will propose complicated and/or draconian solutions that will never be adopted (see #1)

Edited November 10, 2013 by Walts Hunting

[+terrkan78]

Hi,

Although I have been caching for just 9/10 months. I am concerned at the number of caches I have found which have no TB's, even though the web site claims otherwise.

Am I unlucky or is this a trend other cachers are experiencing?

Who would want to take a TB, not register it, and who want to aquire it knowing it was "Stolen" and unable to pass it on?

Why take a trackable , register it, hold on to it for months, and not pass it on, even though the logs show the cacher has been active?

Regards,

Charbella

There indeed are lots of caches with trackables listed that are missing. I haven't noticed it getting any worse lately - it's always been a problem.

 

My guess is that not too many trackables are flat out stolen; I think most are likely taken with intent to move it on and then lost or forgotten. Geocoins seem to be stolen more often than travel bugs (apparently some turn up for sale on ebay).

 

I have wondered myself why someone would take a trackable, log it, and then hold on to it for months (and years), caching all the while. I have one trackable that's been held hostage for almost two years now. If they are "visiting" your trackable to caches, they may have their smartphone app set to "auto log" the visits - in other words they may have lost the trackable months ago but their phone keeps on automatically logging it as a visit with every cache they find. If they're not "visiting" the trackable to caches, then again they may have lost it. You can write and ask them, but it's rare to get a reply. (Although the guy who's holding on to mine did reply - he said he had cancer...apparently not the kind of cancer that stops him from geocaching, but rather the kind of cancer that stops him from putting my micro geocoin into a cache. I've written that one off and, heck, maybe he's even telling the truth.)

[+Brooklyn51]

Insensitive remark and insult removed by moderator.

 

Don't be so quick to judge or LYAO. Chemotherapy is no treat and it is very important to try to maintain a semblance of a normal life. It may well be that a little geocaching gets him through the day. I can't say why he hasn't placed the microcoin but a little patience might be the better path here.

Edited November 12, 2013 by Eartha

[+Lieblweb]

Don't worry about it.... Enjoy the hobby for YOU and not what everyone else is doing.

 

Yes, its frustrating but you really can't do anything about it. I used to take the time to email folks (TB owners & cache owners) to let them know the TB wasn't in the cache. Those emails most always disappear into cyber space (never read, ignored, or no response). Sooo.....I stopped worrying about.

 

If you are on this forum, then you are one of the 'dedicated community' who wants to keep the game real. Unfortunately.... the game is public and growing. The irresponsibility, lack of dedication, & lack of understanding for the game grows with it.

[+tallglenn]

Insensitive remark and insult removed by moderator.

 

Don't be so quick to judge or LYAO. Chemotherapy is no treat and it is very important to try to maintain a semblance of a normal life. It may well be that a little geocaching gets him through the day. I can't say why he hasn't placed the microcoin but a little patience might be the better path here.

 

Well, I see his excuse works with some people. And who's being judgy here?

Edited November 12, 2013 by Eartha

[+justintim1999]

travel bugs go missing for all sorts of reasons. It's up to the travel bug owner to mark them as missing Also, cache owners can mark travel bugs "missing" if they have been listed as in there caches for an extended period of time.

 

As a travel bug owner I mark my travelers missing if they show no movement for one year or I'm cretin that it is lost.

 

As a cache owner I will mark a travel bug missing that is suppose to be in one of my caches but isn't. I usually check up on my caches every three months or so. If a traveler has been listed in the cache since the last visit I will remove it.

 

As a travel bug/geocoin nut it's important to me to keep cache inventory accurate. We've all been disappointed at not finding a traveler listed in a cache.

[BOBBLES WORLD TOUR]

A friend of mine had a TBug go missing for 5 years, then it apparently showed up.

I have seen another TB that was loged as missing 2 years ago and yet it was found a few weeks ago in the

last cache it was logged into.

But don't let that you put you off.

I would always email the TB owner if I suspect a TB had gone MIA (in a cache I owned (if I did own one).

Leave it to them to log as missing is my own humble opinion.

[ChrisEMT1]

Hi,

Although I have been caching for just 9/10 months. I am concerned at the number of caches I have found which have no TB's, even though the web site claims otherwise.

Am I unlucky or is this a trend other cachers are experiencing?

Who would want to take a TB, not register it, and who want to aquire it knowing it was "Stolen" and unable to pass it on?

Why take a trackable , register it, hold on to it for months, and not pass it on, even though the logs show the cacher has been active?

Regards,

Charbella

 

I know for me, I had a travel bug that I grabbed at an event, with the intentions of dropping it off at the next cache I visited, but when I got home, I realized that the tb was a bit bigger (and rectangular) than what would fit into the typical cache container... So after about 6 months of caching, I recently handed it off to a cacher friend of mine who gets out to more caches that would accommodate the tb.....

 

I also know how it feels to have a tb be picked up by someone and have them not drop it off, even though they have been pretty active caching in multiple states, so I try not to hold onto a tb for more than 2 or 3 weeks....

[+kunarion]

I realized that the tb was a bit bigger (and rectangular) than what would fit into the typical cache container... So after about 6 months of caching, I recently handed it off

As long as you entered appropriate logs explaining the delay, that's OK. Most of the Topics around here are not so much about TB's being taken, but about zero info about what happened to the TBs (Takers feeling entitled to do what they wish, and annoyed by an Owners' email). If you have no specific plans to place a taken TB into a cache immediately, and can't provide updates on what the problem is, a better plan is to not take it. Do not plan to place a TB "in 2 or 3 weeks", please place it immediately, or at least write a decent log about the delay.

Edited November 24, 2013 by kunarion

[+#Tenzin]

The thing that does frustrate me is when I pick up a TB/Coin and move it to another cache.

And then the thing goes "missing".

Edited November 24, 2013 by #Tenzin

[+kunarion]

The thing that does frustrate me is when I pick up a TB/Coin and move it to another cache.

And then the thing goes "missing".

That happened with first TB I ever moved. I don't watch them anymore.