Program, $1

Concert and theatre programs are one of those things that seem like an essential purchase for a magical half-hour or so, then quickly lose their lustre. When I was a teenager my aunt used to chastise me for wasting my money on all those glossy programs. “You’ll never look at them again, you’ll never keep them,” she said. “I will, I’ll keep them forever,” I protested. And for about ten years I was right. Then I was wrong.

An old program will sometimes catch my eye in an op shop, and if it’s for a show I know of I’ll generally be tempted to flip through it. Of course, I would never actually buy it. Buying a pre-loved program for a show I didn’t end up seeing would feel like falsely laying claim to a moment in time, while buying one for a show I did end up seeing would feel rather frighteningly like being mesmerised by my own past.