You've flown before, and you know there are air sickness bags in front of you, but you've never bothered to study the design of one -- even if you've had the misfortune of having to use one.
Apparently, as proven by the existence of the Air Sickness Bag Virtual Museum, some people do find fascination among products like this.
The museum's curator, Steven J. Silberberg, has a collection of airline barf bags from around the world, put together both from his personal travels (though he's never left North America) and from those of generous donors.
"The Happy Sacks, as pilots call them, are listed alphabetically and are annotated with other information such as vintage, description, donor, and commentary," Silberberg says.
"One can tell a lot about an airline's image from their Air Sickness Bags. Some barf bags are no more than a baggie with a twist tie, while other sickbags could win international design competitions. Are they art? I think so. You decide."
He also offers a free starter kit consisting of three bags of his choice. All you have to do is mail him your address, and he'll help you get things rolling.
On his front page, he also mentions that, ironically, he is single.
Like it? Check out these luxury barf bags:
Barf Bag Collectors
Air Sickness Bag Museum
Trend Themes
1. Air Sickness Bag Collectors - The rise of collectors and enthusiasts around unique and vintage air sickness bags might entice airlines to experiment with designs to cater to this market.
2. Branded Air Sickness Bags - Airlines can increase brand awareness by designing creative barf bags, that could potentially become a collector's item and attract new audiences
3. Environmental-friendly Air Sickness Bags - The growing concern for the environment can push airlines to produce and promote eco-friendly alternatives to traditional plastic barf bags.
Industry Implications
1. Airline Industry - Airlines can potentially cater to collectors and enthusiasts and increase their brand awareness by designing unique and branded air sickness bags.
2. Tourism Industry - Tourism agencies can target collectors and enthusiasts by advertising tours and travel packages, that include a visit to the Air Sickness Bag Virtual Museum.
3. Packaging Industry - The growing need for eco-friendly alternatives can push packaging companies towards innovation, in creating biodegradable air sickness bags that are not harmful to the environment.