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“Anik-anik”: a collection of one’s self

by RepublicAsia

OBJECTS that may remind us of moments gone by can be found at the bottom of bags – old receipts, candy wrappers, paper clips, or bus tickets from a trip long ago. These items rest in the corner of spaces within one’s belongings, sometimes forgotten in the pockets of jackets or tucked away in boxes where they hold memories.

Keepsakes. Items that we keep as they hold sentimental value. Subjective. Items of sentimental value differ from person to person.

That is what “anik-aniks” are.

Anik-anik” originated from the phrase “kung ano-ano” referring to a variety of things. It is anything and everything.

In a nutshell, “anik-aniks” are items that vary from fruit stickers to beaded charms, crochet keychains, mini figurines, birthday cards, and many more.

Gen Z “anik-anik” girlies

Yna, a 21-year-old from Pasig, has a TikTok account (@one.yna.million) that serves as her personal diary and a platform to show her “anik-anik” collection: items that she’s collected throughout her childhood until college. These vary from stickers, pins, mini figurines, photocards, and even movie tickets, product tags, and packaging.

Photo Courtesy: Yna

She sees her platform as a way to share her collection with people of similar interests, finding fun in seeing how unique each person’s collection is.

For 20-year-old Nieve from Paco, Manila, her love for “anik-aniks” of anything pink and cute started when she was young. She has been more vocal about this interest of her during college because it became trendy. These trinkets are stickers, beaded bracelets, and items that she can hang such as keychains and holders.

Nieve said that collecting these trinkets is something personal to her.

She explained: “It can make my heart happy eh. Kumbaga it’s my own version of [a] stress reliever and rewarding myself kapag nakakabili ako ng anik-anik.

Elaine, on the other hand, is a 19-year-old from Sta.Cruz, Manila, who has also collected “anik-aniks” since she was a kid. She collects stickers, mini figurines, keychains, beaded bracelets, funky earrings, stuffed toys, pins, cute hair clips, and even mugs.

Photo Courtesy: Elaine

She likes how diverse these items are, catering to one’s personal interests.

“I love how it isn’t limited to anything, it’s literally just having fun, it’s like talking to little you and going back to how life used to be when times were simpler,” she said.

Holds memories

Anik-anik” items also serve as time capsules, reminding us of happy moments and fond memories or parts of our lives that we still hold dear today.

Yna shared that her trinkets remind her of fond childhood memories when she would watch “Toy Story” and “Monsters Inc.” multiple times a day.

Her family often talks about those moments.

Kahit nananawa na sila, nakakabisado na rin daw nila yung lines from the movies dahil paulit-ulit ko talaga pinapanood,” she said.

“My trinkets of those films remind me of [the] stories they tell and reflect my love for those movies. It sparks not only my memories but also my family’s.”

Meanwhile, a Spongebob heart-shaped tin filled with assorted hair accessories is Elaine’s childhood keepsake.

“I remember it being a curation of me and my mom’s purchases from shops,” she explained.

It would be from the heart-shaped tin where Elaine would, with her mom on occasion, pick her accessories for the day.

To express, love, and feel happy

From reminiscing moments, “anik-anik” items have also helped individuals express themselves. It is anything one’s heart desires and everything that someone can receive happiness from.

Yna said that apart from being a fun hobby, it is also something that makes her happy. She sees her collection as a way to express herself.

She added: “These items that I have can show who I am as a person, especially regarding my interests. It’s the things I love that make up who I am after all.”

And when you love, it becomes a part of you.

Parang nakukulangan ako kapag walang kung ano anong anik-anik nakasabit sa’kin,” Nieve admitted.

She continued, “Iba talaga yung satisfaction and happiness sa mga anik-anik eh, lalo kapag binigay sa’kin. It makes me feel special tapos itatago ko talaga siya since for me, may sentimental value na ‘yun agad.”

Items you cherish

Nowadays, being an “anik-anik girlie” is the trend, with vast collections of expensive figurines, stickers, notepads, keychains, and the like, but “anik-anik” items need not be expensive or be of monetary value. It can be anything that you cherish and wish to keep with you.

Yna explained that price does not matter.

She explained: “Although hobbies involve money, kung ano-ano talaga yung anik-anik so it can really be anything that one can collect. I remember a discourse of this online before but really, everyone’s anik-anik is different, so kung ano man ‘yan at basta nage-enjoy ka sa kino-collect mo, then it’s really for anyone and not limited by the price of the items you collect.”

“It doesn’t have to be expensive as long as they’re fun and reflect your personality,” said Elaine, who explained that collecting “anik-aniks” is just picking up items that make you happy and that you can incorporate into your everyday life.

“Anik-aniks” in Filipino culture

Albeit a trend, having a collection of “anik-aniks” has been long integrated into Filipino culture: collectibles from fast-food chains being displayed by our mothers, the never-ending amount of milk caps or “pogs” played by children outdoors, the different kinds of paper dolls with a variety of paper attire to mix and match, and even souvenirs from birthdays or Christenings.

There is no limit to what Filipino families can keep for sentimental value and practicality.

“I think it’s a common thing na may mga collection in people’s households. May iba na ref magnets, mugs, figurines, at kung anu-ano pa. May mga naka-display sa sala, may sariling shelf, or naka-enclose sa display cabinet.” Yna said.

Elaine agreed, saying she felt a sense of relief and comfort that her enjoyment of trinkets belonged to a part of the Filipino culture.

Influenced by her mom, Elaine said that they unconsciously collected trinkets that adorned the shelves of their home.

As one’s collection grows with every new addition of an “anik-anik,” it helps in better understanding one’s identity.

Nieve’s friends recognize her as someone with a weakness for “anik-anik” items. Yna’s peers brand her love for trinkets as “Yna-fied” with how she displays all her cute “anik-aniks.

Elaine said that for some people, these mere trinkets are there to fill a void within her, items that give her a sense of comfort and warmth–a tangible memory to hold forever.

All these build who you are. They become a collection of oneself: a receipt from a meal shared with a friend, a stone picked up from a random picnic, and even a bead from a broken bracelet.

Anik-aniks” are an homage to everything you love.

With reports from Catherine Jules C. Juvida

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