Collectors of Nueva

Five fun, whimsical, and incomparably unique collections

STORY

From clowns to hot sauce, the Nueva community is home to five collectors of peculiar items. Whether they acquire items for a sense of sentimentality, style, or satisfaction in their lives, every collection brings joy to the holders’ lives.

Davis D. ’25: Shot glasses

Most memorialize their travels with printed photographs, Starbucks “Been There” country mugs, or bumper car stickers. For Davis D. ’25, it’s shot glasses.

When Davis bought his first shot glass at 10 years old while on a trip to Hawaii, he simply got it for its “cool” design—a clear cup with a glowing rainbow on the inside.

Then, he got his second shot glass from the Winchester Mystery House, and another from Iceland with an animal horn base.

“Then when I was 11, I figured out what [shot glasses] actually were, and I just kept collecting

Today, Davis has an impressive 90 shot glasses—buying one whenever he Davis displays his collection on a staircase shelf in his room, periodically adjusting its lineup order. Right now, the shot glasses are color coded into a rainbow

“One day, I’ll have like 500 shot glasses,” Davis said, “I want to build a floor-to-ceiling shelf to hold them all.”

Ryley M. '25: CDs

Ryley M. '25 and their father couldn't have more divergent music tastes, the former a fan of rock and grunge music and the latter a jazz enthusiast. Yet, the father-child duo’s interests overlap in their love for physical media, and they have collected over 100 CDs and vinyls ranging from 90s grunge band Stone Temple Pilots to contemporary artist Laufey.

Ryley believes that keeping physical versions of music feels more “personal,” and that listening to CDs they bought in the past resembles opening their “very own time capsule.”

They recount recently finding a “My Chemical Romance” CD that they’d bought in middle school that had been long forgotten in a drawer.

“It was really nostalgic and I just had to listen to it, for giggles,” Ryley said, “It brought me a lot of joy.”

Terry D. '25: Snow globes

When Terry D. ’25 unexpectedly received a Collector’s Edition of the Wizard of Oz snow globe from a friend, zee was “was over the moon” to add it to zir collection.

“All of my friends associate snow globes with me,” said Terry. “I light up every time I see a snow globe or an artistic depiction of a snow globe.”

Terry buys snow globes while traveling, thrifting, and online-shopping, or receives them as gifts from friends. Currently, zee has a total of 185 snow globes organized on a multitiered level shelf that displays globes such as a gourmet castle cupcake, a sand globe from Arizona, and a globe that depicts the four seasons.

“I enjoy sitting on my bed and being able to look up and appreciate [the snow globes],” Terry said.

Paul Gallagher: Hot sauces

Mateo C. ’24: Clowns

Whenever he’s having a hard day, Mateo C. ’24 turns on his favorite clown calliope music box and lets its sing-song-y circus chime bring a smile to his face.

The clown calliope, which he recounted begging his parents to buy for him at the 2021 Alameda Antique Fair, is only one of his 90 clown items—ranging from dolls, posters, books, and photographs of clowns—that Mateo has displayed around his bedroom.

“Clowns make me happy,” said Mateo, who began his clown collection three years ago. “I don’t get why people are scared of clowns. Because I think that they bring joy to children all over the world.”

Eventually, Mateo hopes to designate a room of his house as a “clown room” with a striped and polka dotted theme to store his ever-growing clown collection.