Attention: Has your pet rock been returned
to its natural environment? Did your Chia Pet fade into oblivion like
the one-trick pony? Have your Beanie Babies succumbed to overpopulation?
If you long for an inanimate pet that begs for TLC, is as cute as a
button, and delivers a special message, I may have found an answer!
Consider adopting a four legged black glass poke box bug like the one shown
at the left.
Discovery: I stumbled upon this cute critter while pawing thru poke boxes at the 2007 national show in Dallas. Like most bugs, it hides away in dark corners and under the cover of lots of buttons. Discovery is easy once you understand its clever camouflage strategy - disassociating itself into many component parts and even hiding those parts in different pokes.
Identification: “But wait,” you say, “don’t
all insects of the Arthropoda phylum normally have six legs?” Not if you
don’t have room for six. Well, to retain some objectivity, I will
explain that the front two legs of the praying mantis, the stick bug and
the water strider, have evolved to non-walking purposes like claws. Of
course I defined my pet as a water strider since, after all, it walks
on water.
Assembly: Easy! Must be able to visualize pet’s appearance. For those with “entomophobia”, otherwise known as “bugaphobia”, you can find other poke box critters from a less threatening phylum. No batteries needed.
Special Tools: Piece of cake! Matte paper, corn cob holder, and telephone wire. Check with any button collector near you.
Care and Feeding: Painless! Requires only TLC and occasional gentle strokes with a soft cloth.
Pedigree: Bad news/Good news! It may not
qualify to capture any ribbons but it will surely win your heart.
Cost: Minimal! Even a tight budget (or allowance) will purchase this pet due to the bountiful quantity of its component parts. The pet shown above was assembled from 63 black glass poke box buttons that cost a total of $15.25.
Special Talent: Exceptional! It continuously sends a message on the good fortune of button collectors who are able to accrue beautiful and artistic objects for very little money. Name three other types of antique or art objects whose collectors can make that claim!