Here's what our D.C. readers are collecting

Axios Local readers flooded our inboxes answering the call to tell us about their collections .

Why it matters: Some collections started from a place of nostalgia, some curiosity, some beauty. And all have led to richer, happier lives .

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Case in point: Aren't sure what to do with all of those work lanyards? Jaime Marquez from Arlington might take 'em — he has a collection of about 475 from all over the world.

Zoom in: It started with a couple of lanyards from work. Instead of throwing them away, he began hanging them on a wall.

• Friends and family have gotten in on the hunt, and now Marquez has dozens of lanyards from all over the world.

The intrigue: Research shows you can improve your well-being when you join a hobby group or engage in social elements of your hobby.

• For instance, if you collect cars, you could go to a car show. If you collect china, you could invite people over for a dinner party and use your beautiful pieces.

Bri's thought bubble: Some of my most vivid memories with my grandma are of us standing in front of a vintage curio cabinet filled with opalescent perfume bottles. I loved hearing stories about where they came from and which ones she liked best.

• She told me the perfume bottle collection would be passed down to me one day because she treasured sharing those stories with me.
• Now, I'm the proud owner of dozens of little glass bottles that hold hundreds of generations-old happy memories.
• When I display that collection one day, I hope people will ask me where each piece came from.

Here's a sampling of other Axios D.C. reader collections.

Photo: Courtesy of Clay Doherty

Ashburn resident Clay Doherty is a self-proclaimed "AvGeek." He was head of protocol at USAID during the Obama administration and now has a consulting firm.

• He collects die-cast models of aircraft flown by heads of state from around the world — a physical manifestation of his passions.

Zoom in: Doherty has the entire collection of Air Force One used by Harry Truman to the current 747 models used by President Biden.

• He also has the presidential campaign aircraft for every campaign since Bush-Gore 2000.
• His prized possession is the BOAC DC-4, the plane used by the late Queen Elizabeth II when her father died and she became queen. "If you saw 'The Crown,' this is the plane that brought her back to British soil as sovereign," Doherty says.

What they're saying: Display your collections proudly. "While some friends tease me about the collection, I've come to find out through sharing it that I have more AvGeek friends than I ever realized, which has made it even more special," Doherty says.

Christopher Wolf and his niece at the new Capital Jewish Museum where Max Weyl's art is featured. Photo: Courtesy of Christopher Wolf

Christopher Wolf, a fourth-generation Washingtonian, has 101 paintings from his great-grandfather Max Weyl (1837–1914), a jeweler turned artist who was known for his landscapes of Rock Creek Park and the DMV.

• Wolf only inherited four and has slowly purchased the rest.
• "All of the paintings are hanging in the [Northwest] home I share with my husband, playwright Jim Beller," he says.

Photos: Courtesy of Jonathan Shane Sellstrom

Jonathan Shane Sellstrom in Northwest D.C. has been collecting key chains since he was a kid.

• Some of the keychains are "freebies acquired at community events" or travels — all with "tremendous sentimental value," Sellstrom says.

Fun fact: His prized keychain is a gold one engraved by Frank Sinatra.

• "He gifted it to a family friend who once dated a relative of his. When they broke up, the family friend decided that I should have it for my collection," Sellstrom tells us.