How My Freak Flag Flies... It's My Business

Our resident Junior Junkie is having a contest. Not just any contest, a contest that allows you to showcase your nerdiness. As part of five posts showing off his own personal nerd items over a week. Junkie ended the week with this post, and his contest 'Nerdstuff, and a Very Nerdy Giveaway.'

While T.J. wants to know what that one item is that classifies as your nerd item. For me this is a bit more difficult as that item is actually a collection.

It's a known fact by anyone that stops in here on a semi-regular basis that I collect sports team business cards. What isn't as well known is the business card collection of non-sports related businesses.

Starting to collect business cards when I was eleven by a friend. It took many more years before I was serious enough to not just be picking them up, but having a collecting focus. Over the years some of the businesses have changed, but a few have remained.

The Red Robin cards might be my favorite of the non-sports related. The fronts might seem seem fairly simple, and have you wondering what makes these card so cool then cat?

This cool looking design you get when putting them together is the reason. What doesn't hurt is that we love going to Red Robin every so often.

In what might be the most interesting thing about getting most these cards. Usually when they bring the check I ask for a card, and it comes with a visit by the manager. Explaining to them that I collect the cards, and that they form a picture is quite interesting. Three different responses have followed. First, and the most common are the guys who never looked at the back to see the puzzle piece. Second is the ones who saw the piece, but never put together that it forms a picture. The third, and my all time favorite was from the manager in Albany. He put it together when his cards came in, and went nuts going through all his cards, and any others he could find. Told me in the end it was alot of hard work, but he pulled it off.

Another of my favorites is the KOA or Kampgrounds of America collection. Acquiring most of these has been a process that resembles the sports teams. At one time I was sending out SASE's in hopes of getting cards in return. It has been a few years since sending out any requests so no new ones have been added for awhile.

Rainforest might be my smallest category, but my favorite. With only last I knew 23 locations in the franchise. Currently I have three cards, and have missed out on two others due to either forgetting to stop by when we were in Las Vegas, or the one in Downtown Disney, California not having one at the time. I should have tried again when we were just there in November, but alas I didn't

I could go on for a day or two on the businesses I gather cards from. Instead I will close with a short list of some of the favorites.

Jamba Juice
Best Western
Buffalo Wild Wings
Amusement parks, and water parks

Thanks T.J. for motivating not just myself, but others to throw out nerdiness out there. If you would like to learn more about T.J.'s contest follow the link to The Junior Junkie, and let loose.