Vegas Collections: When Vegas Comes Home With Us

Welcome to Vegas Collections… a little diddy on our site where we talk about all those things that make it home with us from Vegas. This series is open to our readers as well as our writers. More details at the bottom.

It has been said (many times, many ways) that when one returns from vacation, they have “sand in their shoes.” This “sand” is often metaphorical. For Vegas visitors, coming home doesn’t always include sand (though it can) but some other trinkets that sneak into our suitcases. Some might be by accident, like “forgetting” to turn in the key card. Some might be intentional by buying lots of souvenirs. Or maybe you have a thing for ticket stubs, little paper-based memories that tell a story. Yep, this article is about those things you brought home with you… your Vegas Collection. As I took down my Vegas corkboard off the wall and added mementos from my recent trip, I wondered if I was the only one that displayed my Vegas stuff. I thought it would be nice to share this with our readers. So here it is…

What a mashup of Vegas goodness! Note the cup filled with TITOs, some go back to 2011. There’s also monorail passes from various years. Also, the hotel keycard from my recent honeymoon. Yes, I went to Titanic the Exhibition, twice in the last three years. I have a thing for the Big Piece.

Let’s go in for a closer look…

Tickets galore. There’s something about looking at each one and remembering the experience I had at each show. Most good, one incredibly horrible, look carefully at the pic above and take a guess.

See what I did with the Mat Franco ticket? I enjoyed this show, so hint: this is not the ‘horrible’ one I mentioned above. I won’t spoil anything but if you see the show, there will be a point when cards will be…within reach, so snatch a couple. That’s why those two cards are stuck to the ticket; cause I snatched ’em!

There are also items on this corkboard of Vegas memories that bring Lost Vegas to mind. These are extra special because they are no more.

This Dirk Arthur ticket is from O’Sheas – the original one – the one that smelled funny when you first walked in. Though Dirk Arthur still does his wild thing in Vegas, that original O’Sheas is gone. There’s a new one…but it just isn’t the same.

Then there’s this particular TITO, kept separate from the others because of its historical nature. From the Imperial Palace, before it was the Quad, and then the LINQ (though I do love what they did with the LINQ). BTW, you see that empty pushpin to the left? I’ll explain that later.

There’s also a couple of things I saw and just had to have. These are placed prominently on my desk. Welcome to…

Fabulous My Desk

That sign looks better in person than it does in pictures. It has animated lights all around the sign, even the googie-star. I’ve wanted it for years, but they were always sold out. This time it was in three different stores at the Luxor, only one store had a new one left. If you plan to purchase one, be sure it’s a model 400. It’s the closest you’ll get to bringing home the actual Las Vegas sign. The High Roller souvenir tumbler(?) was purchased in the gift shop after riding the High Roller for the first time.

I realize I would be remiss if I didn’t include a recent EBAY purchase…another Lost Vegas item.

My very own Riviera Hotel Room Starter Kit.

Well, there you have it, my Vegas Collection! Oh, I almost forgot to mention something. Remember that empty pushpin? That pin represents the next Vegas adventure, the next experience and story to be told that I’ll look at, and smile about, many years from now. I’m already planning the next trip!

[Photos: Michael Movestro]

Now that we showed you ours, we here at Vegas Bright hope you will show us yours–your Vegas collection, that is. We’re turning this series over to you, dear readers! Do you have a Vegas Collection of sorts, whether large or small? We’d love for you to be a guest author for a day by  dropping us an email with some pics and descriptions of your Vegas Collection and we’ll feature it as a follow-up article. If you’ve always said to yourself “I’d really like to write on a Vegas blog…” come on down!

Michael Movestro

Michael Movestro founded Vegas Bright to continue the tradition when Vegas Chatter cashed out. Michael pays the bills, maintains the site, writes articles, hosts VBN – Vegas Bright Newscast.