A dinner guest at Judy Renner's home may walk out with one of her glasses. And that's OK, because she has plenty of Flintstone jelly jar drinking glasses. Nearly 150 of them.

When she was working full-time and going to law school four nights a week, she needed a diversion so she'd go antiquing on the weekends. She saw an etched Welch's grape jelly jar glass that depicted scenes from the Flintstones show in the '60s and it brought back memories.

She used to reach for the character jelly jars in the store, but her mom said no, the jelly was way too expensive and they weren't buying it just for the glass.

Now her mother lives on the West Coast and when she finds one, she ships it to her daughter. Renner laughs with her about her collection.

"I told her this was my version of therapy for what she did to me as a kid."

Although the assistant state's attorney no longer has time to hunt for glasses showing Fred Flintstone driving a sports car or Pebbles at the beach, she can tell you there were 14 stories, seven characters and eight colors for at least 784 possible combinations. She used to carry a matrix around in her purse.

At dinner parties, she occasionally sets the table with the colorful glasses before she sends them home with guests.

"It's always interesting the kinds of conversations you end up with. They start talking about their favorite characters or the shows they watched as a kid."

A few of the jelly jars that used to have tin lids are crowded into the kitchen cabinet for everyday use. But her two boys, ages 15 and 10, aren't reaching for them.

"They just see this as mom's silly hobby," she said.

Stuffed with penguins

A soon-to-expire department store credit got Sue Rutledge rolling. She couldn't find a thing she needed but she did see a plush penguin at 70 percent off. She bought it and plopped it into a childhood rocking chair, where it sat for years. And then something happened.

"I can't remember if I said I wanted a penguin or my husband thought I wanted one, but it became something I got for birthdays, Mother's Day, anniversaries, and now I can't resist them."

Really can't resist them.

She has nearly 4,000 penguins in her Bloomington home, so many that they're hanging from dowel rods and taped to doors. She has penguin pajamas, penguin socks, a penguin cell phone cover and a penguin ice cream scoop.

Of course there are duplicates because she can't remember what she has and gift-givers don't have a clue. But she appreciates each one.

"A penguin always needs a good home, so I don't get rid of any of them."

Before she retired, a young co-worker asked if she minded telling her what she does with all the penguins - and who dusts them.

"I told her I don't do anything with them, they're a collection. And nobody dusts them, they collect dust."

And they're not all cute. There's a really ugly penguin towel.

"I really didn't want to buy it but my husband said the ugly ones need homes too."

Coke or Pepsi?

Bill Klink picked up a $2 Coke glass at a flea market. Now he has 500 to 600 pieces on display in the basement of his Bloomington home, including 180 Coke tins, a pool cue and a fishing pole. There are empty bottles and full ones but he'd never touch the stuff.

"I drink Pepsi," he said.

And he wouldn't dream of stashing his collection. Every clock, serving tray and wristwatch is on display.

"If I have to put it in boxes in the attic, what good is it? Anybody who comes to the house who hasn't been here, that's the first place I drag 'em."

About every three months, he heads down the steps with a couple of dust rags.

"It takes about two days to dust them. Two long days and a lot of coffee."

Collecting Coke memorabilia wasn't his first choice.

"I tried collecting money," he said. "That didn't pan out."