Although their original purpose was usually different, they quickly took on a collector’s character. Colorful memo sheets, little notebooks, football and basketball cards, phone cards, tazos, bottle caps, stamps, cans… In the 1990s, almost everything was collected. Every collection tells a separate story—of creativity, perseverance, negotiation skills, and above all, relationships with fellow collectors. And what was in your collection?
In summer, we spent entire days outdoors, coming home only briefly for meals. Hopscotch, jump rope, scavenger hunts, drawing with chalk, building hideouts, playing war, and many, many more. There was no time to be bored. The equipment for playground games remained essentially unchanged, as did the rules of familiar pastimes. What was new were rollerblades—especially Bauer skates, which everyone dreamed of owning. If someone had a pair, we took turns using them. The line of eager children was long, and our little feet were similar enough… Life unfolded outside; punishment meant staying indoors and knowing that everyday (and not-so-everyday) adventures were passing us by.