Hanging on my wall to the right of me right now is a certificate officially deeming me the winner of a novelty Christmas song writing competition I got at a bar in Chicago.
It’s just for fun, but it’s one of those things you kind of treasure just because you know nobody else really has one.
Like these people on Reddit. They get it.
Granted, some of their things might be worth a lot more than my certificate. Let’s have a look, shall we?
1. Phantom Baseball Tickets
I have tickets to some MLB playoff games that never happened. My Grandmother worked for Ticket-Tron back when that was a thing. She left behind a bunch of memorabilia. Some used tickets to events and such. Ticket-Tron handled all the Mets affairs back then, too. So, we would always get tickets to games.
In all of the things left behind are two different bundles of three tickets each for The Mets 1985 playoff games. Only, the Mets didn’t make the Playoffs in 1985. I am unsure if it was a printing error for the 86 baseball year, or they were printed off in expectation of them making the playoffs…but either way, I have them.
– PutneySwope022
2. Apollo 11 Patch
I’m sure other people have it, but not many people have both.
I inherited a real Apollo 11 patch (that went to the moon) from my grandfather who worked on the mission and my aunt gave me a Mercury Astronaut test helmet worn by Alan Shepard.
– Mackheath1
3. World’s Longest Spinning Fidget Spinner
My father works for a ball bearing company. They developed the world’s longest spinning fidget spinner for the Guinness Book of World Records as a PR piece.
He got to keep the spinner after the trials and it now sits at my desk at home.
– DesireOfTheEndless
4. An Intact Paolo Giovanni Magini Violin
It is one of 3 that are left. Made in Brefcha, IT, 1614
Unfortunately the original bow is in a hermetically sealed glass tube after we discovered it was infected with bow mites
I also have my copy, my great grandfather’s copy, my grandfather’s copy, and my father’s copy of the BSA Boy Scout’s Manuals, and all of those copies of The Bluejacket’s manual.
Bluejacket’s didn’t change nearly as much as the BSM did.
– chaun2
5. A Can of Emergency Water from the Korean War
I was racking my brain because I/my family have a lot of interesting things, but I feel like this is something that very few people would have.
– yagirlbmoney
6. Priceless Journals
I’m a descendant of Meriwether Lewis (of Lewis and Clark). I have 2 of his journals that he wrote in before his famous expedition in America.
They are priceless and have been passed down by and through the men in my family until they eventually found their way to me.
– AnonJedi1723
7. A Terrible Movie Magazine
I have a movie magazine for the god awful 1987 Garbage Pail Kids movie.
Had a choice between that or a collectable magazine for the Tim Burton Batman movie.
My child brain thought Garbage Pail Kids looked funnier.
– Ungreat
8. A Finger Painting from a Chimpanzee
My mother was friends with a woman who worked at the local zoo.
For enrichment, they taught the chimpanzee how to finger paint.
I was obsessed with chimpanzees when I was younger, so my mother asked her to save a painting for me.
It’s hanging next to my bed. The chimp is dead now (old age) but his artwork will live forever
R.I.P. Hank.
– IronSharf
9. Blue Bones
In 2006 I had surgery to correct hammer-toes.
The ortho surgeon told me my bones had a “blue tint” to them.
My follow up went as such…
Me: hmmm, well what does that mean?
MD: You know, I am not really sure.
Me: Uh. Okay. Well how blue?
MD. Blue. Just blue. Like the sky.
Me: And that’s not odd?
MD: Well I’ve never seen it before.
Me: Maybe it indicates some sort of weird condition?
MD: I wouldn’t worry too much about it.
Me: I’m not worried. I’m curious.
MD: It certainly is curious.
– brkrpaunch
10. B-(A) Blood Type
A is for anomalous. I can’t give or receive.
Born with hemophilia but developed platelets around age 3.
My blood has been used to develop treatments and pharmaceuticals.
– TapoutKing666
11. A Zelda: Link to the Past Painting
With Link holding the master sword and his back turned to the viewer as the game’s title cuts through him.
Apparently only two were ever made, and I have one.
– Lord_Zahkrosis
12. An Oreo Baseball Prize
When I was 10 I won a contest at a booth in a Kmart in Upper Michigan to see who could stack the tallest single tower of Oreos in 30 seconds. The tower then had to stay upright for another 10 seconds or so. I think my older brother beat the old record by one, then on my turn I tied him but I had time left and my Oreos looked sturdy so I threw another 5 on even though my parents told me I should stop. It stayed upright and they took my name and number down.
After a week nobody beat my sweet a** Oreo tower so I got a call saying I won, and had a chance to go to like, some sort of Oreo stacking regionals.
I didn’t know about that, and neither did my parents, so they sent me a cool baseball that says Oreo Stacking Contest 2002 that I keep to this day.
– DarnoldMcRonald
13. A Special Piano
While it’s highly likely someone else has one by the same manufacturer, maybe even of the same style, because it is hand-crafted no one else can have exactly the same piano I have.
An 1862 Fisher upright piano, built in New York.
Made of cherry wood, with original ivory keys.
– Drakmanka
14. A Special Ship Book
My grandfather was on the USS Indianapolis during WWII and was transferred off of it before they delivered the bombs and it sank … he happened to take a book from the ship’s library and never returned it.
I inherited all of his books and happened to stumble across it while going through them… it’s stamped with the ship’s library stamp.
So unless any other sailor took a book from the library of the USS Indianapolis before it sank and then held onto it all these years, this may be the only one in the world.
– alicat9713
15. Human Atlas Bone from a Medieval Prison
25yrs ago my then bf was working as the lowest ranked barrow pusher on a building site. Foreman knew that ancient bones may turn up and knew he was supposed to send for the archaeologists if so.
Bones turned up, foreman said f**k that, we’re filling in, not getting behind schedule for some old s**tty prisoner bones. BF tried to say something but would have been fired if he pushed it.
He was pretty horrified but couldn’t lose his job, and crept back to take a bone after the site closed. In his mind it was a way of saying we’ll remember you, even if you’re under concrete.
We were only teenagers, so didn’t really know what to do with it for the best. I have kept it in a box ever since. I know I should do something with it.
– alancake
16. A Master Recording
The master recording of the Phantom of the Opera (or, part of it, anyway).
My dad was the recording engineer so he had the tape from when they made an album of the show with the original cast.
– hotarume
17. A Model Lock
My grandfather was one of the lead engineers on the Oxcart/Blackbird project for Lockheed. He engineered the pressure lock system for the cabin for high altitude.
I’m in possession of a miniature proof-of-concept he made for the lock!
– anothergothchick
18. Radio Head
My mouth picks up radio stations. Yeah, really.
I play in bands, and for years couldn’t figure out why whenever I would get close to the microphone, the PA system would pick up local radio stations. I always assumed it was due to crappy unshielded mic cables.
Well, I went to the dentist and decided to get my permanent retainer removed. I scheduled an appointment and that night had band practice. I got close to the mic and picked up a radio station.
It occurred to me that my retainer (if you’re unfamiliar, a permanent one is basically just a steel wire glued in your mouth) was slightly bent and conductive.
Sure enough, the next week I got it removed and now I don’t pick up radio stations anymore near microphones. 😟
– ProbablySlacking
19. A Very Old School Book
I have a tiny school book from the 1800s and the covers are filled with the writings of a little girl.
I’m trying to track down her descendants to give them this book, because I don’t like having something so valuable and irreplaceable in my possession, but there is no other little book like it.
It is a history book and many of the entries would now be considered racist, especially toward Native Americans, and also this little girl, and likely her children and grandchildren, are long gone.
– BankerBabe420
20. Two (Working) Left Kidneys
My mom took me to the Dr when I was 2/3/4- not sure exactly. Early 80s so technology wasn’t the greatest.
I think they did an ultrasound and kept bringing in doctors and nurses to look at it. Of course they didn’t tell my mom anything right away.
I had had a lot of bladder infections and they were trying to figure out why. I think they said my kidneys are also small but they are both there.
I got to see an x-ray about 10 years ago bc a Dr had never seen or heard of it
– pippins-sunshine
21. A Special Piano
While it’s highly likely someone else has one by the same manufacturer, maybe even of the same style, because it is hand-crafted no one else can have exactly the same piano I have.
An 1862 Fisher upright piano, built in New York.
Made of cherry wood, with original ivory keys.
– Drakmanka
22. A Special Pratchett Book
I have a copy of Hogfather signed by Terry Pratchett and ppint, who the book was dedicated to. It used to be the only one in existence, but someone else asked ppint to sign it for them a couple of years ago. They (ppint) said we’re the only two people who have ever asked.
Still, mine is the only first edition copy signed by both. Doubt it adds much to its value, there’s an old joke that books not signed by Pterry are more valuable because he signed so many in his lifetime!
– zerbey
23. A Tattoo Designed By My Economics Professor
He flat out told me it was the strangest request he’d ever gotten, that he’d never gotten such a crazy request, and that he wasn’t sure how he felt about it.
Next day, there was a lovely note on my desk, with the graph I asked for, and a signature.
I love it to this day. He just passed away a few months ago, though. RIP, WEW.
– ChargerEcon
24. An Historical Press Plate
I have one of the press plates used to print the front page of the NY Times the day after 9/11.
Now I know other people have this as well… because I originally had seven plates and gifted them out over the years.
But outside us seven, pretty sure no one else has that.
– Bokuden101
25. An Oreo Baseball Prize
When I was 10 I won a contest at a booth in a Kmart in Upper Michigan to see who could stack the tallest single tower of Oreos in 30 seconds. The tower then had to stay upright for another 10 seconds or so. I think my older brother beat the old record by one, then on my turn I tied him but I had time left and my Oreos looked sturdy so I threw another 5 on even though my parents told me I should stop. It stayed upright and they took my name and number down.
After a week nobody beat my sweet a** Oreo tower so I got a call saying I won, and had a chance to go to like, some sort of Oreo stacking regionals. I didn’t know about that, and neither did my parents, so they sent me a cool baseball that says Oreo Stacking Contest 2002 that I keep to this day.
– DarnoldMcRonald
26. A Qualcomm Centriq 40-core Arm Server Chip
There’s a few of them out there.
We made one product, launched it with great fanfare, then promptly killed the business unit.
I no longer work there (because, duh, they killed the business unit).
I bought one off eBay ($40) just as a memento.
I can’t find any motherboards for it so can’t do anything with it.
– Weary-Associate
27. A Found Grocery List Collection
I’ve only told like 3 other people this but I have a collection of grocery lists that I find while out shopping.
It makes me giggle thinking that someone accidentally dropped it and possibly went back to look for it not realizing some weirdo picked it up and plans on keeping it in a small box in their basement…
– d00110111010
28. A Broken Adam’s Apple
My dumba** friend elbowed me in the throat about 10 years ago, now the tip of it just sort of floats around my neck independently.
– Hughesybooze
29. Phantom Baseball Tickets
I have tickets for the Yankee game on 9/11/2001. Yes, that 9/11.
My wife would bring my baseball-crazy 10-year-old to the PATH station in the World Trade Center and I would then take him to the Bronx to watch the game.
– CowboyAndIndian
30. A Great Grandfather Who Was a Civil War Vet
I’m in my 30s.
He was born in 1843, my grandmother was the youngest of 13 children & born in 1906, my father was the youngest of 7 and born in 1948.
I know there are others out there, but I haven’t met any of them.
– Intrepid_Fox-237
Pretty incredible stuff.
What’s something unique that you have?
Tell us in the comments.
