It wasn’t going to be long before my t-shirts featured in a blog post. I put them off so many times and they just got more and more unruly, and I knew if I didn’t succumb to their lust for fame there would be trouble. And I need my t-shirts too much to risk that.
I’m not big on collections – any collections. I’ve never understood the passion some people pursue obscure teaspoons, stamps or spouses, it seemed like the sort of activity that would never come to a satisfactory ending. So I never set out to start or continue with a t-shirt collection – it just kinda happened, like a lot of things do.
It started out innocently enough, the occasional tintin tee, the obligatory old skool santa cruz tee (yep that’s the new spelling for school, ironic right) and a really nice mario number. But I think it began in earnest when visiting Thailand about seven years ago. Seriously who can resist calvin & hobbs tee for $4 (ok not official because Bill Watterson never agreed to merchandising but what is official in the land of smiles??). From there it was all downhill, or uphill depending on your perspective (wardrobe space vs. dress options).
Coming back from Thailand with bag loads of cheap, cheap t-shirts I was hooked. From that day forward, it was a holiday tradition to pick up at least one new tee – even if that holiday destination was Palmerston North and the store was Jay Jays.
More tees came after a recent trip to Malaysia, with a special find in the aptly named Tee-Addict shop. Just as well I packed light. And the t-shirts you find in foreign, non-English speaking countries boggle the mind – here are a couple found in Melaka, Malaysia. Don’t ask.
Another big donator to the cause have been my corporate friends on Twitter – with @flyairnz probably my biggest sugar daddy, and recently, probably one of my all-time favourites, came from the cool dudes at @JUCYWorld. There’s only one thing better than a t-shirt and that’s a free t-shirt.
T-Shirts – The Practical Collection
So why is an anti-collector collecting? It’s simple. T-shirts are practical. It’s the collection you can take with you. Put it through the wash. Wear it to the gym. Sleep in it. Give it away even (generally not in that order). In fact, I do actually have a few tees still with tags, never been worn – so if you’re getting a present from me, it’s not going to be a surprise now. Sorry.
I could rave on about t-shirts but I don’t need to – you’re either with me on this and know what I mean, or you’re rolling your eyes and doing the ‘thumb and forefinger’ on your forehead … while polishing that beautiful teaspoon set from Reefton.
So get into a tee near you, or do a good deed and help out a local Christchurch boy’s dream of having the biggest t-shirt collection in the world.
ps If you’re on the marketing team for your company – a special offer: I will proudly advertise your brand on my back and promote it to all tweeps on Twitter – all for the price of a lowly tee. Bargain!