San Diego County Fair: The Lure of the Collections - 2009-06-17 21:35:25
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This weekend we went to the San Diego County Fair 2009, which has been/will be open this year from June 12 until July 5. (Warning, possibly music playing on that site.) There's a blog too. ...Heh, the fair board members dressed as KISS for the ribbon cutting. ...Darn, I didn't see any sweet potato fries - I love those! But don't worry, I'll post a whole entry devoted to fair food.

Check out the website and under New Food marvel at

"...Del Mar Diner: Deep-Fried Bread Pudding and Deep Fried Green Beans.
Charlie's Chicken near AgriFair: Zucchini Weeni (hot dog inside a zucchini, then deep-fried in a special batter), Deep Fried S'mores, Zucchini Fries and Oatmeal Cookie Chicken Sandwich."

I really wish I'd known about the bread pudding - I'd have wanted to try that. And the Zucchini Weeni of course. (There's a photo of it at the link!) This is what I get for not reading the full text in the Official Guide that I was given. ...Oops, Jon reminded me that he DID ask me several times if I wanted a Zucchini Weeni, but I was too fixated on taking photos of the sign for frog legs.

What really made my day was when we wandered into the Competitive Exhibits: Home and Hobby area. This was totally the state fair I remembered as a child, with all types of foods, from pies and cakes to canned goods. I remember how disappointed I was back then that only the judges got to eat the food, so in a way all the good looking foods are only a tease. Not that there isn't plenty of other food to eat at the fair, it's just not in this building.

But when we passed all the foods area, the textiles and needleworks, and then made it to the Collections, Jon was completely bemused (among other adjectives) by the area. I was rather amazed that he didn't know about this part of the fair - a part I'd always thought of as the "fun personal stuff." However it's also occurred to me that not everyone has the same fair background as I do. When I was in elementary school in Kansas those children who were very good (behavior and grade-wise) and got their parents' permission were allowed to take a day out of school and, with our teachers and other chaperones, spend an entire day at the fair. (It was a bit of a drive away too, so this was a big deal.) We were given a multi-page worksheet and a clipboard, and sent to various areas to answer questions about crops, animals, equipment, and all the random exhibits. And I LOVED it. In a way it was teaching us to be reporters - or at least be more observant, and learn about what we were looking at. So the Collections area is something I have a lot of nostalgia for. Plus I'm frankly interested to see what items people will group together and call their Collection. I find this fascinating both as someone who's interested in pop culture, history and sociology. Also makes me think of my own various collections. (So now I'm going to have to photograph my skulls and bats!)

First, proof that the Collections exhibits are a normal part of the fair:

Competitive Exhibitors
"Winning a blue ribbon for a pie, quilt, photograph or animal is a long-loved tradition of county fairs. Some exhibits are juried, meaning entrants’ work is judged and selected for display; in other exhibits, all entries are displayed at the Fair. Some departments also offer cash awards and the chance to compete at the California State Fair. Entry information will be available on this Web site starting in mid-March. Registration deadlines run late April through May, depending on the exhibit."

Home and Hobby
"Hobby competitions include collectibles, antiques, coins, stamps and more."

There's a link on that page to a pdf (2009 Home & Hobby Results by Class) with everyone that won ribbons in the various classes. Some of the specifics under Adult Collections:

Animals
Dolls other than antiques
Famous Faces (celebrities, presidents, cartoons, etc.)
Housewares (spoons, cups, etc.)
Personal Items (purses, hats, jewelry, etc.)
Memorabilia, Historical Items, Photos, etc.
Sports Related (equipment, memorabilia, etc.)
New Collections, started after June 1, 2006
Family Project, any collection owned by at least one adult and one child
Fair Theme, "Music Mania"

and the catch all - Other than listed, specify item

Then I noticed several entries of Adult Miniatures & Models (including "Mini. Structure & furnishings" as well as "Roomboxes, Shadowboxes, Vignettes") and was even more sorry that I didn't take longer to explore the place.

Since Jon was a tad freaked out by some of the collections I looked at all of them and then quickly took photos of the information cards as well - so I wouldn't have to spend time reading them when I could take my time later. (I do this at museums a lot.) Sadly I didn't think to take photos of the caption cards for every collection. So I'll forever be wondering if there was one for the staplers that explained how that collection started in the first place. (Seriously, I am curious!) Some of the photos are a bit blurry, so if I've missed someone's name or misquoted something, and you have the information - please let me know in the comments and I'll edit myself. (I'm happy to add the name of the creator if someone wants - I didn't remember to get photos of them all.) I'm pretty sure I missed some informative articles posted near some of these objects. Also remember - all of these photos aren't the best because I'm shooting through glass (sometimes smudged by the fairgoers that had touched it while peering in), without flash, and a hand held camera. (As always, I left the tripod at home.)

To give you an idea of what most of the displays looked like - here's an average glass case:



Jon made a comment or two about the Beanie Babies in that case - but I can say nothing, as I own a few of them myself! (I still love my little hooded death beanie baby. ...Though I can't seem to find a link to a picture of it. I admit I'd totally buy this Welsh dragon if I ever came upon it, which I probably won't as it seems to be a UK only thing.)


.....Fair Theme, "Music Mania".....

I actually didn't pay attention to the fair theme until we got into the photography competition (which of course I couldn't take photos of) and there was a whole section of "Photos of Music Mania."


I admit that taking a Pez candy out of Elvis' neck does seem kinda odd...

Jon himself gave me one of those Elvis Pez sets! And I think someone gave me the Elvis box of chocolates ages ago - I think I did make myself throw it out though. The few Elvis items I own are for the humor of it - though I have quite a bit of his music. However, now that I think of it, I do have more than two or three items - I've never actually counted...



This is the 'N Sync Collection. And again, I can say nothing, because way back in the 80s I was wildly into Adam Ant and Duran Duran. And collected posters and lyric books and various magazines and photos.


.....Collection of Halloween Hats.....


I really loved this spider hat!

Handwritten on orange and black paper inside the glass case:

"I've always collected and worn hats since I was little and really like the look of cocktail hats. When I found the first Halloween cocktail hat I was excited because I love Halloween and I love the classical look of the cocktail style, so they are a perfect match. I've collected the hats over the last 6 years or so and every year during Halloween I can't wait to see if they come out with a new one. They are a lot of fun to wear!"

That's a fez and a spider beanie.


.....Maneki Neko.....



I was delighted to see the Maneki Neko or "waving cats" as I've always called them, since I always forget the proper name for them. I've been wanting a black one but have never been able to find one when I've thought to look. (Meaning that I'm sure there's a way to find them at a store near me, I've just never looked!)



The collector had the following posted behind the cats:

"Maneki Neko = Beckoning Cat
Aka "Welcoming Cat" or "Money Cat"
Ceramic sculpture of a Japanese Bobtail cat beckoning with a raised paw. Often seen at the entrance of cash register of a business. Left paw raised is said to bring in customers and the right paw raised brings in wealth and good luck.

Some believe the higher the paw the more luck it will bring in. Others believe the height of the paw effects the distance the customers or luck travels. Many of the sculptures have a slot in the back of their head so they can be used as a bank.

Earliest documentation of the Maneki Neko is around 1870. They became popular at the turn of the century. Exact origins are unknown.

My collection started on a trip to Hawaii in 1988. Since then I have picked up quite a few of these at various shops when I travel. Some of my favorite pieces were too large to put in the case here at the fair. One is a 2 foot tall Maneki Neko holding a Asahi Beer, he was quite hard to come by. I like to collect different variations and poses."

I would have loved to see a photo of the larger one!



I'm honestly interested enough in this symbolic cat that if I ever see a book about it I know I'll be tempted to pick it up. Luckily the wikipedia page has given me plenty to think about.


.....The Staplers of the US Collection.....



This was one of the collections that stopped Jon in his tracks. I liked the thought someone put into decorating the letters with staples.



Again, I can't say much. I have several different kinds and sizes of staplers from my days as a teacher. My parents have many because they were both teachers at one time, and when my father worked for a company that went out of business they didn't pay him all that was owed but instead he could take home office supplies and equipment. Which included a lot of staplers. And then we've inherited some from elderly relatives. So yes, my family probably has more staplers than we need. Thing is, I've never really thought much about them. But I do recognize the name Swingline and immediately think stapler.


Note the car collection just below the stapler collection. Collections next to each other don't have to be related by theme or reasoning. Or at least not that I could figure out.

I suppose this is the time to mention the infamous red stapler which happened to be a Swingline. That's from the movie Office Space, of course. From the wikipedia:

"People approached Stephen Root asking him to sign their staplers. The Red Swingline stapler featured prominently in the film was not available until April 2002 when the company released it in response to repeated requests by fans of Office Space."

Stephen Root was the stapler owner Milton Waddams.

And a movie quote:

Milton Waddams: [talking on the phone] "And I said, I don't care if they lay me off either, because I told, I told Bill that if they move my desk one more time, then, then I'm, I'm quitting, I'm going to quit. And, and I told Don too, because they've moved my desk four times already this year, and I used to be over by the window, and I could see the squirrels, and they were married, but then, they switched from the Swingline to the Boston stapler, but I kept my Swingline stapler because it didn't bind up as much, and I kept the staples for the Swingline stapler and it's not okay because if they take my stapler then I'll set the building on fire..."

I don't think there's another stapler fixated movie out there, but I could be wrong.


.....Troll Dolls Collection.....



I was a child in the 70s when these trolls came onto the scene. They freaked me out then and still do. I totally respect anyone's desire to collect them - but I'm always afraid I'll end up having scary dreams about them. Thanks to the wikipedia, I can share the following:

Troll Doll
"Troll dolls, originally known as Leprocauns and also known as Dam dolls, Gonks, Wishniks, Treasure Trolls, and Norfins, became one of America's biggest toy fads from the autumn of 1963 through 1965. With their brightly colored hair and cute faces, they were featured in both Life Magazine and Time magazine in articles which commented on the "good luck" they would bring to their owners. The troll doll is sometimes mistakenly referred to as a Kewpie doll.

Trolls became fads again in brief periods throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, with as many as ten different manufacturers (such as Russ Berrie, Jakks Pacific, Applause, Hasbro, Mattel, Nyform, Trollkins and Ace Novelty) creating them.

Originally created in 1959 by Danish fisherman and woodcutter Thomas Dam, the dolls became popular in several European countries during the early 1960s, shortly before they were introduced in the United States..."

You should definitely read the rest of that page, it's very interesting. As you see, the trolls just keep coming back. Which means I should just work on getting over my troll fear.



I took that photo back in 2006 at Costco, thinking "Wait, they're back again?!"


.....Funny Face Drink Mix Collection.....



As a child I vaguely remember drinking some of this Funny Face Drink Mix - though at my house we used Kool-Aid instead. The product was discontinued some time in the 70s.

I think this commercial was before my time though:



Or maybe not - hard to tell the year on that one. But you can tell they're definitely comparing their product with Kool-Aid.


.....X-Files Collection.....



I can appreciate a good three dimensional use of font. Also I'm a fan of the X-Files, though I admit I stayed away from the film that came out in 2008. (I was afraid it wouldn't be as good as the television series. I think we saw it via Netflix and I'm blocking out the memory.) Meanwhile I always have thought it was cool that I went to grad school with one of the producers of the 'zine Wrapped in Plastic. (More info on the name here. And I think this is the same WIP, though I'm not certain.) Foolishly I didn't stop to see if this collection had a copy of WIP in it.



I was too busy looking at the dolls. I'd read about them but hadn't seen them before.


Note the tiny Barbie FBI badge.

Here's the text from that photo:

"I have been a fan of the X Files since the beginning of the show in 1993. I am not usually into science fiction, but there was something about the concept and characters that drew me in. Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are two of my favorite TV/movie characters of all time. I love the chemistry between them as well as their personalities. Not long after the show started I began collecting anything I could find... postcards, keychains, comic books, trading cards, action figures, the newest season episode guide book, and even the official Barbie dolls of Mulder and Scully. I was also able to get the premiere issue of the official X Files Magazine when it debuted. I cut pictures and articles out of magazines and newspapers to keep in a collection. Even though the show has ended I still hold on to my collection and will keep adding to it. ...there is still so much more I have yet to obtain and there is always a hope for a third movie."

I didn't see one of these "statement of purpose" (I have no idea what to call it) on every collection - but I appreciated the ones I was able to take the time to read.


.....A Year of Collie Fluff Collection.....



This was probably the most unusual and humorous collections of the day. That's a picture of Chester the collie, who donated all this fluff to this collection.

On one of several cards printed up and placed in the collection:

This is Chester.
"He's a two-year-old purebred Scottish Rough Collie. We got him when he was nine months old.
Chester's funny, smart, energetic, and lovable.
And he sheds...alot!
I decided to see just how much a collie actually sheds in a year. This is the fluff I collected since last year's Del Mar Fair when I purchased a very cool grooming tool inside the Crosby Hall."

Note the graph in the upper right where the collector has tracked the hair shedding over time. Here's the text on that card:

How much hair?
"Just how much hair does a collie shed?
A year's worth of shedded Chester fluff weighs exactly 17.7 ounces. That's the equivalent of...
7 1/2 bags of cotton candy
2 stuffed decorator pillows
or 3 3/4 Webkins stuffed animals.
Chester sheds the most in the months of April and June, and the least in October.
And by the way, peanut butter is a great distracter when he's less than thrilled about his brush."

This answered one of my questions!

What will I do with it?
"What can i do with 1.25 bushels of collie fluff?
Well, it can be turned into four skeins of yarn which would in turn make...
four crocheted puppy vests for those less-fortunate hairless chihuahuas,
eight pairs of baby booties
two skater beanies
or four Sham-wows!"

So what will happen to the fluff?

And now what?
"Chester's hair will be turned into Chiengora...what?!
Chien (French for dog) and gora for well, sorta short version of angora. It's essentially yarn spun from dog fur. Chiengora is durable, stylish, and 80% warmer than wool.
Yep. Chester's annual crop of fur will soon be a lovely skarf admired by all, worn by few."

Maybe we'll see one of those scarves in next year's fair!

Jon thought this was all very weird - but he didn't stop to read the cards placed around the fluff, where it'd pretty clear that Chester's owner has a sense of humor about the whole thing. Having brushed bushels of fur off of various cats in my past I know that most pet owner make laughing comments like "we could build a while other cat with all the fur I've brushed out of this one!" Or at least that was normal in my house. So I continue to be amused by this whole idea.


I should note at this point that Jon has visited and enjoyed the Museum of Jurassic Technology, which is technically a collection of various strange items. More on this museum, if you're interested:

Museum of Jurassic Technology Wikipedia page

Museum of Jurassic Technology Yelp page

Sound Portrait: Museum of Jurassic Technology

We Make Money Not Art: Museum of Jurassic Technology

Roadtrip America: Museum of Jurassic Technology

saschapohflepp's Flickr set: Museum of Jurassic Technology

atduskgreg's Flickr set: Museum of Jurassic Technology

and for the most recent visitors:

Flickr Search for Museum of Jurassic Technology

Let me call your attention to this particular exhibit of mice on toast. Much more freaky than the collie hair collection! Now I really want to go back and visit the place again. Since it's been a long time since we've been to LA I'm thinking we can schedule a daytrip sometime this summer or fall.

Hey, if you've managed to read all the way to the end of this then I'm not the only one interested in this kind of thing!


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