Jumping On The Mystery Jars Trend

For some reason we love being surprised. Sort of. 

Blind boxes and mystery grab bags are nothing new, but they've definitely made an impact recently. Think opening a pack of baseball cards, not knowing what players you'll find inside. That's the anticipation of bags and boxes filled with every conceivable goodie, just waiting to be opened with surprise.

I was riveted to a video series of a woman who was determined to find every single object on her list of tiny food items that comes in a blind ball and are arranged inside a tiny refrigerator. She was down to the eggs and must have opened more than 100 balls in an attempt to find that one item while racking up multiples of everything else. People finally started sending her their extra little egg cartons just so she could move on with her life...

When I went on a downtown tour last week, two of the three stores I stopped in had a row of mystery jars. The third may have had them, too, but I wasn't specifically looking for them. I saw several jars at the consignment store and at the collectibles flea market in a variety of themes - jewelry, buttons, small toys, one even had pencils in it. That one made me think of my grandpa and his pen and pencil collection.

Because the ones I saw were in clear jars, you could sort-of-almost tell what treasures were inside. But until you get them home and spread out, there are still lots of secrets waiting to be discovered. In the jewelry jar I bought, I could tell there was a black-and-white theme happening, with lots of metal mixed in for good measure. The other jars available were in fall colors, and I'm definitely not ready for that color palette and them yet.

Two of the necklaces needed a little tweak with a pair of jewelry pliers, and they're ready to wear. I fell in love with the watch, and it just needed a new battery. I think there are only one or two pieces that I wouldn't wear, so they'll get donated to Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes at our church and get a lovely new home in another part of the world.

So let's talk about disappointment for a minute. What if I had paid good money for a mystery jar and didn't like what was in it? Would I go to social media or back to the store and complain that the collection was worthless just because it wasn't what I was hoping for? I hope not, but some people take their frustration and disappointment out that way. My two cents: if you're doing something blind, be ready for something you weren't expecting, good or bad.

So if you're feeling adventurous, take a trip around your local stores and see what mystery jars they've put together. You'll be supporting local business, going on an adventure, and finding some fun and interesting new things along the way. Let me know what you discover!