Collect it - forget it

All of us resort to collecting something or the other in our lives.

Only for a very few persons does collecting something as a hobby latches on and becomes a

life-time passion.

Over the years, I have collected a lot of things for a particular period of time and then given up.

(1) Probably the very first hobby of collecting, as for any school going lad, I started collecting postage stamps. Stamp collecting or Philately as it is known, is called the King of Hobbies.

I collected a few hundred stamps, someone gave me an album in which I pasted many stamps.

One day I took my album to school and someone took away a set of error stamps. I didn't make an issue of it. Then I used to go to Mount Road Post Office (now Anna Road Post Office) and buy the first day covers and stamps with cancellation. Later the album itself was lost and also my interest in collecting stamps.

(2) Numismatics (coin collecting). I always look at the coins that I receive. The odd one I would keep away in a safe place. Some friends and relatives returning from foreign countries used to give me a coin or two. This was a passive hobby. After my retirement two years ago my interest in collecting coins has gained much strength. I now collect Republic of India coins. I learn a lot from sites in the internet.

(3) Pocket watches: I love pocket watches. And I like the dials to be inscribed in Roman numerals. In watches the Roman numeral 4 will appear as IIII. The only Indian manufacturer to bring our a pocket watch was HMT and I bought one on 1.1.1984. I think they used to call it a pendant watch. Though I have seen some old pocket watches in Moore Market, I didn't buy any due to want of enough money. Recently both my daughters who knew my interest in pocket watches gifted me, one each. These are nice quartz pocket watches. I still would love to have a nice pocket watch with a lid and with bold Roman numerals!!

(4) First issue of magazines: I have a few magazines in this category!

(5) Match box labels: Phillumeny is the collecting of match box labels. I used to buy a lot of these from the shop opposite my house while I was in school. Cheeta Fight was a popular brand made by Wimco and I had any number of match box labels looking just like Cheeta Fight. I understand that the famous Wimco factory in Thiruvottiyur has been purchased by ITC. That note-book is no longer with me. I might have given it away to someone.

Finally, I give below a list of a few things that I always wanted to have:

(1) Victorinox knife: I have one original and one duplicate, both gifted to me.

(2) Swan pen: I have Parker, Cross, Sheaffers. Would love to have a swan pen.

Of late, I have been watching the Pawn Stars serials in History channel and my latest fad is to open one such shop in Chennai!!!