A Duck for Every Occasion

Danielle L.

Holbrook, NY

"What’s cute, yellow and quacks in the tub? All of my rubber duckies! My name is Danielle, and I collect adorable rubber ducks and they’re all in a row on shelves in my room in Holbrook, NY. Not all of my duckies are yellow. They resemble all different colors, shades, holidays and special occasions. Even though all of my ducks are “tub-worthy” none of them have actually been in the water. Each duck is different from the others. Many of them are holiday ducks. I have some that have party hats on and others that wear cheerleading uniforms. Some play sports while others would rather play the guitar or brush their teeth.

I started collecting these joy-filled ducks about four years ago. My family and I were vacationing in Florida when I spotted my first yellow ducky. An Oriental Trading catalog came in the mail while we were gone and when we came back I looked through the catalog hoping to find friends to add to my new collection. I loved the ducks in Oriental Trading because most of thematic and represent the holidays and special occasions, like graduation and Christmas. The Christmas ducks hold a special place in my heart, because my birthday is on Christmas Day.

At first I kept my collection in bins and displayed on my desk. However, my collection grew quickly. My family and friends would give me ducks for Christmas, my birthday and Easter to add to my unique collection. Once my mom and dad realized I was head over heals in love with my little yellow friends so they helped me paint my bedroom and put a few shelves up in order to display them and give them the respect they deserve. Even if it isn’t a gift giving occasion, people I know come and knock on our door and say, “We’ve found this duck and thought of Danielle!”. You don’t realize how many different species of rubber duckies there are until you start looking for them.

When friends and family enter my room they are amazed at my collection.  It is quite a conversation starter once they begin looking at all the different duckies and how I came to own them all. I love my collection, it makes me so happy when I enter my room and see all of my cute little friends all in a row."

Read our article, Rubber Duck Scavenger Hunt for a clever way to incorporate rubber ducks into a party theme or for a fun, everyday activity.