Collections of cricketers’ photos, rolling marbles, and matchstick boxes were my three favorite hobbies during my childhood. I used to visit a neighbouring uncle to collect Sunday supplements from The Times of India. Those pages used to be printed on glossy paper, and one photo of a cricketer used to be printed. Rolling marbles were easily available in the grocery shops, but for matchstick boxes, I used to struggle. We, as schoolmates, used to exchange them during our recess times. These hobbies evolved over time to include stamp collecting, audio cassette collection, Sudoku and crossword puzzle solving, photography, and so on.

I suppose that there is nothing wrong with maintaining a hobby. because they give purpose to life, so long as one takes care of his fun in a way that doesn’t disturb others.

As a hobby, someone keeps animals like rabbits, turtles, etc. in their house. A weird person kept frogs in the garden. An uncanny person keeps snakes, pythons, and scorpions. Some years ago, I read that the king of Junagadh kept 800 dogs. Not only that, but he also assigned a handler to each dog to serve and care for it.

A colleague of mine used to collect bells from different parts of the world and had a collection of more than 400 bells. He would go to any new town's chor bazaar, where old items were sold, and buy bells to add to his collection. My friend stays in Europe and has a hobby of collecting toy models from logistic container companies.

Hobbies change with the seasons for some people. Various colourful hobbies keep coming into their lives. Some people have hobbies in their lives that they don’t mind spending a fortune to cultivate.

Yours faithfully took interest in collecting pencils that were given away at conferences. Local events provided and continue to provide opportunities to add to my existing collection.

I often travel across the country for work or to attend conferences, and I have had the chance to stay in several large hotels. It was on one of these trips that I first got interested in the peculiar hobby of collecting pencils, which is something that I continue to enjoy doing on my own whenever I get the opportunity to do so. The complimentary pencils that are kept in the rooms are meant to serve as a reminder to the receiver to continue to pursue a spirit of adventure and discovery in all of their future endeavours. You may find pencils at the hotel that have one-of-a-kind designs or symbols carved into them or unsee individualized messages if you look closely enough.

Collectors like me get a great deal of satisfaction from the fact that we are able to add sizeable collections that include one-of-a-kind items that are, sometimes, difficult to find. This presents a unique challenge for collectors. People think that collecting these pencils is a great way to remember previous vacations or to add a piece of memorabilia because it gives them a sense of accomplishment when they are successful in doing so.

In addition to this, it is an excellent opportunity to network with other collectors and engage in meaningful talks with them about the elements of the hobby that are of the greatest interest on a personal level. This peculiar interest has provided me with the opportunity to track down something that is one of a kind. They also make excellent conversation starters when you have company. This is especially useful when you have guests over.

Summing up...

A man possessed by such a mania can live in any situation. This is the reason why such people never have situations where everything is over. They create a separate world of their own. They derive pleasure from it. Hobbies add cheerfulness to people and breathe fresh energy into depressed minds. Tunes begin to emerge from that wave of joy. Enjoy that hobby.

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