The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 86, No. 48, Ed. 1, Friday, April 3, 1998 Page: 2 of 8
eight pages : illus. ; page 22 x 14 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
'( r
I
I
wwwmmwjH ""lww i
m. ....i. V .... .11. . Wl.... .(.. . . . it
wA
CLttnatUttltCSlttSE "'I-' """ " ' '""i ""-.-- . . - . j. !... i..ii ........ . -iAV. i. .-.
WllM... ta.HM juil...
..Ml
WHlltWM IIHHHWIWIMIIH IiiIiiiWii i.i J. .
" v
tK-
WaVJtamVlS. ' 'l'fc
km" . !.. TO
. 1. I t-.i. f Wiilll-f . .i. -Li
1 . n i .j .. ...
i rr . ' .'f.a-.
:v- jgii ..
.'K!'
'-'v 'S'"t
NT
': " ; 'k f !Hf$-f'lfs .&-faM ;
wmwm MUm
- WWW I
r
X3VJA
m
OPTIMIST Page 2 April 3 198
-A .
"'
v t iNLgggg&. .llBlflHi&HHeMEMBDliulBBiniii vnnafliaLHHfitft&JBilanViflBBeiKfi' ksVenHh aflnluVllnnllnfll (B
- ; '': HHr ii lIlMillilii iii iwi nin TH Wrifffffr 1 1 ilTiTimmPwTi vv" t"'' t- " - - -1 t-- --- r""" iBHML H
ggggjgjT . wtomRBHBBmB$m&ffi$ I
JBL n iW . Mi JmRBmmBMSmttaMlBMtJriMS wjvi o?miW WSMr wnwmm K
I ' id.2.t2?P.4ii.' ) wiift' Hobby Lobby '"' HjliBB4jJBB!'
J (top) Joel Brant senior biology major from Abitene akrw one of his toy guns at VA&WHiitK.
m the camerawfilte ms Star Wars poster hng In the background. rfjyjl HB'
HHHBMta (above left) A bucket of chewed gum sits next toHs Hd whkh bears the latest WMUKBBSIcSb 'Qamwm
BsmwLwWWW count of col leded pieces. BBSmlSwlnv iiiaBBSBSBSBfl i
k WmEHf rg ProfflU Junior Interdisciplinary studies major from Elgin Holds her BBakVSLmmSBlSktmmkk
ILUM.BBiMWaHlll timr1 rtnr U1 l UVWirvf lnln Ivar IvirVtwri mirrrvr uvrrui.rviaii huinuoatni IIHIIIV.HIRflHB.lH.BainHHIIIIIIIH
HSISHIIIIBBBIIISISISISK O ' "" ..w. ...9. . EHHlB.BBHLmilBBBBIIIIIIH t
t
C .
Fi
.- rnsiRsrascriai w
is f "fi . 4-e ii t.
- ir '
M-itf'
j
r
Hobby Lobby
(top) Joel Brant senior biology major from Abilene alms one of his toy guns at
the camera while his Star Wars poster hangs In the background.
(above left) A bucket of chewed gum sits next to Ks lid whkh bears the latest
count of col leded pieces.
(right) Lacey Rroffitt Junior Interdisciplinary studies major from Elgin Holds her
stuffed horse while looking into her bedroom mirror surrounded by (mages of
horses.
1 -
i
a-
VH
4 s
4
( M
Student collections range far weird
v(
J I
i1 'rf.:'-IW.-'
' f-htfiWi
v.'Ar? 'N
tti
1
1.
'i ..) v.?
'. -.
r" 1
ft .
K-i
:;' aam
' 'zn' k
1V'
.Story: .
Derrel I Wilson and
Jennifer Smalllng
I
Photos:
Amanda Reitdr
"'5 -
' M'-'
u
IllustiationcDMifn:&i
Jeremy Parishv fyf
Horses sundlng jumping trotting
running all with their manes blow-
ing in the wind are the pictures
arranged on the bedroom wall of Lacey
Profilttjunior interdisciplinary studies
mnjor from Elgin.
Proffitt began collected equestrian
objects since she was a child.. Now she dis-
plays some horse figurines and several
horse calendar pictures. At her home she
has kept a saddle and a pair of chaps from
tier childhood.
"I pretty much grew up on top of a
horse" she said. "I spent time with ray Dad
and torses even before I was one year old."
Proffitt is one of many college students
who have collections beginning from their
childhood. Although students may be busy
with school many of them still interact
with collections they might have begun at
school or brought from home.
Besides horse paraphernalia Proffitt also
claims more than 100 rocks but owns only
a few different kinds she said. Her goal for
the collection is to identify every rock
Proffitt said. Picking up rocks and admiring
them as a child Igktcd her interest. "I have
no idea why I'm collecting them except for
the same reason I'm a science major."
Collecting ako has a practical side for
Joel Brant senior biology major from
Abilene. "Nowthat I'm a biology major I
work with the shell collection at school"
he said. "As for as I'm concerned I'm pret-
ty good at cataloguing things. Ite a pretty
useless skill to have but somtbody needs
to do It"
Biology limits the imagination some-
times he said.. "You write sclendflc papers
that are really dry." Brant believes collect-
ing toys lets his imagination run free.
"Toys arc cool. 1 Wee toys."
So says Brant. While some collection
freaks might think heVs pretty tame he has
quite an array of items.
He has been collecting toys playing
cards magazines comic books and .base-
ball cards since 1962. i ;"j
His collection hobby began in 1962 with.
G.I. Jee action figures and has progressed
to the present day.
Brant's latest toy collection revolves
around Star Wars. He began collecting the
new series of action figures in 1995. The
first figure he purchased was the Power
Force 2 Stormtrooper. He now has all but
eight of the most recent figures he $ki
I want it to be the
largest chewed gum
collection in the world.
- Matt Cordon
"I don't really collect any other figures
besides Star Wars" said Brant "111 look. 1
go to Toys 'R Us all the time and I look. If I
see anything cool I'll probably buy it."
Brant said collecting can become pretty
expensive. "I keep up with the comics here
and there" he said. "I& gotten to the point
where its too expensive for rae to keep
doing it and still be a college student pa
for rent and all"
But Tie says some cdBecUons are cheap-
er to maintain. Brant said his playing card
collection grows because he receives decks
as gifts. "1 don't think I've spent $20 on the
decks of cards because I get them from
other people."
Sports memorabilia presented another
opportunity for Brant to collect as a child.
"like aU other boys I collected baseball
cards for a long time" he said. "IVe got a
big box full of baseball cards that maybe
one day will be valuable."
His collection of sports items also
includes signed baseballs from Bo Jackson
and Will Clark and signed sports cards
from Doug English Bo Jackson and Barry
Sanders. "I just collect them because I
think they're neat" Bjrant said of theem-
orabilia
"Unless you're 'in the know' it pretty
boring. But with toys you don't have to be
In the know'" he said.
However Nick Hlppfti freshman biolo-
gy major from Allen proves to be "in the
know" when it comes to Pez dispensers.
He uses the official Pez w$b page
(hHj:wwwspectromneUowi4ez) to find
out what new editions arc coming out to
buy he said. Flippln began collecting the
candy dispensers In 1993 when he sew
some clse collection.
- His valuable Fez characters are the ones
that have been discontinued he sakl He
orders them from museums which adver-
tise through die mail. However; his favorite
character hk Incredible Hulk Pez.
Flippln brought his whole collection (e
college with hire aldwugh he only displays
a few at a time because of space restraints.
Space does not pose a problem yet for
the collection Matt Gordon junior market-
ing from Alpharetta Ga. began a year ago.
He has a bucket full of 723 pieces cf
chewed gum as of Tuesday night. Gordon
said he used to frequently lay aside his gum
when lie finished chewing it and so began
collecting it first on a board and now m a
bucket He now collects different colors
and flavors of gum; Zebra striped bubble
gum is his favorite Gordon said.
"I do it sol can be on Nickelodeon for my
collection" he said. "I want k to be the
largest chewed gum collection in the workt"
That feat may not be too difficult for
Gordon - he adds to his coUection.twke a
day. He said his gum addkHon started
when lie was a child and now he chews two
pieces a day Those two pieces he chews as
long as possible before adding it to the
bucket ' k
Gordon said he has considered using his
artistic skills to create a mosaic; however
the project would take too long.
Besides a hobby collecting provides
unique decorations whether gum Pez dis-
pensers action figures or horse calendars.
?'
f
V.
n- -if
V--M
v .
."M f
M
t v
. '
lfrm aniMtAi &S
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 86, No. 48, Ed. 1, Friday, April 3, 1998, newspaper, April 3, 1998; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth99789/m1/2/: accessed July 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.