The Things We Keep: Out With Capitalism, In With the Keepsakes
By: Samantha Friedman
Beneath the surface of New York City’s glitz and glamor, there's a growing movement among urbanites rebelling against the relentless pursuit of expensive thrills. Instead, they're treasuring free mementos that weave the fabric of their everyday lives. In the bustling streets of high-end boutiques and department stores where the price tag often competes with skyscrapers for height, finding joy in the “little things” has become a revolutionary act.
These New Yorkers are keeping the postcards paper-clipped to their check with the café's logo on them. They’re slipping the pen they use to sign the bill into their bag or pocket. They’re acquiring matchbooks from the hostess desk and jotting down what they ate under the flap so they don’t forget. All of these acquisitions are tangible tokens of time well spent for them, and they can’t wait to get home and magnetize the postcard to their fridge, place the matchbook beside their bed, and add the pen to the others they took “mistakenly”.
For enthusiasts of history, art, advertising, or the vibrant culture of their city, there exists a group known as "philumenists" – collectors of matchbooks. Take, for example, Nadia and Alice Cavallo, a mother-daughter duo known as @oh_what_a_match on Instagram. They boast an extensive collection of hundreds of vintage and modern NYC matchbooks and have even turned their passion into a business endeavor. They craft and sell specialized containers to house their matchbooks, produce prints adorned with matchbook designs for wall décor, and offer custom-designed matchbooks for businesses aiming to make an impression on millennials, who neatly place them beside candles, books, and fresh flowers on their bedside tables.
For those who revel in creative chaos, there's the "girls who cluster" community, @girlswhocluster on Instagram. This group of women finds joy in collecting and curating everyday objects that hold sentimental value. A TikTok video, amassing over 470K views, delves into the art of achieving the "rom-com apartment of your dreams," emphasizing the concept of "clustering" – a purposeful arrangement of items, distinct from mere clutter. Avery-Claire Nugent, aged 24, serves as the creative force behind the account, adopting the term "cluster" years ago to succinctly capture the essence of her room's carefully curated scenes that reflect her personality: empty candle glasses filled with mini perfume samples and empty Altoids cases filled with chapstick and a Bic lighter.
These little items, now romanticized – matchbooks, postcards, restaurant pens – wield a power that money can't buy. They're not mere trinkets or tsotchkes; they serve as portals to memories, encapsulating moments of connection beyond the screens that dominate 90% of our lives. In a city where the cost of living can feel suffocating, they stand out as the only things you don’t have to pay for. It’s refreshing to tap into these little nothings, whether proudly displayed on the fridge or tucked away in a cherished box. These humble tokens serve as a badge of honor, proof that you're living life on your own terms.
Collecting these treasures has become somewhat of a movement among New Yorkers. They’re straying further away from "trends," noting that if something is "trending," it also means that it’s "ending." Millennials are curating collections of meaningful souvenirs that speak to their souls. Instead of investing in Bitcoin and Apple Vision Pro, they're rediscovering their love for the physical, the tangible, the real. They're searching for authenticity in a world where every store they enter seems to offer the same products with different logos slapped onto them. They're remembering to live in the present instead of indulging in digital possessions in a distant or not-so-distant metaverse.
In a world where consumerism reigns supreme, embracing the art of collecting free things is a radical act of defiance. It's a reminder that happiness isn't something to be bought or sold; it's something to be savored, cherished, and celebrated. So the next time you find yourself in the heart of the city that never sleeps, take a moment to pause, to look beyond the glittering facade of capitalism, and to find joy in the simple treasures that surround you. After all, in a city where everything comes with a price tag, the best things in life are often free.
words by Samantha Friedman
