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User's avatar
PK's avatar

All I can think is George Carlin's "Stuff" routine...

Martin Hick's avatar

I still have to read the interview, but I immediately got jealous of that Pee Wee's Playhouse collection. I only have Pee Wee and Chairry.

Josh's avatar

Lovely! Thanks for this Paul.

"My earliest memory is that a friend and I would sit on a stairway that led to his apartment and look through a cigar box filled with things that his mother helped him collect: sparkly things, broken jewelry, rhinestones, gems. Not worth anything, but I remember thinking how wonderful that collection was. I think that had a big influence on me."

I had a VERY similar experience(s). Very formative for me. To this day I like to have boxes -- including cigar boxes -- of special (though rarely valuable) things scattered around.

At flea markets I'm really drawn to those glass-topped boxes most dealers have, in which you'll find a gold pocketknife, a lead soldier, a silver dollar, etc. If I were a wealthy man I think I'd just buy that entire box from each of those vendors and THAT would be my collection. Imagine a room with 100 of those on display. Probably I'm describing the inside of my brain...