RV owners are a unique bunch. They are known to do interesting things that make the RV lifestyle more enjoyable. For example, it is not unusual for RV owners to collect stickers from the various states they visit. There are many reasons for doing so. Best of all, it doesn’t harm anyone.
For the record, the joy of collecting state stickers isn’t in the stickers themselves. Some RV owners do not even bother with stickers. They collect state magnets, coffee mugs, license plates, or key chains. The point is not the object itself. It is the state represented by the object.
Collecting All 50
As a kid, you probably saw toy collections that were released bit by bit. TV commercials would remind you to collect every piece in the set. When you finally did manage it, you felt like you had accomplished your greatest feat ever. Collecting state stickers is a similar kind of thing for RV owners.
Collecting all fifty is an admirable goal, if not a difficult one. The lower forty-eight are pretty easy to get with enough time and gasoline. Even Alaska isn’t out of the question if you’re willing to drive through Canada and invest in AirSkirts inflatable RV skirting.
The tricky one is Hawaii. It can be prohibitively expensive to ship your RV to Aloha State. So if you want to get that fiftieth sticker, you may have to fly to Hawaii and then rent an RV. The same will be true of Puerto Rico if it becomes the fifty-first state.
A Conversation Starter
Collecting all fifty states is just one part of chasing downstate stickers. Those same stickers are great conversation starters when RV owners meet new people. They offer a way to get to know people by talking about various adventures in different places.
State stickers are also a way to help identify where other RVers might be from. Find someone from your own state and you instantly have something in common. You have something you can bond over and build on as you maintain your friendship.
A Way to Spark Memories
Imagine being an RV owner pursuing state stickers for the better part of a decade. Offhand, you might not remember the first sticker you ever bought. But when you actually see the sticker, maybe it brings back memories. You might identify it as your first and remember exactly where you were when you bought it.
Collectibles have that unique ability to spark memories. State stickers or magnets are no different. They can help you remember both the best of times and the worst. They can provide the fuel to help you pass on your memories to children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren.
Supporting the Camping Industry
A single sticker here or there doesn’t usually cost much. But there are RV owners who purchase sticker kits and maps. They keep one kit and map for themselves and give the rest to family members, collecting stickers for them along the way. It all adds up to supporting the camping industry economically and morally.
Because They Are There
Last but not least, there is a good chance some RV owners who collect state stickers do so just because the stickers are there whenever they visit a camp store or roadside rest stop. It is a lot like climbing a mountain just because you can do it.
RV owners have their rituals and traditions. Collecting state stickers, magnets, or other items is just one of them. Regardless of the reason for collecting, getting your hands on all fifty states is quite an accomplishment.
