Childhood Collections

What makes collectibles so desirable to collectors? Could it be the rarity of certain items? Or is it something more basic, like the mere fascination of how something looks to a person? As a child, it was the latter that inspired me to begin collecting erasers.

Instead of collecting figurines, postcards, or snowglobes, I chose erasers as the subject of my collection. Not ordinary erasers used in school, but rather the ones that are shaped into a vast variety of miniature versions of real life objects. Some are shaped to resemble cakes, hotdogs, bread, and sushi, while others are made to look like bicycles, spoons, shoes, and animals. The vibrant colors used by the designers of these unique erasers further added to the fun assortment.
The designers of such products even made it possible for one to take apart the "toppings" on cakes, as well as disassembling parts of a bike eraser. Although the appearance of these erasers are overly simplified in comparison to the life-sized objects, the color and sculpting details involved in their design succeed in the designers’ purpose of bringing a little fun into a youth’s life.

Due to all the critics in this world, design is certainly a hard occupation to take up.  However, if it is possible to bring joy and inspiration to others through your own creations, every bit of hardship is worth it.

From simple erasers to other design masterpieces, the potential the design world holds is endless. Therefore, in order to discover what design has to offer me, the time to learn, grow, and explore is now.

*Photo taken by Mandy Chew