Zhang Wenxiang, 77, (pictured below) has a passion for collecting not just normal collectibles like stamps and bank notes, but also things that many find useless and hard to understand. These items include candy and popsicle wrappers and even packages for socks.

The retired electrical appliances factory worker showed the Global Times his collection of popsicle wrappers at his home in Putuo district. They include over 700 wrappers dating back to as early as the Republic of China era (1912-49).

Zhang said he started the hobby seven years ago, when he discovered a vintage popsicle wrapper inside a used book he'd bought from a secondhand seller.

(From top) Vintage popsicle wrappers that Zhang Wenxiang has been collecting for seven years Photos: Zhang Yu/GT

The yellow, waxed and translucent piece of paper reminded him of a bygone age when popsicles were considered luxuries, and when eating them was a cherished event, despite the limited number of flavors available.

"The former owner probably used it as a bookmark. It occurred to me that there could be lots of stories in these popsicle wrappers, and yet no one ever collects them," he said.

To find these much-ignored rarities, he went to the city's vintage paper markets and searched through piles of dusty items. He also sought help from his collector friends nationwide. "Most people throw the wrappers away after they eat a popsicle, so it was kind of hard to find them today," he said.

The oldest piece of wrapping paper he has managed to collect so far is from the Republic of China era, and has Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Pluto the dog printed on it. According to the package, it was manufactured by the Haohua Food Manufacturer in the then Shanghai Nanshi district. The piece of paper cost him 300 yuan ($48.60).

Such Western patterns disappeared completely from popsicle papers after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, and new slogans began to emerge. For example, during the 1950s and 1960s, many wrappers had the popular slogan "study well and make progress every day" printed on them, a quote from Mao Zedong to encourage young people to excel.

Wrappers from the Cultural Revolution era (1966-76) are full of political slogans. A wrapper for one sugar popsicle, for example, has the lyrics of a classic red song printed on it that goes, "sailing seas depends on the helmsman, making revolution depends on Mao Zedong Thought."

These wrapping papers also reflect how people's lives have improved over the past century, Zhang said. During the Republic of China era, the popsicles came in only one variety. Later, milk-flavored and juice-flavored popsicles began to appear and become popular.

Zhang recalls how popsicles were sold in the old times. In Shanghai, vendors carrying a wooden box, covered with thick quilts to keep it cool, would tout their popsicles on the street in the summer, and the sight of it would make kids' mouths water.

Apart from vintage popsicle wrappers, Zhang also collects modern ones, especially those with marks on commemorative events, such as logos of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai.

"My philosophy is, it's not just the old things that are worth collecting, but contemporary things as well. They might seem useless today, but they will show their value in the future," Zhang said.

This is why in Zhang's refrigerator, there are many popsicles that are unwrapped but haven't been eaten.

The biggest beneficiary of all this is probably Zhang's 11-year-old granddaughter, who can always enjoy popsicles when she visits her grandpa in the summer.