Money boxes are an easy way to save money against a rainy day. Familiar money box designs are for example a piggy, squirrel, globe, hippo and Uncle Scrooge. Mr Simo Erola, a collector from Helsinki, knows money boxes inside out. His collection consists of over 500 different money boxes made by Finnish financial institutions.

There are thousands of money boxes that have been made as ornaments, but Mr Erola doesn't want them. The boxes he wants have to be "official ", made by commercial, co-operative or savings banks. He admits he is a perfectionist - he accepts faulty money boxes into his collection only in exceptional cases.

His collection includes the first Finnish money box from 1902, when the Nordic limited banking company had 19,000 brass money boxes made, designed as a house. During the Second World War there was a lack of metal and most of the boxes were melted. Only about one thousand boxes were left.

His own favourites are simple cardboard boxes, which were made during the Second World War and in the 50's and which were covered with colourful prints. - Cardboard boxes were disposable, which makes them rare collectibles.

A list of money boxes in the next millennium

Mr Erola admits he is a collector by nature. Collecting money boxes has its roots in his profession: he has been working in a bank for over ten years. - I've been collecting money boxes for about five years, but the hobby turned serious a couple of years ago.

His enthusiasm grew when he saw the money box exhibition of the National Museum of Finland. - I noticed that it didn't put my own collection to shame at all.

He is also scientifically ambitious about his boxes. There is no Finnish literature available about money boxes, so you have to gather all information by yourself. His aim is to make a detailed list of money boxes and related information sometime in the next millennium.

At the moment, his collection comprises over 500 different boxes. He believes that another 500 boxes are still there to be found. - I look for new boxes through newspaper ads and through my agents. Sometimes boxes can also be found in flee markets.