I wanted more stories on the oddities and less of the author and his wife's life. On the plus side now I know how to make shrunken heads.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

⭐️3.5⭐️

Regina and Ryan are fascinating people in a fascinating line of work, and this book was truly interesting to read.

Growing up, my grandparents were collectors. I remember being dragged along to antique stores and sitting in auctions throughout most of my childhood, so this gave an insider look into some of my childhood memories.

Fluctuating between memoir and nonfiction recounting of different objects works pretty well throughout the book, but at times it did feel a bit disjointed.

Overall an enjoyable read, and I had fun recognizing a few of the people throughout the book who I had no idea were a part of the world of collecting!

A wondrous collection of stories from the macabre for those interested in oddities and fascinating history. Many thanks to Netgalley and Chronicle Books | Chronicle Prism for access to the digital ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed these first hand accounts of Ryan and Regina. A physical manifestation of an oddities expo fit for any person who finds themselves to be within the esoteric. As someone whose a long time follower of persons like Zak Bagans and his rendition of a collection of oddities within his Haunted Museum; or Greg and Dana Newkirks mobile museum of the unexplained, I found this title to be an exceptional addition to the realm. Perfect for anyone who identifies with these interests, this title will be a positive addition to their collection! Clear your mind, grab a coffee and sit down for a personal discussion of the Cohn's collection. Totally recommend! Great photos, unlike anything I have on my shelf. I can even see this title gaining praise from my favorite podcast narrators on Morbid a True Crime podcast it is just that interesting, matches up well with their mini series regarding listener tales.

This book is so fascinating. I liked all the pictures of oddities and the history of some of the pieces in Ryan and Regina's collection. I also enjoyed the details about other collectors with whom they have done business. This story also makes you think about what your ultimate goal should be for your collection.

3.5. This book has so much potential. It’s going to be beautiful with photos and formatting. I love wonder cabinets and medical artifacts. However, half this book is the memoir of the writers who are collectors themselves. Now, I worked in museums before I became a teacher, and love collectors, but I wasn’t expecting quite so much personal memoir. Like many collectors, Ryan is very interested in himself. I wanted a beautiful, historical book for students to page through and learn about relentlessly wonderful history. There is some of that here. The sections on the meaning and significance of artifacts are well done. There’s just not nearly enough of it,

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.