Obscura Antiques and Oddities

When all things macabre, ghoulish and peculiar are required from a shopping trip, Obscura Antiques and Oddities should top the list of stores to visit in NYC. Obscura has enjoyed recent fame after being featured on the TV show Oddities, so there are often people there wanting to see what was shown on TV.

This makes for a more diverse crowd than is usually found at antique stores; indeed Obscura has become much more of a tourist attraction than a haven for serious dealers and shoppers. But this does not detract from the quality of goods on sale if the kind of things of interest includes mummified heads and hands, stuffed two-headed calves and bone-dice!

Obscura Antiques and Oddities is about a 45-minute walk away from Times Square, though it is possible to get public transport to the general area. There is nothing else particular of note in the area though, except maybe the evolution store, which is an 11 minutes walk away, and the 90’s old school apparel and toys shop “Mr. Throwback”, located only three blocks away.

It feels rather crammed inside – the space is small and with a handful of people inside, customers will already be knocking elbows. The owners of Obscura Antiques and Oddities are quick to chat with every customer though and make sure everyone is welcome and no question goes unanswered.

Prices are on the high side and it is tricky to find a cheap, novelty item to keep as a souvenir. $20 at least is needed for the smaller goods and t-shirts, and more than $200 should be budgeted for more unique items.