About Tacky Treasures

What makes something a tacky treasure? A tacky treasure is, first of all, tacky. However, to be a treasure, it must possess an additional quality, which could be any one of these: a naïve yet ultimately flawed effort to be sophisticated or stylish; a complete lack of shame in exploiting poor taste; or a deliberate flaunting of poor taste as a rebellion against established norms.

This web site was inspired by the Library of Congress exhibition, American Treasures of the Library of Congress. So what if they have a rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, and the contents of Lincoln's pockets when he was assassinated? Hey, I have cool stuff, too: the world's largest collection of Mark Eden Bust Developers, a Chairman Mao cigarette lighter (that plays "The East is Red" when you open it), and best of all, an actual Popener.

I started this website in October 2000, but I have always enjoyed looking at, collecting, and reading about weird stuff. Perhaps it's because throughout my life, I've felt sort of a misfit. When I look at my tacky treasures, it reminds me that lots of people out there allow themselves to deviate from the mainstream of good taste and create something special. Collecting tacky treasures is my way of embracing my misfittedness, renaming it "eccentricity," and getting on with my life. I feel better already.

Finally, a disclaimer: this web site is not suitable for small children or people with an impaired sense of irony. Everyone else, come on in!

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