For Keeps

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. Nearly three decades later, collector Jon Pederson still celebrates the card's crazy history at BillRipken.com, a showcase for the many variations of the "FF" card that he's collected over the years. Jon's Bill Ripken card website • Photographer Steve...

From fragments of rocket heat shields to a hunk of Skylab, Tina Stagg has assembled quite the collection of space exploration memorabilia — much of which has actually flown in space, and all of which is on display in her space-themed home in Hobart, Australia. Hear Tina describe how her love of space history puts her over the moon! Space Hipsters group on Facebook • Opening theme: "Keepers" by Sti...

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 leaving a positive comment on Fab's website. Since then, Todd has remained a true fan of Fab and Milli Vanilli — and it was only a matter of time before the two crossed paths again. Fab's website • Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin' • Closing th...

A secretive New York City artist sets up a phone line to collect the apologies of strangers via anonymous messages — picking up where another artist, the late Allan Bridge, left off two decades earlier. Also, Marissa Bridge shares memories of her former husband. Mr. Apology's website • Facebook page for the original Apology Line • Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin' • Closing theme: "Slow Dra...

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 two (!) tiki bars, and her family's deep connection with the islands. Los Angeles magazine article on Mary's collection • Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin' • Closing theme: "Slow Draw/Feeling In My Heart" by Eric Frisch • Additional music by Blue...

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 restored himself. Southwest Airlines magazine story on the Pit • Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin' • Closing theme: "Slow Draw/Feeling In My Heart" by Eric Frisch • Additional mus...

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 obsession — he's got roughly 1,000 boards in his home. Murch's website • Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin' • Closing theme: "Slow Draw/Feeling In My Heart" by Eric Frisch • Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions • www.forkeepspodcast.com

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 medium for her artwork. Samantha's website • Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin' • Closing theme: "Slow Draw/Feeling In My Heart" by Eric Frisch • Additional music by Tom Heyman • www.forkeepspodcast.com

British researcher Irving Finkel discusses his passion for collecting diaries and launching the Great Diary Project, which he says has "rescued" thousands of diaries from oblivion. The Great Diary Project website • Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin' • Closing theme: "Slow Draw/Feeling In My Heart" by Eric Frisch • Additional music by Chris Zabriskie and Blue Dot Sessions • www.forkeepspodcas...

Vintage Los Angeles curator Alison Martino chats about her zeal for history and lifelong penchant for collecting, which has resulted in an unmatched collection of L.A. restaurant memorabilia, photographs, postcards, and matchbooks. Vintage Los Angeles page on Facebook •  Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin'  •  Closing theme: "Slow Draw/Feeling In My Heart" by Eric Frisch  •  Additional music:...

Game-worn uniforms, helmets, an actual Gold Glove, even an electric guitar — the Montreal Expos memorabilia that superfan Perry Giannias has amassed over the years remains quite impressive, more than a decade after his hometown baseball team headed to Washington. And now, Perry has turned his passion for the Expos into a meaningful fundraiser for pediatric cancer research. Expos Fest website  •  O...

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 much-loved toy and a maker of her own reels.    Rebecca's View-Master web pages • Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin'  •  Closing theme: "Slow Draw/Feeling In My Heart" by Eric Frisch  •  Additional music by Jingle Punks  •  www.forkeepspodcast.com

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 stash.  Kelly's World of Airsickness Bags website  •  Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin'  •  Closing theme: "Slow Draw/Feeling In My Heart" by Eric Frisch  •  Additional music by Bird Creek  •  www.forkeepspodcast.com

Retired schoolteacher Elizabeth Meaders has amassed an inspiring — and exhaustive — collection of African-American historical items, which she's curated over the past five decades and keeps in her New York City home.  Elizabeth's collection online  •  Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin'  •  Closing theme: "Slow Draw/Feeling In My Heart" by Eric Frisch  •  Additional music by the Sutter Street...

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 single to make it onto  Billboard magazine's Hot 100 chart since the chart debuted in 1958. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Record Research Inc. website  •  Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin'  •  Closing theme: "Slow Draw/Feeling In My Hear...

Lunch box collector Dee Speed talks about her hundreds of vintage lunch boxes and the lasting appeal of their distinctive designs.  Collectors Weekly article about Dee's collection (from 2010) •  Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin'  •  Closing theme: "Slow Draw/Feeling In My Heart" by Eric Frisch  •  Background music by Blue Dot Sessions  •  www.forkeepspodcast.com

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. Ken's website   • Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin'  •  Closing theme: "Slow Draw/Feeling In My Heart" by Eric Frisch  •  Additional music by Matt Oakley

Candace Jordan talks about her life as a Playboy Bunny, a Playboy playmate, and now arguably the world's premier collector of Playboy memorabilia, including many items given to her by the magazine's legendary founder, Hugh Hefner. Candace's blog  •  Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin'  •  Closing theme: "Slow Draw/Feeling In My Heart" by Eric Frisch  •  Additional music by Cook County •  www....

Lloyd "Pink" Gardner, trainer and travel secretary for the American Basketball Association's 1974-75 champion Kentucky Colonels, discusses his extensive collection of Colonels and ABA memorabilia — along with some impressive baseball, football, and boxing collectibles he's acquired over the years. Lloyd's books on the Colonels and ABA history  •  Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin'  •  Closin...

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 World Records .  Deb's Most Pooh website  •  Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin'  •  Closing theme: "Slow Draw/Feeling In My Heart" by Eric Frisch  •  Background score by Blue Dot Sessions  •  www.forkeepspodcast.com

Got tuba? Retired musician and instrument salesman Vince Simonetti certainly does — several hundred of them, in fact — and they're all on display in the Vincent & Ethel Simonetti Historic Tuba Collection, which he and his wife have operated in Durham, North Carolina since its grand opening in 2016.  Vincent & Ethel Simonetti Historic Tuba Collection website  •  Opening theme: "Keepers" by  Still F...

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 "Fanilows." Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin'  •  Closing theme: "Slow Draw/Feeling In My Heart" by Eric Frisch  •  Background score by Blue Dot Sessions  •  www.forkeepspodcast.com

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 photos  of Sue's Slinky collection! •  Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin'  •  Closing theme: "Slow Draw/Feeling In My Heart" by Eric Frisch  •  Background score by Blue Dot Sessions  • www.forkeepspodcast.com

Danny Biederman discusses his decades-long obsession with collecting "spy-fi" props and costumes — including items from James Bond films, TV series including "Get Smart" and "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," and spy spoofs such as "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery." Opening theme: "Keepers" by  Still Flyin'  •  Closing theme: "Slow Draw/Feeling In My Heart" by  Eric Frisch  •  Additional music...

Steve Soboroff discusses his growing collection of typewriters once owned by some of the 20th century's biggest historical figures — including John Lennon, Joe DiMaggio, and Ted "The Unabomber" Kaczynski. Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin'  •  Closing theme: "Slow Draw/Feeling In My Heart" by Eric Frisch  •  Background score by Blue Dot Sessions  • www.forkeepspodcast.com