The original celebrated curiously strong tin collection

... That's Altoids, in case you're wondering!

I have a somewhat large collection of Altoids tins at the office that I'd like to show you today.  How do collections get started??  There's one guy on the sixth floor who collects hot sauce, but that's another story, I better let him tell it!  This one came about  like this...

I used to buy a tin of Altoids every once in a while and, because the tin was so interesting, I'd toss the empty in my desk drawer because it would have been a shame to throw it out.  You know.  One day I was digging through there for something and I noticed 4-5 empties, so I took them out and placed them on a shelf in my cubicle. 

Then when I'd go to buy some, I started really noticing how they looked, looking for designs I didn't have yet.  

People started noticing them and they'd say something like "Oh, you collect Altoids tins, you can have mine when it's empty!" 

Also, they'd bring me other tins too.

Before I knew anything, I had a pretty good collection going...

... and I had them lined up along the window like little celebrated, curiously strong soldiers

in a variety of colors and flavors. 

The office I inherited has metallic walls, so I glued magnets on a couple and stuck them on the wall next to my calendar.

There are a few that I have more than one of - here's the roll call:

Altoids: Creme de menthe (in unopened "mint" condition); Dark chocolate dipped creme de menthe (also in "mint" condition); Wintergreen; Cinnamon; Peppermint; Dark chocolate dipped cinnamon; Liquorice (ewwww!); Spearmint; Ginger (these will open up your sinuses!); Dark chocolate dipped peppermint (in "mint" condition); Dark chocolate dipped ginger; Apple sours; Citrus sours; Sugar free smalls - peppermint. 

Also these three Altoids limited editions: Pink heart-shaped tin (cinnamon); cinnamon Fire Monster and wintergreen Abominable Snow Monster.

The ones dipped in chocolate were actually good, you have two sensations going at the same time.

Others: Dragon fire sugar free hot imperial cinnamon gum (from an oriental lady on rotation to our office); Hershey's cacao reserve milk chocolate truffles - 35% cacao; Hershey's cacao reserve dark chocolate truffles - 65% cacao;  Ragold's cinnamon mints and Ragold's sour alerts - extreme orange; Celestial seasonings zinger teas; C. O. Bigelow peppermint "The awe-inspiring herbal mints"; Hint Mint cinnamon (from Eatzie's) - "you need this mint"; Brown & Haley extra strength cinnamon Zingos - says "sugar free" in a bright green star, then in small print says "not a non-calorie food"; Velamints chocolate mints - sugar free, fat free; and last but not least, Binaca Power Blasts sugar free cool peppermints. 

So, that makes a total of 35 tins, whew!

Need I say more?  Nope - sew forth and sew on til later...