My TB is in the hands of a TB collector

[+Brooklyn51]

I have a TB (TB31AMA) that I dropped off in Florida back in 2011. It traveled around for a while, making its way to Pennsylvania and got picked up there in 2012. That was the last I'd heard from it and I pretty much figured the cacher who picked it up had just stopped caching. Old story for far too many TBs. Then in January 2015, I started getting logs from the TB again. The cacher who had picked it up in Pennsylvania was now moving it around and visiting it to caches in Florida. Oh wonderful, I thought, my TB is back from the great beyond! Great! Except... he's still doing it today in July. I'm pretty sure he still actually has it because he recently posted a picture. A look at his profile showed me that he has collected 12 other TBs and is doing the same thing with them. He has never dropped off a TB that he's picked up. He just visits them to the caches he finds. I've thought about writing him a note asking him to drop my TB off in a cache but I'm concerned that he will A) mostly likely just ignore me at best or B ) deep six the TB in the trash or a very inaccessible cache. On one hand, it is moving, albeit by the hands of this one cacher, but on the other hand, I'd like to see it actually traveling again. Any thoughts out here? Anything I can do besides vent about it?

Edited July 10, 2015 by Brooklyn51

[+NanCycle]

I have a TB (TB31AMA) that I dropped off in Florida back in 2011. It traveled around for a while, making its way to Pennsylvania and got picked up there in 2012. That was the last I'd heard from it and I pretty much figured the cacher who picked it up had just stopped caching. Old story for far too many TBs. Then in January 2015, I started getting logs from the TB again. The cacher who had picked it up in Pennsylvania was now moving it around and visiting it to caches in Florida. Oh wonderful, I thought, my TB is back from the great beyond! Great! Except... he's still doing it today in July. I'm pretty sure he still actually has it because he recently posted a picture. A look at his profile showed me that he has collected 12 other TBs and is doing the same thing with them. He has never dropped off a TB that he's picked up. He just visits them to the caches he finds. I've thought about writing him a note asking him to drop my TB off in a cache but I'm concerned that he will A) mostly likely just ignore me at best or B ) deep six the TB in the trash or a very inaccessible cache. On one hand, it is moving, albeit by the hands of this one cacher, but on the other hand, I'd like to see it actually traveling again. Any thoughts out here? Anything I can do besides vent about it?

 

You could try one note that is way beyond polite to the extent of super-friendly. If that doesn't work, it's probably best to leave it alone.

[+kunarion]

I've thought about writing him a note asking him to drop my TB off in a cache but I'm concerned that he will A) mostly likely just ignore me at best or B ) deep six the TB in the trash or a very inaccessible cache. On one hand, it is moving, albeit by the hands of this one cacher, but on the other hand, I'd like to see it actually traveling again. Any thoughts out here? Anything I can do besides vent about it?

If your TB page specifies that it should not be doing "Visits", but should be physically dropped in a cache container and logged, venting is an option.

 

My TB Pages: "The unending automatic “visit” logs with no photos, no personalized text, make it seem like there's a problem. Please physically place my TB into a container and log that you did so."

 

You will see Forum posts around here by supposed "Geocachers", that an email from the TB Owner will cause the TB to be "trashed". That's probably not even a "Geocaching" issue . Because if "Don't Keep Me" imprinted on every TB dogtag isn't enough, is a further explanation of "Don't Keep Me" likely to succeed?

Edited July 10, 2015 by kunarion

[+Twentse Mug]

I always delete the visit logs.

[+cerberus1]

You will see Forum posts around here by supposed "Geocachers", that an email from the TB Owner will cause the TB to be "trashed". That's probably not even a "Geocaching" issue . Because if "Don't Keep Me" imprinted on every TB dogtag isn't enough, is a further explanation of "Don't Keep Me" likely to succeed?

I'm not a "supposed" geocacher and personally have seen a couple of my other 2/3rd's coins "disappear" after she panicked, sending more than one note to a holder.

- They were still drop/retrieving 'em before that second note.

 

You're correct, it isn't a geocaching issue, since trackables are a side-game of the hobby.

[+cerberus1]

You could try one note that is way beyond polite to the extent of super-friendly. If that doesn't work, it's probably best to leave it alone.

I agree.

[+kunarion]

I'm not a "supposed" geocacher and personally have seen a couple of my other 2/3rd's coins "disappear" after she panicked, sending more than one note to a holder.

- They were still drop/retrieving 'em before that second note.

Yikes! I was kind of wondering if the emails tend to produce the desired results.

 

The only time a special action worked for me was when someone once asked what to do if a TB has been held for a long time, and I suggested patience and in my reply I used mine as an example, held for six months. With no specifics on my TB, it was just an exampls. And the holder of my TB drove 60 miles the next day through a snowstorm to place my TB in the closest acceptable container (indoor jar in some gas station).

[+kunarion]

You're correct, it isn't a geocaching issue, since trackables are a side-game of the hobby.

I meant kidnapping people's property with the idea to destroy the item upon being asked to release it, is far beyond the realm of sanity. Before you go caching, remember that those guys are evidently out there as well, planning ways to make people miserable. It isn't their side-game. Well if it is, it's a scary one.

Edited July 10, 2015 by kunarion

[+Brooklyn51]

Thanks for your thoughts, everyone. I'll have to think of a polite friendly way to ask him to let my TB go. I feel bad about all the other ones he has too.

[+Brooklyn51]

Thanks for all your advice. I wrote a nice note to the cacher holding my (as well as several other) TB.

 

Greetings!

I am writing in regards to my TB, Forever Endeavor, a small space shuttle shaped tag with a button of the Earth attached, which you picked up in Pennsylvania some time ago. You've taken such good care of it, putting quite a few miles on it on your shared journeys and I really appreciate that very much. I would love, however, if sometime soon you would place it in a suitable cache of your choosing on one of your caching expeditions so that it can travel the world again. I do realize that there is always a certain amount of risk to releasing a TB out in the wild, but watching it go from place to place is one the more exciting parts of owning a TB. Again, I very much appreciate the care you've shown my TB the whole time it's been with you and I invite you to place it on your own watchlist so you can share its adventures with me. Thanks so much and wish you much luck caching!

Brooklyn51

 

A couple of days later, he wrote back.

 

I've actually been meaning to set a few trackables free, but my travels haven't taken me to a large enough container in a while. Most of what I've been finding lately have been micros. As soon as I am able, I will send it along its journey.

 

Cheers!

 

Sounds promising.. here's hoping..

[+NanCycle]

Thanks for all your advice. I wrote a nice note to the cacher holding my (as well as several other) TB.

 

Greetings!

I am writing in regards to my TB, Forever Endeavor, a small space shuttle shaped tag with a button of the Earth attached, which you picked up in Pennsylvania some time ago. You've taken such good care of it, putting quite a few miles on it on your shared journeys and I really appreciate that very much. I would love, however, if sometime soon you would place it in a suitable cache of your choosing on one of your caching expeditions so that it can travel the world again. I do realize that there is always a certain amount of risk to releasing a TB out in the wild, but watching it go from place to place is one the more exciting parts of owning a TB. Again, I very much appreciate the care you've shown my TB the whole time it's been with you and I invite you to place it on your own watchlist so you can share its adventures with me. Thanks so much and wish you much luck caching!

Brooklyn51

 

A couple of days later, he wrote back.

 

I've actually been meaning to set a few trackables free, but my travels haven't taken me to a large enough container in a while. Most of what I've been finding lately have been micros. As soon as I am able, I will send it along its journey.

 

Cheers!

 

Sounds promising.. here's hoping..

 

You did a great job of composing a very friendly note!

[+pgcgc]

After a couple of months I sent a polite friendly email saying I hope their geocaching is going well and it would be great if they could drop off the TB somewhere soon. They did so about 3 weeks later. Looking at their profile, they're not very active geocachers, just doing the occasional afternoon. I didn't get a reply, but they dropped off the TB at their next outing after my reminder. So a friendly reminder can get a result, at least this time.

[+PlantAKiss]

I have a coin that traveled in 2007 from the USA to Germany. It's been in one person's possession for over 2 years. He has dipped it for miles but not logged in almost a year. Someone sent a nice note in German...no response. Breaks my heart.

[+MiniBullyMom]

I can identify with the micro cache dilemma - especially if you live in an urban area. I hike and run across great caches big enough for a TB but many are completely inaccessible during the winter. So I always keep in mind the size of the TB in relation to how long I'll keep it before deciding whether or not to grab it. Once or twice I've grabbed one in the fall because I know it's going to be stuck in a mountain cache til spring if I don't.

[+Brooklyn51]

It's been almost a year since I wrote to STK Phoenix about his having my TB in his possession for several years now. He has also collected several other TBs and although he "promised" me in a response to my note that he would be dropping mine as well as a few others off "soon", this hasn't happened. At least, it doesn't appear that he's picked up any new ones though. It would seem that he has no intention of releasing any of the TBs he has now so I'm more or less resigned to the idea that it's pretty much lost. On the other hand, it is still accruing mileage each time he caches, not I believe that he physically has the TB with him. So, I'm torn. Should I lock the TB down and deny him further access to it or let it continue to collect mileage, limited though it is? Maybe another note?? What would you do?

[+cerberus1]

It's been almost a year since I wrote to STK Phoenix about his having my TB in his possession for several years now. He has also collected several other TBs and although he "promised" me in a response to my note that he would be dropping mine as well as a few others off "soon", this hasn't happened. At least, it doesn't appear that he's picked up any new ones though. It would seem that he has no intention of releasing any of the TBs he has now so I'm more or less resigned to the idea that it's pretty much lost. On the other hand, it is still accruing mileage each time he caches, not I believe that he physically has the TB with him. So, I'm torn. Should I lock the TB down and deny him further access to it or let it continue to collect mileage, limited though it is? Maybe another note?? What would you do?

Wish we had the option years ago, but then we didn't have "visited" when we lost ours (tbs and a dozen coins).

 

If me, and kinda resigned to the fact I'm never seeing/hearing of it again by anybody but this expletive deleted, I'd lock it, then at least I'd have the satisfaction of knowing he's not getting some bizarre pleasure out of my trackable any longer.

- Though this much time, the only thing they're "lugging" is a code...