Lark/Giraffe Brand Matched Sets
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This is where most of my favorites can be found. Made in China, these
sets come in cute little boxes which are usually identified as either
Lark or Giraffe (not all of the sharpeners shown here
came in the original box, so I can't guarantee the provenance of them).
They appear to be made from some kind of Gypsum
or Plaster material. These include an All-Rooster Band, Ducks in Boats,
and a litter of Kittens playing the Accordion.
Other Matched Sets
Although most of my sharpeners are made in China, the matched set of
Chinese folk characters included here are the only ones which were
actually purchased in China (and then given to me as a gift).
Souvenir Sharpeners
The Golden Gate Bridge was the first sharpener in my collection.
I've always preferred tacky souvenirs which actually have some useful
function, and so a small, inexpensive pencil sharpener fit the
bill perfectly.
It wasn't until I began looking, however, that I
realized how unusual souvenir pencil sharpeners are.
Souvenir pencils are everywhere, but you'll rarely find sharpeners to
go with them.
Now that I collect, of course, I never
actually use the sharpeners for sharpening, but I could if I wanted to.
Miscellaneous Sharpeners
Among my favorites:
- a camera with a pop-out clown that appears when you press the shutter release button
- a purple robot with wheels, moving arms, spring-loaded antenna and a
removable eraser for a jet pack
- a little wooden box which opens to reveal a lady bug
with bobbing legs and a romantic message
- a globe which was given to me by a co-worker as reference material when
I was working on software to build and display maps. The map on it appears
to date to the 1920s.
- a red, yellow, and blue rubber band pistol with a compartment in the
handle which came with 2 small rubber bands to use as ammunition.
Glitter Domes
I thought these were a great idea. Take a classic but useless kitschy
souvenir item and turn it into a kitschy but useful one. Speaking of
kitschy, the Library of Congress dome was given to me by
my wife Julie,
the self-proclaimed Queen of Tacky.
Specialties
These include a battery operated chewing gorilla, a pull-string ladybug
sharpener, and a combination sharpener/paper shredder.
Souvenir Brass Statues
The basic design of these is a statue on a decorative pedestal on top of a
cylindrical base containing the sharpener. The pedestal has a shield shaped
medallion unique to each specific area. These are the most elegant of
the souvenir pencil sharpeners and they usually seem to show up
at scenic state parks. In case you were wondering, the same statue may be used
with many different medallions.
Assorted Figures
A purple gorilla, smiling banana,
bow-tied black bear and slice of
pizza are just some of the figures you'll find here.
Cartoon Characters
Would you believe five different kinds of Hello Kitty pencil
sharpeners in my collection (and many more which aren't)? No wonder Mickey Mouse is holding his head and rolling
his eyes!
Die-Cast Miniatures
These are the types you're most likely to find in a souvenir shop, even if
they have nothing to do with the tourist attraction associated with the shop.
I usually don't collect these unless I'm really frustrated at not having
found any souvenir sharpeners and don't want to walk away empty-handed.
It's not that there's anything wrong with collecting them, it's just that
there are so many of them available, both past and present,
that building a decent collection of these
would rapidly fill up all of my available display space.
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