'Retro Tech' Keychains

For some reason, I'm really drawn to items that feature designs based on older technology. Typewriters, record players, audio cassette tapes - if there's a piece of clothing or a home decor item that features one of these motifs, I'm going to stop and look at it. I bought the keychain pictured below solely because it has an audio cassette design on it.

 (According to my online research, Denon is a Japanese electronics company.)

I can't really explain my fascination with this 'retro tech'. Maybe it's because I still remember some of these older technologies. I had a toy typewriter when I was a kid. I still remember how hard I had to pound on the keys to get it to work. I also had a Rainbow Brite record album when I was very young, and I definitely remember my first audio cassette. (It was Trisha Yearwood. Long story.)

Anyway, just to make the point how obsessed I seem to be with 'retro tech', let me tell you a little about the keychain pictured below.

I bought this keychain, not because it's also a pencil sharpener (which admittedly is a handy thing to have), or because I like The Flintstones (which I don't, not really anyway), but because it's shaped like a record player. True, it's a cartoony, 'stone age' interpretation of a record player. But it's still recognizable as a record player.

I've wanted one of these World's Coolest Polaroid camera keychains ever since I saw a photo posted on a doll collector's blog. The camera doesn't actually take pictures, but it does have some moving parts. The 'simulated film' is partially ejected from the camera when you push a button. Just so you know, I did replace the original clip 'finding' with a split ring, because I'm nitpicky like that.

Speaking of cameras, this souvenir keychain from Niagara Falls is shaped like a roll of film. Inside is a paper 'film strip' with photos printed on it. The back of the strip is designed so that it can be used as both a ruler and a telephone directory. (Unfortunately, because the strip retracts it was impossible for me to photograph. But I tried.)

One thing that I'd really like to add to my collection someday is a keychain shaped like a typewriter. I've tried looking for one online, and while I've seen a number of keychains that have pictures of typewriters on them, finding one that's actually shaped like a typewriter has been more difficult. Still, as someone who shops secondhand venues a lot I know that there's always a chance one will turn up at the next flea market I attend.

Signed, Treesa

A Spring Clear-Out And A Resolution (My Blogging Plans)

According to my online research, the idea of spring cleaning has several possible origins. Some think it originated from a custom associated with Persian new year. Others have cited the practice of cleansing the home before Passover. Regardless of how it started, spring has culturally become a time for both cleaning and organizing. And I've come to the conclusion that my draft files are in serious need of both.

I have so many posts for this blog that have been languishing in draft form for one reason or another. I know for a fact that some of the content has become dated, showcasing older products that are now hard to find retail. Normally January and New Year's are associated with making resolutions. However, I'm resolving now to try and get the bulk of my draft posts finished and posted in the coming months, in an effort to clear out the backlog. So stay tuned for, hopefully, a lot of new content.

Signed, Treesa

Keychain Goodie Box From Heathersmoo

I know I've said something like this before on this blog, but keychain collectors with an online presence seem to be few and far between. At least I've had trouble finding anyone on the web who shares this hobby. So I was beyond thrilled when I was able to make contact with Heathersmoo. Heather is behind Keychain Of The Day over on Livejournal. I especially enjoy seeing her posts showcasing the keychains she's brought back from her many trips abroad.

Heather and I have been exchanging emails now for awhile. I also found some keychains with the name 'Heather' on them at my local thrift store that I was able to send to her. When I found out that Heather and I both have December birthdays, I sent her a few more keychains as a combination birthday and holiday gift. So, when Heather took a trip to Africa earlier this year, she offered to bring me back a keychain or two for my own collection. She also offered to send me a few of her spare keychains. I wanted to share what she sent here, now that I've gone through the package and have finally gotten everything photographed. A big shout-out and a big thank you to Heather for her thoughtful gift.

Here's a look at the box Heather sent before I unpacked it.

And here's a photo of all the fun goodies that were inside. Along with the keychains, Heather also included a very nice letter, as well as two rooibos infusion packets. Apparently rooibos is steeped in hot water to make a beverage like tea. However according to Heather rooibos comes from the redbush plant, which isn't actually related to the tea plant. This is a good thing to know, since traditional tea is too bitter for my taste. Anyway, let's take a look at the keychains Heather sent me.

Here are the two keychains that Heather brought back from Africa for me. The letter she sent along says that the Protea flower pictured on the one keychain is the national flower of South Africa. Even though over the years I've managed to collect a lot of keychains from places I've never visited, I haven't found many Africa keychains for my collection. So these were really nice to get.

According to the letter Heather sent, she knit this letter T monogram keychain herself. She called it a "T-ring". She even used my favorite color, purple.

Here we have two Webkinz Kinz Klips, a 'Cocoa Dino' and a Dalmatian. Heather made a point of asking me if I already had any Webkinz in my keychain collection, so I sent her a list of what I owned. It's funny, but when I first opened the package I thought the dinosaur was supposed to be a dragon. The Dalmatian makes me think of one of my sister's best friends, who happens to be a big fan of Disney's 101 Dalmatians. I'll be replacing the plastic clips with split ring 'findings', because I'm very particular like that.

Last we have this Rainbow Dash My Little Pony. Heather's letter says that this line of My Little Ponies was originally sold in blind bags at Target stores. Once again, I'll be replacing the clip with a split ring.

I want to say another big thank you to Heather. It means a lot to me being able to share this hobby with someone, even if we never get to meet in the 'real world'.

Signed, Treesa

Walt Disney World Vacation: 2019 (Keychain Souvenirs Haul)

I posted back in March of last year that my family was planning to take a trip to Walt Disney World near the end of 2019. Back then I had this crazy idea that I could save some cash in the long run by shopping for used Disney parks keychains online beforehand. The plan was to buy only secondhand keychains that were priced more reasonably than regular retail, in the hopes that I wouldn't be as tempted to purchase more souvenirs once I actually got to the park. I was also hoping that, if I was tempted at all, seeing the full retail price would send me into sticker shock and I'd put things back without actually buying them.

That was the plan anyway. In reality I not only went a bit overboard with my online 'shopping spree', but I also ended up buying several keychains at the park anyway, though not as many as I was tempted to buy. However, my admittedly limited willpower wasn't entirely due to sticker shock. I was very disappointed by how cheaply made some of the keychains sold at the park were, especially considering how much Disney was charging for them.

Three keychains in particular stand out in my mind. One was a Buzz Lightyear keychain with a battery operated, light-up 'laser'. The proportions of this keychain strongly reminded me of the 'mini Buzz' fast food toy character from the Pixar short Small Fry. However, when I took a closer look I noticed that most of the keychains were already broken, with one arm snapped off and dangling by the wire used to power the light-up 'laser'. There was one keychain that did seem to have an intact arm, but it also had a chipped helmet. Even if I had managed to find one that wasn't damaged, by then I didn't see the point of buying a keychain that was all but guaranteed to break.

The second keychain that disappointed me was based on the ride vehicles from the Alice In Wonderland themed Mad Tea Party attraction. The keychain looked nice, but the plastic used to make it was so thin that I was worried it would crack. The most disappointing moment for me, however, came when I saw the Disney autograph book keychains in person for the first time. I'd seen these keychains before online, and I'd had my eye on them for a while. But when I was looking them over at the park I noticed that the shiny 'plating' on the keyring was already flaking off, on all of them. These keychains weren't cheaply priced either. You'd think that if Disney was going to attach their name to something, and charge so much for it, that they could at least sell a quality product. If nothing else, you'd think they'd want to maintain a good reputation for the company.

As I stated earlier in this post, I did pick up several keychains on my trip. The prices ranged from $3.99 to $9.99, not including sales tax. Half of the keychains I bought were actually from the World Showcase pavilions in EPCOT, and weren't technically Disney themed.

For example, I bought this keychain from the Canada pavilion. Priced at $9.99 before tax, this little black bear with his plaid printed hoodie was one of the most expensive keychains I got on the trip. However, he and his 'brothers' at the store were just so cute that I couldn't leave without getting one.

This keychain came from Epcot's China pavilion. As you can see, it has my name in both English and in Chinese characters. I'm always happy when I find a keychain with my name on it, because this particular spelling seems to be less common. From what I've seen, most keychain manufacturers spell my name without the letter H.

To fully appreciate this next keychain from Epcot's Japan pavilion, here's a little background information. One of the most prominent attractions at the Japan pavilion when I was there was a large store called Mitsukoshi. This store was made up of a series of interconnected rooms, and it took up a good sized chunk of real estate. Because the store was so big, there were multiple register locations strategically placed at different points throughout the building. And at each checkout counter there was a basket of 'lucky cat' figurines for sale. From what I understand, these cat figures with their one raised paw are supposed to bring good fortune. When I found the keychain pictured above of Godzilla in the 'lucky cat' pose, it amused me so much that I bought it. I'm often drawn to things that are quirky, and I'm a bit of a pop culture junkie as well.

Here is yet another keychain from Epcot. This one is based on the Figment character from the Journey Into Imagination attraction. Figment has become a Disney icon of sorts with, I believe, a rather large fan following. I would've preferred a keychain that showed Figment's full body, but this was the only Figment keychain the park seemed to carry.

Speaking of classic Disney attractions, this keychain is based on Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. The figure's mouths can actually open and close somewhat. This Tiki Room keychain was also my other most expensive keychain purchase of the trip, since it was the same price as the black bear keychain I bought at the Canada pavilion.

This last keychain was in fact the first one I bought on the trip. It came from The Lego Store in the Disney Springs shopping district. It was also the least expensive keychain I purchased, priced at $3.99 before tax. Some of you may remember that I already have a different Lego Star Wars Princess Leia keychain, which I showed off in my February Shopping Spree post. This version of Leia has her white Senate robes and her 'iconic' side buns hairstyle.

Well, I guess that wraps it up. All in all, I think I got a good haul on this trip.

Signed, Treesa

Oh My Disney Mystery VHS Keychain blind boxes (An Update)

Just a quick post here. Apparently, Disney launched another wave of their retro-looking Mystery VHS blind box keychains. I reviewed a keychain from the first wave back in January of 2019. However, it appears that this newer wave is already sold out on the Disney website. It also looks like Disney upped the price from their first wave. My guess is that they may have been using the initial run to test customer demand. The first assortment did sell out fairly quickly, if I remember correctly.
Signed, Treesa

Memory Triggers

I'll be the first to admit that my memory is not the best. I'm lucky if I can remember what I did yesterday. But my keychain collection has sometimes been helpful to me in recalling memories. Now, I won't pretend that I can remember when and where I got every single keychain I own. Given the size of my collection that would be impossible, unless I was one of those more organized collectors who actually wrote stuff like that down. However, it does sometimes surprise me what I can remember about the various keychains in my collection.

For example, I remember that I bought the transparent plastic rocking horse keychain pictured above from the 'trading post' at a girl scout camp. I also remember that I wanted it because I liked the amber color. I had a fascination with amber back then. I think it was because in the American Girl book series that I read growing up, the pioneer girl character wore an amber heart necklace.

There are other keychains in my collection that I bought specifically to help me recall certain memories, memories that may have nothing to do with where or how I got the keychain. One example is pictured below, a little red working bell keychain, advertising Babybel cheese.

I got this keychain from a flea market, but that's beside the point. The reason I have it is because when I was a kid, Babybel cheese was always a very special treat. It wasn't so much the taste of the cheese that I liked. The really fun thing about Babybel was taking the red wax wrapper off the mini cheese wheel. My parents didn't buy Babybel often, but that just made it all the more special when we did get it. I acquired this Babybel keychain specifically to serve as a reminder of that childhood memory.

Another keychain that's linked to a childhood memory is this silver gorilla 'zoo key' from the Philadelphia Zoo.

The Philadelphia Zoo used to have boxes at various animal exhibits where guests could insert a plastic 'key'. When the 'key' was turned, a pre-recorded message gave information about the different animals. The earliest keys were made in an elephant shape. My mom still has a vintage green elephant key, and I remember her letting us use it in the early 1980s. The boxes were taken down for a time, but they were brought back in the 1990s. When this happened, the zoo began selling keys in other animal shapes. The shapes chosen were usually tied to a special exhibit that was being featured at the zoo and were only available while supplies lasted. There was a lion key, a bear key, a lorikeets key, and a white alligator key, among others.

My family was very excited about the new 'zoo keys', and my parents ended up buying a number of them. I think my mom was even more excited about the boxes return than us kids were, and that's saying something. Sadly, the boxes rarely seemed to be in working order. And in the early 2000s, they were taken down again. But I still remember some of the excitement we felt whenever a new key shape was announced. So, when I found a silver gorilla 'zoo key' second-hand, I picked it up for my keychain collection.

Almost anything can be a memory trigger, whether it's a certain smell in the air, the opening notes of a song, or a physical object. I just happen to use keychains to help me recall and preserve my memories.

Signed, Treesa

Update: While this post was in draft form, The Philadelphia Zoo decided to reinstate the 'zoo key' activated 'storybook boxes'. Judging by archived news articles that I read online, there was a lot of anticipation and build up for the relaunch. But I don't know how well the new 'zoo keys' sold.

World's Smallest Hot Wheels Keychain blind box (A Review)

Let me start by saying that this review might be a little dated. While I'd seen other World's Smallest Hot Wheels products in stores before, I'd never seen the Hot Wheels blind box keychains until recently, when I spotted a case of them on a shelf at a Target store in Delaware. However, I'm not actually sure when these keychains hit the market. The copyright date on the blind box is 2018, so it's highly possible that these keychains were actually released last year, and that I just never saw them in my area before. Whatever the case, I'm going to post this review in the hopes that it's still relevant to somebody.

I love the World's Smallest line of products, and I wish more of them were available in keychain form. They remind me of the old Basic Fun keychains, with their miniature representations of classic toys. So when I saw a case of World's Smallest Hot Wheels blind box keychains at Target, I was thrilled. I know I've stated in a past post that I usually have bad luck with blind box items. However, in this case the blind box factor wasn't something I was that concerned about, since it didn't really matter to me which of the mini diecast Hot Wheels cars I ended up with. What really piqued my interest was the retro, replica packaging that made up the bulk of the keychain.

Here's a photo of the blind box itself. A sample keychain is pictured on the box, as well as a photo of one of the mini diecast cars sitting on a stack of coins to show the scale.

And here's a picture of the actual keychain I received. In my opinion, the retro packaging is what really makes this keychain. It just looks cool. However, I get the impression that this keychain was designed more as a collector's item than as a functional keychain, since the details on the front and back are printed on stickers. Stickers don't tend to hold up well over time, especially if they're subjected to heavy wear and tear.

The main problem I have with this keychain however, is the small access panel in the back that is supposed to open so you can remove the car. I had a lot of trouble getting that panel open. I ended up having to use a lot more force than I was comfortable with, and during the process I was worried the plastic hinge was going to snap. Once I had it open, I decided to just leave the car in there, rather than trying to pry out the small plastic shell that was holding it in place. But when I tried to close the panel again, I had some trouble getting it to go back in and stay closed. As you can see in the photo below, the black plastic at the corners is sort of ragged looking.

The whole access panel feature seems poorly designed to me. As a side note, the keyring part of this keychain isn't like any keychain 'finding' I've previously seen. It's round, like a split ring. But it actually functions like a carabiner. I've never seen a circular carabiner before. Also, there was something else in the box that sent my nostalgia through the roof.

It's a mini product catalog, just like the ones Basic Fun used to put out back in the day! Unfortunately for me, most of the products shown in this catalog aren't keychains. But on the plus side, the catalog was a lot less tricky to refold than the old Basic Fun product catalogs.

Below is a list of what I see as the good points and the bad points about the World's Smallest Hot Wheels blind box keychain, along with my final verdict.

Good Points:
If you miss the old Basic Fun keychains as much as I do, then these World's Smallest Hot Wheels keychains should be right up your alley. For once, the blind box aspect wasn't an issue for me. Although it could still easily be a problem for people who are planning to buy more than one keychain.

Bad Points:
While using stickers for the details was probably the easiest and most cost-effective option, it might take away from the long-term durability of the keychain. Also, the access panel in the back was poorly designed and is difficult to use, in my opinion.

Final Verdict:
Although there were a few issues with this keychain that disappointed me, these issues didn't completely detract from my overall enjoyment of the product. However, the fact that I bought the keychain as a collectible and not to use as a keychain makes it easier to overlook certain things. It probably also helps that the price was what I consider reasonable.

Signed, Treesa