Greenland Duct Tape - Before Trump makes it the 51 state

Steve and Sandy added roll number 88 to the World Duct Tape collection, Greenland. While on an Arctic Expedition with Quark Expeditions. This is the ninth country they have gotten a roll of Duct Tape from to add to the World Duct Tape collection. Pictured is the 1 0f 200 World Duct Tape challenge coin that has been engraved and sent to Steve. Will have to build him a display case if he keeps this up. The roll is from Ittoqqortoormiut and was signed by a local resident Naja Btkebs.

I am trying to get Duct Tape rolls from 100 of the 200 world countries by the time of the 2020 Odyssey of the Mind World Finals being held in May at Ames, Iowa. If you are traveling or know someone that is check out the list of countries I ALREADY HAVE ROLLS FROM at.  ducttape2thefuturelist.blogspot.com  Send me a roll from a country not on the list and I will send you the postage and your very own 1 of 200 World Duct Tape coin.

Lucky Steve got this roll before Trump bought Greenland and made it the 51st state :-)

Duct Tape from Portugal

Since starting the World Duct Tape Collection while on an Odyssey of the Mind trip to Maryland in 2004 with an OM Team from Darlington High School in Wisconsin the collection continues to grow. With a signed roll from each of the 50 United States and now rolls from 87 world countries!

Here is roll #87 from Portugal. Sandy with the store clerk that sold it to her in Favrios, Portugal.

My long range goal is to get a roll from all 200 world countries. My short term goal is to get half way there (to 100 countries) by the 2020 OM World Finals being held in Ames Iowa next spring.

After watching Rick Steves Travels on public television I got the idea to go after the 10 smallest countries in the world (micro countries). I all ready have three of them, Monaco, Malta and Luxembourg.

I will begin the process to make a contact with someone in the other seven,

Vatican City
San Marino
Liechtenstein
Andorra
Cyprus
Kosovo
Montenegro

To check the list of rolls in the collection to date go to ducttape2thefuturelist.blogspot.com and then plan your trip. Send me a roll from a country I do not have and I will send you the postage and a solid brass, 1 of 200, World Duct Tape challenge coin. You can see the one I sent to Sandy in the lower right hand corner of the picture above.

Dick Anderson - curator of the World Duct Tape Collection

So How Do You Get a Roll from TOGO

Step 1 - Go to the 2106 OM World Finals in Ames, Iowa to help as an Official
Step 2 - Check the list of world countries there to compete.
Step 3 - Lock in on Togo and set out to make contact at opening. Saw them but no luck.
Step 4 - Work at finals and keep an eye out for any Togo team members.
Step 5 - Check competition schedule and see when the compete. Working, could not go.
Step 6 - Keep looking for team or coaches at Officials Party. Bingo!!!
Step 7 - Make contact and explain World Duct Tape collection to Amah
Step 8 - Exchange Email addresses and contact information.
Step 9 - Email Amah in Togo and arrange to have him send a roll for the collection
Step 10- Send $20 Western Union to help cover costs.
Step 11- Learn that it costs $20 to send $20 and that to mail roll would cost $75
Step 12- Arrange to meet at 2017 Finals in Michigan and get roll from Amal
Step 13- Go to 2017 OM Finals in Michigan as an Official
Step 14- Find out that Togo did not send a team and not Amal this year
Step 15- Continue to communicate with Amal my Email and maybe next year.
Step 16- Go to 2018 OM Finals in Ames and hope to meet up with Amal
Step 17- Amal is planning on getting to go this year to 2018 Finals
Step 18- Togo team gets cut at the last minute so no Amal in 2018
Step 19- Go to 2018 Finals in Ames as an Official
Step 20- On the last day of competition go to watch some teams compete
Step 21 - Be OM friendly and visit with people sitting around you.
Step 22- Talk about the World Duct Tape Collection
Step 23 - Pass out List of Countries that we have rolls from to anyone interested
Step 24 - Keep your eyes open and observe a Togo bracelet on a teams wrist!
Step 25- Find out that there was a representative from Togo at Ames!
Step 26- Look for the person from Togo out of the 7,000 + people there.
Step 27- Email Amal and tell story
Step 28- Keep in touch with Amal over the summer of 2018
Step 29- Amal tells me he is going to be at the 2019 Finals in Lancing, Michigan!
Step 30- I cannot make the trip to 2019 Finals this year.
Step 31- Arrange for Tammy Schmit, Wisconsin OM Director to get the tape from Amal
Step 32- Tammy tries to meet Amal at 2019 opening in Lansing. No go.
Step 33- Tammy makes other arrangements to meet.

 
 So there you have it. Simple. Three years and a little patience. Here is Amal and Tammy. Amal is holding the 1 of 200 World Duct Tape coin I engraved for the second roll #86 he brought from neighboring Ghana. The bracelet is from 2018 in Ames from Spenser, OM Atlanta, GA. The roll from Ghana is roll number 86. So that means that rolls from 18 different countries were added during the quest of getting the roll from Togo. Some story and a good example of good ol' OM problem solving.
Check out the list of rolls in the collection at.   ducttape2thefuturelist.blogspot

Cambodia Roll #86

This roll from Steve Koehler. Steve and his wife Sandy do a lot to work with Habitat for Humanity. Steve wrights, "It's been quite an adjustment coming back (to Wisconsin) to this weather for sure. We were building houses in 100 degree + weather when we were in Phnom Penh. The families were very appreciative of our efforts as the rainy season will be starting soon. Woodworking with basic hand tools, crosscut saws, hammers, chisels, cleaning and nailing bamboo strips for the floor, mixing concrete/motar and laying bricks for the outhouse were what we used making the basic structure you see in the photos. We purchased the tape (made in China) at a central Market from a vendor (who signed and dated it inside the roll) which was a short Tuk Tuk ride from the hotel lodgings. We find the Duct Tape acquisitions a fun Scavenger Hunt for us when traveling. Our next trip is to Tanzania and Zanzibar. I know Zanzibar is Technically part of Tanzania, but would entertain your input as to weather we should be on the lookout for a roll from the island."

You go for it Steve! Who can resist a roll from Zanzibar? Just saying Zanzibar. It make a persons mind travel. Happy Duct Tape hunting. And looks like you are doing some great work with Habitat.

Your 1 of 200 World Duct Tape Collection has been engraved and is in the mail. Many thanks.



Dick Anderson - Darlington, Wisconsin. - Keeper of the World Duct Tape Collection








Up next, the story of roll # 68 from Togo and the three year journey. A good OM (Odyssey to the Mind) tale.

Record price for Duct Tape

Look close. Roll number 83 from Jamaica cost a whopping $778.05! That is a new record for the most expensive roll of Duct Tape in the collection.


Daughter Mindy and husband Kurt were on a family vacation to Ocho Rio in Jamaica for a Christmas holiday and picked up this roll for the collection at the local market. Here they are shown at the store where they picked up groceries for the stay. The bill there for food came to almost a million dollars! The good news is that with an exchange rate of 130 to 1 the Duct Tape cost in U.S. dollars was about $6. Jamaican money must have a lot of zeros on it.


Here is Kurt's World Duct Tape coin #83. Welcome to the coin carrying membership Kurt and thanks for playing the game. To see a list of the countries that I presently have Duct Tape rolls from please visit ducttape2thefuturelist.blogspot

You to can become a coin carrying member. Check the list and plan your trip. Get a roll of Duct Tape from a country that is not on the list. Get it signed by a citizen of the country. Send it to me and I will send you a 1 of 200 official World Duct Tape Coin engraved with the name of the country your roll was from.  Thanks Dick Anderson 11672 Center Hill Road. Darlington, WI 53530