Anyone have a crazy collection to share?

[chazmo]

This isn't exactly a collection... More of a let's support a fantastic local manufacturing business. Sounds familiar, right?

I've loved Randolph Engineering's sunglasses and sporting eyewear for years. I am very good about taking care of my shades, and I've amassed something of a collection. These guys make aviators for the USAF, and as a former USAFA cadet, I've been hooked for years.

Anyway, Randolph is located in MA, and I've attended factory holiday sales for many years. This is my collection of their sunglasses. Do you have a strange ollection you want to share?

. Witness my (not so) meager collection of aviators and others:

 

[tildeslash]

That's a Top Gun collection. Please forgive me.

 

[chazmo]

That's a Top Gun collection. Please forgive me.

Forgive you for what? In Top Gun, they were mostly wearing Ray Bans. Once upon a time, Ray Ban used to supply the military. Randolph took over that sometime in the 1980s, I think. I don't think Ray Bans are manufactured in the US anymore.

 

[GAD]

I have a collection of collections.

 

[GGJaguar]

White Castle mugs. I think I have a pretty complete collection of them from the 1930s through 2021 or so. This is a pic of some of them. You can read more about them HERE.

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

Other than my Guilds, most of my "collections" are not really physical items but lists. Yesterday my Wife and I visited Diner #442. We have just completed plans to visit Alaska, our 50th state in August. I've been to over 160 Auto Racing Tracks. We also have lists for Birds, Zoos, Bowling Alleys and Mexican Restaurants. These type of collections take up a not less space.

Of course, I do have quite a few T-Shirts and Programs from those racetracks, and now I have accumulated a bunch of running race T-Shirts and medals.

 

[silverfox103]

These guys make aviators for the USAF, and as a former USAFA cadet, I've been hooked for years.

Just met a USAFA graduate last night, I'm guessing graduated late 60's. Being a south shore boy, I know where Randolph is. But even better is like you said, "let's support a fantastic local manufacturing business". That's Great!

We have just completed plans to visit Alaska, our 50th state in August.

I worked on the Alaskan Pipeline 1976 to 1978. This very minute I'm going over my pictures as there 45+ years old, from film days and yellow. But with digital editing programs, they can look much better. I've been to 46 states.

I'm farthest to the right

 

[Minnesota Flats]

I seem to have collected dogs.

And though I have near duplicates, I never "thin the herd" by selling one on Reverb...

 

[GAD]

Just met a USAFA graduate last night, I'm guessing graduated late 60's. Being a south shore boy, I know where Randolph is. But even better is like you said, "let's support a fantastic local manufacturing business". That's Great!



I worked on the Alaskan Pipeline 1976 to 1978. This very minute I'm going over my pictures as there 45+ years old, from film days and yellow. But with digital editing programs, they can look much better. I've been to 46 states.

I'm farthest to the right

That pic looks like a behind the scenes shot for The Thing.

 

[GAD]

White Castle mugs. I think I have a pretty complete collection of them from the 1930s through 2021 or so. This is a pic of some of them. You can read more about them HERE.

That's weird.

Here's one of my weird collections:

That’s every iteration of the Starbucks Double Shot cans.

Why? I have no idea. It started back a long time ago when I out the first one on my bookshelf as a reminder that I gave them up. I still have them from time to time as an emergency backup when I’m out of the good stuff, and every time I notice they change the can design I put another one on the shelf.

 

[adorshki]

Beer bottles with animal mascots. Was up to around 30 at one time, had to divest 'em in a move.

Cooper's Ale with a Koala molded into the bottle (my first).
Neptun Golden Brown with a Danish Wolfhound.
King Cobra speaks for itself.

From there it was game on.
Tigers, parrots, elephants, lions, walruses, Clydesdales, rams, alligators, I shoulda opened a beer zoo.

 

[chazmo]

My collection of Thalia shtuff is coming up later when I can get a picture. Rings, capos, TRCs, flasks, belt buckle, phone cases... Again, supporting a great US company and one that is adjunct to guitars. Sorry for the tease... I'm not home.

 

[walrus]

I've gotten rid of a few collections I amassed in my younger days. Beatles bootleg LP's, guitar picks, and comic books. But they were just taking up space in a house that got crowded once we had kids. Also, I must admit that the kids also made me reconsider how I spent my money.

As I get older, I am simply collecting memories, hoping to live a long time and collect some more.

 

[gjmalcyon]

I've loved Randolph Engineering's sunglasses and sporting eyewear for years. . Witness my (not so) meager collection of aviators and others:

I quit wearing Ray-Bans when I discovered Randolph Engineering many years ago. After Luxottica bought Ray-Ban from Bausch & Lomb, I saw their transition from a supplier of tools to get things done to a lifestyle image company as a bad thing. And I was largely correct. I used to get all my RE stuff from Hidalgo Supply - what a wonderful outfit that was.

My everyday sunglass - Randolph Large Aviators:

 

[Uke]

Beach glass and handmade pottery.

 

[walrus]

Beach glass and handmade pottery.

Oh, thanks - I forgot my beach glass collection, the one thing I still have and still search for when walkng the beach. Now my youngest son has started his own, so I guess I passed that weirdness on to the next generation...

 

[tonepoet]

Aside from guitar and amps... books and vinyl records are collections (or problems when moving!!!) Vinyl records are 700+ (all in boxes right now) Books are an unknown quantity. Books everywhere!

And my wife is an artist of many types and when I asked her just now what she collects her answer was: "Any item that doesn't rot"



This is a shot from the former apartment. Now that we are in house, the books are in bookcases or boxed out in the garage.

 

[Harp Tail]

Besides other things, I collect Champagne tops, but only from bottles I tasted (or polished off) personally.

It's called "museoplaquographie" in French, and apparently there are many who are into it. Some other weirdo told me that these aficionados would pay serious money for specific capsules, but I never sold any. The ones depicted are only a fraction of the whole collection..

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

Yeah I solved the book problem years ago with a Library Card!

 

[wileypickett]

White Castle mugs. I think I have a pretty complete collection of them from the 1930s through 2021 or so. This is a pic of some of them. You can read more about them HERE.

There's a White Castle near where my mom used to live in northern New Jersey. One of our holiday rituals when I was down there, between Xmas and New Years every year, was taking my mom for a couple sliders and fries and buying the new mugs.

My mom is gone, but I have a kitchen cabinet full of her old WC mugs. (They don't go as far back as your collection however -- she and your oldest mug were born the same decade!)