Strange Things that Fascinate One So

[Ginseng]

People are curious creatures. Take myself for example. A perfectly reasonable middle aged man, yet I recently became fascinated with bowling pins. I bought four new pins and am looking for a few more. Why? I'm not sure but there you are.

I am also on the lookout for large tungsten carbide ball bearings and heirloom beans for my garden. And of course, this got me wondering if any of my fellow FOHers have curious little fascinations. Perhaps not full-blown eccentric collect-itis, but objects or tchotchkes that you can't help but pick up now and then. Even better if you feel an attraction but have no bloody idea why.

Wilkey

Edited June14, 2014 to add a photo of my bowling pin collection as of today.

[DrunkenMonkey]

Bowling pins. Awesome. I think you need 6 more?

[Ginseng]

Good point. But then I'd need a bowling ball and I am not in the least bit fascinated by bowling balls...yet.

Wilkey

[foreese]

I collect Discus from the Amazon!

[Ginseng]

Discus, cool AND freaky looking fish!

Wilkey

[Skyfall]

I am fascinated by your spelling of tchotchkes. I'm not kidding either. I've wondered for years how that word was spelled, and today, I finally have reckoning. Every time I've tried to spell it, auto-correct always tries to change it to "hopscotches" which I'm pretty sure isn't a real word, nor is there even such a thing as a plural form of hopscotch!

The most informative Sunday Afternoon in a long time! I know it sounds sarcastic, but It's not, I literally cut and pasted tchotchkes and saved it on notepad on my computer. I'm now going to purposely work this word into every text message and email I send to people for the next 48 hours, because I can.

[Squarehead]

Until a couple of years ago I collected Tropical Hibiscuses and I had over 50 different ones.Most of them I propacated at home after breaking off some shoots in nurseries.

[mncz]

Well, I happen to be just-beginning-aged – however, I've got a short list of collectable of fascinations. I love to collect vinyl records and vintage clothing. I also have a modest collection of precious gemstones and handmade jewelry. Occasionally, I'll pick up small stones where I find them – though I'm generally wary of removing biomass (as per the "Leave No Trace" ethic).

When I was a kid, I used to collect bottle caps. Then my mom threw away my collection. My first major loss.

[Colt45]

A perfectly reasonable middle aged man, yet I recently became fascinated with bowling pins. I bought four new pins and am looking for a few more.

Candle, duck, or ten pin?

Perfectly reasonable is in the eye of the beholder.......

[SCgarman]

Good point. But then I'd need a bowling ball and I am not in the least bit fascinated by bowling balls...yet.

Wilkey

I see a house remodeling job in your future that might include a home bowling alley in the lower level, LOL!

BTW, how about another mini-herf at your pad sometime this spring or summer???

[AndrewNR]

Fantastic love a good quirk thread.

I get obsessed with things randomly, a need to possess them grows and I either get it or go what the f was I thinking?

It's a relaxing thing in ways, kind of a stress born procrastination.

Sometimes it focuses around dress pieces for a bike or something entirely different. Ie.collecting things related to my.military bike.

Recently it manifested in the need to own a batman suit. Wore it once so far. Towns kids loved it but I felt awkward

[Ginseng]

AndrewNR, now that IS fascinating!

Ten pin. The proportions of the pins are so...Rubenesque.

NYCgarman, absolutely! I'll start feelering it out in the next few weeks. I've got a crapload of travel coming up and just too much stuff going on at the moment.

Wilkey

[rckymtn22]

Until a couple of years ago I collected Tropical Hibiscuses and I had over 50 different ones.Most of them I propacated at home after breaking off some shoots in nurseries.

I used to do similar. I had a female yellow hibiscus that I used to propagate with different coloured flowers to produce seed. The fun was seeing what colour flowers it would produce. Started to get way too many so had to stop as it became a bit of a chore water and cleaning up the leaves.

[Ken Gargett]

i used to collect vomit bags from airlines - clean and unused i stress - no idea why. had heaps, and some from some seriously weird airlines from asia, africa and places. then one day i just thought nup. tossed the lot. never missed them.

as a kid, did the usual stamps and animals and all sorts of things.

now just wine, books and fishing gear - but they are all perfectly sane and expected of any bloke.

[Fuzz]

People are curious creatures. Take myself for example. A perfectly reasonable middle aged man, yet I recently became fascinated with bowling pins. I bought four new pins and am looking for a few more. Why? I'm not sure but there you are.

I am also on the lookout for large tungsten carbide ball bearings and heirloom beans for my garden. And of course, this got me wondering if any of my fellow FOHers have curious little fascinations. Perhaps not full-blown eccentric collect-itis, but objects or tchotchkes that you can't help but pick up now and then. Even better if you feel an attraction but have no bloody idea why.

Wilkey

You planning on planting tungsten carbide ball bearings? Don't think they'll turn out as well as the heirloom beans.

For a while, I collected barb wire. Don't know why the heck I would want a bit of twisted rusty wire, but I ended up with about 25 different pieces in the end. Got rid of the lot, then tie clips caught my eye. Again, ended up with 20 odd clips that eventually were given away.

The next one is really weird. One day, I was reminiscing with a work colleague about toys we had as kids, and she mentioned a toy with a chicken in a bubble that plays tic-tac-toe or an addition game. I vaguely remembered owning one and spent the next 8 mths totally obsessed with finding the damn thing. Finally found it at a swap meet out in the boonies. She was totally shocked that I managed to track it down, and quite happy when I gave it to her as a gift.

Now I'm collecting comic book statues and Oakley X-Metal sunglasses.

[maxcjs0101]

I collect Discus from the Amazon!

Nooooo!!!

My aquarium's going to be empty (due to the current fishes dying of old age) and i was thinking what cheaper fished i can put in. I was always amazed with their wide range of patterns and colors since i was a teenager but a single fish can be quite costly and not forgetting the water must be super clean too so i didnt venture into that.

With my current, uhumm, hobby which im spending like water every month, i dont think i can afford to buy a couple just yet...But they do look darn good in an aquarium though.

[Cletus]

The only thing I collect are the bands and boxes from my cigars. I have no good use for them as yet but I keep thinking I might in the future. Just can't bring myself to toss them.

On further thought, I collect any $2 bills I happen across. I only have about a dozen as they're not very commonly used as currency. I think this must have started in the late 80's.

[Pedro2486]

Nooooo!!!

My aquarium's going to be empty (due to the current fishes dying of old age) and i was thinking what cheaper fished i can put in. I was always amazed with their wide range of patterns and colors since i was a teenager but a single fish can be quite costly and not forgetting the water must be super clean too so i didnt venture into that.

With my current, uhumm, hobby which im spending like water every month, i dont think i can afford to buy a couple just yet...But they do look darn good in an aquarium though.

Have you considered African cichlids?

Everyone needs cichlids

[MIKA27]

I am fascinated by your spelling of tchotchkes.

What does tchotchkes mean and or refer to...?

[Ken Gargett]

Have you considered African cichlids?

Everyone needs cichlids

had chiclids for a while. great fish. amazing the way all of a sudden, 30 baby fish would swim straight into their parent's mouth.

[maxcjs0101]

Have you considered African cichlids?

Everyone needs cichlids

Wow nice.. Will consider getting these with the rocks as well

[El Presidente]

You all have OCD.....not that it is a problem....just saying

[polarbear]

One of my missus quirks is buying meat from the local Woolworth's if it has an interesting price on it.

For example: she came home with a packet of mince yesterday because it has a price of $18.18.

We have plenty of meat in the freezer but she couldn't walk past this one...

[Guest rob]

Not that it's entirely quirky... but I can't walk by a nursery or garden center without buying a plant of some sort. I particularly like the rarer, exotic and heirlooms.

[Ghabanos]

This is fascinating!!!

I am addicted Wikipedia. Any interest I have a must look it up and read it... Probably not that related. But I am attracted by all the information available. And just random stuff sometimes. Like looking up Korean popstar Rain, then immediately I was looking at Seychelles and then toenails.

I used to collect matchbooks and match boxes from everywhere we went. A thing that my dad passed on to me... Stuff from 70s and 60s too. I kinda stopped with fewer and feet places offering them, but still have them... Somewhere. The designs were something I could look at for hours...