Paynesville Area Elementary School Principal Gary Heineman has a necktie collection that totals 106 different neckties.Heineman has been collecting the ties for about 15 years. He said he got the idea to start collecting the ties from his wife.
“My wife had a lot to do with it,” said Heineman.
He said it all started with one tie she picked out a long time ago, and the collection has grown since then.
He has gotten most of his neckties as gifts. Either for presents, or from when his wife goes shopping.
Some of Heineman’s neckties include a Christmas neck tie that lights up. He has many cartoon character neckties, company or organizational neckties, and even a necktie that was designed by a child, a “Save the Children” necktie.
Heineman wears the Christmas tie on the day of the elementary Christmas program. He says every year when it gets near Christmas season, kids stop him and ask him when he is going to wear that tie.
He says he has all kinds of interesting neckties. He has ties for just about every season, including Halloween and Valentine’s Day. He has ties for the winter season, he has ties that represent his hobbies. Some of his hobbies are working with tools, and he likes cars as well. He has ties that represent both.
Heineman gets some of the ties from principal conventions. There are various vendors at these conventions, and tie vendors are usually there. So he can find some interesting ones there as well.
“I wear almost all of them at some point,” said Heineman.
He said that his wife also helps him choose which necktie he is going to wear on a given day.
“She has a good eye for coordinating,” Heineman added.
Heineman stores his neckties on a tie bar at home.
Heineman also said that one of the most rewarding things is the response he gets from the students at the elementary school.
“It seems to generate a lot of enthusiasm from the kids,” said Heineman.
He also acknowledges that a lot of people around the community know about his necktie collection. He said he also enjoys the community response from his necktie collection.