Plastic used to be king. Teardrop-shaped is most popular. German styles have more naked ladies.

His collection, which tops 6,000 and includes hundreds of pocketed hotel room keys, started in 1972.

He had amassed 15 key chains on his key ring, to the point that, “it got really big and silly.” Lalemand took them off, tossed them in a candy dish. Someone visiting asked, “What, you collect these?” and he said, on a whim, yeah.

Word got out. Friends and relatives vacation and send him back souvenirs. He’s found people abroad to trade with through the Internet. Business contacts – Lalemand owns Designs by Skip in Lewiston’s Hill Mill – know he enjoys samples and trade show extras.

He’s not big on duplicates. And in the entire collection, Lalemand has only bought four key chains. The rest have been gifts.

Years ago, Lalemand had them displayed on the walls of his pool room. “It was really a pain putting up 4,000 little nails,” he said.

When the family moved to a new house, they didn’t have space to hang the key chains. His wife, JoAnne, has since banished most of them to his office. Now, the collection is largely kept in a 35-gallon metal drum – it’s overfilled.

The more delicate or ornate go in the bedroom closet.

There’s a key chain that transforms in

to pliers and a knife. There are key chains shaped like tiny guns, a duffel bag, flip flops, a light bulb, a fried egg and a Ritz cracker. Lots are from car dealerships or sport car names.

It’s a tie for oldest: One is attached to an aged African tiger tooth, the other is from a Lewiston dry cleaner with a three-digit phone number. (A Verizon spokesman said phone companies moved to five digits in 1947, so it’s at least older than that.)

Lalemand receives a minimum of 20 a month. And every time his brother travels for business, which is often, he brings back eight to 10 hotel keys, both faux-credit card and plastic styles.

His brother has only been charged once for all those “lost” keys; a fee showed up on his bill for $150. Lalemand gave it right back.

His wife has daydreamed of traveling the U.S. and staying in all those hotels for free.

The few adult-theme key chains in his collection came from Germany and Japan. Fewer than 100 in all are from foreign countries.

The extended family likes him to drag all the key chains out at Christmas to admire how much the collection has grown.

“Just the oddity of them is fun to see,” said Lalemand.

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