Favorite Random Items You own of Special Value or Significance?

I thought this could be an interesting thread to start; we all own random items that have a special significance or value to us (and probably just us), usually due to a story connected to them or maybe someone special gave them to us.  Anyway, I'll start the tread off with a few of mine!

A pair of hand-made Egyptian plates

These plates were given to my grandmother as a gift from someone who did a lot of traveling back in the 1950s.  They were one of the few possessions that she had for decades, even when she downsized.  The mother of pearl is falling out of them, but I have them up on my kitchen wall; brings back fond memories for me!

Mother of pearl saber tooth pendant. 

This was left to my by my great-grandmother when I was quite young, and it's one of the few pieces of jewelry my family still has after a break-in about a year and a half ago.  Though the thieves managed to take nearly all the jewelry in our home, in the process of kicking over everything in my bedroom, this particular piece fell behind my desk.  Was I ever happy to find it again!

Kitty-Cat clock

For the past decade, I've brought this clock everywhere that I've lived.  He's had an eye pop out that had to be reattached, and he doesn't quite 'move' like he used to, but it's kinda a tradition to put it above the stove, wherever I end up lol

My aluminum Head squash raquet

I know this sounds kinda ridiculous to list a a racquet here, but a friend of mine taught me to play squash on this one about a decade ago, and we used to play every Thursday after class.  Sadly, she was killed in a car accident four years ago.  Though the racquet has a small crack in it, I still use it whenever I play.  It reminds me of all those fun times we used to have at the court.

2001 Silver Les Paul Studio guitar

A number of years ago, I bought this guitar gutted off eBay.  It looked worn, and possibly even dragged behind a bus lol.  Anyway, I fixed it up with new parts, nail polish to cover-up some of the damage, and it's become my main instrument.  When I decided to transition from just playing lead-guitar to writing songs and fronting a band, this instrument saw the whole process; the good, the bad, and the ugly; empty open mics, seedy clubs, bone fractures, and eventually music festivals lol.  I have some musician friends that show off their new purchases and ask why I still play this one, but there's something special to me about this instrument that one of my students and I named 'Paul', very original, I know lol

Anyway, I'd love to hear about the items that everyone else has that have some sort of special significance or sentimental value! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Ooh I love this thread, great idea creating it Casey! I’m excited to read what’s dear to everyone on here. Here are the things which are dearest to me.

My great-grandmother’s brooch:
One day my grandmother came to me with this beautiful little detailed piece of silver jewelry and rhinestones, telling me my great-grandmother, her grandmother, used to wear it, and that it’d been in the family ever since. She told me it was probably of no value, other than to the family. But either way I felt very honored that she chose to give me and my sister each a brooch from our ancestors. When I get children of my own and they've grown up, I’ll pass it on to them.  

My boyfriend’s necklace:
Whenever I’m having to do something by myself which I find rather uncomfortable, I bring my boyfriend’s necklace along. For some reason it’s very soothing for me just to hold it in my hand if I’m nervous about something.  

A stuffed polar bear:

My Dad use to go on the road a lot, so one day (before I was born) he randomly picked up this teddy bear and brought it with him to "keep him company" (I know it sounds a little weird), but when I got older, I kidnapped the bear to my room.  He has pretty much stayed there ever since, and even started to grow a family (more like a community, since I have over 50 bears ATM).  Then, at one point, my Dad wrote a 200+ page book about my polar bear family.  Unfortunately, the bear is starting to become a little too well loved, and since I don't want him to fall apart, he's been retired to a special place in my room.

A blob of clay:

My brother was obsessed with Yu-Gi-Oh when he was younger, and I would occasionally watch the tv shows with him.  He asked me which of the monster-things was my favorite, I told him which one (I don't remember what it's called, but it's kind of a furby/kirby looking thing, *edit* it's apparently a kuriboh).  Anyways, a little while later, he comes back with this green blob of clay with legs, an oblong body, and eyes and said he made it for me because it was my favorite.  I still have it about 10 years later, and even though it's very dusty, it's sitting near my TV.

I have a finger rosary that I carry everywhere with me. I am not Catholic, and the story of how I came to be in possession of it is terribly long, and pretty meaningless to anyone who isn't immediately connected with me; It was given to me by a total stranger who also gave me a very important message. I keep it with me always, because I know it brings me blessings and protection.

Great responses everyone!  It's neat to hear all of these really cool stories! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

- One of my former assistants has a degree in fine art, she painted a one-off of Tank Girl 'oil on wood' for me.

- Kevyn Aucoin's Super Soft Buff Powder brush, a birthday gift from a dear mua friend of mine from '04, I still haven't used it yet as I am still shocked she gave me such an unexpected gift, as it's not in her nature to do something like that. I think she was a little disappointed that I never used it, but I kept telling her that I have it on display... Which I still do.

- A hand made birthday card from the above friends daughter, she was 4 at the time, this was several years ago. It's still on my fridge door.

 My Ninny ( maternal grandmother) only owned four pieces of non-costume jewelry in her life and I have three of them. One is a brooch that belonged to my Ninny's grandmother. It is delicate filigree and amethyst (which was Ninny's birthstone), a wedding band, and the Mother's ring my Momma bought for her. The original wedding ring went to an aunt and  was destroyed in a house fire.

  My maternal grandparents were extremely poor farmers, my Poppa never learned to read or write as he had to work the farm to help raise his brothers and sisters. He courted Ninny through letters he would dictate to his aunt. Well, when they were going to get married Poppa had worked every extra job he could get. He bought my Ninny's wedding dress, and of course her ring. He didn't really have an idea what it should look like, he just knew that the large oval signet ring looked a lot prettier than a plain gold band. So her real wedding ring was a large, plain, oval, un-engraved signet ring.

   Their oldest son, my Uncle James, had always been embarrassed by the signet ring. When he was in Italy during WW2 he bought a gold wedding band engraved with orange blossoms and mailed it to her. She wore the wedding band under the signet as her set. Uncle James and Aunt Joyce were my godparents, the wedding band went to them after Ninny's death and they decided they wanted me to have it. All the orange blossoms have worn away through the years, so now it is just a plain gold band that means the world to me.

    Aunt Leona's house burned and the signet ring was lost forever. The Mother's ring was bought as a Mother's Day gift from my Momma. I was five years old, and got to pick out the ring setting. Momma gave it to me after Ninny's death.

ETA spelling

vogueboy said:

- One of my former assistants has a degree in fine art, she painted a one-off of Tank Girl 'oil on wood' for me.

- Kevyn Aucoin's Super Soft Buff Powder brush, a birthday gift from a dear mua friend of mine from '04, I still haven't used it yet as I am still shocked she gave me such an unexpected gift, as it's not in her nature to do something like that. I think she was a little disappointed that I never used it, but I kept telling her that I have it on display... Which I still do.

- A hand made birthday card from the above friends daughter, she was 4 at the time, this was several years ago. It's still on my fridge door.

Click to expand...

I remember Tank Girl!  That must be a great piece to have.  And it's always really nice to receive an unexpected gift like that.  I recall once receiving a special minted guitar pick from a student that I taught for a number of years.  Very random, but something I've always kept on display; more for the thoughtfulness and appreciation that it represented than it's visual role as a display piece.  I often find people really appreciate it when such a gift is kept.  A couple years ago, a girl that I knew made me an interesting ring out of twisted metal; she hasn't always had the best health, and did this as a type of mini-at-home business.  Anyway, last week she saw me wearing it in a photo on Facebook, and said how she couldn't believe that I still had it.  She said that it really made her day just knowing that someone was still wearing her jewelry.  I told her, of course, it's a favorite of mine for any occasion /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> 

Kristine Walker said:

 My Ninny ( maternal grandmother) only owned four pieces of non-costume jewelry in her life and I have three of them. One is a brooch that belonged to my Ninny's grandmother. It is delicate filigree and amethyst (which was Ninny's birthstone), a wedding band, and the Mother's ring my Momma bought for her. The original wedding ring went to an aunt and  was destroyed in a house fire.

  My maternal grandparents were extremely poor farmers, my Poppa never learned to read or write as he had to work the farm to help raise his brothers and sisters. He courted Ninny through letters he would dictate to his aunt. Well, when they were going to get married Poppa had worked every extra job he could get. He bought my Ninny's wedding dress, and of course her ring. He didn't really have an idea what it should look like, he just knew that the large oval signet ring looked a lot prettier than a plain gold band. So her real wedding ring was a large, plain, oval, un-engraved signet ring.

   Their oldest son, my Uncle James, had always been embarrassed by the signet ring. When he was in Italy during WW2 he bought a gold wedding band engraved with orange blossoms and mailed it to her. She wore the wedding band under the signet as her set. Uncle James and Aunt Joyce were my godparents, the wedding band went to them after Ninny's death and they decided they wanted me to have it. All the orange blossoms have worn away through the years, so now it is just a plain gold band that means the world to me.

    Aunt Leona's house burned and the signet ring was lost forever. The Mother's ring was bought as a Mother's Day gift from my Momma. I was five years old, and got to pick out the ring setting. Momma gave it to me after Ninny's death.

ETA spelling

Click to expand...

I feel the histories and stories behind the piece are always what makes it special.  Until we had the big break-in last year, I suppose the sentimental value of things wasn't so explicit to me.  We often just assume that we'll have whatever item forever.  The main thing was no one was hurt (the burglars had left a large knife taken from our kitchen in front of my bedroom; yikes!), but I definitely treasure the items we have left even more so now.  My mom tries to put some humor into the situation also, and said that it's much easier for us to buy her jewelry now as we won't have to worry so much about getting something similar to what she already has.

Ugh, our house was broken in to in 2009. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />  Luckily I didn't have anything of sentimental value, or anything of value at all, really, due to a storage unit fire destroying everything we owned only about six months previous to that. :wacko: But they did steal my ENTIRE makeup collection, a bunch of personal toiletries and feminine hygiene products and food from our kitchen (they ate an entire pan of fudge we had in the fridge). 

They also stole a bunch of mine and my husband's clothes, as well as a purse I wasn't using and our luggage (probably to carry the stuff). I basically feel like if these were people who needed these things so desperately that they would burglarize us to get them, they were welcome to them. They didn't touch my kids' rooms.

They also stole my computer, which was so old it had no resale value, but it sure was a pain in the butt replacing everything on it. This is why I always use separate storage for my backups, now.

But losing everything, basically twice over, really teaches you the value of "stuff" and what should be cherished and what holds no meaning.

Shalott said:

Ugh, our house was broken in to in 2009. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />  Luckily I didn't have anything of sentimental value, or anything of value at all, really, due to a storage unit fire destroying everything we owned only about six months previous to that. :wacko: But they did steal my ENTIRE makeup collection, a bunch of personal toiletries and feminine hygiene products and food from our kitchen (they ate an entire pan of fudge we had in the fridge). 

They also stole a bunch of mine and my husband's clothes, as well as a purse I wasn't using and our luggage (probably to carry the stuff). I basically feel like if these were people who needed these things so desperately that they would burglarize us to get them, they were welcome to them. They didn't touch my kids' rooms.

They also stole my computer, which was so old it had no resale value, but it sure was a pain in the butt replacing everything on it. This is why I always use separate storage for my backups, now.

But losing everything, basically twice over, really teaches you the value of "stuff" and what should be cherished and what holds no meaning.

Click to expand...

So true!  Some of the things that they did were quite ridiculous.  They sliced open all of my dad's briefcases (which weren't even locked).  And took items such as my sister's dust-covered pog collection (seriously?), and my dad's old hockey card collection which were all dogeared  and glued into a scrapbook; making them worthless.  Apparently, the same 'group' had done about 80 of these break-ins.  They go kick-in the front door during recycling day and casually take all the small items and put them into school bags (according to a police officer we knew in the area).  Luckily, they didn't seem to recognize the value of any of my sound-recording equipment, and only took my newest laptop.  The positive to that was I didn't lose the research I had done that week, but the negative was my new laptop had just about every photo I had taken during the past year.  It's a real violation of personal privacy, I find.  Also, it was such a pain to have to change every conceivable password that I could think of.  Now I backup up what I write literally everyday; I can only imagine what it'd be like to instantly lose 100+ pages of writing; ouch!  But yeah, definitely a real eye-opener to what's valuable to us!

@@CaseyR The personal privacy things is the worst - everyone's always like "lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place" and all, but I am obsessed with the idea that someone could break in again, or into my car (that's happened before, too). I hate feeling like I can't even run to the store without worrying, or that I can't trust my neighbors to know no one is home. It's terrible.

To be back on topic, I want to add that I currently boast a very extensive collection of manga goods imported from Japan, and I have told everyone multiple times that if the worst happened, getting my family to safety would go like this: My kids, my manga goods, my cat, me. Ha ha, no one believed me but last 4th of July the condo below us was set on fire by an errant firework and I did just that.

Everyone thinks I'm crazy but those items are literally irreplaceable, and I worked hard to get them. They're going with me to the grave! :lol:

Shalott said:

@@CaseyR The personal privacy things is the worst - everyone's always like "lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place" and all, but I am obsessed with the idea that someone could break in again, or into my car (that's happened before, too). I hate feeling like I can't even run to the store without worrying, or that I can't trust my neighbors to know no one is home. It's terrible.

To be back on topic, I want to add that I currently boast a very extensive collection of manga goods imported from Japan, and I have told everyone multiple times that if the worst happened, getting my family to safety would go like this: My kids, my manga goods, my cat, me. Ha ha, no one believed me but last 4th of July the condo below us was set on fire by an errant firework and I did just that.

Everyone thinks I'm crazy but those items are literally irreplaceable, and I worked hard to get them. They're going with me to the grave! :lol:

Click to expand...

I know the feeling.  I won't leave my laptop unattended in Starbucks, even for a moment!  I definitely don't buy the lightning doesn't strike twice theory either.   In my experience, it's been just the opposite; pockets of condensed disaster :/

And I totally understand.  If there was a fire, I'd make a special effort to grab my guitar mentioned above.  Even when I play shows, I'm totally paranoid about letting it out of my sight.  A couple years ago at a music festival I was doing, my friends helped load our equipment after the concert, and one of my guitars was left in the bandshell for a week; was I ever lucky to see it again!  More recently, when I moved here to downtown Toronto, I couldn't find my bag with all my makeup and wigs in it (which I needed for another music festival in a few days) after I moved into my apartment.  Later that evening, I found it in front of a house down the street, someone had opened the front and gone through it (the main section was locked); quite strange.  That's so cool you have a manga collection; I've always found Japanese music, film, and art to be really interesting /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />  I can imagine your collection took quite a while to build, too!

CaseyR said:

I know the feeling.  I won't leave my laptop unattended in Starbucks, even for a moment!  I definitely don't buy the lightning doesn't strike twice theory either.   In my experience, it's been just the opposite; pockets of condensed disaster :/

And I totally understand.  If there was a fire, I'd make a special effort to grab my guitar mentioned above.  Even when I play shows, I'm totally paranoid about letting it out of my sight.  A couple years ago at a music festival I was doing, my friends helped load our equipment after the concert, and one of my guitars was left in the bandshell for a week; was I ever lucky to see it again!  More recently, when I moved here to downtown Toronto, I couldn't find my bag with all my makeup and wigs in it (which I needed for another music festival in a few days) after I moved into my apartment.  Later that evening, I found it in front of a house down the street, someone had opened the front and gone through it (the main section was locked); quite strange.  That's so cool you have a manga collection; I've always found Japanese music, film, and art to be really interesting /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />  I can imagine your collection took quite a while to build, too!

Click to expand...

I think it's been since 2012 that I've been working on it? It's all for one particular series and the majority of items were bonus gifts with magazines and manga volumes - not items you could just got out and repurchase should something happen! Luckily, the series is getting an anime adaptation next year, so hopefully goods will become a bit more plentiful. There are lots of other series I would love to collect merchandise for, but I don't have the time or the budget! :lol: But honestly when it comes to physical objects I own, it represents the greatest amount of time and effort, which is more important to me than the monetary value (which actually isn't much, since there is NOT a huge demand for them - maybe someday, ha ha, if the anime does well)!

(Sorry looks like my edit turned into a double post).

Shalott said:

I think it's been since 2012 that I've been working on it? It's all for one particular series and the majority of items were bonus gifts with magazines and manga volumes - not items you could just got out and repurchase should something happen! Luckily, the series is getting an anime adaptation next year, so hopefully goods will become a bit more plentiful. There are lots of other series I would love to collect merchandise for, but I don't have the time or the budget! :lol: But honestly when it comes to physical objects I own, it represents the greatest amount of time and effort, which is more important to me than the monetary value (which actually isn't much, since there is NOT a huge demand for them - maybe someday, ha ha, if the anime does well)!

Click to expand...

That would definitely hard to replace!  Hopefully the series does well, too.  I collect those Japanese album and single releases with the OBI strip (and usually bonus tracks).  Some can be quite expensive to import, but I still do it any time I find them (I'm one of the few who still likes records and CDs) hah.  I also collect a number of 80s-related things; Fido Dido, E.T., Mr. Men (though they're a bit older).  People think it's silly how excited I get when I find this stuff at flea markets, but that's just me /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />.  Plus, I quite like my E.T. statue which sits on top of my bookcase, alongside a weeping Buddha and a bust of Beethoven lol Not much value to any of these sorts of items, but part of the fun is finding them and putting together the collection /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Shalott said:

Ugh, our house was broken in to in 2009. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />  Luckily I didn't have anything of sentimental value, or anything of value at all, really, due to a storage unit fire destroying everything we owned only about six months previous to that. :wacko: But they did steal my ENTIRE makeup collection, a bunch of personal toiletries and feminine hygiene products and food from our kitchen (they ate an entire pan of fudge we had in the fridge). 

They also stole a bunch of mine and my husband's clothes, as well as a purse I wasn't using and our luggage (probably to carry the stuff). I basically feel like if these were people who needed these things so desperately that they would burglarize us to get them, they were welcome to them. They didn't touch my kids' rooms.

They also stole my computer, which was so old it had no resale value, but it sure was a pain in the butt replacing everything on it. This is why I always use separate storage for my backups, now.

But losing everything, basically twice over, really teaches you the value of "stuff" and what should be cherished and what holds no meaning.

Click to expand...

I can't even begin to imagine what this would feel like to experience.  I've only lost some things from moving a billion times or throwing it out in a fit of rage (and later regretting it)... if I lost everything like that, man.. these kinds of stories always help to remind me of being thankful of my luck and well being over the years.  

------

I try not to buy a ton of "stuff", and I actually use and decorate with several items of sentimental value from older family members.  A lot of them are from my grandparents, and I'd be truly devastated if they were stolen or damaged.  

Some of my favorite random items are:

An old pillow case.  It was my grandma's when she was a kid, and she had it packed away in a drawer when I was growing up.  One day when we were cleaning things out after my Papa died, I asked if I could have it to keep, and she lovingly parted with it.  

I also have a couple pewter cast coin banks in the shape of cars that were my Papa's he held onto during WW2.  They're not worth much, but he loved cars and coin banks, and it means a lot to me having that part of him live on.  

A stack of books from my own childhood, many now out of print.  I loved books as a kid, and always took such great care of them.  My Nana had our old books for the younger kids in the family.  A few years back I took all the ones that were mine back to ship to myself.  They weren't being appreciated properly, so they didn't deserve them.  I have them packed away in case we ever have kids, and I also have a few of them left out to share with the little boy I watch.  I love seeing him enjoy the old stories.

I have a rose quartz jewelry box with a purple lilac bloom design on the top that was my mom's growing up, and it had a broken hinge so she finally was going to throw it out about 8 years ago.  I have so many memories of her sitting at her vanity, routinely taking off her jewelry as soon as she got home from work daily.. I actually thought as a kid, you couldn't wear jewelry unless you were at work, lol.  I caught her in the process of tossing it, and snatched it from her.  A little glue on the hinge, and it is good as new.  I use this for my own special jewelry now.  

My old family photos.  I need to find a better storage for them still.  I'd like to find a local area place that'll scan all my photos for me (because I'm too lazy to do it myself).. 

Last, but not least, I have a bear stuffed toy from my husband.  It is silly, but it means a lot to me.  He got it for me out of the blue as a surprise.  He knows I like stuffed toys (if they have meaning of sorts--not just all random stuffed animals, lol).. and my Nana collects bears.  I was having a hard time missing my family, especially my Nana, and brought me home a stuffed bear from the movie "Brave".  I love the sentiment behind the purchase, the connection to old memories and my Nana, and that it was a pure thought of love for me.  I don't get surprises or special gifts a lot from him, so when I do it means that much more.  

The clock necklace my mom gave me. It's really weird. It used to spin but the battery stopped working. And, it's from the 60s...So, we can't find the correct battery for it since they stopped making that kind years ago. I love the thing though. And, the significance behind it. My grandfather gave it to my mother when she was 10. (So, it's dated around 1961/1962)

My electric dog toy that I've had since I was 4 (1991) It doesn't work anymore either. But, I keep it around because my dad got it for my birthday that year. And, he passed in 1995 when I was 7. The dog is also named Dreyfuss (I named him that too) for 2 different reasons. One, he looked/looks like the dog from Empty Nest. Which I loved back then..and still do. Also, Richard Dreyfuss has been one of my favorite actors since I first saw Stakeout in early 1991. (My parents let me watch everything as a kid. I was never sheltered. Cool 'rents for the win!)

I also keep around a worn out green skirt that my ex fiance bought me when we were still going together. I just can't seem to get rid of it. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

This will sound odd, but I have a small piece of driftwood in the shape of a fish that I found on the beach where I went and sat after my mother's funeral ... she was a Pisces.  She died in 1990 and I still have it sitting on my dresser.

bellalore said:

This will sound odd, but I have a small piece of driftwood in the shape of a fish that I found on the beach where I went and sat after my mother's funeral ... she was a Pisces.  She died in 1990 and I still have it sitting on my dresser.

Click to expand...

I can totally understand.  It's quite how the item is associated with the memory of the person that makes it special.  I find that I often hold on to the most random items that remind me of someone special that has passed.