For Keeps

When members of Paul Everitt's family purchased the 1970s home of best-selling author Richard Bach ( Jonathan Livingston Seagull , Illusions ), they got more than just a house — the eccentric writer and pilot left behind signed photos, his writing desk, model airplane kits, original and purchased artwork, books, letters, and other mementos of his flying and writing life. Now Paul hopes to find new...

Costa Rica's 100-year-old "calypso king," Walter Gavitt Ferguson, used to record his songs live onto blank cassettes, selling each one-off tape without making himself a copy. Now Swiss music fan Niels Werdenberg runs a "tape hunt" to track down the sold tapes — and preserve a beloved piece of Costa Rica's cultural heritage.   The Walter Gavitt Ferguson Tape Hunt website: http://walterferguson-tape...

From her home inside the "closed city" of Sarov, Russia — the high-security center for Russian nuclear research — collector Katya Zykova runs an online shop that sells a wide range of vintage Soviet postcards, pins, children's books, and even a large wooden portrait of Vladimir Lenin.   Katya's website, soviet-postcards.com • Katya's Etsy shop • Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin' • Closing t...

Teen idol time! Writer Kristin Nilsen is rebuilding the record collection she had as a girl in the 70s — and collecting tales of preteen infatuation through "My Celebrity Crush Story," her growing social media project.   "My Celebrity Crush Story" on Instagram and Facebook • Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin' • Closing theme: "Slow Draw/Feeling In My Heart" by Eric Frisch • Additional music...

Armed with her array of metal detectors, Alison Walker has collected everything from rare coins to a musket ball — but she's made a name for herself as a member of The Ring Finders, recovering lost jewelry for grateful clients and raising money for charity along the way.   Alison on TheRingFinders.com • Alison's YouTube channel, "Pink Power Ally, Treasure Hunter" • Opening theme: "Keepers" by Stil...

Swimming pools! Color television! Air conditioning! The American motel — particularly the quirky, independent kind seen along highways in the 1950s and 60s — fascinates writer James Lileks, whose 500 or so motel postcards capture the motel's midcentury heyday. Lileks.com's "The American Motel" postcard archive • Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin' • Closing theme: "Slow Draw/Feeling In My Hea...

Matthew Kennedy secretly bought his first Barbie doll as a young boy — but it wasn't until adulthood that he became confident enough to share his 1,000-plus doll collection with the world, in large part through his witty, eye-catching Instagram feed. @barbieonthebrain on Instagram • Matthew's Los Angeles Times essay from 2013  • Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin' • Closing theme: "Slow Draw/...

Good grief! With the largest known collection of Snoopy memorabilia Down Under, Lisa Ridey is constantly on the lookout for items to add to her massive collection — as well as space in her family's suburban Sydney home for displaying it. Lisa's 2014 appearance on Australian TV • Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin' • Closing theme: "Slow Draw/Feeling In My Heart" by Eric Frisch • Additional mu...

Banksy, the anonymous artist and provocative prankster, has garnered headlines around the world — and captured the imagination of British art dealer John Brandler, whose collection of 30 Banksy works includes a mural that appeared overnight on a garage in Wales. Brandler Galleries website • Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin' • Closing theme: "Slow Draw/Feeling In My Heart" by Eric Frisch • A...

When real estate broker Bruce Pascal was reunited with his childhood Hot Wheels car collection, it jump-started a collecting quest that's netted him more than 5,000 items including rare cars, vintage promotional materials, and prototype designs of the popular toys — and turned him into a passionate Hot Wheels historian. Bruce's website and Instagram  • Car & Driver magazine profile • Opening theme...

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 Beanie Babies — helping to spark a collecting craze that made toy manufacturer Ty Warner a billionaire. Hear Peggy's tales of speculation, authentication, and riding the Beanie bubble! Peggy's Beanie Babies authentication site • "The Great Beanie Baby Bubbl...

Working for years as a janitor at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection station in Ajo, Arizona, photographer Tom Kiefer collected the confiscated — and discarded — personal items of migrants who were detained at the station. Today, he reverentially documents those salvaged belongings in El Sueño Americano , his photography project that's getting a lot of notice these days. Tom's website and Inst...

Since 1983, Dutch beachcomber Wim Kruiswijk has collected all sorts of things in the sand — including hundreds and hundreds of messages in bottles. In a special episode co-produced with the  Citizen Reporter podcast, Amsterdam-based podcaster Mark Fonseca Rendeiro visits Wim to hear about his collection and some of the pen pals he's made over the years. More photos from Mark's visit with Wim • Ope...

In 1979, Beatles fanatic Paul Goresh began hanging out at New York's Dakota apartment building, taking photos of ex-Beatle John Lennon — and developing an unlikely casual friendship with the musical icon. Two people who knew Goresh well, and two others who had key interactions with him, share stories and memories of the late collector, who died in 2018. Paul Goresh's New York Daily News obituary •...

Before passing away in October 2018, pharmaceutical marketing executive William Helfand amassed a huge collection of medical-themed prints, posters, and memorabilia — with an emphasis on "quack" pills, potions, and snake oil cure-alls. On this episode, daughter Jessica Helfand pays tribute to her father's "quack" connoisseurship. New York Times obituary of William Helfand • Jessica's design podcas...

Velvet Elvises, sad clowns, colorful unicorns, tasteful nudes — they're all under one roof at Carl Baldwin's Velveteria museum in Los Angeles, home to what must be the world's largest collection of velvet paintings. Hear Carl talk about his colorful trip down the "velvet trail" from casual fan to the art form's biggest booster. The Velveteria website • The museum's GoFundMe page • Opening theme: "...

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 doubles as a showcase for his fun array of memorabilia celebrating the iconic "show about nothing."  Little Jerry's Facebook page • Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin' • Closing...

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 collect several original Ross paintings (no small feat!) as well as a mind-boggling array of art and personal items once owned by the late TV icon himself.  Opening theme: "Keepers" by St...

Guinness alert! Before passing away in 2007, Italian collector Amatore Bolzoni made it into the record books with his quirky collection of more than 2,000 condoms, gathered over decades of world travel. Today his son, Massimo, celebrates his father's memory (and humor) by preserving the collection — and even adding to it. Amatore Bolzoni's Guinness Book entry • Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Fl...

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 failures, too. He's the curator of the Museum of Failure, a traveling exhibition that showcases (and celebrates) some of the biggest busts in business history. The Museum of Failure website • Dr. West's TED Talk • Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin'...

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 collector — and the brain behind Brady World,  an online hub for Brady-related news stories, links to new and classic show collectibles, public appearances by cast members, and more. Brady World • Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin' • Closing theme: "Slow...

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 decades later, Robbie Rogers is devoting his master's thesis to Harvey's illustrations — and feverishly collecting Harvey albums in the process. Special thanks to Bob Marovich at the...

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 office at WGBH in Boston — much to the delight of her colleagues. Hear Callie talk about collecting in a way that's particularly meaningful to her. BONUS: The podcast welcomes a very special visitor! Callie Crossley Shares Her Black Santa Collection (...

Holy habañero! Hot sauce enthusiast Vic Clinco spills the story on his epic collection of the combustible condiment — well over 8,000 bottles and counting — and how his love of the heat inspired a career change. Vic's collection featured on Atlas Obscura • Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin' • Closing theme: "Slow Draw/Feeling In My Heart" by Eric Frisch • Additional music by The Malpaso Gang...

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 collection of kitsch takes the cake — and inspired her to create an online kitsch museum. Hear Allee tell tales of tackiness, tunes, and throwing parties!  The Allee Willis Museum of Kits...