Brick By Brick (Lego Keychains)

I've been on a bit of a Lego kick recently. I'm not exactly sure why. I mean sure, my siblings and I played with Lego when we were growing up. My sister K. was especially good at building Lego floor plans for houses. I even had one of the larger pirate ship sets. Although if I remember correctly, my parents had to help a lot with the assembly.

But lots of kids grow up playing with Lego. I wouldn't consider myself an AFOL, as grown-up Lego enthusiasts sometimes refer to themselves. AFOL stands for Adult Fan Of Lego, and I only know that term because I borrowed a DVD copy of the Lego Brickumentary from my local public library. Anyway, I think my current interest in Lego keychains can be linked to two main factors: more licensed minifigures and easier accessibility.

For some reason, I'm really drawn to the licensed Lego minifigures. There's just something amusing to me about seeing a human film character translated into Lego form. However, since I need another collection like I need a hole in my head, I've been trying to limit myself to buying the minifigures in keychain form. After all, I've been collecting keychains since childhood, so it's not as if I'm starting a new collection from scratch. Although, I did pick up a few Lego Disney blind bag figures for my box of Disney collectables, but that's another story.

In the past, I've purchased a few Lego keychains here and there for my general collection.

For example, these two Christmas holiday themed keychains, representing Santa Claus and an angel respectively, were bought secondhand at different times.

And this Lego minifigure keychain of Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter franchise was found at a thrift store for a fantastic price.

Every once in a while, I've even purchased a clearance priced Lego keychain or two from one of the official Lego Stores, if my family happened to be shopping at a mall that had one and they wanted to stop in.

The purple Lego brick keychain and the Lego minifigure keychain of Indiana Jones' father pictured above both came from The Lego Store.

These next two Lego keychains, of Luke Skywalker and R2-D2 from Star Wars, were also bought from Lego Stores, though at different times.

The Yoda minifigure keychain pictured above actually came from the Lego Store connected to the Legoland Discovery Center attraction at Plymouth Meeting Mall in Pennsylvania. I also purchased the Discovery Center souvenir keychain shown below there.

My family and I didn't visit the actual attraction, but we did take a look in the store. There are a number of souvenir keychains in my collection from places I've never actually visited, as discussed in my "Armchair Traveling" post.

However, the main problem I've had with shopping for keychains at authorized Lego Stores is that all of the stores closest to me were too far away to visit regularly. And forget about shopping for Lego keychains online. Once you tack on shipping costs, it becomes very difficult to find many real bargains, though not impossible. The Lego minifigure keychain of Harry Potter shown below was purchased online, to coordinate with my Hermione Granger minifigure keychain. Now I just need Ron Weasley in Lego minifigure keychain form.

However, ever since the independent Lego store Andy's Brick Shop opened at one of the local malls, it's gotten a lot easier for me to get my hands on reasonably priced Lego keychains, without having to worry about shipping costs I would need to pay if I shopped online. Because Andy's Brick Shop is an independent Lego store, it sells both new in package items along with secondhand pieces and sets. I've mentioned the shop before in my "Disney Keychain Shopping Spree" post.

The minifigure keychain above was one of my early purchases from Andy's Brick Shop. I'm guessing it was originally sold as a souvenir in Orlando, Florida. There is a Legoland theme park near that part of Florida, as well as a Lego Store at the Walt Disney World resort. However, I'm honestly not sure which of those locations this keychain would have come from, if either.

I bought the minifigure keychain shown above from Andy's Brick Shop because my best friend and two of my sisters are all fans of the Marvel Comics superheroes film franchise, known collectively as the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the MCU. This keychain is based on the character Black Widow from The Avengers. Actually, I think the main reasons I bought her really were because I just really liked her hairstyle and her facial expression. But thanks to my best friend and my sisters, I at least knew who she was when I purchased her. I can't quite say the same about my next keychain purchase.

Another Andy's Brick Shop find, this minifigure keychain is based on a character from the Disney live action film Prince Of Persia. I've never seen the film, but this minifigure seemed to have a sort of 'Princess Leia' vibe to me, which I liked. Granted, I might feel differently if I actually knew anything about this character.

When I found this keychain, I knew right away that it was a hobbit character, despite it missing the original tag. Lego hobbit minifigures have shorter legs than full sized minifigures. However, I wasn't entirely sure which hobbit this was. I was kind of hoping it was Samwise Gamgee. But when I looked this keychain up online, it turned out to be Bilbo Baggins. It's still an interesting minifigure though.

Not only is Andy's Brick Shop well stocked, but the owner is also very knowledgeable. He was able to help me identify this Lego minifigure keychain that came in a grab bag I bought from a thrift store. Apparently, this minifigure was from the Lego Insectoids line.

Ok, so over half of these keychains were ones I already owned, rather than ones I purchased recently. So maybe I wasn't on as much of a 'Lego kick' as I thought.

Signed, Treesa

Update: Thanks to Andy's Brick Shop, I was able to get my hands on this Lord Of The Rings Frodo Baggins minifigure keychain. So now I have my second Lego hobbit character. Although, not everyone seems to think that this keychain bears a good resemblance to Frodo. Someone online compared the likeness to actor Michael Landon in Little House On The Prairie. I think it must be the hair, and maybe the suspenders.

Midway Classic Arcade Collectors Keyring blind bag (A Review)

I'm hoping that the following post will serve as a lesson to other collectors to always be sure what you're buying. I purchased this keychain thinking it was somehow connected to the World's Smallest Tiny Arcade product line. It turned out this was not the case. The World's Smallest line is put out by a company called Super Impulse, or SI for short. The Classic Arcade Keyring I'm about to show you is a product of Monogram International Inc., the same company known for their blind bag Figural Keyrings.

I've never been a gamer. But when I first discovered the World's Smallest Tiny Arcade keychains in stores, I thought they were really cool. I have a strong sense of nostalgia for the old Basic Fun Inc keychains, many of which were based on classic games and toys. I was thrilled when the World's Smallest line premiered and proceeded to bring back the concept of mini versions of classic toys. Although I wish that more of the World's Smallest products were available in keychain form.

The prices being charged for the Tiny Arcade line were, unfortunately, more than I could justify spending on something that size with my current budget. Then, on a trip to the local mall, I decided to stop by a store that I hadn't been to in a while called Claire's. Claire's specializes in jewelry and accessories for young people, and I blew quite a lot of money there in my younger days on their "ten items for ten dollars" clearance sales. While I've mostly outgrown the types of merchandise offered at Claire's, every now and then I'll stop in to check the clearance racks for inexpensive jewelry items that I can take apart for other projects. That day, I happened to notice a bin of the Midway Classic Arcade Collectors Keyrings near the register.

The price was quite a bit lower than the Tiny Arcade keychains I'd previously seen at Walmart. This should have tipped me off that they were, in fact, completely different products. But I just assumed that the Midway Classic Arcade Keyrings were cheaper because they were blind bag items, and maybe had fewer features than the keychains at Walmart. I ended up buying one blind bag, which I opened as soon as I got home.

When I took the keychain out of the bag, I immediately noticed two things. One: the 'sign' at the top of my keychain was severely askew.

And two: this keychain didn't have any battery-operated features the way the Tiny Arcade line did. It was basically just a heavy lump of dense, rubbery plastic. It still looked sort of cool, but not what I was expecting. To be fair, the packaging said nothing about potential light up or sound or game play features. On the other hand, I also saw no signs of a standard warning disclaimer stating that the keychain didn't actually function.

So hopefully, from now on I'll know. Try researching an unfamiliar product first 'before' I buy it. While it would be unfair for me to judge this keychain based on what I thought it was, as opposed to what it actually is, there are definitely some quality control issues with this product that I think Monogram International Inc. needs to address. For starters, the 'sign' at the top is so far out of alignment that it's pushing out one of the side walls.

Also, the keychain is way too heavy to be used either for storing keys or to accessorize a backpack or purse. It's a good thing that I bought it as a collectible, and not to put to use. It's another good thing that I didn't pay more for it than I did. But as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for.

I will attempt to be as unbiased as possible while presenting my final thoughts for this review.

Good Points:

I do really like the concept of miniature, keychain versions of arcade game machines, or cabinets as they’re called. And this keychain still looks kind of cool visually. However, it would undoubtedly look cooler if it had been assembled properly.

Bad Points:

Along with the glaring quality control errors messing with the overall structure, this keychain also has the disadvantage of being too heavy to be of any practical use, except maybe as an emergency fishing weight for someone stranded on a deserted island. It makes me think of how some Hallmark Christmas ornaments are impressive to look at but are too big and heavy to actually hang on a tree. You can still display them in a curio, but what’s the point of them being ornaments then?

Final Verdict:

Even if I had known more about this product before purchasing it, I think I still would have been disappointed by the slipshod assembly and the impractical weight.

This concludes today’s lesson on the pitfalls of impulse shopping.

Signed, Treesa

Disney Keychain Shopping Spree: February 2019 (Keychain Haul)

I think I mentioned in a previous post that my favorite 'vacation destination' is the Disney parks. Ever since my family's last trip to Walt Disney World in 2011, several family members, including myself, have been putting aside money for a return trip. My third sister, A., had been lobbying for our next family trip to Disney to be during the winter holiday season. From what I understand, the Disney parks really go all out for Christmas. Well, it looks like A. might be getting her wish. Barring any unforeseen events or expenses, the next family trip is tentatively scheduled for the beginning of December 2019. I think I'll be riding up and down on that wave of anticipation for the rest of the year, especially since my birthday is also in early December. How cool would it be to spend my birthday in one of my all-time favorite places?

Being a keychain collector, I also started thinking about vacation souvenirs. Things are frequently overpriced at any popular tourist destination, but the Disney parks can be especially pricey. When my family was taking the shuttle bus back to the airport after our last Disney trip in 2011, the driver even made a joke about the price of a bottle of water at the park versus the price of bottled water in the 'real world'. Now that my family's next Disney trip has a more definitive time frame, as opposed to being at some undetermined date in the hazy future, I've found myself wondering if I should start putting aside even more money for a souvenir fund.

That's when I came up with a crazy idea. What if, instead of buying keychains at the park, I tried to save myself some money in the long run by going online and searching for Disney parks souvenir keychains at a discount on the secondary market? I know I stated in a previous post that I don't buy a lot of keychains online, mostly due to shipping costs. However, I figured there was no harm in looking around. Online 'window shopping' wouldn't cost me anything but my time, and if I couldn't find anything at a price I was willing to pay, then I could just log off empty-handed.

I discovered something while I was searching online that other keychain collectors might find useful. If you're searching for keychains from a specific Disney attraction, then there will be fewer search results, and the prices will be harder to justify budget-wise. On the other hand, if you're searching for more general Disney parks keychains, there will be more results at a wider range of prices. So consider that your secondhand shopping tip for the day. I was personally able to find a number of what I considered good deals. In fact, I sort of went overboard. I can definitely understand why people say that online shopping is addictive.

The first keychain I picked up on my "shopping spree" was this one. The words "Disney Parks", and a small castle in the clouds design logo, appear to be etched into the metal. This was, by the way, a bit tricky to photograph due to the reflective surface. Overall, I think the combination of the metal with the red leather or faux leather strap, I'm not sure which, gives this keychain a very classy look.

The next keychain I ordered had a nice design of the Disney castle on it, though again, the reflective surface made it difficult to photograph. However, this keychain isn't actually from the parks. I knew this was the case before I bought it, but I still really liked the design. According to the text on the back, this keychain is an advertisement or a premium of some kind for Partners Home Mortgage.

I looked up Partners Home Mortgage online, and the name seems to be connected to Partners Federal Credit Union, which, according to their website, "provides financial products and services" for Walt Disney Company employees. I wasn't aware that the Disney Company has its own private credit union. You learn something new every day.

This Lego Star Wars Princess Leia keychain probably didn't come from the parks either, although there was a Lego store located in a shopping district at the Walt Disney World resort the last time I visited. However, I'm fairly sure that the Star Wars franchise didn't officially join the Disney 'family' until more recently than that. Still, now that the Star Wars films are being produced by Disney, Leia should totally count as a Disney princess.

Truthfully, I've wanted one of these Princess Leia keychains ever since I first saw them at a shopping mall based Lego Store a while back. The thing about this particular version of Leia that got my attention was that she has a second facial expression on the back of her head.

I liked the idea of going from smiling Leia to frowning Leia.

This letter T monogram keychain was originally made for the Disney parks. It says so plainly on the back.

I also bought some theme park nameplate keychains that have my full name on them. In a shocking twist that will surprise no one, my real name is...

Obviously, the Harry Potter Gryffindor crest keychain did not come from the Disney parks. However, it is from another Florida theme park, namely The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando. Both keychains are marked on the back, with the Disney one specifically being from Disneyland.

Next, we have a Walt Disney World 25th anniversary keychain.

I picked out this keychain because it had The Genie from Aladdin on it. The Genie was one of my favorite Disney characters when I was growing up.

This next keychain depicts Disney's famous Partners statue, with Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse holding hands.

If you look closely at this photo of the back of the keychain, you should be able to make out the words "Walt Disney World".

I'm not sure if this coin purse keychain is actually from the Disney parks, but I doubt it. Other keychains that I've seen from the parks with fabric labels will say "Disney Parks Authentic", or something similar. The fabric label on the inside of this coin purse keychain says "Mickey Unlimited". According to the online listing, the seller attributed the design on this keychain to artist Andy Warhol. I'm not sure how accurate that information is, but I do like the design.

This last online purchase was sort of an impulse buy. By the time I stumbled across the listing, the auction was almost over. I quickly looked over the page and noticed that the cost was low, that there were no bidders, and that the seller had an excellent feedback score. I also liked the 'Mickey Mouse head' shape of the keychain. So I took a chance on it. The Disneyland castle design on the keychain is a little more stylized than I would've preferred, with its heavy, black outlining. But overall, I'm happy with my purchase.

While I was in a Disney mood, I also picked up this item from my favorite thrift store. It's meant to be the rose with bell jar from Disney's Beauty And The Beast animated film. I found it attached to the zipper of an empty Beauty And The Beast themed art kit. Because the kit was missing all of the art supplies, the price on it was low enough that I felt ok with buying the case and then donating it after I removed the keychain. I suppose it's actually more of a zipper pull than a keychain but hey, my collection, my rules.

I also picked up this Lego Star Wars landspeeder keychain while I was at it. This keychain was purchased from a store called Andy's Brick Shop, which specializes in Lego items, mostly second-hand pieces and sets, but also old stock still in package. I'm assuming this particular keychain was used, since it didn't come with a cardboard tag or any other original packaging.

So, this wraps up my "shopping spree". Like I said, I sort of went overboard. But at least I can own up to that fact.

Signed, Treesa

Oh My Disney Mystery VHS Keychain blind box (A Review)

This post should have been up on the blog a lot sooner, but thanks to the holiday rush it sort of got lost in the shuffle. Unfortunately, this review is no longer very relevant, since the keychain in question is now sold out on the shopdisney website and is only available on the secondary market. I scanned Ebay to get an idea how easy these keychains would be to find, and while the supply online seems plentiful at the moment most of them also have a list price that is over twice the original retail price. In spite of this, I've decided to post my review anyway, just in case there are keychain collectors out there who are still curious about the product.

I first found out about the Disney Mystery VHS Keychains in an email my family received from the shopdisney website, advertising new products. The keychains were part of a '90s Flashback Collection that Disney launched, and some of the other items in the collection like journals and clutch bags also used the VHS case motif. I tend to refer to keychains modeled after 'old school' technology like VHS tapes as "retro tech". Naturally, it was the keychains in this collection that really got my attention, partially because I collect keychains, but also because I have a thing for miniatures. This might trace back to my days collecting Basic Fun's mini board game keychains. Or it might be because I'm also a doll collector who knows the value of nice, doll-sized props. Whatever the case, when pictures of the Disney VHS Keychains appeared in my family's inbox, it was love at first sight. So, I clicked on the link to the website for more information.

I'll admit, I was a little disappointed when I found out the keychains were a blind box item. I don't usually have very good luck with blind boxes. However, of the six different keychains that were available in the assortment, all four of the ones pictured on the website would've been welcomed in my collection. The other two keychains were 'mystery chasers', and they were supposed to be a surprise. However, by comparing the four known keychains to the full list of other merchandise that was available in the collection, and by using process of elimination, I was able to make an educated guess what those 'mystery chasers' were. With the odds of getting something I liked in my favor I decided it would be worth taking a chance. The $5.00 retail price also seemed very reasonable for an official Disney product. So, at the next available opportunity, I took a trip to the nearest Disney Store.

The store had stocked a nice assortment of merchandise from the '90s Flashback Collection. However, I didn't see any sign of the keychains. I wondered if the store had already sold out, so I asked an employee for help. It turned out the store hadn't even gotten in any of the Mystery VHS Keychains. I was annoyed when I realized that the only way I was going to get my hands on one was if I ordered it online, because that meant there would be shipping and handling charges. In my opinion, online shipping often seems unnecessarily high. There are times when it costs more to ship an item than you paid for the item in the first place. But lucky for me, the shopdisney website held one of their holiday free shipping promotions, so I was able to place an order for one keychain. The website's review section was already packed with complaints from people who'd ordered multiple keychains at once and received all duplicates.

When my package arrived, the brown cardboard shipping box was much bigger than it needed to be for a single keychain. I understand that there should be some extra room in a shipping box for packing material, but this box could have easily fit the full assortment of keychains and then some. The blind box itself is pictured below.

And here's a picture of the keychain I received.

As you can see, I ended up with The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, which was one of the 'mystery chasers'. I'm not sure if this actually means it's any rarer than the other keychains. There seem to be a large number of The Hunchback Of Notre Dame VHS keychains on Ebay. But I'm not sure if this means it's not rare, or if it's just not as desirable, or both. Even though The Hunchback Of Notre Dame isn't one of my favorite Disney films, I don't mind having it in keychain form.

In my opinion, the coolest thing about these keychains is that they really open, and each one has a pretend VHS tape of the movie inside.

However, the first time I tried to open mine I needed to use more force than I was comfortable with. I was actually worried I was going to break the keychain. Also, the plastic seems a bit thin, especially in the hinge area. I can't help worrying that repeatedly opening and closing the case will put stress on that area, and that over time the plastic might crack. Not to mention, the sticker labels on the outside of the case seem like they would be very vulnerable to scratches and other wear and tear. For these reasons, I don't think I'll be handling this keychain much.

I'll wrap up this review with a summary of what I feel are the good points and bad points about this product.

Good Points:
In my opinion, the Oh My Disney Mystery VHS Keychains are a fun idea. I love the '90s nostalgia factor, and also the fact that the keychains are miniature replicas of full-size items. The retail price was also reasonable, especially considering how much Disney often charges for authorized merchandise.

Bad Points:
The Disney company lost some points with me for making these keychains a blind box item. I never fully embraced the blind box craze. While I appreciate that blind boxes are small and usually reasonably priced, the mystery factor drives me crazy. I like to know what I'm buying, and several times that I've caved and bought a blind box on clearance I ended up with something I didn't really want. I feel sorry for all those customers who posted reviews online after placing an order for more than one keychain and receiving all duplicates. I'm also annoyed that the Mystery VHS Keychains weren't available in store. Not to mention, I do have some concerns about the long-term durability of these items.

Final Verdict:
While I don't regret buying a Disney Mystery VHS Keychain at retail price, I also don't think it would be worthwhile to go scouring the secondary market for the rest of the assortment. Not at the current market prices at least.

I hope that you enjoyed this review, even if it is late.

Signed, Treesa

The People In Our Lives

Most people, if asked, can name someone who has positively impacted their lives. That person could be a parent, another family member, a teacher, a coach, or someone else entirely. Human beings are, for the most part, social creatures. As a result, we all have an impact on the people around us, sometimes without even realizing it.

I come from a large family, so I guess it's not surprising that my family has had a major influence on my life. This influence is reflected in my keychain collection. There are a number of keychains that have ended up in my collection because they reminded me of someone I know and care about. Below is a sampling of some of these keychains, along with the necessary background information explaining who the keychains remind me of and why.

My Mom:

The house shaped keychain in the top corner features the logo for the So-Fro chain of fabric stores. The design was made to look like bolts of fabric, stacked into the shape of a house. My mom likes to sew, and she frequented this store a lot when I was a kid. At the time, there really wasn't much there to hold my interest, unless I was helping my mom pick out fabric for my Halloween costume, and I'd frequently get bored on these shopping trips. I think this store chain eventually went out of business.

My mom, like her father before her, is also a fan of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team. Philadelphia sports teams have developed a reputation for not being very good, so being a fan takes real dedication. And though my mom isn't as hardcore as some fans I've seen on the local news, she wears her Phillies baseball cap with pride.

Also pictured is a St. Anthony keychain. St. Anthony is the patron saint that Catholics are supposed to pray to when trying to find something they've lost. The prayer, "Dear St. Anthony, please come around, something's lost and can't be found," is one that my mom uses frequently. And according to her, it actually works, though I don't seem to have the same luck with it that she does.

My Dad:

I'm not sure why my dad has an interest in carousel horses. Maybe he appreciates them as art objects. Or maybe he's impressed with the craftsmanship that went into creating older carousel figures. At any rate, this carousel horse keychain makes me think of my dad.

Dad is also a fan of the comic strip Peanuts. His favorite Peanuts characters are Snoopy and Woodstock.

Dad is a card-carrying member of Triple A as well.

My Sister K.:

My sister K. loves musical theater. Her favorite musical is The Phantom Of The Opera. So naturally, when I found a Phantom Of The Opera keychain secondhand I had to get it.

The other keychain pictured is a small knife in a sheath. My sister likes to dress up in costume for the local Renaissance fairs, and she has quite a collection of, purely decorative, weaponry for accessorizing her outfits. For a while, she couldn't go to a Renaissance fair without purchasing a sword or a dagger. But she quickly realized that swords are difficult to store. So she now mostly buys additional jewelry items and headpieces for her costumes.

My Second Sister, L.:

This Bop It keychain from Basic Fun Inc. really works, with the correct batteries. I took the batteries out quite a while ago, so that they wouldn't start leaking over time while the keychain was in storage. Anyway, my second sister, L., had a full-sized Bop It game when we were growing up. She got pretty good at it too, from what I remember.

My Third Sister, A.:

My third sister, A., wanted to be an astronaut when she grew up. So the above assortment of outer space related keychains reminds me of her. A. had to give up her dream in college, when she realized that she couldn't meet the higher math requirements. She majored in history instead, but she still has a fascination with space.

A. is also a fan of Disney's Pirates Of The Caribbean films, which is why I have this key shaped keychain that replicates a prop from the second movie in the series.

My Brother:

This assortment of manatee keychains will always remind me of my brother, and of a certain family vacation to Walt Disney World. My brother is mildly autistic, and he sometimes has trouble coping if his senses are 'over-stimulated'. On one particular day of the trip, my family was checking out the ocean themed pavilion at Epcot. Part of the exhibit included a large tank for rescued manatees, who had been injured by motorboats. My brother spent quite a bit of time by that tank, watching the manatees placidly swimming and eating lettuce. It helped him to relax in the crowded and sometimes overwhelming environment of a Disney theme park.

My brother also collects a wide variety of trading card gaming cards, including Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Magic: The Gathering. Wizards Of The Coast is a prominent company in the trading card gaming industry, but that's about all I can tell you on the subject. My brother knows a lot more about it than I do.

Also pictured is a battery-operated Goosebumps electronic organizer keychain by Micro Games Of America. When he was younger, my brother had quite the collection of Goosebumps brand books.

My Best Friend:

The purple Coach keychain works on two levels, since my best friend is a fan of Coach brand purses and her favorite color is purple.

As for the Josh Groban keychain, he's one of my best friend's favorite singers. A self-proclaimed 'Grobanite', my best friend always keeps up to date on when and where Josh Groban will be performing.

My Paternal Grandfather:

This Sherlock Holmes silhouette keychain reminds me of my paternal grandfather. I wasn't as close to my grandfather as some of my siblings were, but Sherlock Holmes books were something we both enjoyed. I was a big Sherlock Holmes fan when I was in grade school, and while my interest in Holmes has cooled a bit since then, I still enjoy reading the original short stories from time to time.

My Paternal Grandmother:

I still remember how passionate my paternal grandmother was about bowling. At one time she was even part of a bowling team, along with my dad and at least one of my aunts. I was very young then, and my memories are hazy, but I vaguely recall being brought along to the bowling alley. According to my mom, my dad stopped taking me after I accidentally poked myself in the eye with one of the pencils used to keep score.

My grandmother's health deteriorated in her later years. But even when she could no longer visit the bowling alley, she still enjoyed the game. Towards the end of her life, before she had to be moved into assisted care, she liked to sit in her favorite chair and use a Wii video game system to 'bowl' at home.

My Maternal Grandmother:

My maternal grandmother always had a few of these Tupperware bowl keychains around the house. I remember playing with some of them when we came to visit. The ones in the 'playroom', which was actually a spare bedroom where her grown children's old toys were kept, were ok to play with. But if I saw one in the catch-all dish on my grandmother's dining room table, I wasn't allowed to touch it, because that's where my grandmother kept any keychains she was currently using to hold medication or bus tokens or whatever.

My Great Aunt H.H.:

My great aunt loved animals, especially cats. The cats that she kept as pets over the course of her life were always rescued strays. My great aunt's love of cats also extended to the musical stage play Cats, which is why the two keychains above are featured in this post. My great aunt's favorite character from the stage show was Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat.

My great aunt also donated money to animal related causes like wolf conservation, which is why this wolf's head keychain from the National Wildlife Federation reminded me of her.

My Aunt S.F.:

One of my aunts, S.F., and her husband, my uncle J.F., have several hummingbird feeders set up on their property. Hummingbirds are also a reoccurring theme in their indoor decor. I assume this was more my aunt's doing than my uncle's, so I think of my aunt when I see this hummingbird keychain.

My Cousin K.V.:

I'm not really sure if my cousin K.V. genuinely had a thing for unicorns, or if I just think she did. I remember strongly that she had a small box with a unicorn design on the lid that she kept in her bedroom when we were kids. I saw it several times when my family came to visit. And like every other little girl back then, my cousin loved My Little Ponies.

Whatever the actual case may be, in my mind I associate my cousin K.V. with unicorns. Or at least, I associate my childhood memories of my cousin with unicorns. My cousin is an adult now with children of her own. And these days, on the rare occasions when I see her, I don't immediately think 'unicorns'.

As you can see, there've been a lot of people in my life that I've 'memorialized' in my keychain collection. These people have all made a mark on my life, and I sincerely hope that any marks I've made on their lives have been positive.

Signed, Treesa

Keychains In Movies (A Website Recommendation)

In my introductory post, I expressed the opinion that keychain collecting is underrepresented online. So when I stumbled across a fun website that appealed to me as both a keychain collector and as a pop culture fan, I just had to share. What I discovered was a blog called Keychains In Movies. The homepage states that the blog was compiled by Keychain Collectors International. And according to the blog's mission statement, the purpose of the site is to, "find keychains in the media, whether that be in movies, video games, on tv, music, or shorts". Basically, the blog collects keychain sightings from film, television, and other forms of popular entertainment.

Each sighting includes a brief write-up, as well as accompanying screen shots. Sometimes the keychain in question is important to the plot of the movie or show, and other times it's only featured briefly as set dressing or as a background element. (The most common sightings are of hotel room keychains or keychains dangling from car ignitions.) The really great thing, in my opinion, is that the blog still appears to be active. The most recent entries were posted this past year, and some of the keychain sightings are from the Marvel film franchise and other, still popular movies. There's also a search bar, so if you're checking the site for a particular film you can just type in the title.

If you happen to have some time to kill, I would highly recommend checking out the Keychains In Movies blog. I've included a link to the site on my sidebar, as well as a link near the beginning of this post. Have fun and enjoy the rest of your day.

Signed, Treesa

Ocean City Vacation: July 2018 (Keychain Souvenirs Haul)

Remember how, in a previous post, I wrote about the lack of souvenir keychains in gift shops? Well apparently, there's at least one place where souvenir keychains can still be found in abundance, and that's Ocean City, New Jersey. My best friend and I took an 'extended weekend' trip there near the end of July, and I came back with over half a dozen keychains for my collection.

My best friend bought this first keychain for me as a gift. I was eyeing it at one of the shops on the Boardwalk. But because it was the first day of the trip, I was trying to decide whether I should just buy it then or wait and see if I could find it cheaper elsewhere. My friend must've gotten tired of waiting for me to make up my mind, because she offered to buy it for me. The turtle itself is made from wood and has the words "Ocean City" painted on the underside.

This next group of keychains came from a shop on Asbury Avenue called Hoy's 5&10.

I first learned about 5&10, or five-and-dime, stores in my grade school social studies textbook. I don't know whether the store in Ocean City actually dates back to the 'golden age' of five-and-dimes. But I did realize that, due to inflation, there wouldn't be anything for five or ten cents in the store. However, because there's a chain of stores in my area called Five Below where everything for sale is five dollars or less, I thought that maybe the 5&10 in the name had been updated to mean five and ten dollars. I was wrong in that assumption. There were a number of things for sale at Hoy's 5&10 that were over ten dollars. Actually, this lot of three keychains ended up costing me over ten dollars. But honestly, where was I ever going to find that miniature food noodle bowl keychain again in the United States. And as the previous keychain featured in this post demonstrates, I have a real fondness for turtle keychains. The black seashell with the rainbow-colored floral design is actually a coin purse, made from two shells that are painted black and stitched to a zipper.

This record player keychain, or 'turntable' as it's called on the packaging, is from the World's Coolest line by Super Impulse. Record players, like typewriters and VHS tapes, are 'old school' technology, and have received renewed attention in recent years. The resurgence of these items in popular culture has genuinely piqued my interest, since I fondly remember such things from my childhood. In my keychain collection, I categorize these and similar items as 'retro tech', the word retro meaning inspired by or imitating the recent past. I plan on devoting a blog post to the subject at some point.

I was looking at the 'turntable' keychain in a store called Kay Jay's Doll Shoppe, but I put it back because I thought the price was a little high for one keychain. I was also feeling guilty for spending over ten dollars on keychains at Hoy's 5&10. My best friend bought the record player for me when I wasn't looking, then handed me the bag after we left the store. I replaced the original metal clip on the keychain with a split ring after getting home from vacation, because I'm nitpicky like that.

I found this seashell keychain for sale at a candy shop on the Boardwalk. Now, the thing I've noticed about seashells is that they can be fragile. Shells with thinner walls can easily crack or crush. So when I looked through the basket of shell keychains at the store, I made sure to pick one that not only looked interesting but also had decently thick walls. Hopefully, this will ensure it's more durable.

This dolphin keychain came from a 'dollar store', also located on the Boardwalk. The store had a similar keychain with a sea turtle design that I was considering buying. However, the sea turtle seemed to have a rather unpleasant expression, while the dolphins looked much more cheerful. And I happen to have the same soft spot for dolphins that I do for turtles.

I think I was drawn to this last keychain because it's made to be three collectibles in one. First off, it's a souvenir keychain. Secondly, it's a collectable souvenir spoon. And thirdly, it can function as a bottle opener, thanks to the way the back is shaped. Not only that, but there's also a 'spinner' element at the top.

In spite of the impressive number of keychains that I brought home, there were a few I saw that I'm wishing I'd picked up. Hoy's 5&10 had a clearance priced keychain showing the Ocean City Music Pier. The Music Pier happened to be right near the Boardwalk entrance that my friend and I always used, because it was the entrance closest to our hotel. There was also another keychain I saw at one of the Boardwalk shops that featured a quote on it about how the sand and the salt water would wash away but the memories would last forever, or something like that. I really should have bought it, since I liked it so much and since it wasn't that expensive. But at the time I was feeling guilty yet again for buying so many keychains on the trip.

Of course, collectors often think about 'the ones that got away'. It's one of the factors that drives them to keep collecting. I hope that you enjoyed seeing what I got on my trip. And to any other keychain collectors out there, I wish you luck on your own collecting journeys.

Signed, Treesa