There is a bond that all or most collectors have with each other. It is a mutual respect for the hobby and a joy of the hunt that keeps us going. People collect all different kinds of things from nearly anything you can imagine. Common items are old signs, toys, coins, stamps, art, wine, advertising, particular company items, etc. I actually collect a number of different things but my favorite things to collect are banknotes (paper money) and certain coins, stamps, trinket, and local art. And what I mean by trinkets are mainly items from different travels to both domestic and foreign places. It can be anything from a glass plate from Austria to a gift shop bag from Virginia or a glass dolphin from south florida, things that don't really have any great value if any at all nor will they ever hold any value but I am fascinated them. Many are small pieces of art that are intended to be souvenirs sold in gift shops or in touristy to people like myself who go crazy in such an atmosphere. I love going into the trinket shops and looking around and drooling over everything. If I could my house would be filled to the brim with trinkets from all over.
Most recently my sister sent me an October fest beer mug from Germany while she was over there and it is already on display in my dining room. I love it. I look at it every day and think to myself how neat it is to finally have one. I have always wanted one and while I was in Austria I came very close to purchasing one though in Salzburg they were quite expensive. Sometimes really all it takes is luck to stumble upon something that really gets the motor running. And it is not something you have to stand in front of and talk your self into buying. You know right away that it has something about it that is sucking you in and you have to have it. By George you simply have to have it!
Another fun collecting hobby of mine is notaphily which is the collecting and study of paper money. I have been collecting banknotes for a few years and have a decent, somewhat small collection though it is one that I love to go through and I expand on it whenever I come across a bill that is affordable and one I know I just have to have. I have money from all corners of the globe from domestic American money to Central and South American countries, Africa, Europe, Scandinavia, Antarctica, Australia, various Islands in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. There is so much out there and some from countries that you may not even have known existed, places like Hyderabad, or Rhodesia, the Isle of Man, or St. Helena. There are so many interesting places that have printed paper money and each bill is unique to the country that it comes from. Each one is a history lesson, as well as their individual beauty in terms of art.
A banknote is a promissory note, a negotiable instrument from a bank to be paid to the bearer when the bearer requires payment. Banknotes used to be backed by precious metals or commodities but today they are fiat money. Fiat money is money that's value is determined by government regulation. And in instances of extreme hyperinflation as what happened in Zimbabwe and Hungry in the 1930's the banknote that once had a specific value becomes nearly or completely worthless. The earliest known use of fiat money was the Yuan dynasty in China around the 11th century. But the earliest known banknote or paper money came from the Song dynasty of China in the 10th century and was called jiaozi. Even back then they had counterfeiting problems and to combat the counterfeiters they stamped the banknotes with government "Banknote" seals. The earliest use of paper money in the west was possibly around the 1660s.
A person by the name of Sanjay Relan from Hong Kong holds the Guinness book of world records for collecting 221 banknotes from 221 different countries. He also holds the Guinness book of world records from collecting, I believe, 235 coins from 235 different countries. Notaphily is a growing hobby but still fairly obscure. There are a number of legitimate companies that sell banknotes for a fair price and even other legitimate hobbyists who sell and trade with each other for the love a collecting and studying these interesting pieces of our history.
It is fun to collect stuff and you don't need an large collection to enjoy the hobby. The whole point is too enjoy searching out cool stuff and learning about the things that you bring into your life. Thanks for coming to the Picker's Pub and we hope to see you again soon.
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