Personal Collectable Trackables

[+TohiHarmonics]

So I have a big bag of trackables that haven't been activated yet. Some I've had for years, others I just picked up at Geowoodstock XX. I'm just curious what any of you do with them? I assume yours are all activated? Do you leave them at home? Do you take them with you when you cache? Do you log them as you visit every cache you find? Do you display them? I do have some that are activated like the trackable patch, the Rot 13 keychains, HQ keychain and the puzzle tag. At least they are ones I can use when I'm geocaching. Again just curious as to what any of you do with them as I have quite a few.

[RuideAlmeida]

15 minutes ago, TohiHarmonics said:

So I have a big bag of trackables that haven't been activated yet.

 Until they are activated nobody else can track them... IMHO.

[+Jayeffel]

If they are not activated they are basically trinkets in your possession. Once activated they are in the system to be used as you desire. Maybe see if other cachers may desire some.

[+kunarion]

6 hours ago, TohiHarmonics said:

So I have a big bag of trackables that haven't been activated yet. Some I've had for years, others I just picked up at Geowoodstock XX. I'm just curious what any of you do with them? I assume yours are all activated? Do you leave them at home? Do you take them with you when you cache? Do you log them as you visit every cache you find? Do you display them? I do have some that are activated like the trackable patch, the Rot 13 keychains, HQ keychain and the puzzle tag. At least they are ones I can use when I'm geocaching. Again just curious as to what any of you do with them as I have quite a few.

 

I have an assortment of Trackables in a big ammo box.  Some are revived TBs that were once missing, so those are activated.  The rest are unactivated.  I leave them at home and don't display them. 

 

Except that I also have a half dozen activated Trackables that I log at caches.  Some I log more often than others.  I have some to place in a cache at some point (such as "racing" TBs).  Haven't found the perfect cache to start them in yet.

 

And I carry some unactivated TBs and coins to place into caches as surprise Swag.  Or I may have some nice ones on hand for trade, especially at a Mega Event.  I've traded them for rare map piece cards or cacher cards when otherwise the owner may be unwilling to give them up.

 

The ones in the box are my retirement coins. 

 

 

[+TohiHarmonics]

I get they are no good if they aren't activated, but I'm not going to give them to other cachers. I'm not going to put any of them in caches these are going into my collection. I'll just activate them, keep them at home and just have them visit every cache I find. Thanks for the info.

[+Hynz]

54 minutes ago, TohiHarmonics said:

I'll just activate them, keep them at home and just have them visit every cache I find.

Can anybody explain to me why TB owner are doing this not for a single but for *multiple* own TBs?

I mean beside: "Because I can!"

[+Rincewind3]

I have 450 geocoins in my collection. Most are unactivated in case I ever sell (to collectors they're more valuable unactivated).  Most of the TBs (& all of the geocoins) I've ever released have gone missing.

I have two TBs I dip in caches I find - my car TB for caches I drove to and my T-shirt (ie myself) at all I find.

[+TeamRabbitRun]

Personally, I'll only 'dip' a TB into a cache (otherwise knows as 'visiting') if I have it with me.

I know people have 'personal' TBs that they use to track their path through the hobby, but if it's a physical thing like a metal badge on a walking stick or a t-shirt with the TB ID on it, I'd better be wearing the shirt or carrying the stick.

 

In MY view, the TB that I'm tracking is THE TB, the actual object that travels with me. I know of people who have 100 TBs back home and they Visit every one to every cache, but that's phony. Again, in MY eyes.

 

One of the popular apps had or has that feature in Settings: "Visit EVERY TB in your possession to every logged cache."

 

Of course, I never remember to carry the thing with me. The only rational alternative was to get a tattoo of the Tracking Number; then, the TB is always with me.

 

But, of course, as is the case with the vast majority of TBs, it went missing.

 

-------------------------------

"No," she said to me. "It didn't go missing, you just got fat."

 

Update: Found it.

[+kunarion]

3 hours ago, TeamRabbitRun said:

Personally, I'll only 'dip' a TB into a cache (otherwise knows as 'visiting') if I have it with me.

I know people have 'personal' TBs that they use to track their path through the hobby, but if it's a physical thing like a metal badge on a walking stick or a t-shirt with the TB ID on it, I'd better be wearing the shirt or carrying the stick.

 

In MY view, the TB that I'm tracking is THE TB, the actual object that travels with me. I know of people who have 100 TBs back home and they Visit every one to every cache, but that's phony. Again, in MY eyes.

 

One of the popular apps had or has that feature in Settings: "Visit EVERY TB in your possession to every logged cache."

 

Of course, I never remember to carry the thing with me. The only rational alternative was to get a tattoo of the Tracking Number; then, the TB is always with me.

 

But, of course, as is the case with the vast majority of TBs, it went missing.

 

-------------------------------

"No," she said to me. "It didn't go missing, you just got fat."

 

Update: Found it.

 

That's what I do, a Visit log for whichever TB I carried with me to the cache container.  With the exception of the Geo Car, which often must remain behind at a trailhead. 

 

Edited May 29 by kunarion

[+TohiHarmonics]

Thanks for all the feedback. Maybe I'll just log the ones I carry with me when I geocache. Then I'll have to decide if I should activate the others or not.

[+steve-geo]

If you activate the geocoins the resale valve is significantly affected.  Most collectors want unactivated geocoins.  If you are just going to hold on to them for your own appreciation of how they look (because they are so cool) then there is no reason to activate them.  You should record the tracking numbers in a safe place in case they ever go missing (burglary).  I’ve heard reports of geocachers able to identify the culprit  to police when they in turn try to sell them.

[+kunarion]

1 hour ago, TohiHarmonics said:

Thanks for all the feedback. Maybe I'll just log the ones I carry with me when I geocache. Then I'll have to decide if I should activate the others or not.

 

If you will be showing the Trackables at Events, many people will want to log them.  So that's a reason to activate them.  Also, if you like accruing the various unique Trackable names and icons, they would need to be activated.  They are your items, you may do with them as you like.

 

I don't require a list of icons, and as much as possible, I avoid combining Events and Trackables.  Because of that, and other reasons mentioned, I won't do the "activate all of them" thing.  But many cachers do that.

[+Paulo Si]

Activate and show them in near events

[+qqnonrev]

We have both.  An ammo can of unactivated trackables for when we want to release one, use as FTF prize, or event prize (or need extra points in a cosmic promotion).  But we also have a collection of coins that mean something to us and we have them displayed in binders which occasionally get taken to events for discovery.