Meet the hobbyists who collect barf bags
How did Eli Cox's role as a business professor influence his accumulation of barf bags?
Eli Cox, a retired University of Texas marketing professor, collected airsickness bags due to the absurdity of it4. His role as a business professor didn't directly influence his accumulation of barf bags. Instead, it was his traveling habit and the realization that his collection would not rival the value of a rare stamp, which led him to gather around 374 airsickness bags from 70 countries and 136 airlines.
What inspired Steve Silberburg to start collecting barf bags, and how did his collection grow over the years?
Steve Silberburg was inspired to start collecting barf bags in 1981 during a cross-country flight when he noticed a barf bag in the seatback pocket. He thought it was a unique item to collect, and his collection grew as classmates started bringing him bags from their own travels. As the internet became more widely available in the mid-1990s, Silberburg connected with other collectors, and the pastime took off in earnest. His collection now includes bags from nearly every airline in the world, as well as bags from elections, political events, and even some from banks.
Can you describe the "The Last Barf Bag" campaign and its significance in the barf bag collecting community?
"The Last Barf Bag" campaign, created by Dramamine, celebrates the 75th anniversary of the invention of the barf bag. The campaign includes a 13-minute documentary, a barf bag exhibit in New York City, and a collection of repurposed barf bags. The documentary explores the history of the barf bag and features interviews with collectors, doctors, flight attendants, and historians1. The campaign highlights the decline in the need for barf bags due to advancements in aircraft technology and the effectiveness of Dramamine, while also paying tribute to the cultural significance of the barf bag in the aviation industry.