I see both. I tend to prefer them in their shell, simply because adding a bit of friction keeps me from eating too many, without having to buy like individual serving packs. Unlike the other things we call nuts, they’re easy enough to remove that it doesn’t get too tedious.
As far as eating peanuts, I do love them, but they’re hard on the digestion at this age.
Wait, is this something else I have to look forward to? First raw onions, soon peanuts?
That’s the way I can actually get them here – we have a good amount of asian grocery stores here, and a couple of them sell boiled peanuts. They are much firmer than the southern version, and less salty. So, I either eat them that way, which is a little less satisfying in terms of nostalgia, or I boil them some more at home, with a little extra salt.
I prefer in-shell peanuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds and even certain almonds. The process of shucking them with fingers, lips, teeth and tongue produces a nice aroma and crunch, and there’s that moment of anticipation before eating each one. As others have said, it also prevents overeating, which is my current challenge at this stage of growing old.
Because it’s so uniquely disappointing to gorge myself and, within a few minutes, to think, “Oh my God! What have I done?!!!” 
Every day is a new adventure.
Yay to peanuts, salty in the shell.
I love boiled peanuts. I like roasted in the shell peanuts, too. It’s just fun to eat with your hands and play with your food. Peanuts in the shell feel necessary at a ball game. It slows you down from snacking too much. There are fried peanuts out there of which you can eat the shell, but I didn’t care much for them. They were fun to try.
I grew up in West Africa and we grew peanuts in our garden. They grow on a vine that lays on the ground, not on a bush as many people assume.
We used to shell and eat them raw.
I love boiled peanuts. I love sucking the juice out of the shell. I haven’t had any in so long. I sure wish I had some right now.
I don’t like roasted peanuts though.
I loves salted in the shell and roasted peanuts. But I am a messy eater, so we don’t get them much nowadays. Still, my favorite way to have them, and the cheapest way around here.
This baffles me. I don’t doubt your childhood experience with peanuts, but that isn’t a remotely accurate description of a peanut plant.
There are peanut plants with a ground cover, spreading habit.
Oh, so it’s not just me then? Since about 45-ish I get a little queasy after eating a bunch of them. Didn’t used to be an issue for me.
The absolute best are roasted salted-in-shell Circus Peanuts. 
Roasted and salted in the shell! Love 'em. I first suck all of the salt off of the shell than open it and eat the peanuts. I know, kind of gross, but delicious. It’s an outdoors snack for sure.
Okay. So with that out of the way, has any of you developed super powers from eating the nuts?
I have never heard of boiled peanuts. What’s up with that? How do you eat them? What are they like?
It makes the peanut eat more like a bean. I love them and this thread made me try to buy some online. Holy cow, they are not a cheap snack like they used to be.
Seem pretty cheap to me.
https://www.walmart.com/grocery/ip/Peanut-Patch-Original-Boiled-Peanuts-25-oz/19399885
But I never considered that you could buy cans of pre-boiled peanuts. After all, the process of making your own is 1.) buy peanuts 2.) boil peanuts. My local grocery store sells unshelled peanuts in large burlap bags. I’m not sure how much weight. 20 lbs? I haven’t ever looked at the price, but I doubt that they are too expensive.