Story Flashback: Meet the couple behind the 'Oddities' flea market — a traveling shop selling the world's spookiest antiques
Ryan Matthew Cohn and Regina Cohn. | Cody Smyth
I've always wanted to be a writer because I essentially get paid to tell stories. I started out writing horror scripts, and I still hold on to the hope that one day I may be able to pen one for TV or film.
As I grew up, I still loved horror but found myself writing about many other subjects by force and choice. Today, cannabis is my primary focus, but it isn't my only interest. When I get the opportunity to write about something that isn't plant-focused, I revel in the chance.
One of the more horror-adjacent worlds I've always found myself loving is oddities. I've always been fond of offbeat things, people, history, stories, or otherwise. Growing up, one of my favorite shows was Oddities on the Discovery Channel. I remember the shop intern, Ryan, being one of those offbeat personalities. His passion for obscure history gave him a believable feel when reality TV was slowly fading away from authentic personalities.
Oddities would eventually finish, and I sort of fell out of the loop with oddities and Obscura, save for the random trips to shops and flea markets when I came across them. That changed a few years ago when I learned about the quarterly Oddities Flea Market beginning in Brooklyn. I learned the Cohns were behind it, sealing my interest. I was hooked the first time around. I attended the first few years' events in Brooklyn. The punk-ish, DIY gathering steadily grew with each iteration. In time, the flea market progressed from a three-story space at Brooklyn Bazaar into a more extensive, multi-city event that sustained the pandemic era.
I got to speak with Ryan and Regina Cohn in 2021 as the couple transitioned from the all-digital pandemic era to their first events back in front of the public. I knew a good bit about Ryan before pursuing the article. But I didn't know much about Regina besides a broad summary of her work in the fashion space. After speaking with them, it became clear that the two have formed a dynamic Obscura duo. Ryan quickly praised Regina for creating a more structured business and a feminine perspective to Ryan's collection and selling.
Like many, the couple found themselves moving from what once didn't seem like cramped quarters in Brooklyn out to a much more spacious Connecticut setup. When I spoke with them for this Insider article, they were hard at work arranging their new Connecticut digs, complete with 6000 ft of livable space.
Appearing in Insider originally in March 2022, I'm proud to share this story and amplify a special subgroup of oddity lovers. The antique world, oddity or otherwise, has been reeling in recent years. Seeing folks like the cones survive the pandemic is refreshing. I hope they and others can continue to push on and find new footing in a post-pandemic era. Lord knows there will be a ton of odd mementos from the pandemic era. Someone will have to curate and sell them for us.
Read the full story on Regina and Ryan Matthew Cohn at Insider.