...add to the gallery. The briefcase from the 1996 Tech-Ed conference also contained a mousepad. Check out image 31

http://www.techrepublic.com/photos/tech-ed-swag-from-the-1990s/6346345?seq=31

... I had much more TechEd Swag from the 1990s. Little did I know back then that some 12+ years later I would be creating a gallery of the stuff. Over time, as I cleaned up or moved, pieces of the collection were either lost or chucked into the waste basket.

For example, I used to have all my Tech-Ed badges that included maps and class schedules and kept them for years. I no longer have them and have a vague memory of packing up my office in 2004 and looking at them and thinking to myself "Do I really need these anymore?" I chucked them.

When I was putting together this gallery I remembered chucking all the badges and wishing I hadn't. But that's life, huh? Oh well...

All these conferences and the best swag you got was bags (ok, those are pretty cool) and notepads and highlighter pens? A former co-worker used to attend these things with the primary goal of seeing how much swag he could pick up. Wasn't unusual for the standard issue plastic bag to be practically overflowing.