Popular Post gozer Posted April 1, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted April 1, 2018 (edited) [Didn't there use to be a What Else do you Collect? thread somewhere?] [I searched extensively (well, 90 seconds worth) but couldn't find it. Anyway, onward and upward.] Besides comics, I collect FAs. Flossing Appliances. BELIEVE ME, I know this sounds a bit wacky (or just crazy), but once these things get started, they kind of take on a life of their own. Years ago, I was a member of the Found Floss Appliance Collectors Association - FFACA. Which was started partially as a joke, in Tulsa where we all lived. I'm pretty sure alcohol was involved too. It's just what it sounds like ... when you see one of the appliances on the ground or in a parking lot, that's a "find." I've been doing it for about 20 years. OCD? No doubt at all. The FFACA used to have about 40 members. That's how many were on the email list, anyway, in 2011. But the guy who ran the list (and frankly was the main reason the FFACA existed) died in 2014. And no one has stepped up to take the reins. So the organization, what there was of it, is probably defunct. Oh well, one less excuse to get together and drink beer. Here's the bulk of my collection: Condition doesn't really matter with FAs. Just so long as it's (mostly) complete. Unbroken string is a plus, and personally I find them more pleasing. (1) Not complete, so junk essentially. (2) A McAdams 04 (distinctive tip) - string broken, so not so collectable to some. (3) A nice Gloucester 93 - complete, with string. Worth saving. They're identified by the name of the plastics manufacturer, and the number is the year of the production run. Surprisingly, some of the plastics manufacturing companies that turn these out are small - almost mom-and-pop companies. The quantities needed are often so small that the big boys aren't interested. For example, the Gloucester 93 (3). It happens sort of like this: A small group of people (8 to 10?) became an LLC ("Gloucester Plastics") and rent the equipment-in-place from the Sonolite company, and take about 6 hours one night to turn out 200K of the blanks. Then Gloucester Plastics dissolves (pun intended). Almost all the stringing is done by one company, Cope, in Memphis. Also, where they were finally sold (e.g., Walgreens, grocery stores) is irrelevant. There's no way to track this information anyway. And really, who cares? (4) to (5) In the mid 1990s, someone came up with the idea of making the handle also a toothpick-like spikey thing to get food out from between your teeth. Ok, good idea I guess. And (5) why have a straight spikey thing when you can have a stylishly curved spikey thing? (5) is a Merrimac 09, with the distinctive dog-leg profile. (6) Nobody has come up with a good explanation why you would split the handle into two stubby, blunt pieces. These are all from a long-gone New York company, Calciana, and are pretty rare - I haven't seen one in a decade. What a dumb idea. They were made from 1999-2003, and no one has copied the design so they must have sold poorly. Now to the good stuff. (7) A change in design! This "Y" shape is the well-known Arcadia 00. Only one batch (~300,000) was ever made. It must not have been popular, because no one else has tried the Y shape. I'm lucky to have found this one, they are very rare. (8) and (9) Interesting if only for the color variation. 99% of all FAs are green or white, so to see one in any other color is a shock. (8) is a Simplex 05, and (9) is unknown. (10) A Nederwald 07. Some (ok, one guy) claim it's the most graceful FA of all. That's perhaps getting a bit carried away about this whole thing, but it does have nice clean lines. Unfortunately, it's also a bit weak, and tends to bend in your hand. (11) The one stand-out of all my FAs is from France (mais oui!). How this ever got to a parking lot in Amarillo is anyone's guess. This is an ISC 07 - the "design" built into the handle is ... jaw dropping. This particular model even has a name, it's the "Persist." This run had one other model, not quite as fancy, named the "Couture." Both came in hot pink and neon green. Art nouveau FAs in hot pink! Who knew? ------------------ So ... it's a dying, weird/stupid hobby, but so what? And once you start to notice FAs lying around, you start to see they're everywhere. And then you get a little curious about them and want to do a little research ... and then all hope is lost. Au revoir, and happy collecting. Edited April 1, 2018 by gozer speedcake, Ken Aldred, BlowUpTheMoon and 7 others 9 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADAMANTIUM Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedcake Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadleg Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black_Adam Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 Is it April 1st already? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizards2 Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 I thought you were collecting in FA condition. My favorite condition to collect in is FA/G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercury Man Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FSF Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 That's just sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine48 Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 Some of them look like someone doing stretching exercises with a pole in silhouette.A few look like angry ghosts coming to kill you with a rope.One looks like a sock hanger I'm pretty sure the middle one in diagram 6 is an angry go-bot that is going to kill me. This is awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Get Marwood & I Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 You've certainly got the bit between your teeth here @gozer! Very, very well done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Aldred Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 People will mock you now, but one day, I'm sure, your hobby will enter the mainstream; just like comics have. thehumantorch 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Aldred Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlowUpTheMoon Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 Thanks for putting that together. It was a fun read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Get Marwood & I Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 9 hours ago, gozer said: (6) Nobody has come up with a good explanation why you would split the handle into two stubby, blunt pieces. These are all from a long-gone New York company, Calciana, and are pretty rare - I haven't seen one in a decade. What a dumb idea. They were made from 1999-2003, and no one has copied the design so they must have sold poorly. Could it be that the 'stubby split handle' is supposed to replicate the 'legs' of a tooth? Either that or the designer was a Leonard Bernstein fan? The Jet's are gonna have their way....to-niiight! lizards2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1950's war comics Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 wow i guess just about anything is collectable..... FoggyNelson and Lucky Baru 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizards2 Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 2 minutes ago, 1950's war comics said: wow i guess just about anything is collectable..... Don't get your hopes up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjpb Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 I could sort of see this if one were a dentist, as folks collect all sorts of strange stuff associated with their vocation, but this is probably not the sort of hobby one should share on a first date, or probably until it's time to move in together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Zipper Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 Nicely done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pitboss Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 Is that fungus growing on some of those? thehumantorch 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...