Looking for Sean McLachlan? He mostly hangs out on the Civil War Horror blog these days, but feel free to nose around this blog for some fun older posts!

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Saturday 7 March 2009

Some People Will Collect Anything

If you follow this blog you'll know that I like to collect paper ephemera, especially postcards, but it never ceases to amaze me what some people will find collectible. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Dutchman Niek Vermeulen has the world's largest collection of air sickness bags. That's right, barf bags. Presumably unused barf bags. At last count he had 5,468 of them from 1,065 airlines.

He's not alone. An international network of "baggists" swap air sickness bags at Bagophily.com, "the magical world of air sickness bags". The site features news and views from the world of barf bag collecting, as well as a Hall of Fame and gallery.

I don't want to hear anyone tell me I'm weird for collecting postcards ever again.

6 comments:

Ana said...

Presumably unused barf bags

is there really someone who would collect used ones? now that would be a sensation :)

collecting postcards is weird? who said that? what would people think if they knew i collect postcards, mugs, sugar bags, coffee bags, chocolate layers, books, earrings, leaflets, brochures, telephone cards, bookmarks.....

no wonder my room is such a mess...

Sean McLachlan said...

Noncollectors rarely understand collectors. I like bookmarks too! And my wife and I always collect leaflets from any exhibition we go to. We picked one up on Asian art today.

What are chocolate layers?

Chris Overstreet said...

I don't know what chocolate layers are either, but I'll take 10.

I try to keep my collecting down to things I use and enjoy: postcards, books, music and DVDs of the classics. My house is already too full.

Ana said...

this is funny about chocolate layers...whenever i mention i collect them, i INVARIABLY get the question, "whats that?" :)

I guess they are known under some other name im not aware of, so hence the confusion...

well, a chocolate layer is that paper a chocolate is wrapped in...in most cases the ones of 100 grams or more...

should i still reserve 10 for you Chris? :)

Sean, regarding leaflets and all..do you collect ones only from places and events youve been to, or no? im asking this coz i have a friend who collects postcards but only if she has been to the place herself and bought the cards...she would never be a postcrossing type of a postcard collector coz to her its just unacceptable to have a postcard from Mauritius for example if you havent been there yourself...

Sean McLachlan said...

I don't know what they call the paper around chocolate either. I've always called them wrappers, but there's probably a technical term for it too. I suppose you could collect the paper in between layers of chocolate boxes as a separate hobby.

I generally only have leaflets from exhibits and museums I've been to, because I pick them up there and keep them as a memento. And really, how often do people actually read those things when they're in the exhibit!

With postcards I don't limit myself to countries I've been to, but if I'm buying postcards for myself I generally prefer vintage cards from places I've been, so I can compare my experience with images from the fifty or a hundred years ago.

When I receive cards I want them to be from places I've never been. That's why I have my Postcrossing account setting on the default that keeps me from getting cards from Spain.

Anonymous said...

I actually find weird quirks like this adorable. Having said that, collecting used barf bags would be sick (get it? jaja)

As for postcards, Sean you know I don't think you're weird. Maybe I'm weirder on that one: i like receiving them don't care about collecting them. hmm.