Throughout his life, Ebsen had many interests. He became a folk artist and an avid coin collector, co-founding the Beverly Hills Coin Club in 1987 with actor Chris Aable. Ebsen's collection included many rarities such as a four-dollar gold piece worth $200,000. The coin was sold in several auctions both before and after his death. As Ebsen entered his nineties, he continued to keep active, and two years before his death, his bestselling novel "Kelly's Quest" was published. Ebsen wrote several other books including "Polynesian Concept" (about sailing), "The Other Side of Oz" (an autobiography) and "Sizzling Cold Case" (a mystery based on his Barnaby Jones character).