Promotional Glass Collecting: The Perfect Hobby

Original release: March 2002
Byline: Matt Maloney

Pretty big claim, I realize, but I can provide the facts that prove it - or at least give you something to say whenever a person asks why you own 600 drinking glasses but everyone in your house drinks out of paper cups.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY: Anybody, but anybody can become a Promotional Glass Collector. For proof, just look at our ranks. Wait a minute - that didn't come out right. Well, you know what I mean.

LOW START UP COST: Even today, a set of Camp Snoopy or Muppet Capers glasses can get a person started as a Glass Collector for a few dollars. Or less, if the flea market guy is really sick of packing and unpacking them. Maybe he'll GIVE them to you if you ask. Admittedly, as the collector advances to less common glasses, he or she will find that they can cost a tad more. But you will note that I said "start up cost", not "end up cost".

NO SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: You need purchase no special tools or equipment to become a successful Glass Collector. How many hobbies can make that claim? Try going fishing without first buying a rod and reel, and see how many fish you bring home. A membership in PGCA gets you the club newsletter, the "Gatherer". That and a subscription to Collector Glass News, will provide you with plenty of info about glasses old and new, at a combined cost of only $30 a year. About the same cost as a subscription to Consumer Reports, and a lot more fun. Do you know anyone who reads Consumer Reports for a hobby?

SMALL SIZE: A drinking glass is not a large item. Unlike a friend of mine whose hobby is buying and rebuilding old cars, a Glass Collector can bring his collection into the house. An attractive shelf can easily be built to display the glass collection on unused wall space in, perhaps, the family room. As the collection grows, additional shelves can be added in the hallway. And the bedroom. And the bathroom. And..

ANYTIME / ANYPLACE: Glasses might be found anyplace. Notice I said might. Probably not; but the possibility is enough to add the excitement of indulging in your hobby to any event. No longer will you want to avoid traveling the 200 miles to your in-laws' house. There are sure to be antique shops, thrift stores, and maybe even a flea market nearby that you otherwise would never get to. You may even pass several on the way which you will want to check out, adding hours to the trip and reducing the length of your visit. Kids want to go to Wally World ? No problem. While they stand in interminable lines for the rides, you can vanish into the gift shop and check for any overpriced glasses they may be offering.

RAIN OR SHINE: Unlike golfers who need agreeable weather, Glass Collectors can practice their hobby even as the family sits staring out the window at the monsoon rains and wind. There are always glasses to inventory, categorize, and clean. Collectors blessed with a computer will find the additional possibilities offered by e-mail and e-bay to be endless. Veteran collector Jimmy Driver has never been known to turn his computer off!

Now, what other hobby can claim all that?!

By Matt Maloney