Paper TB?

[+CATNDAD]

Hello everyone!  

 

I have a question here... I know MANY TB go missing over a short period of time.  They can even go missing quicker if they "look" nice.  So my question now is that I have found a laminated paper only copy of a description and a picture of the original TB.  So... I'm assuming that the owner did not want this to go missing and kept the original and sent the "Paper" copy out in the wild to roam around.  

Is this normal and OK to do?  I would think that this is a good idea if you don't want your Original to go missing...  Thoughts?

[+kunarion]

1 hour ago, CATNDAD said:

Hello everyone!  

 

I have a question here... I know MANY TB go missing over a short period of time.  They can even go missing quicker if they "look" nice.  So my question now is that I have found a laminated paper only copy of a description and a picture of the original TB.  So... I'm assuming that the owner did not want this to go missing and kept the original and sent the "Paper" copy out in the wild to roam around.  

Is this normal and OK to do?  I would think that this is a good idea if you don't want your Original to go missing...  Thoughts?

It’s not uncommon to find a laminated paper TB, sometimes with an attachment.  It’s best if the TB page describes it, so people aren’t confused.

 

But also some cool Geocoins have become laminated paper copies in the wild.  If the coin’s page doesn’t say it’s paper, let the coin owner know it changed.

[+cerberus1]

Mostly agree with kunarion, sure, it's normal and okay ...    

...  If you think a piece of paper that isn't (really...) protected from moisture, eventually molding in a cache is "okay".

We find laminated "proxies" crumpled n filthy at the bottom of a lot of ammo cans mostly (containers that can handle a fair amount of swag).

And also agree that if the TO doesn't have it worded that it's not a piece of paper, an email would be nice.

 - Hoarders and ebay sellers often "replace" the trackables they swiped with paper.

[+cerberus1]

This was from one of those confusing  "resurrected" jeeps.  Supposedly "belongs" to a no finds/hides account with 10,000 jeep trackables.    

But a log from '19 says "if you have the original, just let me know and I will pull this jeep out of the to be resurrected list.", so who knows...

[Darwin473]

I have nine TB's at the moment, and all of mine are going out as proxies.

 

My first preference is to make my own aluminium tag with a hitch hiker. A few of mine I'm experimenting with doing the tag this way, with laminated paper. For mine, I've tried to keep longevity in mind by making sure there is a good margin of solid laminate between the edge of the paper and the edge of the lamination. And making sure the hole does not go anywhere near the paper.

 

The most common mistake I've seen with people making laminated signs is allowing the edge of the paper to have access to the atmosphere (such as by laminating a standard sheet of paper but putting holes in the corners through both the laminate and the paper) which allows moisture to get into the paper.

 

The second most common mistake is releasing them into the wild, where they get bent, scratched, hot, cold, submerged etc.  

[+kunarion]

1 hour ago, cerberus1 said:

Mostly agree with kunarion, sure, it's normal and okay ...    

...  If you think a piece of paper that isn't (really...) protected from moisture, eventually molding in a cache is "okay".

We find laminated "proxies" crumpled n filthy at the bottom of a lot of ammo cans mostly (containers that can handle a fair amount of swag).

And also agree that if the TO doesn't have it worded that it's not a piece of paper, an email would be nice.

 - Hoarders and ebay sellers often "replace" the trackables they swiped with paper.

I tend to find “laminated” items as three sheets in caches — the two plastic lamination sheets and the torn, crumpled printed paper.  All stuffed into a deteriorating ziplock bag. 
 

One of my swag items is a laminated paper printed themed version of my “Geocaching License”, but they seem to be grabbed from caches while still in good shape.  Other than that, no laminating for me.  There’s a wide variation in quality, but still, laminated travelers just do not hold up in caches. 

[+fbingha]

I've had no issues with delamination with the tags I've added to travel bugs. If the bug is still moving, the tags look fine in the posted pictures. Looking at the Jeep lamination above, the edge is cut to less than a mm in some places. Of course that's going to delaminate. I cut mine no closer then 1/4" from the paper inside.

Edited January 25, 2021 by fbingha

[+lee737]

3 hours ago, cerberus1 said:

Hoarders and ebay sellers often "replace" the trackables they swiped with paper.

I'd just use the term 'thieves' in this context....

[+CATNDAD]

9 hours ago, Unit473L said:

I have nine TB's at the moment, and all of mine are going out as proxies.

 

My first preference is to make my own aluminium tag with a hitch hiker. A few of mine I'm experimenting with doing the tag this way, with laminated paper. For mine, I've tried to keep longevity in mind by making sure there is a good margin of solid laminate between the edge of the paper and the edge of the lamination. And making sure the hole does not go anywhere near the paper.

 

The most common mistake I've seen with people making laminated signs is allowing the edge of the paper to have access to the atmosphere (such as by laminating a standard sheet of paper but putting holes in the corners through both the laminate and the paper) which allows moisture to get into the paper.

 

The second most common mistake is releasing them into the wild, where they get bent, scratched, hot, cold, submerged etc.  

 

I like the looks of the Aluminum Proxy Idea you posted!  This is much better than using some laminated paper.  Also you can keep the original and still send out a neat TB to travel around!  Im gald I posted this as this answers my question and much more!  Thank you all for putting your input in here and if you have more ideas keep them coming!

[+Teuto-Yachter]

I have sent out copies of coins I didn't want to lose, and I have found some copies, too. For my own copies, I used round plastic capsules that coin collectors use to protect gold coins. I put in a good laser color print of the coin. The effect is not far from a real coin, it has more "substance" than a lamiated piece of paper.

As for TBs, I've always understood that the actual Travel Bug is the object the dog tag is attatched to. So for me, this object is the essential thing. The shape and material the dog tag is made of is not really important, as long as the tracking number is legible.

[+cerberus1]

18 hours ago, Teuto-Yachter said:

As for TBs, I've always understood that the actual Travel Bug is the object the dog tag is attatched to.

So for me, this object is the essential thing. The shape and material the dog tag is made of is not really important, as long as the tracking number is legible.

 

That odd...If it was true, than why would the tags themselves be called a Travel Bug when sold ?   

 

It was simple to ask about the definition on google, and it says "A Travel Bug is a registered trademark of Groundspeak, Inc. used to describe a dog tag used in Geocaching. " 

And in Shop Geocaching, their own product description says "A Geocaching Travel Bug® is a unique tracking tag that you can attach to items and give them goals for others to try and complete!"

 

 

Edited February 19, 2021 by cerberus1

[+Teuto-Yachter]

6 hours ago, cerberus1 said:

 

That odd...If it was true, than why would the tags themselves be called a Travel Bug when sold ?   

 

It was simple to ask about the definition on google, and it says "A Travel Bug is a registered trademark of Groundspeak, Inc. used to describe a dog tag used in Geocaching. " 

And in Shop Geocaching, their own product description says "A Geocaching Travel Bug® is a unique tracking tag that you can attach to items and give them goals for others to try and complete!"

 

 

Indeed, you're right, of course!

Now, I was just going to name TB5EFXK Mars Perseverance Rover as a TB without a tag, but that doesn't hold true, either. GC doesn't call the Rover a Travel Bug anywhere, so, what is it? My Idea: the calibration target is a Geocoin!

[+kunarion]

Things meant to travel (even, as it applies to Geocaching, from cache to cache) were commonly called "travel bugs" before official registered trademark "The Travel Bug®" dogtags, or even Tracking Codes existed.  So it gets confusing.

 

Yes, probably a trackable item that has a tracking code other than one from a "The Travel Bug®" dogtag, could properly be called a Geocoin.  Especially if it has a unique icon.

 

"The Travel Bug®" dogtags are a type of Geocoin, too.  But having separate Forum sections, the terms are best kept separate.

 

 

Edited February 19, 2021 by kunarion