Nobody has ever accused me of being ordinary or conventional, but I try to cultivate some deliberate idiosyncrasies so that I have something to talk about when the conversation flags. For instance, I collect potato chip bags.

I have noticed that many people collect weird things. I am not sure why we do that -- maybe it is genetic -- maybe we are like the crows that supposedly collect shiny objects. For me it started in 1989 with three previously trash-bound potato chip bags from my work desk.

You cannot be self-conscious about collecting a sophisticated and classy thing like potato chip bags – you must own it, take pride in it, and encourage others to help you find prize additions to your collection. I have not done much lately in that regard -- last 10 years -- but I still welcome contributions. My rules are: two ounce bag or smaller, potato products only (no corn chips, pretzels).

The nice thing about potato chip bags is that the new ones run only about 69 cents, and you can eat the chips before keeping the bag. You can also store the empty bags in shoebox. On the other hand, they do tend to stick together a bit over time.  Occasionally you can find an old one on eBay.

I am bored, of course, by the standard fare – Lays, Wise, Utz, and so on. I prefer oddities. I have potato chips from around the world, including: Mexico, Ireland, Japan, South Africa, Belgium, Greece, Turkey, England, Pakistan, Switzerland, France, South Korea.

Here are a few of my favorites:

• Walker’s Crisps -- Prawn Cocktail Flavour
• Royces Potato Snack Chip – Fruit Chutney Flavour
• Bikini Chips – Ketchup Flavor
• The Real McCoy’s Extra Thick & Crunchy – Salt & Malt Vinegar Flavour
• Boston Potato Chips – “The chips that Paul revered.”
• Tuzlu Patates Cipsi: Ninja Kaplumbagalar
• Home Girls Potato Chips “It’s All That and a Bag of Chips” “Bumpin Barbeque”
• Poore Brothers -- Au Gratin Potato Chips
• Chef Price E. Hunt – Onion and Garlic Flavored Chips
• Zapp’s Potato Chips – Cajun Dill Gator-Tators
• Barbara’s Yogurt and Green Onion Potato Chips
• Blair’s Death Rain Potato Chips
• Grandpa Gibble’s Slow-Cooked Potato Chips – Sour Cream & Onion
• The Snacks of Champions: Muhammad Ali’s Sour Cream and Onion (A knockout flavor from start to finish!)
• Thunder Crunch! Revolutionary Crunchy Barbeque! Mesquite Flavor
• Willard’s Krinkelsnit Gerookte Bief Aartappelskifies
• Calbee Curry-Flavoured Potato Chips
• Blue Bell New Smoky Flavored Bar.B.Q Potato Chips (10 cents)
• Poco -- Mango Achaar Flavour Potato Chips
• Snyder of Berlin Sour Cream and Onion (“We are not connected in any way with Snyder’s of Hanover of Hanover, PA”)
• Snyder’s of Hanover Grilled Steak & Onion (“We are not connected in any way with Snyder of Berlin, mfg in Berlin, PA”)

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