Seth's Keepsakes

In my effort to clean and organize the entire house, I have been sorting through a bunch of Seth's old things, trying to consolidate them in one space. I had to rearrange his keepsake box in order to add a few things, so we went through all the stuff in it.
Would you like to know the important and meaningful and memorable things in his keepsake box? Besides the usual trophies and medals and journals, I mean. Here is a small sampling:

Old floppy disks. There is nothing worth saving on these (mostly old games or pictures he already has on the computer) but he insists on keeping them. I don't know why.

A copper pipe. When I asked him why this belonged in his keepsake box, he said "because it's cool." No other reason.

An old See-N-Say music motor . Again, "because it's cool." No plans to use the mechanism for any project (which is where most of his collecting habits stem from.) Just "because it's cool."

Leather strips he took off an old belt. And here is the story he told me as to why it's a keepsake: Just in case he's out exploring and he comes upon a sword (yes, a sword) or a knife that is missing it's handle. Then he'd be able to wrap the leather around it and wield it without hurting himself. 

Seriously. 

My response (besides incredulous laughter) was that while I was glad the realm of possible adventures to befall him was so wide, at the moment I didn't think old leather strips belonged with his keepsakes. 

He still wouldn't let me get rid of them, but at least they're with his other tinkering things now instead of taking up space in the box.

My personal favorite: the shriveled up chip bags. Seth and his friends microwaved these, causing them to shrivel up into miniature chip bags. He has had them since high school. He refuses to get rid of them.

Me: "Oh, someone's old pocket watch! That is a keepsake. Where'd you get it?"
Seth: "Walmart."

Not pictured: the can of soda he saved from a field trip because it was supposedly the most disgusting drink he'd ever had, an old-fashioned square nail, and a plastic cup filled with hardened epoxy. Among other things I managed to get him to throw away or donate.

I just have to remind myself that Seth's fascination with details is one of the reasons I love him.

And one of the reasons he loves me is that I will keep him from one day appearing on an episode of Hoarders.