Fascinating Stories of Offbeat Obsessions

The world’s most obsessive breakfast-food fans demonstrate just how far humans will go for the sweet taste of nostalgia.

You thought they were gone? You were wrong.

Remember downloading songs? Even in 2022, it’s still a viable—and rewarding—way to collect music.

In gathering old photographs of daily life, family scenes, and illness, hobbyists get an intimate view into past lives.

Cemetery-loving hobbyists have uploaded millions of photographs of headstones from all over the United States.

Plane spotting can be a soothing sky-watching habit, but its community also regards itself as a coterie of amateur detectives.

Victorian culinary trading cards are a feast for the eyes... but maybe not for your stomach.

When it comes to their stuff, people often have a hard time letting go. When the objects of their obsession are rooms full of old clothes or newspapers, it can be unhealthy—even dangerous. But what about a stash that fits on 10 5-inch hard drives?

BONUS READ: Everything We’re Reading about NFTs via Pocket Collections

Counterfeit Lego kits, made illegally in China, are giving collectors a headache.

What seems like a simple hobby can take you across the world.

The perverse thrill of metal detecting, the world’s worst hobby.

Their collections may look like trash to you, but these guys know every can has a story—and some have shockingly high price tags, too.

BONUS READ: The Archaeology of Those Weird Metal Things That Open Your Soda Can via Atlas Obscura

A humble Scotsman saw something strange in the water—and daringly set out to catch it—only to have lecherous out-of-towners steal his fame and upend his quest.

Gunpowder used in cannons helped change the nature of warfare, but it took a while to get the recipe just right.

Dozens of “rare Cheetos,” shaped like everything from Donald Trump to a squirrel, are up for sale on eBay. But who’s buying?

Here’s hoping they’ll create a buzz.

“SOS. My phone is going to die. I’m lost,” the hiker texted a friend, along with two photos.

I became unreasonably passionate about fantasy sports for the very first time in my life. Not fantasy football or baseball or anything like that. I got into fantasy birdwatching.

BONUS READ: 21 Great Reads for Bird Nerds via Pocket Collections

A set of 200-year-old ciphers may reveal the location of millions of dollars’ worth of gold, silver, and jewels buried in rural Virginia. For the past century, the quest to break these codes has attracted the military, computer scientists, and conspiracy theorists. All have failed.

Most of us try to avoid radiation, but not Andrew Walker, who collects radioactive objects. The surprising part? These items can be found in antiques shops, parking lots, and buildings everywhere.

Could a global icon of extinction still be alive?

Hardcore UFO enthusiasts share troubling elements with other conspiracy communities.

I spent a weekend with the Bigfoot Field Research Organization searching for the large primate. We didn’t find the elusive creature. Or did we?

Apples, blue honeysuckles, and the Soviet seed collector who protected the Earth’s biodiversity.

BONUS READ: Meet the Man on a Quest to Document Every Apple in North America via Atlas Obscura

NPR readers and listeners share what they're really into and why it brings them joy.