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Record-setting thief steals 2,396 bikes ... for the apocalypse?
So what does one do with thousands of bicycles? Igor Kenk’s record-setting collection have sparked myriad theories, ranging from the obvious: that he was planning to resell them all eventually in his used bicycle shop, to the eccentric: that he was saving them to melt them down during the next spike in scrap metal prices or was hoarding them for the eventual energy apocalypse. So what does one do with thousands of bicycles? Igor Kenk’s record-setting collection have sparked myriad theories, ranging from the o... more
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Collections of Nothing
The author of this new book takes readers into the world of an impulsive collector.
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Collections of Nothing by William Davies King, an excerpt
An excerpt from "Collections of Nothing."
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Collections of Nothing
King, a professor at Santa Barbara, has spent decades collecting things that nobody else would want: food packages and labels (he has about eighteen thousand), illustrations snipped from old dictionaries (seven thousand), linings of “security” envelopes (eight hundred patterns), “the mute, meager, practically valueless object, like a sea-washed spigot, its mouth stoppered by a stone.” What makes this book, bred of a midlife crisis, extraordinary is the way King weaves his autobiography into the account of his collection, deftly demonstrating that the two stories are essentially one. King, a professor at Santa Barbara, has spent decades collecting things that nobody else would want: food packages and labels (he has ... more
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Wacky World of Whistling
Jim reckons he has twenty to thirty boxes in his basement full of books, toys, sheet music, posters, sculptures, recordings, and photographs - all about human whistling. He guides us through the history and culture of whistling (he tells us about whistling during World War 2 and the Holocaust) as he shows off his collection and the passion that has driven him to amass a house full of whistling memorabilia.
As we learn about whistling we also get a glimpse into the mind of a collector. Jim believes collecting is innate, an evolutionary process, and that everyone collects something. His collection is just quirkier than most. Jim reckons he has twenty to thirty boxes in his basement full of books, toys, sheet music, posters, sculptures, recordings, and photo... more -
For the Love of Pez
Remember how much you loved Pez as a kid? If you hadn't thrown them out along with your baseball card collection, you could be sitting on a down payment for a house. Remember how much you loved Pez as a kid? If you hadn't thrown them out along with your baseball card collection, you could be s... more
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Motherload of Trophies
In a disposable culture of programmed obsolescence, the owners of the Shack Up Inn set out to salvage some junk and end up preserving Delta history.
Old trophies, boy scout badges and photographs are among the relics scattered throughout the rooms and grounds, off Highway 49 in Hopson, Mississippi.
People journey to the inn from all over the world to troll through things most would discard. Some are there to reconnect with their culture, while others come from afar in search of something authentic. In a disposable culture of programmed obsolescence, the owners of the Shack Up Inn set out to salvage some junk and end up preserving ... more -
Extremely massive music collection now on eBay
For the starting bid of 3 million dollars, you now can own the entire (practically) history of music through the generation of recorded media. Over 3 million albums and 300,000 CDs, totaling 6 MILLION tracks.
Alright, Steve Jobs...make me an iPod to hold THAT! For the starting bid of 3 million dollars, you now can own the entire (practically) history of music through the generation of recorde... more -
The LIbrary Problem
About 18 months ago I posted the following question to Ask Slashdot: 'How do you organize a home library with 3,500 books?' I have read all the responses, reviewed most of the available software, and come up with a good solution described in the article The Library Problem. This article discusses various cataloging schemes, reviews cheap barcode scanners, and outlines a complete solution for organizing your home library. Now you can see an Ask Slashdot question with a definitive answer. About 18 months ago I posted the following question to Ask Slashdot: 'How do you organize a home library with 3,500 books?' ... more
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