Is this trackable a bad idea?

[+KatnissRue]

I've been reading the forums on trackables and I found a lot of horror stories having to do with missing/stolen trackables. It seems a lot of advice has been to make something ugly for the tag to be attached to, drilling a hole through it, and not attaching it to something a child would be attracted to. I didn't read through this before I released two of the four I purchased, and am now thinking it might have been a good idea.

 

The one I'm worried about is called "KaRue's Rockin' Tunes" and is a paper copy of the tag glued to the inside cover of a customized CD case. I burned 18 of my favorite songs onto the CD, and made a backup copy of it, as well as the art in the case. What do you guys think the chances are of this being lost fairly quickly?

 

KaRue's Rockin' Tunes

Edited September 16, 2014 by KaRue

[+cerberus1]

Along with this post on the same subject, I don't think it's a bad idea, I just feel it's not gonna have the longevity you may have hoped for.

 

There is a Trackables forum, as a question/review on your trackable isn't a "How Do I", but unless sent by a mod, probably a good idea to stay put

Edited September 16, 2014 by cerberus1

[+KatnissRue]

Along with this post on the same subject, I don't think it's a bad idea, I just feel it's not gonna have the longevity you may have hoped for.

 

There is a Trackables forum, as a question/review on your trackable isn't a "How Do I", but unless sent by a mod, probably a good idea to stay put

Thanks for the help. I did post there, but wasn't sure if I was allowed to. I'll also try to pay better attention to the forums so I post in the correct threads. Thanks again.

[+cerberus1]

Since the case had the "tag" inside it, it's possible someone will grab it as swag (trading for it) , instead of moving it along as most trackables should.

Hopefully they notice and move it to another hide - after playing of course.

 

Seems the least attractive trackables last the longest.

- An extreme example would be a bottle opener vs a diamond ring.

 

I believe that's the reason my other 2/3rds and many others are losing their geocoins (she lost over a dozen).

They appear valuable (and some are).

[+whh0]

The only thing that may be an issue is trying to find a cache large enough to hold it. With so many nano's and micro's on the seen if it is picked up it may be a while before it is dropped off again.

[+KatnissRue]

Since the case had the "tag" inside it, it's possible someone will grab it as swag (trading for it) , instead of moving it along as most trackables should.

Hopefully they notice and move it to another hide - after playing of course.

 

Seems the least attractive trackables last the longest.

- An extreme example would be a bottle opener vs a diamond ring.

 

I believe that's the reason my other 2/3rds and many others are losing their geocoins (she lost over a dozen).

They appear valuable (and some are).

 

I did write on the inside a giant explanation about going to the Geocaching site to figure out how to log it, and placed it in a baggie marked in six places that it was a trackable. Do you think it will do any good?

[+KatnissRue]

The only thing that may be an issue is trying to find a cache large enough to hold it. With so many nano's and micro's on the seen if it is picked up it may be a while before it is dropped off again.

I thought about that, and it seems to be the problem my sister-in-law is having right now. She's taken it from Kansas to Oklahoma, and back again.

[+dprovan]

Well, you thought it was a good idea, and that's really the important part. Whether it's a good idea that works is another matter, but how better to find out than to try it? Experimentation is a great way to have fun with trackables.

 

The one thing you shouldn't do is worry. If it works, that's great. If it doesn't work, that's still no worse than not releasing the TB at all. Besides, one of the worst case scenarios is actually kinda nice: someone likes your tunes so much, they keep the CD. You sent the TB out because you thought people would like to hear your tunes, so getting stolen can be considered Mission Accomplished, although naturally it would be even better if more than one person got a chance to enjoy them.

[+KatnissRue]

Well, you thought it was a good idea, and that's really the important part. Whether it's a good idea that works is another matter, but how better to find out than to try it? Experimentation is a great way to have fun with trackables.

 

The one thing you shouldn't do is worry. If it works, that's great. If it doesn't work, that's still no worse than not releasing the TB at all. Besides, one of the worst case scenarios is actually kinda nice: someone likes your tunes so much, they keep the CD. You sent the TB out because you thought people would like to hear your tunes, so getting stolen can be considered Mission Accomplished, although naturally it would be even better if more than one person got a chance to enjoy them.

Thanks for the encouragement. I just started worrying because so many people talked about losing their TBs before they were even picked up by two cachers.

[+terrkan78]

Some trackables die a quick death, and others live to travel far and wide. I haven't found a whole lot of rhyme of reason to this - I've released a couple dozen geocoins since 2009 and I didn't really follow any of the advice given on these forums for geocoin longevity. One disappeared out of the first cache. Most made it a lot longer than that. Some have sat for a long time in seldom-found, remote caches (which is fine by me). A few are still moving around.

 

One thought is to release maybe a dozen trackables (make them all CDs if you like - I'd like to come upon a trackable like that), and then it's not quite so painful when one goes missing.

[+KatnissRue]

Thanks for the input and help everyone. It means a lot that you helped, so really, thanks.

[+Irishflea]

That's kind of a near idea for a trackable. Does run the risk of vanishing like one of mine has. It was found once and never seen again. Myself, if I grab a trackable but have difficulty finding a cache big enough to fit the trackable in, I "visit" with the trackable until I can make the drop. That way, the owner knows it has not just vanished.

[+kunarion]

The one I'm worried about is called "KaRue's Rockin' Tunes" and is a paper copy of the tag glued to the inside cover of a customized CD case.

That's got paper, moving parts, a fragile case, most of it UV sensitive. And a CD has an exposed layer one molecule thick, where the data was recorded. It's not durable. When thieves steal a TB, they remove everything they don't want and discard it (TB tag, for example), the perfect crime . And for some reason, as mentioned people take a TB and carry it forevermore because of no cache big enough, ignoring the cache they took it from.

 

But there's no way to know how long it will last til you place it. TBs I expected to endure go missing quickly, ones I thought would not go far, do. You may be amazed.

 

If it's OK with you if it ends up just half a case with a TB number glued to it (as I said, who knows, it may travel all over, just like that), go for it.

Edited September 17, 2014 by kunarion

[+KatnissRue]

The one I'm worried about is called "KaRue's Rockin' Tunes" and is a paper copy of the tag glued to the inside cover of a customized CD case.

That's got paper, moving parts, a fragile case, most of it UV sensitive. And a CD has an exposed layer one molecule thick, where the data was recorded. It's not durable. When thieves steal a TB, they remove everything they don't want and discard it (TB tag, for example), the perfect crime . And for some reason, as mentioned people take a TB and carry it forevermore “because of no cache big enough”, ignoring the cache they took it from.

 

But there's no way to know how long it will last til you place it. TBs I expected to endure go missing quickly, ones I thought would not go far, do. You may be amazed.

 

If it's OK with you if it ends up just half a case with a TB number glued to it (as I said, who knows, it may travel all over, just like that), go for it.

Thanks for the new angle. I think I'm okay with that as I can easily have the CD and case replaced (And mailed to the holder).

[+kunarion]

I'm okay with that as I can easily have the CD and case replaced (And mailed to the holder).

You may not know there's a problem til the TB number is almost unreadable. That's when you find out it's been half a CD case for the last 25000 miles.

[+KatnissRue]

I'm okay with that as I can easily have the CD and case replaced (And mailed to the holder).

You may not know there's a problem til the TB number is almost unreadable. That's when you find out it's been half a CD case for the last 25000 miles.

This is true, but a risk I'm willing to take. My sister-in-law has it now and has logged just over 500 miles on it. Her only problem has been finding a cache it will fit in.