I got about 40% of the way through this and DNF'd it, although I did skim through the last half. From the synopsis, it seemed like the oddities that Ryan and Regina collected and dealt with would be a more prominent part of the book. It was described as "packed with jaw-dropping photographs," but I would say roughly half of the photos were of Ryan and Regina themselves or of people they knew/met along their collecting journey. This is definitely more a memoir of how Ryan was interested in curious items from a child and the story of his life than it is a look at the oddities and curiosities that they gathered along the way. I think this book should be more prominently marketed as a memoir than as "Oddities and Tales from the Esoteric to the Extreme." From the description, I definitely expected more about the items they collected and the stories or "tales" behind those items. Also, of the items that were included, many were about the exploding skulls and jewelry that Ryan himself made or altered and so it seemed less focused on interesting pieces and more of a "hey look at what I can do, you should check out my stuff."

The Witch’s Door is primarily the memoir of Ryan Cohn, who became a collector at a very early age and turned that passion into profit to become one of the foremost collectors of oddities in the world. It is also in part written by his wife Regina, who brought her business sense to the endeavor and pioneered the Oddities Flea Market.

I loved their tales of collecting and the people they encountered along the way. This book definitely focuses more on their personal experiences and while their favorite artifacts are talked about at length and pictured on the page, this isn’t just a book of photographs.

Some of the pieces in their collection gave me weird vibes for sure, but on the whole was fascinated by their lives. I appreciate the lengths they go to ensure the legality of their collecting, but I did also feel some type of way about the tribal artifacts they have collected, and while it was always mentioned that the collection was legal, there was less mention of their ethics.

On the whole I think this book would be the best fit for a reader that likes memoir, and/or has a particular interest in antiques, oddities, art, or curation.

I hate writing negative reviews. I want to start by saying I love all things dark, witchy, and strange. I thought this book was going to be like that. I wasn't aware it was from the show Oddities and I was excited when I found out. Which is why it is so hard to write this negative review. I had to DNF it at about 100 pages. It was just so frustrating. The book starts by talking about the things they collected and while I understand that just because I see the sacredness of items doesn't mean others do. This book just felt so icky. The way they discuss the items felt so disrespectful. While talking about Kapala's there are pictures of the two of them making out in a photo booth and they talk about how they found it at a flea market like it was an old vase. But what really caused me to abandon the book was the completely disrespectful way they talked about the time they accidentally sold a stolen shrunken head. I was so disappointed. Sacred items should not be a centerpiece to show how edgy you are.

1 star

This book was amazing! Its been at least a decade since I have read a full length non fiction book and of all the books in the world I'm so glad that this one made its way to me. There is not a chapter in this book that is not absolutely fascinating. I have so many things floating around in my head that i never thought I would have the know how of. I now know how exploded skulls are made and work, I could in theory make my own shrunken head. A skill I will keep under wraps until the Apocalypse of course. I have an extremely profound new respect for these collections and their respected collectors. I have always had a keen fascination for oddities and tend to lean towards the darker end of the spectrum. I just honestly don't know what else to say. I loved this book so so much and I cannot wait to get my hands on a hard copy for my collection!!

Witch's Door: Oddities and Tales from the Esoteric to the Extreme
by: Ryan Matthew Cohn + Regina M. Cohn
due 10-1-24
Chronicle Prism
5.0 stars

I am blowing kisses .....I fell in love with this book. It is exactly what you would want from a book by Ryan and Regina Cohn. Strange, Extreme and absolutely wonderful. I was (still am, actually)a huge fan of the television series,'Oddities'. Ryan starred on the reality show and every episode I marvelled at the wild and awesome adventures finding real and true artifacts, and their presentation of them. Ryan is so personable and fun, it made the show even better.

Ryan and Regina kept the dream alive, after the tv series, by forming and founding 'Oddities Flea Market', curating the best artists and collectors of taxidermy, oddities and dark art. It is an actual flea market, and is held in different cities across the USA (and beyond), throughout the year; and is one of the few places you actually can go to see and purchase these amazing artifacts outside a museum. Ryan and Regina travel and scope the world looking for purchases of the odd, strange and extreme. Regina is the co-founder and producer of 'Oddities Flea Market'. Her dedication and hard work helped to expand the Flea Market, from Brooklyn to LA - Chicago- Seattle and many more cities. I loved reading about how they found the actual artifacts, the people they met and dealt with while searching and finding them. It was so interesting to find out what seperated the pieces they kept, from the ones they pass on, of purchase for re-sale. Like, Mr.Peepers, the taxidermy monkey, decorated Kapala skulls. Haunted dolls, and an actual, real Witch's Door. And so many more.... Fascinating stuff.

This is a collectible book I am looking forward to purchasing for myself. Ryan and Regina are such awesome people. Filled with daring photographs and stories, presented with excellence and finesse. Unbelievibly real and true, check this out. I highly recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley for sending this e-book ARC for review.
#WitchsDoor #NetGalley

This book gives a interesting look into a niche world. Each chapter is filled with gripping stories in the world of oddities. I was very interested to learn how Ryan Cohn became interested in these items like skulls, shrunken heads, and how he works with collectors.

Rating: 3.75 rounded up. I recently joined Netgalley, and this was my first ARC. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. As other reviewers have mentioned, this book serves mostly as an autobiography for the collectors. While I thought the engagement story and others were humorous and entertaining, I found many of the sections to be repetitive. The progression wasn't chronological so the author spent time revisiting some of the same details. This worked in a sense that the Witch's Door was the introduction and conclusion. Metaphorically, doors serve as portals that can defy space and time, and when I thought if it that way, it didn't bother me. I wish there had been a little more focus on sub-categories of oddities, history, detection of authenticity, etc. Since the author related collectibles along his journey to memories associated with tattoos, I'm sure there are plenty of other stories that could've been shared about individual pieces. Maybe they were not included because the acquisition of collections that had been most career-altering.

P.S.: I hope Mr. Peepers can be restored to full glory.

"The Witch's Door" by Ryan Matthew Cohn and Regina M. Rossi is a really interesting read. As a lover of dark academia and all things spooky and weird, I felt like I was invited into a secret world full of fascinating oddities and curiosities. If you're a fan of "Oddities," you'll definitely find this book intriguing.

That said, I was a bit surprised by how much the book focused on the authors' personal lives. I was expecting more stories about oddities and curiosities. While I appreciate learning about their background, it wasn't exactly what I was looking for. Still, it's a compelling read if you're into the peculiar and the extraordinary.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the huge collection of oddities and strange objects within it. There are lots of pictures and stories about these weird and wonderful pieces. I would have liked more focus on the objects and less on the personal journey of the authors and their collection, though it does give good insight into the world of collectors.

This book is an autobiography and I ended up skimming the second half of the book.

When I received this book, I honestly had no idea it would be a piece of non-fiction or an autobiography. I think I thought it would be another paranormal or fantasy story.

Instead, its the first person narrative of how Ryan Cohn, from the TV Show Oddities, came into being interested in items like skulls, shrunken heads, etc. How he formed collections, preserved pieces, worked with collectors, started House of Wax and more. While parts of this book were interesting, such as the history behind shrunken heads and the real-life photos of item he talks about in the book, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

I got bored half way thru and started skimming the book. So... you could say this is a DNF for me. BUT I do believe that if oddities are interesting to you, you'd probably like hearing about it from Ryan- he's definitely a scholar of it.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC

4.0

The Witch's Door is filled with images and the narrative of both authors learning about their passion of the esoteric. Beginning from the interest in certain hobbies such as collecting skull pieces and fashioning it into an exploded skull. It is an eye opener to these bizarre and eccentric activities. I find it to be fascinating, a good introduction, and contains a lot of historical information and a balance with the author's experiences. I appreciated the images chosen, as a lot of reviewers have mentioned, unless you are familiar with the hobby, it's difficult to understand the process without having a visual guide.

Literature that can help expand your knowledge and mindset. I would definitely pick this up once it arrives on the shelves, as this is an entertaining read that I can pick up over and over again.

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
This was such a uniquely beautiful and interesting book. I read through it in one day because I wanted to see what other treasures were amoung the pages!

While this book will not be for everyone, it will certainly find its way to those who will appreciate and enjoy the content.

Part memoir for Regina M. Rossi and Ryan Cohn, part oddity extravaganza. It was fun to hear about their stories, both individually and together and learn about the fascinating items they have come across over the years. To be able to see some of the curiosities in the book is such a treat because most of us will never be able to see those items outside of a book. Absolute treasure, thoroughly enjoyed!!!

Thank you to the authors, Regina M. Rossi and Ryan Cohn, NetGalley and the publisher, Chronicle Books, for the opportunity to read this book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. The book is set to publish October 1, 2024, perfect for spooky season!👻

#TheWitchsDoor #NetGalley

Thank you for the EArc Chronicle Books and NetGalley. The Witches Door takes us through the collections of both Ryan and Regina and others. The book hi-lights some of their more interesting pieces and tells the story of their romance as well as how their business came to be. I am hoping there’s a sequel so we can see more of their collection and hear the tales behind them. Incredibly fascinating book and I am going to seek out some of their tv shows.

I thought this book was more so going to be exclusively about oddities and curiosities. It was more like a life story. While I appreciate it, it’s not what I was looking for.

I loved it! As someone who loves historical artifacts along with the interesting stories behind them and just a lover of history period, this book was right up my alley. I enjoyed this book from cover to cover. I also enjoyed the section about the McCarthy Dolls, ( I'm a believer in the paranormal as well) This book was well-written and presented in a fun and down-to-earth manner. I give this book a thumbs up! I highly recommend reading this book.

This book is fascinating! The writing is light and casual; it feels like you are listening to a story being told by friends. I love the art and the overall feeling of the book, it is so creepy and spooky but you will not want to put it down! Bravo!

This book is part memoir about Ryan and Regina and part discussion about the oddities they have come to collect over the years. I enjoyed reading about the different items they have. The book is broken into different sections based off of what items are going to be talked about. I enjoyed reading more about these items.
*Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a review.

The Witch's Door, by Ryan Matthew Cohn, Regina M. Rossi is absolutely fascinating. I learned about things I have never even thought of before. I felt like I've been invited into a secret world, and I want to know more. This is the perfect book for fans of "Oddities" and beyond.

This was a fun book. I had heard of the author before. It was a fun peak into the world of the oddities market (which I've always wanted to go to) and the person behind it.

I've been following both Ryan and Regina for many years and have a small collection of oddities myself, so this book was naturally a must-read for me.

*The Witch's Door* feels like an intimate tour through their histories and home. Learning the stories behind the faces that have graced my social media feeds for so long was an enlightening and exciting experience. While I was already familiar with many of the works featured, discovering the tales of their creation and acquisition only deepened my respect and admiration for this unique power couple.

The photographs in the book are stunning and contribute perfectly to its immersive feel. But of course, I expected nothing less from such proven masters of aesthetics.

Overall, this was an easy 10/10 for me, and I'm so grateful that this book exists.

Thanks to NetGalley & Chronicle Books for blessing me with the ARC!