SINGAPORE — They say that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and we certainly felt the impact of that saying when we asked everyone at the Features desk here at TODAY to bring in their favourite nostalgic item.

From dried-out magic markers to blast-from-the-past CDs, things that would legitimately be characterised as junk still take pride of place among our possessions because they hold special meaning for each of us.

Like the taste of a Proustian madeleine, memories are often stored in the most unlikely of places, and frequently, those intangible remembrances of time past hibernate in objects, trinkets and collectibles.

Over countless spring cleanings, we — or our mothers — have thrown out most of the things we don’t need in the here and now; things that have outlived their usefulness and take up space that’s coveted by newer, shinier acquisitions.

But there’s always that special, significant memento that we know we will always put back into its box, be it a what-was-I-thinking fashion disaster of a hat, a comic book we saved our pocket money to buy, or the ticket stubs from our first real date – you know, with an actual girl and all.

Cloud storage may be our main memory vault now, but the spirits of tangible things and real places live on in a special way. What’s your favourite keepsake that brings on a rush of nostalgia for you?

This is my Fann Wong CD collection from the 1990s. Who could forget growing up with hits such as Shopping, Luv Luv Luv and Stay by the ever stylish and talented Fann? But she wasn’t my only musical bias: I also spent my secondary school days listening to radio programmes such as Perfect 10’s Say It With Music with the late Kate Reyes on my old Sanyo radio. KENNETH CHOY

The Golden Mile Thien Kee Steamboat Restaurant has been around for 64 years, and I’ve been eating there for about a third of that time with my family, ever since I was a little girl. Besides one bout of renovation, the restaurant has remained largely the same, serving the same type of food in its dingy and dank quarters at Golden Mile Tower. Going there evokes deep emotions – together with the familiar, heartwarming and fragrant food served, it also reminds me of the many memories I have of my late mum, my dad and brother, where we fought over the best pieces of meat and shared a conciliatory extra bowl of chicken rice. It is one of the rare few childhood spots that hasn’t yet disappeared from my reality. JOY FANG

This is the oldest piece of clothing I own. It’s tatty and yellowed, and dates back to when I was six years old. Just before I graduated from kindergarten in Virginia and moved back home to Singapore, my teachers and classmates surprised me with this goodbye gift to remember them by: A T-shirt bearing the American flag, on which they had all written their names in fabric paint. When I look at this shirt, I can still remember us jumping into piles of autumn leaves, building snowmen at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, picking dandelions for our class pet Spook the guinea pig to snack on, and Taco Tuesdays at the cafeteria. I often wonder how Lindsey, Danielle, Nathan and the rest are doing. I’ve tried looking for them on Facebook, but hey, do you know how many Chris Millers there are in this world? MAY SEAH

28 years ago, my wife gave me this handcrafted miniature bag containing a pair of hearts. I have kept it safely since. The thing I love most about it is that it was a spontaneous gift, not a gift for any occasion. It always brings back memories of our ups and downs together. NG BOON CHEW

As a kid in the 1990s, I loved to dabble in art. My parents bought me these Crayola Mini Stampers markers, I used them for almost everything, from doodling to handmade cards for my family and friends. They’ve run out of ink, but I still keep them to this day as a reminder of my childhood. SONIA YEO

Quotations for Speakers and Writers by Allen Andrews was one of the many books in a well-stocked old fashioned wooden cupboard which stood for a library in my grandparents’ home where I grew up. Looking at it gives me a sense of nostalgia for my childhood spent gazing upon these shelves of books, remembering my grandparents and their love for the language. REENA DEVI

Way before Stephenie Meyer made vampires “dazzle”, Kevin Christopher McFadden – pen name: “Christopher Pike” – made them really nasty. And spooky. Most of the other kids liked the “Goosebumps” horror series, but I preferred Christopher Pike’s books because he was scarier. My mum used to think I was crazy for reading them at such a young age, so I remember stealing them from my elder sister’s bookshelf and scaring myself during silent reading sessions in school. These days, all people care about is Kindles. CRYS LEE

Here lies the remains of my chou chou pillow (smelly pillow). I chewed on it as a kid, cried into it as a teen and tried hiding it when I started dating. It has survived longer than boyfriends and nothing in the world could ever be as comforting as burying my face into it. It’s even gone overseas with me and my pals — much to their disgust. Unfortunately, one-too-many sunning sessions and rounds in the washing machine (thanks mum) have reduced my pillow to nothing. I only have the pillow case left. It makes me happy just to see it, and yes, to take a long, deep sniff. It’s like being seven years old again. SERENE LIM

I’ve always been intrigued by the telephone. The idea of constant communication was a charming possibility even when it was two plastic cups and a piece of string. So, when we had our first rotary dial phone, everything about it fascinated me — from its seemingly simple mechanisms to the clicking sound it made while dialling. I was constantly waiting for anyone to call. It still works, and I still enjoy using it as it reminds me of a time when communication wasn’t just limited to instant messaging. DON MENDOZA