In the market for a possible haunted doll? Maybe a taxidermied mouse or a fart in a jar? How about an original painting by John Wayne Gacy?
If you even raised your eyebrow in curiosity, Bizarre Antiques & Oddities is the place to go.
Owner Erin Binger opened a San Luis Obispo location in January, moving from a smaller spot in Atascadero. Located at 1255 Monterey St., the new and larger Bizarre Antiques & Oddities shop sells anything and everything weird.
“The creepier the better. The weirder the better,” Binger said. “I specifically focus on strange and unusual items, haunted things with dark history, things that make people cringe, you know. But I also like the elegance of gold gilded, like the Victorian era mixed with the creepy, odd stuff—that’s what kind of brings it all together.”
When coming upon the shop, a friendly/maybe not-so-friendly clown greets you. Warning signs line the front windows, letting customers know this isn’t your typical oddities and antique shop.
There’s a giant moose head, which Binger said weighed at least 150 pounds. His name is Bruce the Moose. He’s for sale and nearly 80 years old.
Binger said it would be a sad day when he sells.
When you look past his giant head, other oddities jump out that require time to process, like a china cabinet that holds old dolls rescued from a burned building.
“Possibly haunted dolls,” a label warns.
Another cabinet features taxidermied animals from mice to coiled snakes.
Taxidermy inspired Binger to open a shop like this, after her child lost a beloved guinea pig and wanted it preserved.
“At the time, I was working at a funeral home, and I learned how to do embalming so he could have his guinea pig in a jar, and it just kind of came from there,” she said. “I just started realizing I can actually take things that are dead and decaying and turn them into something beautiful that lasts forever, right?”
From there, Binger turned to preserving things as small as insects and worked up to smaller mammals like rodents, receiving already deceased animals from farms and pet stores.
Selling such material is regulated by a strict code, Binger noted, adding that she can only sell domestic animals.
If you can hunt the animal in the state of California, she said she cannot sell it taxidermied, pointing to the antelope hanging from the wall.
“The deer and the antelopes, they have ‘Displayed only’ on them because they’re indigenous to California. So they’re not for sale. They’re just for display,” she said.
About 13 vendors add to the odd items in her shop. Vendors share the same “ambiance” she looks for—things like haunted dolls, skulls, and Victorian jewelry made from real human hair.
There’s also the unsettling artwork Binger has displayed by the register—an original painting of Charles Manson completed by serial killer John Wayne Gacy.
“Why would I get this if I can’t show it off?” Binger said. “It’s very controversial because it’s an original John Wayne Gacy of Charles Manson with a swastika on his forehead. Eww, you know, but it’s John Wayne Gacy. It’s like an infamous, disgusting history, but it’s intriguing at the same time. That’s why I like it.”
She’s always interested in acquiring more oddities, even if only for display purposes.
“So if people think they have weird stuff that they don’t know what to do with—bring it here,” she said, adding that her shop is supportive of shoppers and collectors after anything “weirder.”
“I feel like my shop is a safe place. So I support anyone and everyone in whatever they choose to be or do or who they are. So I’ve always told everybody, if you’re going to be hateful or negative, if you don’t like weird and unusual, offensive things, stay outside.” she said.
“It’s just a fun place to come check out some stuff you’re not going to see anywhere else.”
Fast fact:
• Racho Burro Donkey Sanctuary is hosting a Brushstrokes & Burros event on April 5 from 4 to 7p.m., bringing together art and animal rescue. This event invites participants to create art while spending time with rescued donkeys, and every ticket supports the sanctuary’s mission to rescue and rehabilitate abandoned donkeys. To register visit zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/april-bb-scratch-art-karen-peterson. Δ
Reach Staff Writer Libbey Hanson at lhanson@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Mar 6-16, 2025.