Back in the summer of 1997 Pat Jarvis looked at his past and future and realized he had big problems in both places. Jarvis had been a world traveler for years, his job as investment adviser and a strong desire to experience as much of the world as possible guaranteed that, and he loved bringing home mementos of his trips. But his two-bedroom apartment - he was on the road three weeks out of every month and did not require more - was bursting with souvenirs of all stripes, from teak bowls acquired in the Philippines to Prague crystal to Fiji stone carvings. Jarvis knew his job and DNA were going to continue to propel him around the world - and collect - but he had to change his method of remembering his trips.
That's when Jarvis hit on the idea of miniature international flags. The brightly colored flags are unique to their country, and represent the perfect instantly recognized symbol of their nation. Each silk-like flag comes complete with a plastic staff that can be placed in its own base, or a group base, holding from 10 to 192 flags. Best of all, the flags take up little of Jarvis' remaining real estate.
In the last several years Jarvis has traveled back and forth to Africa, visiting over 30 African nations. He has grouped these country flags in one base of 50, designed for American state flags, and is confident he will eventually fill it up. "East Timor and Botswana are next on the list," he says, "and I'll hit the others down the road."
While Jarvis is pleased with his miniature flag solution, he knows he has a problem ahead of him. Monaco and Indonesia are the only countries in the world to have the exact same flag. "I've been to Monaco and already have its flag," he explains wryly, "and plan on traveling to Indonesia next fall."