Why?

Why?  That’s a pretty open-ended question.

In this particular case the why pertains to the question: Why do I collect old pop culture items?

Here’s the simple answer.  Because I like them.

Too simple?

OK, let me delve into my reasons in more depth.

I love collecting old comic books, toys, books, magazines, trading cards and the like for several reasons.

They remind me of simple times, when things weren’t so complicated.

Many of the items offered fresh and new concepts and/or experiences.  Early comic books told tales of cosmic wonder, new possibilities and less complicated stories. Today’s comics are more like soap operas and social commentaries.

Magazines and books printed stories and articles that were fresh, eye-opening and most of all- entertaining.

Toys (especially for young boys) were big, bold, exciting and catered to young boys’ endless energy.  

No couch potato video games or inside activities.  Toys were meant to be played with outdoors. Talk about an energy burner!

Trading cards spotlighted sports heroes, popular TV shows and movies, were cheap and came with a stick of gum.  

Practically every game, toy or activity required some effort-both physically and mentally.  Imagination was the key and it was the mind which was the means by which new worlds and concepts came alive.  Very little was preset.   

Kids were forced to come up with their own visions of alien worlds, hostile aliens, strange and exotic lands and the like.

So much today is pre-packaged.  Video games, movies and toys leave very little room for the imagination.  Everything is already set-kids simply follow along predetermined paths.

The past was not perfect by any means.  What it did offer (at least for kids) were endless possibilities, the opportunity to imagine and the promise that anything was possible.

Choices were limited, but that limitation only fueled individual imagination and determination.

I look back on the toys, books and playthings of my youth and I see objects that encouraged me to carve my own path, pursue my dreams and feed my imagination.