BENGALURU: There used to be a question once, something that we less frequently hear asked today. “What are your hobbies?” a visiting guest would inquire in clichéd enthusiasm, as an obvious spark to a conversation with children at a host’s home. Hobbies marked a significant aspect of growing up, a sort of initiation, a personality builder, and ultimately a part of you.
Most of the ’80s and ’90s saw urban Indian kids maintaining scrapbooks that opened to a trove of pictures of favourite cricketers and film stars, or autograph books with celebrity scribbles, which they raised in front of envious peers. And then there were the collections of pocketable memorabilia, which often stood the test of time, having transformed into closely-held family heirlooms.
“This pen collection belonged to my great grandfather,” a classmate would show off, gently warding off curious hands as a warning, if they even gestured at it. Collecting things was among the fondest hobbies that people indulged in those days.
When I was in high school, I was part of a newspaper-in-education workshop. One of the sessions that I remember well dealt with philately. Philately is the collection and study of postage stamps, and has survived as one of the biggest collection areas among hobbyists. There was a time when every small stationary shop retailed stamp albums, in which avid stamp collectors arranged their prized possessions. From across countries, histories, commemorations and epochs, stamps would fly into albums. Postage and letters were as much in vogue, as was the collection of stamps.
Then there were others who collected coins and currencies from around the world, and from the past. These amateur numismatists sought people arriving from abroad, and coveted any surviving dollar, pound, yen, penny, and more from them, to add to their collection. There were those who collected greeting cards and bus tickets – usually a chit with rows of numbers printed on them.
Some collected cards which had the weight of a person printed on one side, and a yesteryear actor’s grey picture embossed on the other. This cardboard keepsake could be acquired by standing on recognisably colourful weighing machines at railway stations. I also had a friend who collected matchbox labels. I still remember how colourful and creative the artworks on these labels were, and the brands – Cheeta Fight, Chief, Ship, and Three Torches – to name a few.
I fell in love with postcards at a very young age. Wherever I travelled, I picked some up, while I also looked for any such cards destined for the dustbin. I would implore neighbours and friends to hand them to me and enrich my collection. Once a week, I would glance at the beautiful illustrations and photographs on them, and feel the same thrill every time. There were postcards of the greatest cities, wonders of the world, dinosaurs, peoples, and Old Bangalore, among others. I was especially possessive of one with a diorama drawing of Amtrak trains parked at a yard somewhere in America. The best part – I still have this collection of over a thousand postcards intact with me. I also kept a vast Hot Wheels fleet – a big draw in the neighbourhood.
The collection wave also invited businesses to ride it. Big Fun chewing gum always came with cricketers’ profile cards, Lay’s and Cheetos had ‘Tazos’ tucked somewhere between the chips, while Complan once even offered G.I. Joe action figures to play with. Who can forget McDonald’s Happy Meal?! We kids were elated. We sourced, played, treasured, pawned, and exchanged our collectibles. Rivalries were born, but were defeated by friendships built over years of collecting together.
In an earlier column, I had described my love for collecting souvenirs. Book collection continues to fascinate. Every story in a book is a collectible – of ideas, thoughts, and lessons. Man was a hunter-gatherer in an earlier phase of his evolution. As collectors, we continue to gather mementoes and memories. There is a sense of purpose, albeit inconsequential. But in the din called life, it’s these little things that bring joy, one little thing for the collection at a time.