# Strange Interests/ obsessions do you have/ had? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 8, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-interests-obsessions-do-you-have-had/467005 "2008-10-08T15:30:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frustrated\_Wonderer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a4c791/32.png) [@Frustrated\_Wonderer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frustrated_Wonderer)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-interests-obsessions-do-you-have-had/467005/1 "2008-10-08T15:30:09Z")
We´ve all had our fair bit of weird interests in the past. Sometimes these interests are a bit weird. Over the years, I´ll say that I´ve had weird obsessions with: Soccer Cars Atheism Marijuana Pink Floyd Don´t know exatly why, but at each stage in my life, all these subjects at one time had become the focus of most of my attention. What starnge Interests/ Obsessions have you had? ---
**Author:** ![Litoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@Litoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Litoris)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-interests-obsessions-do-you-have-had/467005/2 "2008-10-08T15:57:25Z")
I am one of those people that obsesses (learns everything about a subject) and then moves on, so my list would be way too long for anyone to want to read, but some of the stranger things include: [ul] [li]rocks, minerals, crystals – this was in 4th grade, and I can still recognise far too many with ease[/li][li]playing violin, I wish I could focus enough to become better, but it took me about a month to get the basics and learn one song[/li][li]Marie Antoinette[/li][li]The Bell Witch – who, contrary to what the name implies appears to be more of a poltergeist than anything else, going by textbook definitions[/li][li]cat genetics[/li][/ul] Yes, I know far too much about far too many subjects. It’s a sickness. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-interests-obsessions-do-you-have-had/467005/3 "2008-10-08T19:05:51Z")
Wood (as in, 200+ samples of different wood species in my basement stash, every unmarked piece identifiable by me, with a Latin name, in a couple seconds). Guillotines (ever since as a child, I’ve had a fascination for these über-cool machines, spending class by drawing up guillotine blade release mechanisms etc.) World records. (Not having read the Guinness book or other source for two decades, I can still cite many obscure records by name and year, by heart). ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-interests-obsessions-do-you-have-had/467005/4 "2008-10-08T20:02:44Z")
Things I have obsessed about: collecting comic books (especially “the Mighty Avengers”) the old 60s TV show “Dark Shadows”, and the original “Doctor Who.” the Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin & “the Sound of San Francisco .” horror movies of any kind. Facebook. Salvadore Dali artwork. Mae West. cowboy boots. leather jackets. Books by Margaret Atwood. Books by John Gardner. Books by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-interests-obsessions-do-you-have-had/467005/5 "2008-10-08T20:09:12Z")
Over the years: The Who U2 Tall ships Jeeves and Wooster San Diego Las Vegas ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-interests-obsessions-do-you-have-had/467005/6 "2008-10-09T12:29:40Z")
UFOs/Ancient Astronauts Vampires Neo-Paganism The Great Pyramid Anglo-Israelism Pre-existence & Reincarnation ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-interests-obsessions-do-you-have-had/467005/7 "2008-10-09T13:13:32Z")
Bugs Bunny (that lasted until my late 20s) Duran Duran (age 12 - 14 and obsession is an understatement!) Palm Reading (about 5 years ago) Past Life Regression (about 10 years ago) Oddly enough, I don’t have any current obsessions. No, I take that back. I’m obsessed with my new exercise program, but that’s not strange. ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-interests-obsessions-do-you-have-had/467005/8 "2008-10-09T13:44:30Z")
Mine has been: UFOs Vampires Neo-Paganism [even though I’ve been Pagan since 1989] Pre-existence & Reincarnation Rocks, minerals and crystals Horse genetics How nuclear reactors work ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-interests-obsessions-do-you-have-had/467005/9 "2008-10-09T14:00:56Z")
Genealogy Marching Band / Drum Corps Photography (originally wet & later, dry) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-interests-obsessions-do-you-have-had/467005/10 "2008-10-09T14:09:12Z")
None of these are _particularly_ strange… RMS _Titanic_ - I went through a phase when I was 7 or 8 years old that I was absolutely obssessed with the ship and its 1912 loss. My mom tells a story about me once running home so excitedly from school and bursting through the door, she thought I must have gotten an A+ on an exam or gotten my first kiss. I shouted, “Did you know that the bars on British ships open at 2pm on Sundays?” (or some other similarly obscure factoid; I don’t remember the incident but don’t doubt her in the least). World War II, especially warplanes - In my early teens. _Star Trek_ and _Star Wars_- In my later teens, and still a bit today. The American Civil War - From the time of the Ken Burns PBS series, more or less through to today. LOTR and Tolkien’s other writings - For a couple of decades now. When my older sister, whose interest in Tolkien long predated mine, said (unprompted by me) that my knowledge of Middle-earth had surpassed hers, I was one happy camper. American historic flags - Since my Boy Scout days. ---
**Author:** ![Pixilated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aeb1de/32.png) [@Pixilated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixilated)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-interests-obsessions-do-you-have-had/467005/11 "2008-10-09T14:10:06Z")
Alice Cooper Quiet Riot Gaelig (although I’ve forgotten almost all of it) Walter Macken Anne Rice (and her books) Palmistry Astrology Tarot Ghost Hunting cemetaries Runes - there was a time when I could write letters using Runes as the alphabet and could read them fluently as well. ---
**Author:** ![trupa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@trupa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trupa)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-interests-obsessions-do-you-have-had/467005/12 "2008-10-09T14:49:04Z")
My biggest obsessive-must-learn-everything-about topics of the last decade: -WWII history -Fountain pens -Square-rigged tall ships & the history of the British navy in the Napoleonic wars -the 1911 pistol & handgun markmanship -WWI history ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-interests-obsessions-do-you-have-had/467005/13 "2008-10-09T15:53:33Z")
> [@BaneSidhe](#): > > Mine has been: > UFOs > Vampires > Neo-Paganism [even though I’ve been Pagan since 1989] > Pre-existence & Reincarnation > … Copycat 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-interests-obsessions-do-you-have-had/467005/14 "2008-10-09T16:21:47Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > World records. (Not having read the Guinness book or other source for two decades, I can still cite many obscure records by name and year, by heart). Largest Weighing Scale Collection?