nostalgia, not knickknacks

Knickknacks are not allowed in my home.  Why people collect objects that contribute nothing but another dust-collecting surface I will probably never understand.  

I have to admit sometimes I think the little bothers are cute.  Crate and Barrel recently featured some white bird statues I found winsome and wonderful...but did I buy them?  No, sirree.  That may be some people's cup o' tea but it ain't mine.

That said, I own a few random objects.  Their purpose may seem to be purely aesthetic but for me these carefully-chosen items evoke fond memories as well.  The prime example is...

 ...my train spring.  Yes, a spring.  From a train.  I would hate to have been standing nearby when this monstrosity sprung loose and launched away from the train.  Thankfully I came by later and salvaged it in safety.

I found it when my husband and I went walking on my late grandpa's property, which is still in the family.  My childhood memories of Grandma and Grandpa's are tightly bound to memories of trains, as a track runs all along one edge of their place.  Back then there was still a caboose at the end of each train that passed.  If Grandma and I happened to be outside when we heard a train coming, we'd wait til the end, which--at least in my memory--could sometimes take a long time, and our reward would be a friendly wave from the guy in the last car.  

I have cousins who hopped on the trains, those daredevils!  My mom tells me she used to position pennies for the trains to flatten as they rolled by.  So when I saw this spring lying there I couldn't leave it behind.  Not only does it look cool, it reminds me of a place and people who make me happy.

So to me it's no knickknack.  It's become a conversation piece at our place, actually.  When I brought it in I didn't think it was peculiar, but then I knew its significance.  For most of our guests, on the other hand, this is the biggest spring they've ever seen.  They're keen to discover its history, and I enjoy telling the story.  How about you?  Do you have any beloved objects--dustcatchers or otherwise--that invite interest from people who visit your space?  How does your knickknack justify its presence in your home?