For years, my mother has carefully removed produce labels from fruits and vegetables and preserved them in sticker albums. An amusing hobby, I thought; nothing more. But now I'm not so sure.

As collectibles, PLU (price look-up) seals have a lot of potential. Many are more than just codes: they are colorful pieces of advertising art. Like postage stamps, they are easy to ship and require little storage space. And, most importantly, though their variety is great and constantly changing, the supply of each design dwindles rapidly as almost all end up in the trash or compost pile along with the banana peels and melon rinds to which they adhere.

Also sometimes referred to as product look-up labels, these ephemera were created to avoid confusion at the grocery check-out. Cashiers no longer have to be able to differentiate between varieties of the same produce. (The last time I was at Stop & Shop, I counted over a dozen kinds of apples alone!) All they need do now is place the items on the scale, key in or scan the codes, and the computers do the rest.

Though suppliers have been advertising their wares one way or another for some time, it wasn't until 1988 that the Produce Electronic Identification Board (PEIB) "streamlined" the coding being used. For a history and description of the code system, try the Produce Marketing Association Web site at <http://www.pma.com/ii/peib.cfm#1>.

As I delved into the subject, I was surprised to learn that there are a large number of enthusiasts engaged in collecting the little stickers. In fact, the field is so vast, that, like philatelists, PLU collectors have begun to specialize. Banana labels are extremely popular with collectors around the globe, and there are a number of Web sites showcasing their collections. I was really impressed with Tony's Bananas http://home.att.net/~aleigh123 where you can click on "Care" and find great tips on flattening, removing stains, storing, etc.!

If you don't want to concentrate on bananas, but on the field in general, then I recommend http://khfoster.home.texas.net/index.htm. This is the home page for Please Stop Snickering, a bi-monthly newsletter for the produce-label collector. I thought the site quite informative and appreciated the extensive list of links.

As of this date, I could find just one lot of PLU stickers on eBay: a group of 35 banana labels with a current bid of $4.01. The field, however, is in its infancy, and all those stickers everyone threw away 10 years ago just might command some serious attention if a growing number of collectors decide they want them.

But you know what's really great about speculating in PLU stickers right now? They're FREE! Well, almost - they WILL cost you the price of the fruit. --- Michele Alice is AuctionBytes-Update Contributing Editor. Michele is a freelance writer in the Berkshire mountains of Massachusetts. She collects books, science fiction memorabilia and more! Email her at makalice@adelphia.net eBay ID:Malice9

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