I also do the Starbucks city mug collection. Those are the only mugs in my cupboard. I use the ones from North American cities day to day so they stay in the cupboard. The ones from more exotic locations are displayed on shelves, and only used on occasion. They're one of the only souvenirs I bring home from travels because they double as useful items.

I think you're the matching mugs type, or you're not. I have exactly two mugs that aren't the same as all my others, and I don't use either one. I like matching mugs for some reason. But I also don't display my mugs or anything. I started out with double-walled glass ones, but those broke every time you picked them up basically. Then I moved onto these incredible white ceramic mugs that I found at WALGREENS of all places! They were $1 each and I love them to death.

I love my walgreens dishes too! I got them when I moved out on my own, they held up for years until I finally broke them, I can't find dishes at walgreens anymore now, I also have lots dishes for the kids

I love those mugs in the 4th pic, and actually own a couple of them. The colours are so intense.

I remember my 1st apt after college. I got a bright red square grid to hang on my kitchen wall and began collecting mugs to hang off of it. This idea is timeless and and easy way to fill wall space in lieu of art. :)

It is not collections month, so you are therefore not allowed to make posts about collecting.

Thank you very much. I hate that month and it ruins any posts about collecting for the rest of the year too.

@adventrising - Okay, I get that they called it a collection in the post title, but really? It's a dozen mugs. A dozen mugs isn't a collection - it's what happens. (Not hating - I'm sorry you don't care for collections or their month. I think that the title was less than precise. Maybe: Ways to Display All the Mugs That People Have Given You Over the Many Years?)

I've been on the fence for open shelving for a long time - I LOVE the way it looks, but it skeeves me out a little bit - and this post really brought that home, especially the ones in the hall. People will touch those! Gross! Not to mention the dustiness and the kitchen stuff in the air...who wants to have to wash the mug before they can have tea? No, thanks. (Still love to look at it, though!)

The mug /coffee station in the first photo is perfect. Wonderful and colorful little collection, cute & functional storage. Love the blues and greens.

Plus the owl mug in the first pic. adorable.

@Minuet42 - I agree. It isn't much of a collection, so they really should not mention collecting at all. Collection month is dreaded by a lot of readers, so there's no point in rubbing it our faces the rest of the year with stuff that could clearly be called something else. The same goes for good posts about real collections. They need to save them for collections month because there are people (like me) who hate to see that word here, especially outside of collections month.