It's January. It's cold. It's dark. There's not much to do but watch football on television or ruminate about odd collectibles. Here are two that might engage your interest:

Promotional Tchotchkes
You know those free promotional items you pick up at conventions, home shows, and other events? They're often a good way to avoid paying for office supplies, but what's really nice about the stuff is that it's entirely cross-collectible. Do you collect pens, key rings, or coffee mugs? They're some of the most popular giveaways. Interested in a particular business like Coca Cola, Java, or Google? No tchotchke (trinket, knickknack, novelty) is immune to a company logo.

Collector values, as with most advertising pieces, are dependent upon age, rarity, popularity of the company, and condition, and can range from a couple of dollars into the hundreds. Remember the Enron scandal? That sparked a frenzy in Enron memorabilia.

Of course, most contemporary pieces trend toward the lower end of the pricing scale, but remember: you probable got it for free.

Hotsy Tchotchke - Link to website - Entertaining personal look at promotional items.

Tchotchke - Definition... - Link to website - ...and pronunciation from Merriam-Webster. (No, it does not end in a long e.)

Tchotchkie or Collector's Item? - Link to website - A Ken Griffey chocolate bar.

Museum Pins/Badges
You pay $10, $15, or $20+, and someone working for the museum hands you a sticker, badge, or pin bearing the museum's logo as proof of admission. Most people soon dispose of the pieces; some keep them as souvenirs; a very few avidly collect them.

Of course, it's impossible to personally visit every museum in the world, but friends and relatives are often only too willing to pass along these mementos of their own visits. And a few enterprising individuals have also augmented their impressive collections by sending letters or emails requesting free rack cards, gallery maps, and pins or badges. (Note: many small museums operate on tight budgets, so it often helps to include a stamped, self-addressed envelope and/or a token donation with your request.)

Check out this site for a look at one such collection:

Concord Point Lighthouse - Link to website - Blog post about Dominik Sasim's (Warsaw, Poland) domsas@op.pl museum badge/pin collection.

Prices for museum pins are generally quite modest, but as with many specialized collectibles, value lies in the knowledge gained and the excitement of the hunt.

Happy Collecting!