On my recent return from Las Vegas, I began to think of how I have evolved as a Las vegas vistor over the years. I have come to a few conclusions.
#1 I'm not ever going to be or want to be a professional gambler. I do this for entertainment, but want to control my losses, so the bill for this entertainment doesn't go through my bank roll. However, I'm willing to play less then full pay if I enjoy the "experiance enough" to make it ok.

#2 Gambling isn't the only thing LV has to offer by far! Enjoying other things in this city is a big part of the fun of being there!

#3 I collect stuff. Not valuable stuff, just stuff. Just enough junk is brought home to make my wife crazy.
OK, it started real small with my first visit. A couple of fancy cocktail stirrers with the casino logo on them. (when was the last time you've seen one of those in a casino hotel?)
Then I moved on to match books & pens. I still collect these, I have gallon glass jars full of them from Las vegas. The pens are another story. It's more of a game really. I don't need a pen, but if I can get one for free, I take it! LOL This partly explains why the banks have them chained to the counter now. LOL
Howabout those little shampoo bottles in the room. Oh these make my wife crazy when they leak out on her clean clothes on the plane ride home! Hehehe! I broght 28 home this trip alone, and that's just shampoo. I hate those little bottles, I won't use them. But at home I drain them into a large economy bottle and use them. At the hotel I use my own shampoo! <G>
Then came casino chip thing, collecting a chip from each casino. But the casino's have gotten wise, they figure I can take all I want home at $5 or more a peice, they'll make more! With all diffenrt pictures on them, so I'll have to come back and get more, and the cycle continues on and on. I've now entered the casino chip tredmill. I feel like a hamster on the wheel.
Now my latest thing, casino logo wear. Not bought through the hotel store, Oh no sirrie. Won or bought with casino slot points only. On a recent trip, my wife wouldn't take a logo jacket I won for her (like the stuffed animal won for your girl at the local fair) I was proud of my trophy, a free satin logo jacket. She said no, as in NO More Stuff! I'll admit it's getting out of hand. Logo stuff takes up room in the suitcase, and my suggestion of, we take an empty one next time, was met by a very cold stare from my wife. So I put this question to the Talkvegas BB folks, am I out of control with this?
This is the booty from my last trip (10days)
8 pens
12 match books
3 logo scratch paper tablets
28 tiny shampoo bottles (No hand cream or conditioner, see i'm trying to cut back <VBG>
3 $5 casino chips I just had to have
8 sweat shirts
2 logo jackets
1 polo shirt

Anyway, am I the only one, or can I take comfort in the fact that others have taken to collecting this junk also? At the Tropicana casino Museme I'm in all my glory. To my wife it's still just Junk.


[ 10 September 2001: Message edited by: Lee-PA ]

Lee, you are an amateur just gettting started. If you entered my house, you would think you were in Vegas. Wendell

Ah, I feel so normal now!

Lee lol your post is so funny. No you are not out of control. I ALWAYS take an empty suitcase to fill up. My husband just :rolleyes: He is used to me bringing junk home now. I guess where I draw the line is alot of logo glasses. They have to be hand carried with the cameras. Oh yes I still take tons of pics and video. I have it all already but take more. Am I out of control???????? Kathy

Kats,
Maybe I should have titled this subject "confessions" LOL

I have also taken to bringing home atleast 1 newspaper when i visit. However, it gets recycled as soon as I've read the whole thing. <S>

Lee -

28 tiny bottles of shampoo that you don't use?
8 sweat shirts?

Yes, you're out of control!

LOL!

Mike

I take the tiny bottles of shampoo too. And the bars of soap.(I use shower gel). I have the lotion and conditioner bottles too. Alot are full yet. My idea of the bottles is that I'll keep the empty bottles to use for a future trip. I have a whole box of empty bottles now. And a ziplock bag of bars of soap I don't use. I can't bear to throw them out. True confessions. I think we are bonkers. But we will continue and love every minute of it. :p

[ 12 September 2001: Message edited by: Kats58 ]

Lee, yes you are OUT OF CONTROL!!!!
we take an emty suitcase with us and usually have to buy one.<VBG>

[ 12 September 2001: Message edited by: Larry Sowinski ]

You know just when you think you can't find a support group when you need one...! I brought home a pair of craps dice from every casino and my buddy schlepped slot machine coins from the same. Is this something I should be concerned about? Is it too late for me, or can I turn back at this point (said while clearing space on the mantel for little bottles of shampoo) ha!

I'm sure glad to find out if I'm not normal...atleast I have company! LOL

28 bottles of shampo? I guess that's about in line with the 18 decks of Tropicana playing cards we have from their free spin thing. <VBG>

Kat,
Our first trip to Vegas, Shelley took over 12 rolls of film. She's cut back though. Last trip it was only 3. <g>
We solved the problem of bringing home logo glasses. This trip we wandered into a Just for Feet shoe store. Shelley found 2 pairs of tennis shoes at a great price so we bought them. The boxes came in handy for the two hurricane style glasses we bought at Excalibur and the two martini glasses I bought at Caesers.

Lee,
While I don't go as whole hog as you do with shampoo bottles, I do bring some home. This trip has 3 from NYNY and 8 from the Strat. They are, however, a mixture of shampoo, bath gel, and body lotion.

We're not as big on Logo wear but generally bring home a couple of shirts for the kids. They've come to expect it now :rolleyes: Shelley often doesn't find a shirt she wants but I usually find one or two.

My weakness is shot glasses. I try to limit myself to just one for the resort we are staying at. This trip I bought 4. One for NYNY, one for the Strat, one from LV Hilton's Star Trek Experience area (Really large drink, very drunk, wanted something that lasted longer than a hangover to remember it <VBG> ), and one from Utah to remember our wonderful drive home.

Next trip looks like we'll be staying at the San Remo. Since I have a shot glass from them, I'll skip it in favor of picking one up from the Riviera. We stayed there before I got on this shot glass kick.

The Holy Grail for me is getting my very own VP machine. Maybe I can afford to play that one until I finally hit that elusive royal flush?

Of note, both my parents passed away a few years ago. They too had collected all sorts of "junk" from trips they had taken. None of which means a lot to me but meant something to them. I've had a tough time getting rid of some of it for some strange, difficult to understand, sentimental reasons. Even though I haven't been to most of these places. Every time I trip over some of it I silently thank them. Guess my kids will be thanking me even more for years to come after I'm gone. <VBG>

[ 20 September 2001: Message edited by: doug ]

Doug,

Our daughter and s-i-l where asked by friends who visit whether they've been in Las Vegas a lot because of all the casino mugs they have. Over the years, we've brought many home. Can't tell you how many Sands ceramic mugs are in our house.<vbg> Truth is, our daughter and s-i-l have NEVER even visited LV.

Have returned piled high with soaps, shampoos, lotions, etc., but have given many away. Senior citizen centers, nursing homes, etc. make great use of those items. Also, children visiting love all those little sundries. They usually leave here smiling as we pile them up with goodies. The shampoo is great when I run short.

I won't begin to mention some of the other items we've returned with. Someday I'll make a list and it will surprise even me.<LOL>

Beth

I love these confessions!
Larry....an extra suitecase? Oh my
Goobber....Looks like your fitting in well with this crowd! LOL
Doug, I just can't get into the glass wear thing. I know I'll never use it again and the breakage possibility opn the trip home is a large concern. Shot glasses seem like a way to control it, but again, they'd be more a trophy then a usuable item. Here is one for you, when my father passed away, I ended up with his pen collection (of places he's been) most of them didn't even write anylonger, but I still had/have a hard time throwing them out in the trash.

I was cleaning out a drawer last night and found my hotel registration packets from years ago! From the Mirage, Flamingo, MGM Grand, and NYNY - those were probably saved when I first got bit by the bug in the mid-90s. I even had saved my boarding passes from the flights!

I have t-shirts and golf shirts in probably every color from NYNY. I don't even bother getting the free merchandise anymore since it usually just sits in the closet anyway. I was saving up my merchandise points at NYNY to get their leather jacket but they've recently taken that away. It took about 25,000 points to get it so that would have taken me years to accumulate anyway.