EL AL Collection

 

Collector

John Siva, student at Coventry University for Bsc Degree in Aviation Management

 

Collection size

From first hand observation as I don’t count, roughly 2,000- 3,000 items.

 

When did you start collecting EL AL items, and why?

The root of the craze began with my parents whom are both tour operators, like travel agents who used to receive promotional items from the airline. My mother, who originates from Tel Aviv,  Israel would take me there back and forth only with EL AL since I was 2 weeks old. Even today certain memories and colors remain in my head of the former brand and the only way I can recollect these memories are in the form of a collection, which is growing rapidly. The brand itself is one that I can refer to as a sign of pride. Even if it’s a small logo on a sheet of paper, I get a warm fuzzy feeling of seeing it displayed in public, it brings me pride.

 

What item from the collection is your favorite one and why?

Tough one. As part of my first bundle, my grandmother sourced an old EL AL travel agents window leaflet. I believe it’s the only one of it’s kind. By the looks of it, it’s dated around 1950, a year after the airline was first launched. 

 

Do you collect anything else? If so, what (some background)?

I have the odd few airline models and safety cards but apart from that solely EL AL. At trade shows its quite a challenge because everyone is looking for everything as oppose to one single thing.