Rubber is collectable.

It's collectable. Like coins or old comic books.

Sadly, the golden age of rubber products is over, supplanted by polymers and high-tech fabrics. You can see it everywhere. Raincoats are made of PVC or Gore-Tex. Gloves are made of Nitrile or vinyl. Hazmat suits made of Tyvek. Even "rubber boots" are increasingly not-rubber.

I suppose that its inevitable, and understandable. For as much as we love latex and rubber, it just doesn't stand up to the ingenuity of man. Better, faster, stronger. And cheaper.

Look at all the vintage gear from a bygone era that we covet. Avon drysuits. Drager hazmat suits. Black Diamond rain gear, to name a few. These rubber products are obsolete, and will probably never be made again. How many were made, used to destruction, and then discarded? They are increasingly rare, and thus, collectable.

I collect some of that gear when I can, because its the type of heavy gear that makes me horny. Its rarity makes it all the more desirable. But that desire comes at the price of knowing that I may never own another like it. And that other rubbermen like myself, may never experience its pleasures. So, I covet my rare pieces of gear. I try to take care of them, and use them gently. With luck, they will bring years of enjoyment.

I once wrote a story about a rubber drysuit. The drysuit was owned by a rubberman, and it reveled in the attention and care that its owner bestowed upon it. It was happy in the knowledge that it would live out its days safe and appreciated.

That's how I sometimes see gear collecting. We fetishists are the rubber equivalent of an animal rescue shelter. Saving gear from a undignified fate, and giving them a good home.

But there is hope out there beyond just conservation. Aquala still makes arguably the horniest rubber drysuits. Viking and others still make rubber drysuits for commercial and industrial purposes. There are a few makers of rubber raincoats, such as Nat's. And I've even seen an online rubber store making replica rubber hazmat suits for the fetishist in mind (they've since disappeared, but I still applaud them). And many of us have probably seen the surge explosion in the popularity of rubber boots, particularly Hunter wellies.

And of course, there's always latex. Fetish rubber is more accessible than ever. Should we thank society for opening their minds? Or the Wachowski brothers for The Matrix? Whatever the reason, rubber fetish gear is here to stay.

But please, treat your rubber as a companion, and take care of it.

Suiting up in my vintage hazmat suit.