I've updated my post on Basic Keychain Terminology to include "infinity ring" type keychain findings. You'll have to click the link above back to the original post to find out what those are. But for anyone who may be wondering, infinity ring keychains have nothing to do with the Marvel movie franchise.
Signed, Treesa
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
Armchair Traveling (Collecting Souvenir Keychains From Places You've Never Visited)
Some of us will never get the opportunity to travel the world. We either won't have the financial resources to do so, or our lives will be so busy that setting aside the time needed to travel won't be an option. Even those people who have the money and the free time needed to tour the globe will probably have to limit themselves, deciding where they'd most like to go in their lifetimes. If everyone lived to be a hundred years old, each person still probably wouldn't get to see all of the wonders that our world has to offer. Our planet is just too big.
Personally, I have always felt uncomfortable when I've had to travel. Some people feel a thrill of discovery from being in a new, unfamiliar environment. But being somewhere I'm not familiar with has a tendency to make me anxious and uncomfortable. I don't travel alone, and I wouldn't consider going to a country where I didn't speak the language unless I was with someone else I knew who did speak it.
Luckily, I can still experience a little of the pleasures of travel without leaving the comfort of my own home, thanks to my keychain collection. By collecting souvenir keychains that family members, friends, and even strangers selling at flea markets have brought back from their travels, I can vicariously share some of their experiences. I can look at a keychain from Venice or Stonehenge and try to imagine what it must've been like to be there.
One time I found a souvenir keychain from Iceland at a thrift store.
I don't know much about Iceland. I was never good at geography. But the fact that I'd never seen a keychain from there before made it seem exotic. I'd seen a number of keychains from France and Italy secondhand over the years, but never one from Iceland.
Of course, I do understand that there's a big difference between looking at a keychain from someplace, and actually seeing the sights in person. But in my mind, having a keychain from somewhere is sort of like looking at a picture printed on a souvenir postcard. It's not the same as being there, but you do get a general impression of the place.
Signed, Treesa
Personally, I have always felt uncomfortable when I've had to travel. Some people feel a thrill of discovery from being in a new, unfamiliar environment. But being somewhere I'm not familiar with has a tendency to make me anxious and uncomfortable. I don't travel alone, and I wouldn't consider going to a country where I didn't speak the language unless I was with someone else I knew who did speak it.
Luckily, I can still experience a little of the pleasures of travel without leaving the comfort of my own home, thanks to my keychain collection. By collecting souvenir keychains that family members, friends, and even strangers selling at flea markets have brought back from their travels, I can vicariously share some of their experiences. I can look at a keychain from Venice or Stonehenge and try to imagine what it must've been like to be there.
One time I found a souvenir keychain from Iceland at a thrift store.
I don't know much about Iceland. I was never good at geography. But the fact that I'd never seen a keychain from there before made it seem exotic. I'd seen a number of keychains from France and Italy secondhand over the years, but never one from Iceland.
Of course, I do understand that there's a big difference between looking at a keychain from someplace, and actually seeing the sights in person. But in my mind, having a keychain from somewhere is sort of like looking at a picture printed on a souvenir postcard. It's not the same as being there, but you do get a general impression of the place.
Signed, Treesa
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Been There, Done That, Bought The Keychain (Souvenir Keychains)
Keychains have been a popular vacation souvenir for decades. Unfortunately, if the lack of keychains stocked by the gift shops I've visited on my most recent vacations is anything to go by, then that popularity seems to be waning. It used to be that no matter where you went, any gift shop worth the name would typically feature a rack of keychains. The display would most often be located either on the counter by the register, a prime location for impulse buys, or on the opposite side of the rotating rack where the postcards were displayed.
One of my very first keychains was a souvenir from the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania.
There are keychains here from Walt Disney World resort, Disney's Animal Kingdom park, Epcot, Typhoon Lagoon water park, and even Hong Kong Disneyland. Most of them were purchased secondhand. I can't seem to resist Disney parks keychains when I find them at flea markets or yard sales, especially knowing how much they must've originally cost at the parks. There was one time when my parents and I went to a pop-up Disney outlet store that had leftover merchandise from the parks, deeply discounted. I must've bought half a dozen keychains there.
One great thing about buying keychains on vacation as souvenirs is that their small size makes them easier to pack for the trip home. Keychains are also, for the most part, fairly sturdy. Try packing a souvenir snow globe or sand sculpture in your luggage and you'll see what I mean.
It saddens me that souvenir keychains appear to be going the way of the dinosaurs. But then, unless they end up in someone's permanent collection, souvenir keychains tend to have a rather limited shelf life. Sure, they're fun to buy while on vacation. But when it comes time to do the spring housecleaning, chances are that the souvenir tee shirts and the souvenir keychains will be the first to go. I've been shopping at thrift stores long enough to know that vacation souvenirs are some of the more heavily donated items.
However, in the back of my mind is a nagging worry that fewer souvenir keychains in gift shops will mean fewer souvenir keychains ending up on the secondary market. There may come a point in the future when the supply of souvenir keychains available to collectors dries up, which could cause the prices of the remaining keychains to rise. Granted, this isn't really likely to happen, since I can't imagine that collector demand will ever be high enough to exceed the available supply, even if the supply of souvenir keychains dwindles in the future. However, it may already be happening.
I was at an antique show recently, and one of the dealers had a basket of souvenir keychains. Due to their appearance and the materials used to make them, it was obvious that these keychains were not 'antiques'. However, the dealer was charging three dollars each for them. In the past, these same keychains would likely have been priced at a dollar each or less at a flea market or yard sale. Of course, the pricing may have had more to do with the venue than with the keychains themselves. As I wrote in a previous post, adding the word 'antique' to anything always seems to up the price.
Signed, Treesa
One of my very first keychains was a souvenir from the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania.
My mom still likes to tell the story about the nice people at the leather shop who gave each of us kids a free, leather keychain, and gave my then baby brother a scrap of leather to chew on.
My all-time favorite 'vacation destination' has got to be the Disney parks. I've been lucky enough to visit Walt Disney World three times in my life and Disneyland once. As someone who had multiple siblings and could only get to Florida or California by airplane, I can say with certainty that these trips were huge undertakings for my parents, both logistically and financially. It took my mother and father years to put aside enough money for each of these vacations, but they did it because they wanted their children to have the chance to go. I happen to think that the memories we made on those trips were worth the cost, even if I still have nightmares about that Snow White dark ride.
Here are just some of the Disney parks keychains I've collected.
There are keychains here from Walt Disney World resort, Disney's Animal Kingdom park, Epcot, Typhoon Lagoon water park, and even Hong Kong Disneyland. Most of them were purchased secondhand. I can't seem to resist Disney parks keychains when I find them at flea markets or yard sales, especially knowing how much they must've originally cost at the parks. There was one time when my parents and I went to a pop-up Disney outlet store that had leftover merchandise from the parks, deeply discounted. I must've bought half a dozen keychains there.
One great thing about buying keychains on vacation as souvenirs is that their small size makes them easier to pack for the trip home. Keychains are also, for the most part, fairly sturdy. Try packing a souvenir snow globe or sand sculpture in your luggage and you'll see what I mean.
It saddens me that souvenir keychains appear to be going the way of the dinosaurs. But then, unless they end up in someone's permanent collection, souvenir keychains tend to have a rather limited shelf life. Sure, they're fun to buy while on vacation. But when it comes time to do the spring housecleaning, chances are that the souvenir tee shirts and the souvenir keychains will be the first to go. I've been shopping at thrift stores long enough to know that vacation souvenirs are some of the more heavily donated items.
However, in the back of my mind is a nagging worry that fewer souvenir keychains in gift shops will mean fewer souvenir keychains ending up on the secondary market. There may come a point in the future when the supply of souvenir keychains available to collectors dries up, which could cause the prices of the remaining keychains to rise. Granted, this isn't really likely to happen, since I can't imagine that collector demand will ever be high enough to exceed the available supply, even if the supply of souvenir keychains dwindles in the future. However, it may already be happening.
I was at an antique show recently, and one of the dealers had a basket of souvenir keychains. Due to their appearance and the materials used to make them, it was obvious that these keychains were not 'antiques'. However, the dealer was charging three dollars each for them. In the past, these same keychains would likely have been priced at a dollar each or less at a flea market or yard sale. Of course, the pricing may have had more to do with the venue than with the keychains themselves. As I wrote in a previous post, adding the word 'antique' to anything always seems to up the price.
Signed, Treesa
Thursday, November 9, 2017
Anatomy Of A Keychain
It has come to my attention that my usage of the word "keychain" is somewhat flawed. The term keychain technically refers to only one of several parts that make up what I think of as a keychain. In this post, I will be listing each part by name along with a brief description. There are three separate parts on this list, although some keychains can get by with utilizing only two of them.
Part 1: The Keyring
The term "keyring" specifically refers to a split ring, which I referenced in a previous post on Keychain Terminology as being one of the most common types of keychain "findings". As I explained in that post, not every keychain uses a split ring finding. But in my online research, I found the term 'keyring' being used in a generalized way to refer to the part of the keychain that holds the keys.
Part 2: The Keychain
In this context, the "keychain" is an actual chain that connects the part that holds the keys to a decorative element. In some cases, the chain used is a "snake chain", which I mentioned in my Keychain Terminology post, rather than a standard chain. However, I have seen a lot of keychains in my time that don't actually have a chain part. In those examples, the part that holds the keys is directly connected to the decorative part using a jump ring finding. This brings me to the third and final keychain part.
Part 3: The Key Fob
The key fob is the decorative, ornamental part of a keychain. Whether it's printed with the name of a business or shaped like a cartoon character, it's generally the part that makes people want to collect keychains in the first place.
Despite me having discovered all of this information, I don't think you'll see me stop using the word "keychain" anytime soon. The fact of the matter is, I haven't been able to find a term I can substitute that refers to the whole keychain, rather than just a part of it. So I guess I'll just have to keep using the word keychain the way I always have. But now, if someone asks me what the difference is between a keychain and a key fob, I'll be able to tell them. And so will you.
Signed, Treesa
visual aid
(a Rawcliffe pewter keychain from the Medieval Times dinner theater chain)
The term "keyring" specifically refers to a split ring, which I referenced in a previous post on Keychain Terminology as being one of the most common types of keychain "findings". As I explained in that post, not every keychain uses a split ring finding. But in my online research, I found the term 'keyring' being used in a generalized way to refer to the part of the keychain that holds the keys.
Part 2: The Keychain
In this context, the "keychain" is an actual chain that connects the part that holds the keys to a decorative element. In some cases, the chain used is a "snake chain", which I mentioned in my Keychain Terminology post, rather than a standard chain. However, I have seen a lot of keychains in my time that don't actually have a chain part. In those examples, the part that holds the keys is directly connected to the decorative part using a jump ring finding. This brings me to the third and final keychain part.
Part 3: The Key Fob
The key fob is the decorative, ornamental part of a keychain. Whether it's printed with the name of a business or shaped like a cartoon character, it's generally the part that makes people want to collect keychains in the first place.
Despite me having discovered all of this information, I don't think you'll see me stop using the word "keychain" anytime soon. The fact of the matter is, I haven't been able to find a term I can substitute that refers to the whole keychain, rather than just a part of it. So I guess I'll just have to keep using the word keychain the way I always have. But now, if someone asks me what the difference is between a keychain and a key fob, I'll be able to tell them. And so will you.
Signed, Treesa
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Shop 'Til You Drop (Tips For Buying Secondhand Keychains)
Here are a few shopping tips I'd like to pass on to anyone buying keychains on the secondary market. I already mentioned yard sale shopping in my introductory post. Now I'll be discussing flea markets, thrift stores, and online shopping.
Flea markets can vary widely in price, depending on the market and the seller. If the seller is a professional dealer who makes his or her living buying and reselling, he or she may be more informed about the current market and might take more time to research items. If this is the case, then you can usually expect to pay a little more. There are some amateur sellers who will look stuff up on popular online auction sites, to see what other people are charging. But in terms of keychains, they usually will only bother if the keychain looks 'vintage', or if it was a "big ticket item" that someone paid a lot of money for in the first place, such as a designer brand.
Also, flea markets that are held once or twice a year by a school or a house of worship will often have lower prices, because they tend to attract fewer professional dealers. The pros seem to prefer setting up at larger markets that are held one day a week at a designated location, and they will likely have a reserved spot that they return to week after week. Some dealers will travel on a circuit from market to market, seeking out large, well-known venues that attract the most customers.
Prices at thrift store can also vary a lot, depending on the store. I've noticed the larger chain stores tend to have higher prices than the smaller shops run by local charities or houses of worship. Of course, if the smaller shop bills itself as specializing in "antiques and collectables", then that's a whole different thing. Adding the word 'antique' to anything always seems to up the price. Something else to keep in mind is that some larger thrift stores only sell keychains in bulk lots.
Shopping online may be convenient for many, but you tend to pay for that convenience in the form of added shipping and handling costs. Many online sellers will market their keychains in lots, and one downside of collecting keychains is that, in bulk, they can get heavy very quickly. This means that it can end up costing more to ship the lot than you paid for the lot in the first place. For this reason, I tend to do very little of my keychain shopping online.
I'm hoping these tips will be helpful to you in growing your own collections, whatever you happen to collect. However, keep in mind that these are just generalities based on my personal experiences as a longtime 'thrifter' and keychain collector. There are exceptions to any rule, and your own shopping experiences may differ somewhat from mine. As they say, your mileage may vary.
Flea markets can vary widely in price, depending on the market and the seller. If the seller is a professional dealer who makes his or her living buying and reselling, he or she may be more informed about the current market and might take more time to research items. If this is the case, then you can usually expect to pay a little more. There are some amateur sellers who will look stuff up on popular online auction sites, to see what other people are charging. But in terms of keychains, they usually will only bother if the keychain looks 'vintage', or if it was a "big ticket item" that someone paid a lot of money for in the first place, such as a designer brand.
Also, flea markets that are held once or twice a year by a school or a house of worship will often have lower prices, because they tend to attract fewer professional dealers. The pros seem to prefer setting up at larger markets that are held one day a week at a designated location, and they will likely have a reserved spot that they return to week after week. Some dealers will travel on a circuit from market to market, seeking out large, well-known venues that attract the most customers.
Prices at thrift store can also vary a lot, depending on the store. I've noticed the larger chain stores tend to have higher prices than the smaller shops run by local charities or houses of worship. Of course, if the smaller shop bills itself as specializing in "antiques and collectables", then that's a whole different thing. Adding the word 'antique' to anything always seems to up the price. Something else to keep in mind is that some larger thrift stores only sell keychains in bulk lots.
Shopping online may be convenient for many, but you tend to pay for that convenience in the form of added shipping and handling costs. Many online sellers will market their keychains in lots, and one downside of collecting keychains is that, in bulk, they can get heavy very quickly. This means that it can end up costing more to ship the lot than you paid for the lot in the first place. For this reason, I tend to do very little of my keychain shopping online.
I'm hoping these tips will be helpful to you in growing your own collections, whatever you happen to collect. However, keep in mind that these are just generalities based on my personal experiences as a longtime 'thrifter' and keychain collector. There are exceptions to any rule, and your own shopping experiences may differ somewhat from mine. As they say, your mileage may vary.
If you have any secondhand shopping tips of your own that you'd like to share, feel free to leave a comment.
Signed, Treesa
Signed, Treesa
Monday, November 6, 2017
There's A Word For It
Let's face it, some collectables have more status attached to them than others. In the more respected collecting fields, collectors will often have a fancy designation they can use to refer to themselves, to show that they are serious collectors. Coin collectors are numismatists. Stamp collectors are philatelists. Teddy bear collectors are arctophilists. But did you know that there's a fancy term for someone who collects key rings? That term is copoclephilist.
According to my online research, the word copoclephislist originates from the combination of three Greek words: kope, kleis, and phile. Kope means handle, kleis is key, and phile translates as "one that is attracted to".
Just don't ask me how to pronounce it.
Signed, Treesa
According to my online research, the word copoclephislist originates from the combination of three Greek words: kope, kleis, and phile. Kope means handle, kleis is key, and phile translates as "one that is attracted to".
Just don't ask me how to pronounce it.
Signed, Treesa
Sunday, November 5, 2017
Clip Or Keychain, Is There A Difference?
I used to have the opinion that anything with a clip type attachment wasn't really a keychain. In my mind, keychains were designed to store keys, while clips were designed to hang from backpacks or purses. Clips were glorified zipper pulls, as far as I was concerned, and didn't belong in my collection. However, my narrow, black-and-white viewpoint did allow for some grey areas. If something had a traditional split ring along with a clip type attachment, like the example shown below of Piglet from Disney's Winnie The Pooh popping out of a watering can, made by Applause, then I still considered it a keychain.
Sometimes I even took the clip attachment off, if it was one of those large, plastic clips. At the time, I was still set on earning a World Record for the World's Largest Keychain Collection, and I think I was worried that at some future date someone was going to challenge me and say that something 'didn't count' because it wasn't really a keychain.
Then something happened that threw a monkey wrench into my whole system. Basic Fun Inc. began producing their licensed keychains with a new type of attachment that had more in common with a clip than a traditional split ring, yet the packaging still labeled these items as keychains. The "Birthday Barbie" keychain shown below is one such example.
I'd been collecting Basic Fun Inc.'s keychains for a long time, starting with their Barbie line, and this change threw me for a loop. I still loved Basic Fun's products. The question was, were they really still keychains, or had they become something else?
I eventually decided that, if the product packaging said that they were keychains, then they were keychains. Besides, the new attachment was different enough from a more traditional "lobster clasp" style clip that I could sort of convince myself they were two different things. However, I still keep any keychains I own that have this style of clip type attachment in a separate box, just in case.
Signed, Treesa
Sometimes I even took the clip attachment off, if it was one of those large, plastic clips. At the time, I was still set on earning a World Record for the World's Largest Keychain Collection, and I think I was worried that at some future date someone was going to challenge me and say that something 'didn't count' because it wasn't really a keychain.
Then something happened that threw a monkey wrench into my whole system. Basic Fun Inc. began producing their licensed keychains with a new type of attachment that had more in common with a clip than a traditional split ring, yet the packaging still labeled these items as keychains. The "Birthday Barbie" keychain shown below is one such example.
I'd been collecting Basic Fun Inc.'s keychains for a long time, starting with their Barbie line, and this change threw me for a loop. I still loved Basic Fun's products. The question was, were they really still keychains, or had they become something else?
I eventually decided that, if the product packaging said that they were keychains, then they were keychains. Besides, the new attachment was different enough from a more traditional "lobster clasp" style clip that I could sort of convince myself they were two different things. However, I still keep any keychains I own that have this style of clip type attachment in a separate box, just in case.
Signed, Treesa
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)