The Witch's Door
Oddities and Tales from the Esoteric to the Extreme
by Ryan Matthew Cohn, Regina M. Rossi
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Pub Date Oct 01 2024 | Archive Date Oct 01 2024
Chronicle Books | Chronicle Prism
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Description
In this spellbinding and entertaining memoir, Regina M. Rossi and Ryan Cohn, founders of Oddities Flea Market, take us on a fascinating and specially curated tour of their most macabre and mysterious objects, art, and artifacts, sharing their incredible history and stories.
Enter at your own risk …
A taxidermied monkey named Mr. Peepers. A rare collection of anatomical wax figures for sale in Munich. A Tibetan Kapala skull decorated with bits of coral. Two Charlie McCarthy dolls that may (or may not) be haunted. The incredible memento mori collection of Richard Harris. An actual witch’s door. That’s all just for starters.
Welcome to a world of oddities curated by Regina M. Rossi and Ryan Cohn, trendsetters and tastemakers who have reinvented what the artifact collectors market looks like. Together, they are the founders of Oddities Flea Market, artfully curating a selection of the best artists and collectors at several events across the U.S. throughout the year, with an eye towards expanding globally. In The Witch’s Door, Ryan, who starred in the reality television show Oddities, and Regina, who comes from the world of fashion, give us a rare peek behind the curtain into the business of collecting the strange and unusual and the cast of eccentric characters they meet along the way.
Packed with jaw-dropping photographs and unbelievable-but-true stories, The Witch’s Door is a rare combination of visual and narrative entertainment. In these pages, Ryan and Regina take readers all over the world, from Brooklyn to Bavaria, giving them the inside scoop on how they purchase artifacts to sell and those they want to keep. Perfect for fans of Oddities, Atlas Obscura, and Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, this collectible book makes a delightfully lurid gift or self-purchase for those happily inclined toward the dark side.
Advance Praise
“America’s first family of the macabre presents not just the stories of arcane objects, but of the people who created them, nurtured them, and loved them. We meet not just Ryan and Regina, but Nick the police sergeant, the mysterious Max Wax, creepy Carla Coffin, and a whole cast of others who have squirreled away priceless objects. The Witch’s Door is as much a character study as is it is a book about oddities—and that is what makes it essential reading.”
—Paul Koudinaris, author The Empire of Death and Heavenly Bodies
“OBSESSED with this peek behind the black velvet curtain of how Ryan and Regina built their uniquely jaw-dropping collection of gothic, chic, mind-blowing oddities. I felt like I was there with them as they traveled the world to meet with passionate art dealers, crazed collectors, and eccentrically badass weirdos. This is must-read for anyone interested in curios and strange, alluring objects. The Witch’s Door is a macabre portal that reminds us that if we live among death, we live life the fullest even more.”
—Jill Kargman, New York Times bestselling author
“This is a delightfully eccentric tour of the authors’ offbeat world of collecting. It’s a powerful reminder of the enthralling stories that objects have to tell us about ourselves, and of the adventures they can engender in seeking them out.”
—Lindsey Fitzharris, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Butchering Art and The Facemaker
“Ryan and Regina painstakingly curate the absolute weirdest, coolest, most unconventionally beautiful things a brain could imagine. You will love this compilation of weird, wonderful ephemera as it is an odd window into two of my favorite souls.
—Steve Burns
Available Editions
| EDITION | Hardcover |
| ISBN | 9781797229584 |
| PRICE | $30.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 304 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Amber T, Reviewer
I just happened to come across this one on netgalley and though it looked very intriguing and i actually ended up liking it so much. Its not something i would normally but i really like it.
Persephone H, Reviewer
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.
Luna S, Reviewer
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”
Crossroad Reviews ~, Bookseller
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!!
Reviewer 1111956
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.
Sierra G, Reviewer
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.
Katherine M, Reviewer
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.
Denice L, Reviewer
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!
Media/Journalist 144784
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.
Britt K, Book Trade Professional
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.
Media/Journalist 526791
Great for fans of macabre/unusual history and who want to learn more about the antiques business. Appreciated the mix of stories and photography.
Librarian 1407844
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.
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