Frequently Asked Questions

Whatever feels right. You can keep it as a tiny travel souvenir or re-hide it somewhere new to keep its journey going. Both choices are equally good — there's no rule.

If you'd like to add yourself to the duck's logbook, scan the QR code on the ID tag to open the sighting form (takes about thirty seconds). You can also visit /tracker anytime to see where the duck has been — no scan needed for that.

Only if you want to log your sighting. Scanning the QR is the only way to add yourself to the duck's logbook — it opens a pre-filled sighting form with the duck's info already entered.

If you just want to see where the duck has been, you don't need to scan anything. The tracker at /tracker is open to everyone — browse the whole fleet or look up a specific Duck ID anytime.

Just two things, both chosen from drop-down lists: where you found the duck (U.S. states, countries, territories, and popular cruise ports) and what you plan to do with it (keep it, re-hide it, take it on a trip, etc.).

There's no typing involved. No names, no email, no free-text messages, no personal information of any kind.

Every sighting is anonymous by design. The form only asks for the location and the finder's plan — there's no field for a name, email, or anything else identifiable. The duck's logbook shows what happened to the duck and where, never who handled it.

No — the QR scan is what opens the sighting form. There's no way to submit a sighting from the website itself. This keeps logging simple, prevents people from logging ducks they haven't actually found, and protects the integrity of each duck's logbook.

A few things to try: make sure your camera is focused and the code is fully in frame, try better lighting, or move your phone a bit closer or farther away. Most scanning trouble is a focus or lighting issue.

If the tag is too damaged to scan, you can still look the duck up on the tracker by entering the Duck ID (printed on the tag) at /tracker to see where it's been. Logging new sightings, however, requires a working QR scan — reach out through our Etsy shop if you need help.

For each sighting, the tracker displays: the Duck ID, the Duck Name, the location (chosen from a list of U.S. states, countries, territories, and cruise ports), and what the finder plans to do with it (for example: re-hide it, keep it safe, bring it on a trip).

That's the entire public record. No real names, no precise GPS coordinates, no contact info.

The original buyer sees the same public logbook everyone else sees — Duck Name, Duck ID, locations, and finder plans. There's no special "owner view." That keeps things fair, simple, and private for everyone involved.

Locations are chosen from a pre-set list — U.S. states, countries, territories, and popular cruise ports — rather than GPS pins. This keeps the tracker readable, protects everyone's privacy, and adds to the storybook feel of the project. You'll see "California" or "Cozumel" or "Iceland" rather than a precise street address.

That's the whole idea. Every time a duck is found, scanned, and logged, a new entry is added to its public timeline. Some ducks pick up dozens of sightings; some stay in one place forever. Both stories are interesting.

A hand-sorted set of LEGO® bricks, a unique Duck Name, and a laminated QR-coded ID tag. Build instructions live on the site at /build-instructions — open them on your phone or computer while you build.

Current pricing and available ducks are listed on our Etsy shop. Adopt a Stowaway here →

About 1.5 inches tall and 1.25 inches wide and long — pocket-sized, easy to hide, and easy to spot once you know what you're looking for.

We ship within the United States only at this time. (Once a duck is in the wild, of course, it's free to travel anywhere a finder takes it — that's the whole point.)

The tag is laminated card stock — it'll hold up to splashes, rain, and casual handling, but it's not built for long swims or extended sun. Keep the tag dry when you can and the QR will keep scanning cleanly for years.

Not at this time — every duck comes with a name we've chosen for it. We may consider custom names down the road if there's demand for it, but for now it's a fixed name per duck.

It's LEGO® — it's pretty much rebuildable. If a piece is lost or damaged in shipping, get in touch through our Etsy shop and we'll make it right.

You can absolutely keep it. Lots of buyers do — a Stowaway Duck makes a nice little desk companion or shelf piece. But if you'd like to give it a bigger story, releasing it into the wild and watching it get found is the most fun part.

Somewhere it'll be noticed but not immediately trashed. Good spots: a bookshop shelf, a café windowsill, a public bench in a busy park, a hotel lobby table, a hiking trail rest area, a coffee shop counter. Bad spots: anywhere that'd inconvenience staff, anywhere a child might choke on it, or anywhere it could be confused with garbage.

Use common sense — and remember, the duck has small parts and shouldn't be left where unsupervised toddlers might find it.

Some ducks travel for months before being scanned. Others get found within hours. Hide it well and wait — most ducks get logged eventually. If yours has gone quiet for a long time, you can always go retrieve it (if you remember where it was) and try a different spot.

Please do — that's exactly the point. Ducks released in airports, train stations, foreign cafés, and tourist spots tend to rack up the most interesting sightings. Just tuck your duck in a pocket or bag and find it a new home.