My name is Lampros and I come from Greece. I started collecting cigarettes packs at the age of 16, mostly collecting the ones that my sisters brought home and those that I could find here and there. Gradually, when I left home to study, I got a little more interested in my collection, as I could find various foreign packs on the street or even in thrash bins, or the ones that some friends could bring from abroad. Due to that, I started slowly buying packs and expanding my collection.
My collection became a little bigger when I went to continue my studies in Strasbourg, France, where I could find more and more packs, empty or full, from France but mostly from Germany-my house was 10 minutes away from the French/German borders and I visited almost once a week the little village Kehl, on the Rhin river.
I never actually got too much involved with my collection, meaning that I was satisfied finding a brand, without looking for its other versions (soft packs, 100's etc), and obviously I wasn't keen in discovering slight changes on packs or limited edition series. This was mostly because I had to study a lot, since I followed post -graduate studies at first and then I got myself involved with two PhD's in patristics (yes, I am theologian) and then in Byzantine and Hellenistic philosophy. Thus, apart from my time, I spent and I'm still pending the most of my money on books, comic books (bandes designees) chocolates and candies and civil aircraft models. Lately, I spend money on clothes, my wife just love to see me nice dressed. I also tried once to learn electric guitar-I had a band for a short time-a passion which filled my room with 5 electric guitars , a big amplifier and lots of guitar pics, which I still collect.
I never actually got too much involved with my collection, meaning that I was satisfied finding a brand, without looking for its other versions (soft packs, 100's etc), and obviously I wasn't keen in discovering slight changes on packs or limited edition series. This was mostly because I had to study a lot, since I followed post -graduate studies at first and then I got myself involved with two PhD's in patristics (yes, I am theologian) and then in Byzantine and Hellenistic philosophy. Thus, apart from my time, I spent and I'm still pending the most of my money on books, comic books (bandes designees) chocolates and candies and civil aircraft models. Lately, I spend money on clothes, my wife just love to see me nice dressed. I also tried once to learn electric guitar-I had a band for a short time-a passion which filled my room with 5 electric guitars , a big amplifier and lots of guitar pics, which I still collect.
The big boost for my collection was the internet (a very special thanx is owed here to mr. Christian Kranich who was so kind to help me and put the ''virus'' of collecting packs back in me) where I am able to find other collectors from around the world and exchange packs with them. Now, though my collection is still very small, I am confindent that I can expand it through exchanging packs. This is the best way to grow a collection and get to know people. After a few months with this blog I can say that I am in the pleasant position to admit that through the internet I growed my collection and I have made good friends who share the same passion as I do.
I am a member of the www.camelcollector.com and of the Cigarette Pack Collectors Club of Argentina (CPCCA).
I am a member of the www.camelcollector.com and of the Cigarette Pack Collectors Club of Argentina (CPCCA).
Since August 2010 I live and work in Cyprus.
