This is exactly how the roaming gnome for Travelocity started. Someone took it and sent it around the world and it ended up back at the owners house with a photo album.
I work for a hotel chain. I\'ve painted a mini about how I feel about travelocity. See here: http://www.coolminiornot.com/166817
This sort of thing has been going on for ages..I remember hearing stories about this sort of thing 20 + years ago or more. Garden Gnomes seem to be the object of choice. In college a friend stole a girls small teddy bear and took it to Australia for a semester.. he eventually returned a little ragged, burnt on one spot and missing an ear but he had a photo book of his adventures..many of which were very very naughty