Subscribe
Sign in
Home
Categories
Merchandise
Archive
About
Latest
Top
Discussions
The Surprisingly Deep “Sanforized” Rabbit Hole
It’s a ubiquitous term on old clothing labels. But what does it mean, and why are there so many different versions of it?
Jul 16
•
Paul Lukas
27
12
The Colorful Little Road Markers with a Story to Tell
Design is all around us if you know where to look, and right underfoot is a good place to start.
Jul 14
•
Paul Lukas
39
11
2
A Different Kind of Ticket Collection
A Washington insider saved a trove of tickets from presidential inaugurations and other rarefied events he attended. Let’s take a look!
Jul 9
•
Paul Lukas
37
5
2
Your Coin Toss Stories
Inconspicuous Consumption readers discuss the coins they toss when working as referees, and in other situations.
Jul 7
•
Paul Lukas
26
15
1
Resurrecting the Half-Dollar, One Transaction at a Time
The 50-cent piece is our most inconspicuous coin, which makes it ideal for a project that’s currently unfolding at a Maine retail shop.
Jul 1
•
Paul Lukas
36
16
1
June 2026
The Names We Give Our Grandparents
Gramps? Grandpa? Pop-Pop? How do we decide what to call these beloved family members?
Jun 25
•
Paul Lukas
33
70
3
The Power of the Unlikely Time Capsule
As I recently discovered, even the most random-seeming artifact can unlock a series of potent memories.
Jun 23
25
11
1
The Pleasures of Improvised Bookmarks
A recent Inconspicuous News Roundup included an item about a guy who works at a bookstore collects the improvised bookmarks that people have left in the…
Jun 18
•
Paul Lukas
32
22
1
A Very Special Postal Art Project
For 36 years, a man mailed letters to himself and matched his handwriting on the envelopes to the visual themes of the stamps, with amazing results.
Jun 16
•
Paul Lukas
41
7
3
The Pleasures of Paying With Cash
A recent purchase left me with an interesting piece of change, which sent me down a fun new rabbit hole. Plus a new Inconspicuous News Roundup!
Jun 11
•
Paul Lukas
28
18
1
Can You Design a New Inconspicuous Consumption T-Shirt?
If so, then I have a project for you. Plus a new Inconspicuous News Roundup!
Jun 4
•
Paul Lukas
27
13
1
What Did People Die of 140 Years Ago?
Can laryngitis be fatal? What exactly is “Fatty Heart”? We look into these and other intriguing questions raised by an 1884 cemetery ledger.
Jun 2
•
Paul Lukas
28
17
1
This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please
turn on JavaScript
or unblock scripts
