Alyssa Murphy, of Williamsport, doesn't know why she likes collecting duck items but she's the first to admit she's just ducky about them.
"I don't have a real duck, but I want one so bad," she said with a laugh. "I get pictures of me with ducks whenever I'm on vacation."
Her first duck-related item was a duck umbrella that had a duck on the handle, but her collection quickly has grown to include more than 60 items.
"It doesn't look like that many because they're small," she said of her collection, which also includes holiday-themed rubber ducks, pajamas, keychains, stuffed animals, stickers and a picture frame.
"I have a duck for every occasion," she said.
Her two largest items are stuffed ducks she bought at a Relay For Life fundraising yard sale for $10 each. They're so large that Murphy said the ducks have pulled double-duty as pillows and coffee tables, as well as providing for some fun photos with her friends.
Most of her collection were gifts from her family and friends, and she knows the history of each duck in her collection except one: Sailor Duck.
"I don't know where it came from," she said. "I know the back story of all the others ... I have no idea why I have it."
Some of her most memorable ducks include a small stuffed animal that she used when she was cast as Theo in her high school play, "Pippin," and a graduation duck she received when she graduated from Penn State University.
"I begged my parents for it. All I wanted was a graduation duck," she said about the duck wearing a mortarboard.
Also on her favorite list are the six holiday-themed ducks she keeps on her desk at work that features two penguins, one snowman, two reindeer and one Santa duck.
"I like Christmas and like having the spirit of Christmas at my desk," she said. "They're adorable. You have a duck in a Santa costume. It can't get any cuter than that!"
The one duck she would like to add to her collection is a roller skating duck. A member of the Susquehanna Valley Roller Vixens roller derby team, she also has duck stickers on her helmet that her boyfriend, Mike Maneval, found for her.
Her boyfriend also recently won her two stuffed ducks - a glow-in-the-dark and Dr. Duck - at Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg.
Murphy has ducks in her room, including a "congratulations" baby-themed sign from her mother where she ripped off the baby so she could put the duck-only sign on her wall.
"My mom gets me ducks every holiday," she said. "Easter's easy."
Murphy also has some ugly ducks, including a "Ducky" that is still in the package because it's just too ugly to open.
At this point, Murphy doesn't know what to do with her collection since she recently moved into a larger apartment and all her bookcases are filled with books. She may eventually pass them along to her goddaughter, who will be 2 in October.
"Right now they're on a spool I'm using as a coffee table but I might get shelves or something I can find at a yard sale," she said. "I'm not trying to hide it - I want everyone to see them."
To her, the ducks are like a charm bracelet of things that are important to her.
"I was the first in my family to graduate college, so I have the duck to represent that moment," she said.
As for real ducks, she definitely wants one. For now, she will make do with photos of real ducks she takes while on vacation and her Mallard duck cellphone ringtone.
"I was in Las Vegas in July and while eating breakfast at the Flamingo Hotel with my parents, I ended up causing a scene trying to take photos of the ducks in the zoo outside the hotel," she said. "When I sat back down at the table, I ended up tearing up over the ducks - I was a 22-year-old crying at the table over having a duck - I just really want a duck."
Although she's a self-proclaimed city girl, Murphy said she would consider moving to the country so she could own a live duck. She would never, however, consider eating duck.
"It makes me sad to see duck recipes," she said. "People think this should be embarrassing but it's not."
Ducks also are prominently featured on her Facebook page, Twitter background and in a Pinterest folder.
"I have hundreds of duck photos," she said. "Some of my friends post, but I'm the biggest duck freak."
Are you a collector?
If you, or someone you know, has a collection that should be featured in an upcoming edition, contact Dana Borick at dborick@sungazette.com or call 326-1551, ext. 3108.
Stories about local collectors are published on the last Sunday of each month in the Sunday Lifestyle section.
