Unusual Personal Collections

One of the most fascinating things about the human race is its sheer range of possibilities when it comes to peoples' personal tastes. Many of the people you meet often have some strange quirk, hobby or interest – but that's one of the reasons why getting to know people is so much fun! As creatures of habit, many people find that they enjoy making collections of specific items and it's through these collections that some of their most unusual tastes can be revealed. Some folks just collect the most unusual things! As well as the people who enjoy making collections of stamps, first edition literature, DVDs, instruments and valuable artwork, there are also people who have made it their mission to collect items that would make others more than a little puzzled. So what are some of the stranger things people have been known to collect? From some that only diverge slightly from what you might expect to see in a more 'normal' collection, such as elongated coins (the ones you flatten in a machine which are often imprinted with an image and logo relating to the place you got it from) instead of normal coins or medical antiques instead of, well, plain old furniture, there are some collections out there that will really make some people stop and wonder. Barbed wire, for instance, is the star of one particular collection for one California man. Jesse S James has been collecting the spiky stuff since 1957 and has both catalogued and written a book about his specimens. Another strange collectible for one Iowa resident is used oil rags, which he has been doing since the 1950s, leaving him with over 13,000 items today.

If you thought that was unusual, there are records of people collecting banana labels, tea bags, nails (that's the metal kind, not the other sort! ), shaving mugs, toothpaste and even, bizarrely, dreams. Wisconsin's Elizabeth Lowe has been recording dreams for many years and has over 2,500 dreams in her collection. Collections certainly can span all styles and interests, but they have one thing in common for their respective owners: value. Even if you're collecting items that are 'worthless' in other ways, they are valuable to you – which is why you'll often meet people who are very protective of their collections and ensure they look after them well. Of course, getting good home insurance is tantamount to protecting your much-loved collections, no matter how unusual they may seem! Daniel Collins writes on a number of topics on behalf of a digital marketing agency and a variety of clients. As such, this article is to be considered a professional piece with business interests in mind.

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