For Keeps

In the mid-1990s, Peggy Gallagher, a teacher from suburban Chicago, teamed up with her sister to become one of the world's first collectors of …

Working for years as a janitor at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection station in Ajo, Arizona, photographer Tom Kiefer collected the confiscated …

Since 1983, Dutch beachcomber Wim Kruiswijk has collected all sorts of things in the sand — including hundreds and hundreds of messages in bottles. …

In 1979, Beatles fanatic Paul Goresh began hanging out at New York's Dakota apartment building, taking photos of ex-Beatle John Lennon — and …

Before passing away in October 2018, pharmaceutical marketing executive William Helfand amassed a huge collection of medical-themed prints, posters, …

Velvet Elvises, sad clowns, colorful unicorns, tasteful nudes — they're all under one roof at Carl Baldwin's Velveteria museum in Los Angeles, home …

The big salad, the marble rye, the black-and-white cookie — endless connections between the TV sitcom "Seinfeld" and food inspired restaurateur Tony Valadez to create Little Jerry's, a Tacoma, Washington, eatery that …

Time to get happy! Husband and wife Jerry and Cat have found true joy in Bob Ross's timeless public-television series "The Joy of Painting," and their passion for the much-loved program has inspired the couple to …

Guinness alert! Before passing away in 2007, Italian collector Amatore Bolzoni made it into the record books with his quirky collection of more than …

Swedish psychologist Dr. Samuel West's collection of 100 or so failed products isn't just meant to amuse us — he believes that we can learn from …

Here's the story of a true fan! Wendy Winans' childhood obsession with "The Brady Bunch" has led her to become a lifelong Brady memorabilia …

In the 1960s, an unknown artist named Harvey supplied his bright, almost otherworldly perspective to about 200 gospel album covers (175 or so for the fabled Savoy Records) before disappearing into obscurity. Five-plus …

Tis the season! TV and radio journalist Callie Crossley rings in the holidays each year by bringing a portion of her "black Santa" collection to her …

Holy habañero! Hot sauce enthusiast Vic Clinco spills the story on his epic collection of the combustible condiment — well over 8,000 bottles and …

Grammy- and Tony-winning songwriter Allee Willis has co-written some of pop music's most enduring earworms (think "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire and "I'll Be There For You" from the TV show Friends), but her …

In 1989, baseball player Bill Ripken's Fleer trading card raised eyebrows when fans noticed an obscenity written in black ink on the end of his bat. …

From fragments of rocket heat shields to a hunk of Skylab, Tina Stagg has assembled quite the collection of space exploration memorabilia — much of …

Milli Vanilli fan and memorabilia collector Todd Cuzzort first connected with Fab Morvan, one-half of the infamous pop music duo, back in 2002 after …

A secretive New York City artist sets up a phone line to collect the apologies of strangers via anonymous messages — picking up where another …

My oh mai tai! Mary Melton's Southern California home is like a trip to a tropical paradise, thanks to her houseful of Hawaiian collectibles, her …

Game on! Pinball aficionado Chuck Webster has transformed his suburban Boston basement into the Wicked Pissa Pinball Pit, an arcade and showcase for roughly two dozen of his 30 pinball machines, many of which he's …

Robert Murch, the Talking Board Historical Society's "chairman of the board," spells out the history of the popular game and discusses his own Ouija …

Texas-based artist Samantha Watt shares the story behind her obsession with the Etch-A-Sketch — which she not only collects but also uses as a …

British researcher Irving Finkel discusses his passion for collecting diaries and launching the Great Diary Project, which he says has "rescued" …

Vintage Los Angeles curator Alison Martino chats about her zeal for history and lifelong penchant for collecting, which has resulted in an unmatched …

Game-worn uniforms, helmets, an actual Gold Glove, even an electric guitar — the Montreal Expos memorabilia that superfan Perry Giannias has amassed …

View-Master enthusiast Rebecca Kilbreath sheds light on the history of the View-Master, as well as her own history as a dedicated collector of the …

Veteran traveler Bruce Kelly has made a name for himself as one of the world's leading collectors of airsickness bags — with more than 6,700 in his …

Retired schoolteacher Elizabeth Meaders has amassed an inspiring — and exhaustive — collection of African-American historical items, which she's …

Joel Whitburn isn't just a legendary pop music researcher — he's also a huge music fan with an underground vault that includes each and every pop …

Lunch box collector Dee Speed talks about her hundreds of vintage lunch boxes and the lasting appeal of their distinctive designs. 

Collectors …

With roughly 5,000 issues in his collection, nobody knows TV Guide like Ken Reid, the comedian and host of the popular TV Guidance Counselor podcast.

Candace Jordan talks about her life as a Playboy Bunny, a Playboy playmate, and now arguably the world's premier collector of Playboy memorabilia, …

Lloyd "Pink" Gardner, trainer and travel secretary for the American Basketball Association's 1974-75 champion Kentucky Colonels, discusses his …

Deb Hoffmann chats about her massive (and growing!) collection of Pooh and friends memorabilia, which has earned her a place in the Guinness Book of …

Got tuba? Retired musician and instrument salesman Vince Simonetti certainly does — several hundred of them, in fact — and they're all on display in …

Penny Johnson chats with For Keeps about her lifelong obsession with pop singer Barry Manilow and her sizable stash of Manilow memorabilia — as well as her efforts to turn her skeptical co-workers into fervent …

Sue Suazo-Martinez chats about her massive collection of Slinkys, which was big enough to get her into the Guinness Book of World Records. 

See …

Danny Biederman discusses his decades-long obsession with collecting "spy-fi" props and costumes — including items from James Bond films, TV series …

Steve Soboroff discusses his growing collection of typewriters once owned by some of the 20th century's biggest historical figures — including John …

Phil Sklar, CEO of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, discusses his start in bobblehead collecting, plans to open the museum in …

RJ Porter discusses "Tape Findings," his online collection of "found audio" taken from random, homemade cassettes that he's bought over the years at …