Seeking advice about two trackables in one

[+Diadem]

Hello forum readers,

I'm in a little quandary and I was hoping to get some opinions on my next course of action.

A short time ago I picked up a trackable from a geocache. It was a figuring attached to a TB dog tag. Once i logged the TB I was looking at the figuring more closely and I noticed it has a trackable code too - not the same code and not an alternate reference code. It is a code for a long missing trackable.

The original trackable was put in a cache in 2010. Very shortly thereafter I am presuming a new cacher came upon the trackable but didn't recognise it for what it was and kept it. The owner then logged it as missing. Then one day in 2016 after learning of trackballs at some stage, the new cacher attached a TB dog tag to the figuring and sent it on its way. No-one else has noted this issue in previous logs. I am presuming most cachers would easily miss the tracking code, as it is very small.

My quandary is what to do. I emailed the original owner of the figurine trackable and have not received a reply. There may be many reasons for this, but that may not be important. As I see it I have several options:

1. Forget I saw the code and release the trackable back into the wild (as a figuring attached to a TB dog tag)
2. Discover the other trackable. And do (1).
3. Grab the original trackable, release both as one unit but log them separately. I would also attached a little note to later finders of the second code.

I would appreciate any thoughts, as doing (1) would simply ignore a lost trackable. Has this happened to anyone else before? 

Many thanks,
Diadem

[+on4bam]

Log both and drop in the next cache. I've logged a few "double codes" too although those were intentional "twins".

 

[+hzoi]

9 hours ago, Diadem said:

3. Grab the original trackable, release both as one unit but log them separately. I would also attached a little note to later finders of the second code.

Seems like the way to go.  If the owner of the original trackable objects, he or she can always mark it missing again and lock the listing.

[+dprovan]

9 hours ago, Diadem said:

3. Grab the original trackable, release both as one unit but log them separately. I would also attached a little note to later finders of the second code.

Yes, definitely log both trackables. The owner of the one that's been missing will be so glad you found it! Yes, grab the missing one, and then also log it as "Visited" the cache you found it in. This is a really cool discovery, so I hope you'll write up the details in both TBs logs.

The only thing I'd ponder is whether to detach the two since they appear to have been joined in error. But I think your idea is the best: keep them together, but add some kind of note to the collection to help future finders discover that second code. That seems like the best way to avoid having that second TB drop off the grid again because people don't realize it's trackable. Make it clear what you did in your logs on both trackables, and you might even want to send a private note to both owners in case they'd prefer something else. If I were the owner of either trackable, I'd like your idea and I'd add something to the TB description explaining the unusual connection.

[+cerberus1]

Not too much these days, but years ago there was an annoying "hitchhiker" trackable thing going on (travel fleas was one), with many adding their own tracking numbers from their long-lost trackables on them.  Confusing as heck.

The few threads on attaching objects had most say "Never add or remove anything from a bug without owner permission".

I'd log both.  I'd email both owners and ask them what they want (it belongs to them...)  and if neither respond, I'd send both trackables, together, into the next cache and forgetaboutit.