What kind of a person would not only throw this stuff in a box and keep it, but then show it to the world with not even a whiff of embarrassment?

I brought back a lot of souvenirs when I visited the Soviet Union in 1974, including toothpaste, a sugar cube, and platic toothpicks. Yes, also some things that were worth more rubles. But they weren’t in the box.

Kult Soap from Germany and Patti Soap from Portugal, both from other trips of the 1970s.

Yesterday, it was letter openers. Today, pocket knives. One is German. The others, probably not.

Remember the Biograph on Pennsylvania Avenue,  where you could see all those films they didn’t show elsewhere? It’s a CVS now, but if it ever becomes the Biograph again, I will have deep discount tickets. Even for the midnight shows.

Another bar of soap and another window sticker. Borrr-ringgg.

This is better. My army dog tags. Are they fancier and techier now?

Well, we have Girl Scouts and TWA and turtles from Niagara Falls, and Adlai Stevenson, and more. Even a red star from the USSR.

A reproduction belt buckle from the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. I also have about 150 real Fair pieces, but they aren’t in a box.

Getting tired? Here we have an old photo from a DC driving license, a picture of my sister, the ballerina, when she was 10 or so, and a luggage tag of my mother’s.

Almost done. A Missouri mill, worth 1/10 of a penny. Can’t buy much with that today.

And finally, very old sunglasses. They don’t fit behind my ears, but I can fit them on my nose.