TOPIC: Flying with tokens

First time flying to an event with tokens. Wanted to know others experience with how to pack tokens that we are traveling with to be transmuted. Is it better to put them in your check bag or carry on bag?

Thank you TD fans

ShadowRand wrote: First time flying to an event with tokens. Wanted to know others experience with how to pack tokens that we are traveling with to be transmuted. Is it better to put them in your check bag or carry on bag?

Thank you TD fans

In you carrying bag they tend to get pulled out a lot for additional screening as the X-ray machine can’t see through them.

On the flip side, carry on bags are almost never lost by the airline.

I carry my tokens in carry on bags, and have started pulling them out and putting them through the X-ray machine in their own tray

I am always pulled aside to search the bags full of tokens. I would suggest you put them in clear containers or binders to make it easier. I have been told this by every TSA person so far. It takes a few extra minutes so also budget your time accordingly for that.

If you check them you dont have to deal with it, but as Mike said they could lose your bags or get stolen easier.

I've only flown with tokens to one con, but I'll share my experience. I did carry-on both ways.

Flying out of Indy was no problem. They pulled it aside after the scanner, took a quick look, and then sent me on my way.

Flying back out of San Antonio was a bit more painful. I had a lot of loose tokens from treasure draws and the person doing the manual check wanted to go through them all to make sure nothing nefarious was going on. Spent about 20 minutes extra getting through security.

Based on my limited experience, I suggest that if you use carry-on, have your tokens in a binder or other easy to flip through storage. And either trade away or transmute low value tokens at the con if you can, or consider putting them in checked luggage. Just make sure they are packed well if you check them.

Tokens aregeavy, checking them can get your bag over weight quickly.

I would carry on anything you wouldnt want to lose.

Any transmutes should be in clear plastic bags when you turn them in, so I would do that in advance and have them bagged for TSA.

I am flying with a lot of tokens. I will be carrying them all on in a wheeled suitcase.

Also. San Antonio was ridiculous for token bags. They went through every single bag.
Ugh.

PAX this year was my only time. I certainly don’t trust checking them. I will carry on and deal with security. I have Precheck. In Chicago (O’hare) they didn’t care and I went straight through without extra check. I probably got lucky. In San Antonio I had extra bags of pulls plus my regular binder and they went through everything. Flipped through the pages and sifted through the 50-bags. At least they were nice about it though. One agent said they had seen others come through after PAX also and asked what game they were for haha

Thanks for the help everyone, sounds like I'll just put them in my carry on and pull them out for them to check. See you all soon at Origins!!

jpotter wrote: I am always pulled aside to search the bags full of tokens. I would suggest you put them in clear containers or binders to make it easier. I have been told this by every TSA person so far. It takes a few extra minutes so also budget your time accordingly for that.

If you check them you dont have to deal with it, but as Mike said they could lose your bags or get stolen easier.

I am always pulled aside to search the bags.

Yeah we carry ours on and often get some extra attention at the TSA. Turns out a binder of tubes looks very suspicious.

Indianapolis is used to it and never pulls out our bags anymore during Gencon, but Baltimore and San Antonio still do.

For the most part, expect the token to flag you for additional screening.

Interestingly, I started using American Eagle coin collector cases last year and carrying most of my tokens in one or two of those. I carry the case like a regular carry on - in the 4 flights I’ve had with them, I haven’t been checked since. My guess is they assume I have gold coins in the case and don’t want to create a problem of making someone open that up in front of the general public, This year, I had to expand into a 10 tray case for actual runs holding URs and higher (25 per tray) and it isn’t sturdy enough to hold the tokens without reinforcement so it looks less professional. I am expecting to be pulled aside again (gold collectors probably don’t use tie-downs to secure a briefcase).

Checking bags is always a good idea when you have time. I have been a corporate traveller for more than 20 years and done many hundreds of flights domestically (20+ each year). I’ve never had a bag lost. The worst I have encountered was United throwing a canvass bag into a deep puddle (submerging it) ruining custom art I had picked up for my wife. Generally, the worst that will happen is your bags getting a little beaten up (always buy the hard shell cases - amazing value) and you might have to wait for them a little while (usually mo more than an hour at longest).

Frec

Fred K wrote: My guess is they assume I have gold coins in the case and don’t want to create a problem of making someone open that up in front of the general public

Ah yes, I can't remember which airport, but at least at one of them I was asked if I'd prefer the search of my bag to be done in private. I assume for the same reason you mentioned.

I'm now wondering if anyone has done a TD token to gold comparison? Are even the most expensive tokens close to the same $ by weight? (Legendaries, RoSP, etc)

I’m flying in early and I just went through security. I have a lot of tokens and two separate bags. They typically will look at a few of them and then passed me on. This time the TSA agent wanted to take each and every baggie of Tokens out and feel them and go through them luckily I was here three hours in advance. It did take me about 45 minutes so she went through both bags.