What do you collect and why?

I collect british, canadian, and russian coins. My favs. But also other countries that I come acrossed. They just make me happy.
I collect pennies that I find tails up. They just make me happy. It's silly. Superstition. I look at the tails up as a smile and the heads up as a frown: relating completely to what I may be thinking at the time, or to what I think of when I see them. Except for nickels. Heads up for nickels=thumbs up.

Now when I find a British or canadian coin-someone may have just as well handed me a hundred bucks. And a Russian coin? Woohoo--lottery.
It's just something in the artwork. Maybe, it's something in the touch recognition. Small pleasures.

I eventually cash in the pennies. But my very small coin collection is to me like the binky or teddy bear to a child. Literally comforting. When I'm upset-I grab my coin pouch.
When I'm really upset-I hold my ...oh damn, it's gone.

Now my place will get clean looking for it -but if I don't find that one coin; coins won't mean so much to me anymore.

I forgot about my coins! I too have a small box of coins that I have collected over the years from various parts of the world, along with a two dollar bill from 1928.

I collect Sf movies. In particular the grade B bombs. The worse and more laughable the better. My friends and I have a unofficial contest going on as far as who can find the worst movie. Note that in order to qualify the movies must be so bad that they are great! Sure a lot of film critics would argue that Plan 9 from outer space is truly horrible and it is but we don't include that in our contest. It's too common. My friend Jack is in the lead right now with "The Return of Captain Invincible." I've got a close second (although it's not SF) with "The Conqueror" (Still sealed in plastic for our protection) Staring John Wayne as Genghis Khan!!

I also collect things simply because the appeal to me. I have a German speaking Furby for example. A slide rule. A pickled baby shark in Blue Formaldehyde. The pride and joy is a electric Hair grower. It's a marvelous piece of medical quackery. Not only was it supposed to grow hair but cure all kinds of illnesses. It's what is called a Ultraviolet Rod. It's got a hand held base and a couple of Gas filled attachments that plug into it. The handle contains a coil that sends voltage discharging trough the gas and into the top of your skin while yielding the neatest "BRRRAAAZZZAAAPPP!!" sound to it and a purple light glow from inside of it.

Like a friend of mine said about me. "Weird calls to weird." (chuckle)

Looks like Malachite to me.
I have a few pieces.

Knives and LED flashlights though sometimes I feel guilty for spending money time and time again for items I already have. I mean only in a rich country do you have people that have the time and money for collections. I don't get out of control though...

'Useful Gadgets'

You know the things that you can't believe how you got by without...Then proceed to bury them in a drawer somewhere and forget about them.

Powered tin-openers.
Multi-function food processors.
All in one remotes.
Battery-chargers..then loads of batteries..then forget to charge them and buy new disposable batteries anyway.

2 pieces of petrifyed wood. I'm not sure if that equals collecting.
A small assortment of rubber balls with 'the right kind' of bounce.
I'm pretty close to collecting 'peppers' as part of a food kit secondary to a camping kit. I just realized that if there were one collection that I'd like to have it would be a pepper collection.

I suppose I should also mention my bottles...I have a collection of fancy kitchen bottles with preserved peppers and what not in them...Man I need to get a life!

believe it or not ,,, the little hot wheels monster jams trucks that are like 3bucks at walmart, toys r us

you know3 how you have to buy stuff for yourself once in a while just to feel good,,, it;s only 3 bucks
'
'i love monster trucks since i was a kid

i have like 30 of em now

I like the thread but don't really collect anything tangible.
Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment ?
I've actually got a collection of those.

I am an unashamed label-snob when it comes to bags. I'm a bag lady
I don't know what it is but the bigger the better. . .

Also i have a collective fetish for semi-precious stones - or just unique stones in general..

And like any other girl in the world i have a sizeable collection of shoes

[edit on 12/1/09 by pretty_vacant]

reply to post by Greenize

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I've got this thing about neck scarves--every time I go shoppin I end up with another one
I've got scarfs for winter in every colour, scarves for summer in every colour as well
God knows why I keep buyin them---aaaargh !!
And earrings as well---only el-cheapo dress ones, but again all sizes and colours.

I use to collect all types of rocks. I still however collect arrowheads and pottery shards amongst other small items that are neat of the same nature.

But my only other collecting hobby is to collect different computer CPU types.

I jump around on things and I like to leave em out so, dust collectors I got! I guess the latest has been old tube radios and bicycles (use both all the time). There have been a lot of others.

I collect swords, mostly of the Japanese flavor but I have a few European models of the rapier class. I tend to stick to Katana's and the like as I am/have been in Kenjutsu my whole life. I don't have any pics of them online at the moment but if I get time and if anyone is interested I can take some later on today and post them. I don't have any super awesome old swords as most of those are held by the Japanese National Museum, however my personal sword is made by Yamamura Tsunahiro who is the 24th or 25th descendant of the great master Masamune Okazaki.


I have a few pieces from unknown samurai that were given to me by my relatives as family heirlooms.

Quotes, recipes, bird houses and sno-globes - the tackier the better!.