Human bones, wax heads among weird items at Rockford oddities shop

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) – The owners of a Rockford shop had a specific goal last year when they opened a business downtown.

“For us, it was about trying to bring in as many unique items into a store as possible,” said Tim Prince, co-owner of Scavenged Parts, an antique and oddities shop at 1001 Charles St. in Rockford.

Aside from antique figures, wax heads and two human skeletons are among the odd items you’ll find at Scavenged Parts. Almost everything on the shelves was acquired by Prince and co-owner Sarah Thistle, who both have been buying and selling for more than 10 years.

“Some of the oddest things—some of the most unique items that we can find everywhere we travel,” Prince said.

For the last seven years, Prince and Thistle have been part of the traveling Oddities & Curiosities Expo , which is held in cities across the country.

“That gets us on the road,” Prince said. “It gives us an opportunity to pick items as we travel, as well. Many of the things in here came from different states.”

Prince and Thistle added the storefront to their operation in December 2023.

“We probably have items from 30 different states in here right now, if not more,” Prince said.

The things you’ll find at Scavenged Parts fall somewhere between the conventional and the bizarre.

“We have a pretty eclectic taste here,” Prince said. “So, it’s everything from Art Nouveau to Art Deco to also funerary items, medical items—anything and above unique.”

Because of Prince and Thistle’s following at the expos, customers from all over the country travel to Rockford to check out the store.

“It depends on what they collect,” Thistle said. “They’re waiting until they see that next big thing that we’ve got, and they’re like, ‘Oh, I gotta make the trek.’”

New Jersey resident Natalie Brees visited Scavenged Parts recently and was impressed with what she was able to find.

“It’s actually really cool,” Brees said. “There’s a lot of interesting things here—a lot of skeletons and cool things. There’s actually a tooth—a human tooth—on display, so that’s pretty cool.”

Thistle said she and Prince strive to have a well-rounded collection.

“Something you would expect to see at an oddities shop,” she said. “We try and accommodate all different manners of collectors.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports.