A Curio Affair - Oddities and Curiosities

02/01/2023

Holy moley! More stock already!

Sorry, just had to get that pun out of the way.

Take a look at A Curio Affair’s newest additions!

Eastern Mole - On Hold
Soft shell Turtle - $100
Baby Cornsnake - $40

As always, these babies were chemically fixed with buffered formalin and are now sitting in 70% isopropyl alcohol. More pics in the individual photo comments!

01/31/2023

I started work on this enormous beauty over the weekend! 🐍🤩

This gorgeous lady was purchased as a pet and shipped overseas to the US but unfortunately got lost in shipping for over 2 MONTHS! While she did eventually arrive, she was knocking on death’s door. Her owner took her to an exotics vet but sadly it was too late. The owner wasn’t interested in preserving her body himself, so he passed her along to a friend of the shop and I later purchased her for preservation.

I’ve named her Medusa and she is a stunning 7 ft. long albino reticulated python! My original vision for her was a glass globe that would be mounted on top of a silver stand, but even the largest globe I could find barely fit half of her. I’d be lying if I said I’m not a little bummed that the plan didn’t work out but I think she still turned out fantastic in this much more minimal display!

Because of her size, Medusa will need to soak in formalin for quite awhile (probably about 2 months) before she can be transitioned to alcohol and made available for adoption. If anyone is interested in giving her a home, I’d be happy to arrange a pre-order!

01/23/2023

💖 VALENTINE’S DAY REMINDER 💖

Don’t forget that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! Now is the time to look for the perfect gift for that special someone in your life and I’ve got just the thing.

This beautiful, vintage heart-shaped sun catcher is still available and I’m honestly shocked! It’s nice to see the pieces that I created myself selling so quickly, but I thought this beauty would fly out of my Etsy shop.

There’s only one so snag it while it lasts and let your Valentine know that they shine just as bright as the light through this gorgeous stained glass work of art!

$25
Purchase on Etsy or contact me for local pick-up to avoid shipping fees!
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1383653346/vintage-lasting-impressions-real-pressed

01/19/2023

✨ NEW STOCK DROP ✨

I’ve finally got some new stock in, including a gorgeous vintage find! Check it out below and drop a comment if you’re interested in anything. There are additional pictures in the image comments!

Vintage Pewter, Stained Glass, & Real Pressed Flowers Suncatcher - $25
Preserved Rat Pups - $20 each (ALL SOLD!)
”Goblin Claws” (Chicken Feet) - $10 each

12/29/2022

Just wanted to share my excitement over this amazing thrift store find! 🤩

It has skull display written all over it. Picture a bed of moss and dried flowers! Maybe a preserved butterfly perched on top… I don’t have any skulls at the moment but as soon as I get one it’s on!!! 💀🌿🌸

12/15/2022

BOTH SOLD!

✨ Two more little ratties are ready for their forever homes! ✨

Okay, I’m going to need this first little chunk to be adopted locally so that I can have visitation rights. He’s just way too cute to send away! 🥺

12/14/2022

SOLD OUT!

Wow - it’s been a month since the last shop update! Sorry about that everyone. This work is slow going but I finally have new specimens to share!

🐀 🐀 🐀 🐀

These adorable rat pups were bred and culled to be used as feeders but had not been sold by the end of the repticon convention that they were brought to. Since they were already deceased, I purchased them to preserve their beauty!

Each pup was thoroughly injected with 10% buffered formalin and soaked in formalin for 2 weeks before being moved to 70% isopropyl alcohol. The inside of the lids have been coated with silicone to prevent rusting and ensure a good seal. These babies can NOT be removed from their jars - they physically will not come out now that they have been fixed in their positions with formalin.

$20 each + shipping for non-local orders

11/14/2022

✨Goblin Claw Update✨

They’re ready to go! Add a spooky flair to your home year-round with these little talons on display!

Preserved Chicken Feet
$10 each + shipping if needed
Pricing is flexible for multiple
Each foot was injected with 10% buffered formalin and soaked in formalin for 2 weeks before being moved to a distilled water bath for 24 hours. They’re now shelf-stable in 70% isopropyl alcohol.
Jar included, but not the one pictured. They’ll be moved to a more size appropriate jar for a single specimens and this one doesn’t seal as well as I would like for their permanent home.

👇Link below for anyone non-local👇
https://etsy.me/3AgEsHv

10/31/2022

💀HAPPY HALLOWEEN!💀

I hope everyone is enjoying the best day of the year as much as I am! I'm sure you've all got some amazing decor and I'd love to see in the comments but... it's never too early to start thinking about what to add for next year!

I've got something that's guaranteed to up your spooky game - your very own preserved goblin claw! These goblin (chicken) feet will be available soon and will make great everyday additions to your curiosity collections for the rest of the year too.

These creepy claws have to soak in formalin for one more week before being moved to 70% isopropyl alcohol. The liquid will be much more clear when it's all said and done. When they're ready, I'll add them to the Etsy shop and post an update here as well!

Even though these bad boys aren't available just yet, I'm not leaving you empty-handed today. I'll be jamming to this Halloween playlist that I put together while I work my day job and you are all welcome to join in! Just note, these are "spooky" songs instead of kids' Halloween-themed songs. Hope everyone enjoys! 🎃

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0QM0fByLidbCaHRIiL0Bnu?si=2a20c5f6182d41e1

10/07/2022

See those two boxes? 📦 📦

Those are A Curio Affair’s first ever orders ready to ship out! I’m so excited I could cry! 😭

I wanted to share this moment to show what a huge impact you make when you purchase from a small business. And also to show off the pure cuteness of this little fox as he heads out to his new home. I mean, come on! just look at that little face! 🥹

10/06/2022

✨TAKING CUSTOM ORDER REQUESTS✨

Hello fellow lovers of strange things!

There’s still 7 wet specimens available, but I’m thinking ahead to what’s coming next.

I’ll be getting some chicken heads and feet from a local farm this weekend! The chickens were pasture-raised and very well-loved and cared for while they grew. Now they will provide sustainable food for our local communities and I’m excited to help reduce the waste by taking these parts that would typically be discarded.

I plan to create wet specimen jars with some of these, but I’d also like to experiment with mummification. I’ll by mummifying some of the feet with crystals grasped in the talons as shown in the picture (not my picture, just an example I found online)

If anyone is interested in purchasing a chicken foot with a specific crystal please let me know what type! The prices may vary depending on which crystals are chosen, but we can discuss that before I actually get the materials to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Both wet preservation and mummification take time, so it will be a little while before any of these items are available for sale. Thank you for your patience! 🙂

10/02/2022

🎉 We’re on Etsy! 🎉

Check out the shop: https://etsy.me/3dY7H9V

All Etsy listings will be posted to this page as well so you won’t see anything new there just yet. I recommend anyone local just keep an eye on this page and shoot me a DM if you’re interested in anything! We can arrange local pick-up to avoid the shipping fees. 😊

Shop items by ACurioAffair.