The Mad Cow Curiosity Shop, after opening its doors in April 2018, is set to close by the end of the month. Over its nearly seven-year span in Oberlin, Mad Cow attracted students and community members to its retro collectibles and second hand items, ranging from a 1970s stapler gun to a copy of Lego Harry Potter Years 1–4 on the Wii U. I met the owner Brent Coward, a third-generation Oberlin resident, at the store during its final weeks.
The entrance can be hard to find; clients pass through a narrow doorway between two stores and up a flight of carpeted stairs. College fourth-year Rosemary Avila, who visited Mad Cow during its closing sale, noted the difficulty in locating the store.
“It’s a hard position being a store that you have to walk up to,” Avila said. “It’s hard to know where you’re going.”
Perhaps it must be this way for a curiosity shop. If its assemblage of curious objects were on street-level window display, for all of Oberlin to see, the mystery of what’s inside would be somewhat lost.
I was greeted by Coward inside the store, a small space with shelves featuring Donatello figurines and speakers blasting James Brown. Coward started running the business out of Main Street Antiques almost a decade ago, but quickly found demand among the Oberlin community.
“It started out as a way to supplement my income, but it kept growing and growing, [eventually] culminating in the store,” he said.
Coward certainly understands the nuances of the vintage business; his collection is carefully curated, blending Duke Ellington records, denim jeans, and Evel Knievel memorabilia that makes for a visually arresting display. Coward describes the vintage retail business as understanding generational windows: items must satisfy both College students seeking the “hip” side of vintage, and older generations that buy ut of nostalgia. For the latter, timing is crucial. As age demographics shift, so do the buying habits of Coward’s clientele, who grow up with certain characters or trends.
“You have to keep in tune with those windows,” Coward said. “They can go away unless there’s a resurgence.”
While Mad Cow’s products might be individualistic, the store embodies community. Coward reminisced about the bonds the store was able to cultivate between students and community members.
“I used to have my dogs here with me, and students would come to visit [them],” Coward said. “We also used to stay open late on Fridays and Saturdays, and alumni would come up and share some drinks.”
After a successful run, however, Coward is closing shop, citing that it no longer made financial sense to continue. The monetary concerns are not only unique toCoward, however. Oberlin has recently seen many businesses shutter their doors or struggle to maintain sales.
“It’s not just me,” he said. “I’ve talked to a lot of the business owners downtown, and we’ve all really been struggling this year, especially during the summer.”
The store is offering a 75 percent off sale in its final weeks, and many students have flocked up the blanketed stairs to add to their collection and to say goodbye. College second-year Lucia Frank, like many in Oberlin, is saddened by the store’s closing.
“It’s a shame when any small business closes in town because the turnover makes it feel like less of a place with community,” Frank said.
Frank not only appreciates the record collection and old magazines, but the tunes that are always on rotation as you shop.
As for what’s next, Coward is still focused on the present and managing his remaining inventory.
“I’m intentionally not deciding [yet], but I have a few things in mind that will hopefully keep me here in Oberlin,” he said.
What’s certain is that Oberlin’s fond memories of the store will endure, both in the minds of its frequent visitors and on the outfits and shelves of the Oberlin community.
