Hobbies People Pretend Are Cool but Are Secretly Ridiculous
Everyone has that one friend who drops their hobby into conversation like it deserves instant respect. People nod along out of politeness while quietly wondering how this became such a serious commitment. These hobbies are often framed as impressive or cultured, even when they demand significant time and money. No one says anything out loud, but some of them are undeniably ridiculous.
Collecting Sneakers You Never Wear
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Estate sales tell the story collectors ignore. Perfect Air Jordans sit untouched in boxes, then sell for almost nothing because the owner waited for value that never came. Sneakers are built to be worn. Movement keeps the glue from breaking down. Yet some people refuse to bend their knees for photos, all to protect a shoe that never leaves the shelf.
Overlanding Without Actually Going Anywhere
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“Buyhard” is the term hiking forums use for people who jump into a hobby by buying elite gear before learning how to use it. Overlanding has its own version. In Colorado, lifted 4Runners packed with premium accessories crowd grocery store parking lots, even though they rarely leave pavement. The miles pile up in the city while the owners talk up adventures that never quite come to pass.
Keeping Bourbon Bottles Sealed Forever
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One collector pulled out a rare bottle at a party and discussed the distillery, the limited release, and how he’d seen unopened versions selling online for over $2,000. Then he said, “But this one’s open, so let’s have some,” and poured generous glasses for anyone interested. Bourbon doesn’t improve after bottling, so leaving it sealed means evaporation eats your investment while you watch its theoretical value climb on online threads.
Funko Pop Walls
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Hand-crafted action figures take real skill, from sculpted faces to fabric clothing and careful posing. Funko Pops skip all of that. They are mass-produced vinyl with blank eyes and identical shapes. They cost little to make and still sell at a premium. People buy them by the hundreds, keep them boxed, and line them up on shelves like decorative objects rather than toys.
Crystal Healing As Identity
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Crystals are beautiful minerals with fascinating geological properties, but the culture around them feels more like fashion than function. One person left a crystal outside “to charge” in a city and seemed genuinely surprised when someone stole it. The real problem starts when sellers market crystals as medical treatments to sick people, convincing them that chunks of quartz can replace actual medicine or that realigning chakras will cure chronic conditions.
Guitars You Can’t Play
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Music stores have a favorite customer type who will drop serious money on a vintage Les Paul and let it sit next to other instruments they barely touch. One dad owns 44 guitars and has played the same riffs for decades, claiming they’re investments and that he’ll someday learning that Jimi Hendrix solo. All while serious musicians are busy working a $200 Squier at real shows.
Power Slapping Competitions
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A young man at a party didn’t want to participate, but his drunk friends insisted because they thought competitive slapping was harmless fun. He suffered a brain injury and died while his friends lied to his mother and to the police about what happened. That’s the reality behind footage of competitors getting knocked unconscious three times in a row and waking up within 15 seconds each time so the match can continue.
Street Takeovers
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One city had a recurring problem with takeover crews meeting outside the children’s hospital at 2 a.m., keeping sick kids awake because these guys needed to do donuts in an intersection for viral footage. Blocking traffic with a loud car and circling can be highly disruptive. It’s also not impressive to anyone who understands that tracks and garages exist as spaces where car culture happens.
Watching Other People Gamble on Livestreams
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BossManJack became internet-famous for all the wrong reasons as viewers watched him stream his gambling addiction while his mental health deteriorated with each session. Sometimes, he’d even punch holes in walls while his mom checked on him like he was still a teenager despite being in his 30s. Viewers get none of the action but waste their time, like watching “Jackass” while being too scared to get in the shopping cart.
Designer Shoes for Babies Who Can’t Walk
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Babies cannot walk or care about brand names, yet people still spend hundreds on designer sneakers they outgrow in months. These shoes exist for photos, not function. The logic falls apart fast. One person even bought expensive name-brand shoes for their niece, then got angry when she wore them outside and got them dirty, which is exactly what shoes are for.