The internet is stamp-collecting heaven. No matter what kind of data or content you’re into, you can be sure that there are others who are equally obsessive about it. Whether it’s pictures of parrots, gerbils or naked celebrities, or perverse combinations of all three of the above, there are folks studiously assembling the data and cataloguing it online for all to enjoy.
You don’t need an anorak and a notebook to go trainspotting any more — just browse the net and you’ll find an almost infinite variety of collections of “stuff” … stamp collectors gone wild on spring break and let loose on the world at large.
For instance, ever had the urge to collect German beer coasters? Me neither. But the owner of this next site has painstakingly assembled a colourful collection of odd and quirky 1970s German Beer Coasters.
Staying with drink, if you thought your pile of teeth-rotting cold-drink cans was impressive, look at The Cold-Drink Can Collection. Or maybe bottles are your thing, in which case (and be warned, my Firefox browser seems to complain on this page) there’s the landfill swelling collection of Cold-Drink Bottles.
Maybe you’re into fish, in which case you’ll drool over this odd assembly of Posters of World Fish.
Someone evidently got the collecting bug real bad, realised that his or her pockets were filling up with a potentially great collectible, and then The International Business-Card Collector was born. It’s not the only one — Collecting Business Cards.
Moving from capitalist bondage into the territory of real bondage, make your slave sit quietly beside you as you soak up the clinking joys of Vintage Handcuffs. Or, to see how granddad actually did it, stare at the Museum of Woodworking Tools.
Books and lists of books, and then lists of lists of books, are everywhere on the net — it’s impossible to even begin to detail the many collections online. Here’s The Internet Library of Early Journals. And go nuts at Yahoo’s own listings for Collections of Literature Online (that alone will provide you with an increasingly expanding quantity of texts, reaching into the tens of thousands of objects that need to be lovingly filed). Another dive-off point into downloading and filing quantities of stuff that will never end is Electronic Texts of European Literature.
If giant crocodiles, fruit and other bizarre and surreal items are your thing, then see what’s been making people pause in their journeys and go stare at The World’s Largest Roadside Attractions.
Or how about the fun to be had from owning your very own Jesus, Buddha, Shiva or any number of other religious icons? Okay, they are just toy action figures, but there’s still something cool and Ned Flanders-like about having your own Jesus toy. You’ll note that they seem to be sold out of “Jews”, “Christians” and “Buddhists” currently … damn. Go see the gloriously named Jesus Christ Superstore!
Now, back to the regular stamp collecting. Got an itch to scratch? You’re not alone — not only have people globally invented a variety of ways to help scratch themselves, but thanks to the net, you can now stare at the collection of Backscratchers.
Maybe you’re into collecting obscure Brazilian Guitar Picks. Or everything possible about Eight-Track Cassettes and Pencil Sharpeners.
How about something that the world has been waiting for — Japanese Antique Telephones? And vaguely related, you might want to go see if South Africa features in pix of Payphones of the World.
The comic collectors online are too many to even begin to detail, but for a blast of nostalgia, here’s some Archie Comics. Or for great moments of shame, listen to the clips of various Hollywood stars who believed they were great singers, at The Rock’n’Roll Hall of Shame. For some autographs of the stars, go see who scribbled what, at Hollywood Stars.
Not strictly a collection, but hey, it’s free audio things to download — grab the collected podcasts from this year’s Edinburgh Festival.
Need a building? Luckily someone’s been collecting them online for you. Pick your favourite at Great Buildings.
How about maps? Maps are always good — there are vast collections of every kind of map you can think of, from antique and historical to political, as this is one of the basic easy-to-collect objects online. Like texts, maps lend themselves to being nicely catalogued. To show you what I mean, start off simply at The International Map Collectors’ Society. Or maybe you just want some of the maps that Disneyland was handing out from 1955 onwards — collect Mouse Maps. And pause by the quirky joys of cartography at The Antique Map Collectors’ Forum.
Souvenirs are big with collectors — see just how big, at Disneyland: 50 Years of Souvenirs and Souvenirland.
“Archaeology” is collected as well. Consider the many strange things that don’t fit into our accepted view of history and human progress, at The Museum of Forbidden Archeology.
Like a challenge? Lucky for you there are Collectors of Maths Problems.
Have a fetish for typewriters? You’re not alone — look at the Virtual Typewriter Museum and the Antique Typewriter Collector. There is still more via Lady Typewriter.
Photographs are collected too. Not just known photographs, but those that have been “found” someplace. Look at Found Photos. And here are found photos of Women and Dogs. Or just Bad Found Photographs. Want vintage pix to play with in your photoshopping? About 100 000 are lurking at The Frances Frith Collection.
On and on, the collections continue …
Hopefully the above will show you that you’re not alone, unique or even particularly weird in collecting whatever oddity you fancy — just make sure you take pix, scan them in and make a website to demonstrate that locals are just as obsessive as the rest of the world.
I have to wonder though, just where are the local geek collections of apartheid signs, odd-looking bits of biltong, old pie packets, or rugby (or other sports) pamphlets. They’re out there, don’t be ashamed about it — just get them online.
Until the next time, if the Dewey decimal system doesn’t get me.
Quick picks