# What's the thing you inexplicably own a million of? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 4, 2026, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-thing-you-inexplicably-own-a-million-of/1028206 "2026-03-04T21:07:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-thing-you-inexplicably-own-a-million-of/1028206/21 "2026-03-05T00:15:34Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > And just what are these French sailors eating that their shits are striped? All those flakey layers in their croissants leave their mark. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-thing-you-inexplicably-own-a-million-of/1028206/22 "2026-03-05T00:18:21Z")
I would estimate that I have 40-50 Sharpie markers, perhaps 30 highlighters, 100-150 ballpoint pens, and 15 or so pairs of scissors. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-thing-you-inexplicably-own-a-million-of/1028206/23 "2026-03-05T00:22:59Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > I’m getting close to owning 100 watch straps. And there’s simply no reason for it. Funnily enough, same! I currently have 225 watchbands for my Apple Watch. I just love to have every color I could ever want in a ton of different styles and be able to change it up every day depending on mood and clothing. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-thing-you-inexplicably-own-a-million-of/1028206/24 "2026-03-05T00:52:29Z")
> [@GenerationJones](#): > > I was a paramedic in my youth and live with two other former medics. We have _hundreds_ of pairs of EMT shears Are the more expensive ones better? I have a pair that cost about 5 dollars. Are the pricier versions bigger? ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-thing-you-inexplicably-own-a-million-of/1028206/25 "2026-03-05T00:54:54Z")
I have about 125 different electric kitchen mixers, primarily pre-WWII. My 13 year old grandson has 75 vintage cell phones. ---
**Author:** ![GenerationJones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@GenerationJones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GenerationJones)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-thing-you-inexplicably-own-a-million-of/1028206/26 "2026-03-05T01:45:13Z")
It depends, even the garbage EMT shears will get the job done. The better ones have pretty colors, tighter construction, don’t rust and stay sharp longer. They are also more prone to disappear during a shift, so medics tend to carry the cheap kind. They’re pretty much a standard size. We have a couple pairs of minis around, but I’ve never seen any extra large ones. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-thing-you-inexplicably-own-a-million-of/1028206/27 "2026-03-05T01:47:04Z")
Pants. And none of them fit. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-thing-you-inexplicably-own-a-million-of/1028206/28 "2026-03-05T01:53:36Z")
Funny man!! I knew I was gonna do it. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-thing-you-inexplicably-own-a-million-of/1028206/29 "2026-03-05T02:17:31Z")
Nail clippers, we must have a dozen of them. It’s inexplicable, I don’t know where they all came from. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-thing-you-inexplicably-own-a-million-of/1028206/30 "2026-03-05T02:35:25Z")
Or where they all go if you have a hang nail. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-thing-you-inexplicably-own-a-million-of/1028206/31 "2026-03-05T02:47:27Z")
Safety pins. I have a couple of boxes with 1,000 each. Back when I was bike racing, I promoted several races. When you order bib numbers, they also send a box of pins. Never used near as many as they sent. Guess I should toss them out someday. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-thing-you-inexplicably-own-a-million-of/1028206/32 "2026-03-05T02:48:48Z")
Cables: USBs of various types, HDMI, audio interconnect, headphone, speaker cables, etc. Every time I upgrade or get a new device it comes with a cable and all the extras get tossed into a box in the closet. Oh…I have at least 20 different USB wall chargers as well. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-thing-you-inexplicably-own-a-million-of/1028206/33 "2026-03-05T02:53:10Z")
Now that I think about it, I bought a 20-pound bag of basmati rice at a local South Asian market a while back, and repackaged it into assorted smaller containers, to reduce its chances of getting “buggy”, which has happened to me. I have no idea how much a million grains of rice would weigh, but it IS possible that, between that and the much smaller containers of brown and mixed rice that I have, and any rice that’s in canned soups, that I may indeed own a million grains of rice. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-thing-you-inexplicably-own-a-million-of/1028206/34 "2026-03-05T03:08:55Z")
Skeins of light grey yarn. I don’t particularly like grey, as it always looks like sweatpants to me. I can’t imagine why or when I would have ever bought any. And yet my stash is rife with it. Different fibers, different weights, and no projects I can think of that would ever have used it. But always the light grey just sitting there, taunting me. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-thing-you-inexplicably-own-a-million-of/1028206/35 "2026-03-05T03:19:59Z")
Oh. Beads. I went thru a bead buying extravaganza period. I could make hippy beads for a large group if I was so inclined. I had ideas for their use at one time. Alas, it’s left me. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-thing-you-inexplicably-own-a-million-of/1028206/36 "2026-03-05T05:24:25Z")
Update: I just did a little search, and 1 million grains of rice would probably weigh between 50 and 70 pounds. So, I probably don’t have quite that many. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-thing-you-inexplicably-own-a-million-of/1028206/37 "2026-03-05T05:39:28Z")
I have about a hundred flannel shirts. I even have a couple of the seemingly elusive hounds tooth flannels. Why? Well, I’ve always liked flannel shirts because they’re comfortable. Also, a local thrift shop still has them for only $2.75 each. It’s just fun collecting something I like for not much money. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-thing-you-inexplicably-own-a-million-of/1028206/38 "2026-03-05T06:21:09Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I probably don’t have quite that many I do. I buy rice in 50# bags. But it’s hardly inexplicable. I like rice. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-thing-you-inexplicably-own-a-million-of/1028206/39 "2026-03-05T06:34:19Z")
I have another example. I buy a lot of store-made prepared foods, and a cashier will often snap a rubber band across the container to make sure it stays intact. I have a plastic container on the counter that I fill up with rubber bands, and when it’s full, I dump them into a plastic bag and continue filling it up. I probably don’t literally have a million rubber bands by now but it surely must be getting close! ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-thing-you-inexplicably-own-a-million-of/1028206/40 "2026-03-05T06:44:18Z")
I have a gallon jar full of bread tabs. The kids love it. It’s my plastic confetti. Very colorful. And there’s my giant old shoestring ball. It about soccer ball sized. Every washer I’ve ever found on the ground. Got a about zillion of them. Never passed a paper clip up. I love pencils, I find them everywhere. I especially like golf sized pencils. Odd playing cards I’ve found. Buttons. Certain clothing tags. Not the price tag. The hang tag the manufacturer puts on. I appreciate the art and lettering on some. Paint sample chips from the paint counter at stores. I bet I have 1000s. I have stacks of National Geographic magazines. They were my Daddy’s. I could go on. But I’ll stop before I’m accused of mental illness. 😀 All of these are mostly inexplicable except maybe Daddy’s magazines. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-thing-you-inexplicably-own-a-million-of/1028206.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-thing-you-inexplicably-own-a-million-of/1028206.md?page=3)