I've noticed that some people mention in their logs that they didn't retrieve a TB from a cache because they didn't have one to replace it. I've always considered trackables and trade items to be in different categories. So my policy has been:

1) If you take an item you intend to keep, you should replace it with something of equal or greater value. Although "value" differs for everyone. My 4 yr old would much rather have a HotWheels car than, well, just about anything.

2) Grab a TB or geocoin whether or not you replace it with another or do any other trading. I tend to only grab 1 trackable from any given cache but I'm not sure I have a problem with grabbing more.

3) Place a TB or geocoin in a cache whether or not you take one or do any other trading.

As a (somewhat frustrated) TB owner, I would be quite happy for someone to grab one of my TBs and move it along whether or not they replace it with another or do any other trading.

Opinions?

I am glad you posted this question. Hopefully it will be informative to new cachers that lurk our boards.
I agree with your policy 100%, assuming the geocoins you are talking about are trackable ones. I consider non-trackable geocoins (meant to keep & usually sig items) to be of greater value as a regular trade item.

When I find a cache I try to 'trade up or I don't trade'.

Generally speaking I try to trade a Geocoin/TB for a Geocoin/TB but certainly that is not always the case. I may take a TB without leaving anything, particularly if I can give it some miles or help it on its journey. I also make it a point to sometimes leave a Geocoin/TB with taking anything. Hopefully it works out evenly in the end.

This is a great topic! I agree with Wakeboardlanier and phat.bak's clarification regarding the coins being either trackable or just signature items.

I recently traded VERY up at a cache, which included throwing in a $10 compass (just to make sure the trade was above even) only to discover the next finder took the compass and left only a TB. This was definately not right and certainly something about which a veteran cacher should know better.

I guess I should answer the original question. Take TB's and just move them the heck on along!

That, among the fact that you asked the question, is why I really appreciate this discussion.

quote:

Originally posted by Ga Mountaineer:
Generally speaking I try to trade a Geocoin/TB for a Geocoin/TB but certainly that is not always the case. I may take a TB without leaving anything, particularly if I can give it some miles or help it on its journey. I also make it a point to sometimes leave a Geocoin/TB with taking anything. Hopefully it works out evenly in the end.

I agree and try to do the same as Ga Mountaineer I try to trade equal or up even with TB/Geocoins. I generally will not take one out of a cache unless I put one back. However I don't mind if others do as long as they move them.

I just wish more people would put out TB/Geocoins. Lots of people buy Geocoins but never put any out. New TBs are getting fewer and farther between except at events.

Currently I have around 100 travelers activated with about 56 of them being circulated and about 25 missing.

In my current inventory ready to release I have 16 TB/Coins to drop as I find good caches. 12 of my coins, 1 coin from my collection, 2 re-released TBs, and 1 TB owned by others.

Ive run across many items that I really wanted but did not bring along a similar trade item so I just left it. If its one I cant do without I will take it and hike back out to find something to equally replace it. Travel Bugs I feel should be picked up if you plan to move them or are going in that direction. I strongly believe in a fair trade.

I like to "TNL something" A few months back I grabbed what looked to be 'gift' (non-traveler) geocoin from Norway and left enuff stuff I considered an 'equal' trade. Later I found out the coin was a traveler and my trade...well it was definitely a 'trade up'. When in doubt, I leave the stuff.

Taking:
Non-traveling STUFF - trade up.
Traveling STUFF - take, move and leave something or not. That's how I play.

Putting myself in the shoes of a TB owner, I want my TB to move as often as possible. I wouldn't care if another TB was replaced in a cache.

So I almost always take TBs from a cache regardless of whether I have one to deposit. That assumes that there is a goal sheet with the TB and I can advance the goal.

I also usually take TBs out of mountain caches that are infrequently visited.

As for coins that are not trackable, I leave them as I don't collect them (except for the Johnnie coins that I auctioned for charity a while back).

Trackable coins I treat like TBs, although I usually will leave them in caches of similar difficulty.

For the most part I have stopped trading. If the kids are with me at a cache then they have to trade something to get something.

I have always traded up. Most of the time I take nothing but leave a nice item behind to say thanks for the cache.

After reading all of these post about how all of us trade even or better, I started to wonder. Where do all the McD toys come from? I never recall seeing a log that states took beautiful Geo-coin and left a cheap McD toy. So how do they get in caches?

I took this as a challenge and started to plot all the geocaches in a radius of 10 miles form a McDonalds. I found that the closer they are to a McD’s the more likely they are to have cheap toys in them. That helps explain why I do not see cheap toys in the Mountain caches.
Also, found that the higher the urban density the more likely one is to find cheap McD toys in a cache.

Okay that still did not explain how these get into caches as I have never seen a log saying “took beautiful geo-coin left cheap McD toy”.

It was a revelation that accrued to me in the middle of the night. What if “Toy Story” was not a factional children’s story but a documentary on toy abuse. This helps explain how all these broken toys find their way to a cache. The underground for toys has put out the word that abused toys could find a safe haven in Geocaches or Geo Shelters as it is know in the toy world. This places a whole new light on how I look at these McD’s toys. They are just poor abused toys looking for a loving home. So I now believe it is up to all Geocachers to help find these toys new homes. Perhaps start a non-profit foundation for abused and homeless toys.
Remember…you can make a difference in the life of these toys.