Thursday, August 28, 2008

Collection Confessions

Yesterday, during lunch we had a conversation about items that we collected as children. Collecting things seems to be an inherently nerdy sort of activity, so it wasn't very surprising that most of the science crew had been gathers in their youth. However, I apparently took things to a new level: not only did I collect rocks, but I also owned a rock tumbler to polish them (and damn that thing was noisy!) and was completely obsessed with geodes, even though the only geodes I acquired were big disappointments- not a single one was filled with glimmering purple quartz. Oh, and I had a portable UV lamp I could shine on my rocks to see which ones were phosphorescent. Yep, pretty high on the nerd scale right there.

I also collected stamps and was in a stamp collecting club. I think I'll shut up now.

Survey time: What did you collect as a kid? Leave your answers in the comments.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Whats more embarrassing? Admitting to liking the Allman Bros. or having a rock collection? Hmmmm.

Collections I had: Pez dispensers, baseball cards, garbage pale kids, Muppet paraphernalia, stuffed animals (with whom I often had tea parties), GI Joe's, Star Wars action figures, the list goes on and on to a boring and at times frightening degree.

carmen said...

frogs, frogs and frogs...anything cute that was frog related.

eileen said...

I had hundreds of stuffed animals, but I did not consider them a collection. They were my companions!

Wow, Ryan.

oh, and I'm now curious as to whom our anonymous Monkees fan is. the one with the pom pom hat was my favorite.

jay said...

Baseball cards, comic books, newspapers, magazines anything like that.
Does it make me more of a nerd that I recently purchased 8 LOST action figures off ebay?

Anonymous said...

stickers. tons of sparkly, glittery, scratch 'n sniff, USELESS stickers that never wanted to use!

Oh, a sweet valley twins and sweet valley high books. Babysitter's Club didn't start until later.


Gawd, what i would do with that money now!

Anonymous said...

In sixth grade, I collected empty bottles of hairspray. The box is still in my parents' attic.

Nitsirk said...

Rocks, stickers, patches from ski areas I visited, dolls from various foreign countries, seashells. Now I just collect those state quarters and advanced degrees in the sciences.

Anonymous said...

I was quite the collector of coins.

S said...

I collected stickers and elephants. I started to collect stamps once, but that didn't last long.

Anonymous said...

How does one collect elephants? And how does that collection last longer than a stamp collection?

Fear not, I had a rock tumbler as well. Disappointing at best.

eileen said...

I collected stickers for a while as well- remember "oilies," the ones filled with dark, shiny liquid? Those were the pinnacle of my collection.

Hmmm....I won't question the elephants when someone has admitted to collecting empty hair spray bottles. Aqua Net?

KcM said...

Star Wars figures and comics. Occasionally cards and stickers, if I liked their provenance. Tried to do the coin thing but got bored with it.

Anonymous said...

Bryer horses, matchbox cars, coins, and I did have a stamp collection at one time. I still have the horses, cars and the coins. I don't really know why I have the coins still. I also did the garbage pale kids. I too thought of my barbies and my stuffed animals as my buddies.

Anonymous said...

Belly lint, ear wax, nail clippings and toe jam. The jars must be in my parents house somewhere...

Anonymous said...

I totally remember oilies. Though, whenever the topic of my favorite sticker comes up, no one has ever heard of them!

Anonymous said...

i am young and of the beanie baby generation, enough said. also pogs, stamps, rocks, and stickers.

we inherited your rock tumbler and it was banished to the garage within a week. it was pretty awesome though.

Unknown said...

WHat about Trolls? Or were they called something else... Those things were hideous.

eileen said...

Carolyn, I forgot that you guys got the rock tumbler. Hilarious!

Bri- I had a troll or two, but don't consider myself a former collector. Yes, fug indeed.