Videogame memorabilia...thoughtlessly ruined! (caution!)
You know, Star Wars and GI Joe collectors continually lament over the number of toys they ruined in their early years. Everyone I knew PLAYED with their toys, and ended up destroying many of the items which are now considered "collectable".
Videogame nuts are likely no different. Some of us received Activision or Imagic patches which we actually ironed on to clothing, or simply lost. We had cool stickers and other freebies which got tossed into a drawer and eventually destroyed. Videogame related toys? Trashed.
Though I have tried hard over the years to not ruin my game related junk, some things had to give. My particular example is a Sonic the Hedgehog lunchbox, that no longer contains the matching Thermos. Where did it go? Well, I actually tossed it in the river...so that I wouldn't have to worry about some hapless bum picking it out of the dumpster and being subjected to the contents. Are you curious?
You see, when I was much younger, I enjoyed drilling chicks. In fact, I still enjoy it (though nowadays there is no plural, as the "chick" is and forever will be my wife.) In any case, the big deal back then was that you had to worry about being caught by parents.
I had been subjected to the horror of "regenerating condoms"--you know, the kind you flush down the toilet, only to find floating in the bowl again later. It seems that condoms just don't want to be exposed to the septic wastelands, and they tend to put up a fight. Anyway, this happened once at a girl's house, and it was pure luck that SHE later happened upon the offending device before one of her parents did!
Well, I wasn't about to have this happen at my own home! Originally, I would use my own trash can as a disposal site, making sure to fastidiously clean it out afterwards. Over time, however, I began to hear "horror stories" from various friends about how they FORGOT to clean out their trash can, and their parents ended up dumping it! I tend to forget my duties from time to time, so I figured I was living dangerously. I needed another plan!
When the next "event" took place, I had not done anymore thinking or planning on the subject. I had not been prepared! My former Scoutmaster would not have approved of such negligence! Perhaps quick thinking would save the day? Of course! Where could I store a dirty, used up condom? In a box? No. It'd probably soak through the paper, then begin to reek ominously. Plastic tape case? Too transparent! Inside the pillow cover? Ugh. What about...what about the Thermos from my Sonic lunchbox? Yeah! That'll work just fine! Airtight, opaque, voluminous, and obscure! No one will EVER end up looking in that!
In one quick moment, I permanently transformed the food handling container into a biohazard cask. "Never again shall edible ravioli be transported in you!"
From then on out, I continued to make use of ol' Sonic. I never emptied it, and I never looked in it either. I simply tried to transfer the offending prophylactic into the container with maximum efficiency of motion. This continued for over a YEAR!
At some point, circumstances changed and I no longer had to worry about all of this. The Sonic Thermos had done well, and remained sealed like some unwelcome artifact from an earlier time. I'm not sure how long it remained on the shelf, but it was quite some time! Eventually, I thought it best to dispose of the entire apparatus (I actually gave some thought to cleaning it out! It IS a videogame collectable, after all! Better judgement prevailed..), and I wanted to make sure that no one in their right mind would open it. The outside was in mint condition, and it seemed reasonable to think that some bum might spot it in the trash and try to use it! So I drove it to the nearest river, and tossed it.
No more Sonic Thermos. I'll have to check eBay some day and see about a replacement...
Your turn, everyone! What have you ruined?
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