The random things that people in Charlotte collect

I started collecting matchbooks in college, before the ban on smoking in restaurants and bars, when everywhere you went they gave out free matchbooks. I wrote the date and who I was with on the inside cover of each matchbook. I can rummage through and remember what I was doing at a specific time in my life.

I also have hundreds of Bazooka Joe comic strips from Bazooka Bubblegum from when I was a kid. I have a collection of ceramic water pitchers and travel magnets, too. I realize that there is a fine line between hoarding and collecting, and luckily, I have not passed that line. Yet.

According to one psychologist, there are reasons why people collect. It can be a hobby or a way to preserve the past. Some people are hoping that the items increase in value and make money for them later on. People collect standard items like stamps, coins, trading cards, comic books and ticket stubs or rare or unusual items for the fun of “the hunt.”

I asked around to find out what people in town love to collect.

Here’s what some Charlotteans are busy collecting:

Koozies

Charlotte Davis has collected about 100 koozies (see featured photo) in the past four years. Davis said, “I’m not sure I have a favorite, but the funniest one I have is an ugly Christmas sweater koozie. It’s supposed to look like your beer is wearing an ugly Christmas sweater. It’s always a real hit at holiday parties.”

Travel Magnets

Jen Wu started collecting travel magnets on a trip to San Diego in 2002. “I keep the magnets on my refrigerator and get a small reminder every day of events I have been to, places I have visited and things I have seen,” said Wu.

Rocks and crystals

Annie Seier has been collecting rocks for as long as she can remember. She finds them while walking through the woods, on the beach, gem mining and in stores.

Ashtrays

Beth Eames thinks she has collected more than 100 ashtrays over the past 15 years. She purchased her favorite one at a Charlotte estate sale for Harry Golden, author of “Carolina Israelite”. That ashtray originally came from the Hotel Esplanade in Zagreb, Yugoslavia.

PEZ dispensers

Melissa Bucka has been collecting PEZ dispensers since middle school and has 525 with no duplicates. Included in her collection are 23 furry key chains, a flashlight and five large dispensers that hold multiple packs of candy. Droopy and the set of “The Wizard of Oz” are her favorites. 

Concert ticket stubs

Luke Ruggieri has been collecting since his first “real” concert in 1982 to The Who, at Shea Stadium in New York. He estimates having more than 200 ticket stubs.

Comic books

Dave W. read his first comic book in high school, “The Amazing Spider-Man” #300. It wasn’t until college that he really got hooked on “The Amazing Spider-Man” and then eventually others. Dave said, “I still have that first one.”

Tsum Tsums

Megan Spence collects Tsum Tsums, small stuffed animals made by Disney. She has been collecting for eight years and has 67 of them.

I know I missed so many other collectors in Charlotte. If you are one of them, add what you collect, and why, in the comment section below.

Photos: Vanessa Infanzon, Jen Wu, Charlotte Davis, Annie Seier, Beth Eames, Melissa Bucka, Luke Ruggieri, Megan Spence

This story was originally published March 5, 2017 at 10:00 PM with the headline "The random things that people in Charlotte collect."