Weird stuff in downtown Canton. Uncle Archie's Oddity Emporium opens with vintage wares

CANTON − Uncle Archie's Oddity Emporium is a maze of wonderful weirdness and eclectic wares.

Recently opening in downtown Canton at 214 Sixth St. NW, the store is equal parts thrift shop and vintage goods wonderland and pop culture time capsule. For good measure, toss in the vibe of Ripley's Believe It or Not!

Religious artwork and literature, taxidermy of an African duiker, bongo drums, porcupine claws, antique soda bottles, throwback home furnishings, and a vintage Polaroid J33 land camera are among the inventory. And there's also a fishing lure big enough to catch Jaws.

"A lot of the things are one-of-one or one-of-a-kind or very few are out there," said shop owner J.D. Archie.

Shop manager Angelina Sams summed up the philosophy.

"This is a place where things that don't fit in belong," the Waynesburg area resident said with a smile. "A place for misfits to come."

Take a swing Virtual golf spots open in downtown Canton with elevated food, unique settings

Hours are currently limited to 5-9 p.m. on the first Friday of the month to coincide with the monthly downtown celebration, but Archie and Sams hope to expand to regular weekend hours this summer. The next First Friday is June 7. The store also might open by appointment in the future.

Uncle Archie's is on Sixth Street NW between the Canton Palace Theatre (Market Avenue N) and Arrowhead Vintage & Handmade Goods (Cleveland Avenue NW).

Shop manager picked vintage wares over physics

Archie and Sams have pulled together their knack for unearthing strange and rare items.

"It was kind of serendipitous how this all came about," said Sams, who has known Archie since childhood.

Sams, 32, has a degree in physics and has worked in engineering and sales in the industrial sector.

"I just got to a point where I felt that wasn't right for me," she said. "I just felt that wasn't what I was supposed to be doing."

'We're all just kind of treasure hunters.'

Archie, who grew up in the Waynesburg area, has a background in body piercing. He also manages an auto body shop in Summit County.

Nothing but a good time Here's your ultimate summer fun guide in the Canton area: More than 40 concerts and fests

Also helping out at the shop and with finding oddities is Sams' boyfriend, Alex Wright, who works in construction. Flea markets are another source for goods. Sams and Archie also scour yard sales. Friends and acquaintances bring them items, too.

Many of the goods in the shop were destined for landfills before Archie or one of his helpers saved them.

"I feel like we're all just kind of treasure hunters in our life," said Archie, 32.

"None of this happened without Alex and Angelina," he said adamantly. "They came in here and totally transformed this place and made it better than I ever could have imagined."

Achy breaky gift shop

The shop is packed with inventory but not cluttered or chaotic.

Country music star Billy Ray Cyrus is represented with an autographed photo, cardboard cutout and a painting. Artifacts include JFK and MLK pieces. A box is packed with recipes of American classics and budget casseroles. Jars filled with alcohol-based solution contain a preserved frog, grasshopper and chipmunk. There's also a basket of mummified birds.

"We're picking out the best of the best and giving it to (customers) because not everyone wants to dig through the treasures," Sams said.

Every memento, knicknack and quirky and unique item has a story, she said.

"My whole goal with this is just to make people feel something," Sams said of making an emotional connection with merchandise.

Some of the items have personal meaning to Archie or Sams.

"We find stories in the things or share stories of things we've had in our houses and now we can pass that story along to someone," she said.

'We're all a little weird.'

Uncle Archie's Oddity Emporium would like to host art shows in the future. Sams also would like to tie in themes and promotions with First Friday events. Expanding to an online store is another possibility. Buying, selling and trading items is also a goal.

Sams and Archie approach the store more as a passion and obsessive hobby than simply a business.

"I think everything in here is something that spoke to us in one way or another," Sams said.

Sitting amid the peculiar items, Archie nodded toward Sams and Wright before grinning and laughing.

"We're all a little weird," Archie said.

"To each their own," he added. "And there's something for everyone here − you don't have to love everything here, but there's something for everyone."

Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 and ebalint@gannett.com. On X (formerly Twitter) @ebalintREP and Instagram at ed_balint.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Uncle Archie's Oddity Emporium in Canton sells vintage wares, antiques