
Member Reviews

I enjoyed this! I love learning about oddities. It was full of wonderful unique stories. If you’re interested in the strange, macabre and history then this read is for you!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book! I am leaving an honest review.
I am fascinated by the obscure and the odd, so I was thrilled to receive a copy of this book. There was a lot to like here: the conversational tone, the stories that accompany the many strange and wonderful objects in their collection, the included images of some of the objects and their curiosities, like the carvings in the witch’s door. I enjoyed learning more about these objects and more about the authors through the included stories. I also appreciated the bookends created with the discussion of the door, which made this book feel cohesive despite the varied artifacts and content throughout. Their honesty when it came to hauntings and the supernatural was refreshing. If you are interested in the macabre, the strange, and its history, this is a great read!

I wasn't expecting this to be as much memoir as it was, but that turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Along with learning about the bizarre oddities and ephemera that they have witnessed and collected we get some very fun, moving, and creepy stories about the people who make up their community of collectors. There are a few genuinely creepy stories in this book but the majority of the stories are lovely tales about how interacting with the morbid and odd items they work with can unlock an even deeper understanding of humanity.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for the copy of this eARC for my honest review. All ratings and any reviews are opinions of my own.
This is a must have for any spooky aficionados out there! I love all things macabre and the history behind it.
I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy upon release.

A thoroughly enjoyable book! This is a must read for collectors of the unusual and fans of ODDITIES TV show. I hope the Cohns create more books.

Part memoir and part a history of gothic collections, RyanCohn and his wife Regina regale us with tales of the offbeat items they buy and sell as well as the collectors they came to know as a result. A totally engrossing read, I learned about the art of collecting while being wholly entertained by their adventures.

Great for fans of macabre/unusual history and who want to learn more about the antiques business. Appreciated the mix of stories and photography.

Thank you netgalley
This book is perfect for collectors.
Enter the small oddities shop, and you’re sure to find something interesting, regardless of personal belief in the paranormal. This book is full of interesting stories and images for any lover of the strange and unusual. (Yes beetle juice reference)
Readers should be aware, if looking at remains of human or animal aren’t your thing, this book will not be for you. While I don’t think there were any depictions of cruelty on the shop owners parts, some might find many of the origin stories here disturbing. It’s not a book for everyone.
That being said, I loved this.

A book of oddities focused primarily on death in both narrative and visual form.
The authors, two interesting people, tell of their adventures in buying, selling and marketing oddities. Ryan was on a TV show about them that I hadn’t heard of and Regina is his wife. They delight in being “spooky” people but also get down and dirty about the business, which is fascinating.

This book was not what I expected - I expected more photography and less memoir, and I was a little disappointed that the authors didn't really talk about the ethical implications of what they were doing by collecting remains like this even if they talked about the legalities. Not a bad book overall, but not something that I think I would purchase on my own. 2,5/5

This is one of THOSE books. You know, one that you have to share with everyone you know because there is so much to keep you engrossed during the binge read it turned into. There is so many stories and histories of those odd and one off "things" that each story will try to out do the next. Literally there is no one who will not find something in this book to say....WOW!

Fans of Guillermo Del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities will love this odd tale as the proprietors of a small business explore their unique and often gruesome finds with us. Learn the stories behind the. items, who they belonged to, and what led up to their being with us now.

If you like the weird and unusual, then you have to read this book. This book will come out during spooky season and let me tell you, I'm totally rereading it then.

I have been obsessed with oddities and the macabre for the last +/- 15 years but it really took off 10ish years ago when I first found Ryan Cohn on Oddities. I thought his work with skulls was fascinating but as life happens, hobbies come second to work and bills.
During COVID, I was reminded how much I loved all things weird. I was always hunting FB for things, when flea market’s picked up I would search… all because of a little bug in my brain planted by Cohn.
I loved this book. It was so informative but easily digestible. I’m so glad I got to read from Regina’s perspective as well. Super cool book.

Unfortunately I was not aware before requesting this ARC that it is not available to download to kindle and thus I cannot read it and give a review.

This is another book review from Lark! Woof! This one gets 5 tail wags from this pupper! This was a wonderful book full of oddities as the title states. This was very interesting to read and I enjoyed it so much I didn't even ask for my treat last night!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this unique book!
A wonderful exploration of the world of Oddities and the story that aligns with each one. Each chapter of the book is filled with gripping stories of the lore and world of Oddities.
This story drips with passion and hard work for the love of creating and replicating Oddities. This book should be sold at the Oddities Expos around the world! It literally starts from the bottom, and only goes up from there! I especially liked hearing about the Proposal in the Catacombs (lol). Ryan explains the history and cultural significance behind prominent pieces as well as processing and care for the craft of collecting, preparing, and creating art that can come from all kinds of oddities. This book debunks myths about oddities as well as how to spot fakes, in some cases.
“You never know what you’ll find—even in your own collection”

A phenomenal book! Full of interesting photographs of antiques and oddities, as well as the histories of those items and personal anecdotes.
The cover immediately reminded me of Dr. Mutter's Marvels. I think it will be a perfect addition to my collection, because I absolutely love books like this.