I'm not sure whether it's a collection or a hoard.
I seem to have built up what might be the World's most impressive collection of lacrosse memorabilia. Now most people who collect things tend to focus on certain items, my lacrosse collection ranges from wooden sticks, vintage helmets, medals, postcards, old newspaper articles, gloves, artwork, posters, signed jerseys to cigarette and confectionery cards. One of the best finds was a lot of antique lacrosse balls, watch the video of one of them is made from something very strange.
Although I started playing lacrosse in 1990, I really can't say when I started collecting. I do know that there's an awful lot of stuff I've given away over the years which I wish I still had, Paul Gait once gave a me one of his box jerseys which stupidly I gave to someone who longer plays lacrosse. I was given a fully signed poster of the 2006 from the US team's equipment manager which if memory serves my correctly I sold on eBay to raise some money to go on a lacrosse tour. Don't know how I misplaced it but I had a pretty much unused Brine D80 aka The Spoon which just disappeared in a house move.
Collecting has definitely become a little bit obsessive, there are some things that I just can't stop myself for buying. I've been gifted many things over the years and more recently a number of people within the lacrosse community here in the UK have donated to the collection. There's a lot of rare lacrosse memorabilia and some pieces which I consider as important historical items. So having started as a collector, then a hoarder, I now see myself a custodian, although work colleagues still think I'm a hoarder. For a while there was a running joke that I'd started a museum, the joke became reality and it's free admission.
During the time that Covid closed down the entire World I found that sharing parts of the collection on our YouTube channel helped to keep me sane but also keep in touch with our customers at a time when stepping back on a lacrosse field seemed so far away for us all. Another reason that I felt it was my responsibility to connect with other lacrosse players was that very content was being produced by governing bodies, lacrosse brands and other lacrosse retailers. It was surprising how many people took interest in old plastic heads from the Vintage Vault, interesting oddities for Throwback Thursday or early wood sticks on Wood Stick Wednesday, in a strange way I miss the fact at that period I had more time on my hands to show people a little of the history and tech that has helped transform the game.
It's really difficult to show you many of my favorite pieces in one blog so look out for 3 more blogs which will focus on different parts of the collection. I hope you enjoy reading the blogs and that you find learn a little something about lacrosse and it's history along with an understanding of how much the equipment we use today has advanced and helped to shape todays game.