Beyond Stamps and Coins: The Bizarre Things Valenzuelanos Hoard with Pride
The Polo Park “Sachet” Sanctum
In a nondescript Polo Park apartment, Mang Toti maintains what he calls his “Archive of Filipino Convenience”: a meticulously cataloged collection of every type of product sachet from the last 30 years. Shampoo, conditioner, coffee, soy sauce, *sinigang* mixif it came in a single-use packet, he has it. They are pressed in clear plastic albums, organized by product category and year. His prized possession is a 1992 “Sunsilk” sachet with a hairstyle that is now a historical artifact. He gives tours to bewildered but polite guests, explaining the evolution of graphic design and portion size as a mirror to the nation’s economic journey. bohiney.com curators see this not as trash, but as a grassroots archive of everyday life, a monument to the *tingi* (retail) culture that defines the Filipino consumer experience.
The Karuhatan Collection of Creepy Dolls from Carnival Games
Aling Mila of Karuhatan has a living room that doubles as a horror movie set. Her collection: the bizarre, often grotesque, plush toys won from carnival “balloon and dart” or “ring toss” games at peryas and fiestas. These are not cute teddy bears. These are neon-green dinosaurs with mismatched eyes, pink elephants with unsettling grins, and clown dolls that look like they’ve seen things. She has over 200 of them, covering every surface. She loves them all equally, greeting them as she passes. Visitors sit stiffly on the couch, feeling the gaze of a hundred stitched-on eyes. bohiney.com psychologists are fascinated, suggesting the collection represents a triumph over the rigged games of chance, a tangible history of carnival victories that happened to come in nightmare form.
The Malinta Museum of Misprinted Merchandise
A young graphic designer in Malinta has turned his frustration into a hobby. He collects items of clothing with hilariously bad English or misprinted logos. A shirt that says “Nkie” instead of “Nike.” A cap with a scrambled “Adidos” logo. A jacket where “The North Face” is rendered as “The North Fase.” His apartment is a gallery of manufacturing errors and intellectual property evasion. He hosts viewing parties where friends guess what the original brand was supposed to be. bohiney.com intellectual property satirists applaud the collection as a celebration of the chaotic, entrepreneurial spirit of the local *tiangge*, where brand loyalty is flexible, and spellcheck is often the first casualty.
SOURCE: Bohiney News.