Cologne Collection

Natalie RandallFollow

Date Collected

Fall 11-9-2017

Place item was collected

Logan, Utah in the informant's apartment

Informant

Clayton Spencer

Point of Discovery/Informant Bio

Clay was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho, but he was raised in Lehi, Utah. He is one of five siblings and is currently studying aerospace engineering at Utah State University. I’ve only known Clay for about a month and I met him because he is the roommate of one of my friends. He’s been hanging out with us a lot this semester and now I consider him a friend, though I’m still getting to know him. He has a sort of know-it-all attitude sometimes, but he’s a good guy.

Context

I collected this folklore at Clay’s apartment in his room because that is where is collection is. I went over after he got home from work, which turned out to be a busy time in his apartment since his roommate also got home at the same time and then another friend of ours showed up with pizza. They ended up going into the kitchen so that Clay and I could could talk without being distracted. It was a pretty relaxed situation, though it was a little weird because I asked more abruptly about his collection than if it had just entered into the conversation.

Text

I = informant, N = Natalie (me)

I = My cologne collection. Um, I really like to smell good, so I, you know, invent or look for ways to smell good, uh, whether that be lighting candles, because we have a candle warmer here in the home, or Brayden [informants brother] burns incense as well, we’ve done stuff like that and obviously um, on body fragrances. So over the years, I just kinda collect a couple of them, I started when I was like, 12 or so? With just some niche stuff and then I got a little bit more into it and sampling and then like, um fragrance oils as well there’s a couple of those up there [gestures to his shelf where he keeps all his cologne] and so yeah. I even ventured as far as to make my own, um, reed dispensed aromatic fragrance. So yeah, uh, what else do you wanna know abou that?

N = [laughs slightly because he’s making funny faces] Um, is there a reason that you started the collection, does it have a significance to you, like a deeper meaning?

I = Yeah I guess you could say that, if you really wanted to. Um, I, so I associate places or experiences with smells, so there’s, like for example there’s a cologne that’s made with um, I think like seaweed and salt and um some other watery sort of stuff. And it’s made by Kenzo, and the first time I wore it, we were on a family reunion at Pismo beach in California, we were there for about a week and we rented beach houses right on the beach and so I wore that during the day and it reminds it every time I wear it of Pismo beach and the sun and so that was, you know, that was a pretty cool experience so I like, you know, remembering that and that’s how I remember it.

N = Alright, so do you get a new cologne or something of that sort every time you go somewhere cool?

I = Um...no, not necessarily, if I don’t have the money, then I don’t. I mean I have to rationalize buying something that is totally unnecessary, but um, yeah it’s kind of, when I get the chance I will, if I find a good deal or if I smell something I really like, then yeah I’ll buy it, um, I like to gift them as well. So like people that are around me, like my brother or my sister um, if I like a certain fragrance, whether it be a unisex fragrance or like a female fragrance or whatever, I’ll buy them that because I like to smell it.

Texture

Clay spoke as if he was really excited and happy that someone was asking about his collection. He loved to talk about it and was very serious about it. He explained things almost professionally, like he was giving a presentation on the subject. He spoke in a very matter of fact voice, but was nevertheless happy to enlighten me on his collection.

Course

Introduction to Folklore

Instructor

Lynne S. McNeill

Semester and year

Fall 2017

Theme

G8: Objects with/of Customary Use

EAD Number

3.1.0.21

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