1

The Act of Collecting

2

The Object’s Voice

3

Whoops, It Broke

4

The Better Mousetrap

5

Plumb Wore Out

6

Taste Changed

7

Owners Lost Faith

8

Owners Lost Interest

9

Owners Grew Up

10

nobody cared

11

Got Lost

12

Part of Something Bigger

13

Used Up

14

Better in the Afterlife

15

A Bad Idea in the First Place

16

Never Made Enough

17

Provisional Utility

18

Made for One Use Only

19

Unintended Survivors

20

Mental Collections

21

So What’s Left?

22

Just in Time

About the Author

From the Author

From the field

From You

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chapter 10

nobody cared

Shopping Lists Instant Winner or Not Do Not Disturb Signs Keep This Coupon Under Penalty of Law Do Not Remove Tags Inspected by Number Tags Sanitized for Your Protection Bands Air Sickness Bags

Shopping List on reverse side of “Support John Kerry” campaign party invitation, 2004. Ink on printed paper, 5 1/4" high. USA

nobody cared deliberates objects that were expressly made as short-term memory prompts, proofs of admission, product come-ons, confidence builders, temporary reminders or for comfort in a momentary exigent circumstance. Most people consider these throwaways; none were meant to endure (ex: shopping lists, instant winner or not offers, do not disturb signs, under penalty of law do not remove tags, keep this coupon, inspected by number tags, sanitized for your protection bands, air sickness bags).