Every Chinese New Year, angpao collectors swarm malls, companies, and other establishments in search of the latest red packets. Tan Mei Chin is no exception, as she strives to collect as many angpaos as she can.
Woman collects 10,000 angpaos over 2 decades
The myriad of designs on each red packet every Chinese New Year is astounding. Receiving a red packet is an amazing experience as we take a moment to admire the impressive graphics on it. Each of them is exquisite with its unique characteristics and is embellished with blessings in Chinese characters or embossed with a picture of the year’s animal zodiac.
While we appreciate the aesthetics of each packet, our eagerness and focus are usually drawn to what lies within. However, for angpao collectors like Tan Mei Chin, it is the designs that fascinate her. She is an avid collector who places more emphasis on the appearance of a packet than the inside.
The 41-year-old began collecting angpaos in 2003. It all started when she received a red packet during her freshman year of university.
“When I was a kid, the excitement of receiving an angpao stemmed from my curiosity about its contents. But it all changed in 2003, when I was smitten by a Winnie the Pooh red packet. That was the beginning of my obsession with the hobby.”
Tan has rows of files on her shelves at home, each labelled with the name of the company from which she obtained her angpaos. She carefully stores everything from insurance companies to banks and commercials to prevent them from depreciating.
“To protect the packet, I would seal it inside a plastic bag with adhesive each time I received one. Then I’d keep them in a clear holding file. I organised each packet by company name, such as bank, insurance, shopping mall, supermarket, product company, and so on. I’d also categorise them based on the years I got them.”
Initially, she would just collect Chinese New Year’s red packets. In 2018, she expanded her collection to include Hari Raya and Deepavali packets as well. She has over 10,000 different designs of angpaos in her collection.
Sourcing her packets
After spending two decades collecting a variety of packets available in the market, Tan said that she would usually visit each and every bank and insurance company in Kuching to request some for her collection. Despite having done so for nearly 20 years, Tan expressed disappointment that it is now more difficult to obtain angpaos despite asking them.
“The requirements for obtaining them get more difficult. Some insurance companies and banks have a policy of exclusively giving red packets to account holders. I occasionally had to rely on my hobby-related friends to provide me some for my collection.”
Tan added that she intended to collect from banks and insurance companies every year. When she was unable to obtain them on her own, she would then turn to trading with others on Facebook or purchasing them online.
Tan, who has been a member of an ‘angpao collectors’ Facebook group since 2015, would also get and share the latest information about these packet collections.
“We’d post extra angpaos that we’d have to trade with the rest of the group. We would courier our respective packets to one another whenever someone wanted to trade.”
Tan revealed that she was avidly collecting as many angpaos as she could between 2017 and 2021.
“To add to my collection, I would try to obtain every available packet in the market. Unfortunately, I had to significantly reduce my collection this year.”
This was due to her realisation that she had been overspending on angpaos from supermarkets and shopping malls.
“Because the requirements for obtaining red packets became more difficult, I have given up and will no longer collect them from certain companies.”
About her packets
In Miri in 2019, Tan exhibited her angpao collection that she had amassed over the years as a collector. She proudly displayed her collection of the stunning array of red packets.
Among her many red packets, she adores those featuring the Chinese animal zodiac.
“My interest in collecting was initially triggered by the packets with cartoon character themes that were available at retail stores. Later on, I expanded my collection to include angpaos from banks and insurance companies.”
While many people regard these red packets as mere packs containing the real gem, Tan said that in a matter of years, the same packets will become valuable and precious. An administrator for a private Facebook group, she said that the group raises funds for the Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society through selling packets.
“The angpaos sold are from generous donors. The most valuable ones would then be chosen for a 24-hour auction. We once made RM700 by selling a box of car brand Lamborghini 2021 angpao edition. We also sold a set of 12 zodiacs handmade by a donor for RM500,” she revealed.
