About Octavius & Grimsby


Octavius & Grimsby began as a husband-and-wife passion project on October 1st, 2019 - a modest little booth tucked into the corner of Treasure Village in Columbia, Tennessee. With nothing more than three shelves on a little black hutch, some handmade floral arrangements, repainted Nerf guns, and old Halloween decorations from our home, we set up shop. Locals affectionately dubbed us “the vampire booth” thanks to our moody aesthetic and later, our reproduction vampire killing kits that flew off the shelves.

In a building full of antiques and thrifted treasures, we stuck out like a sore thumb, and we liked it that way. Some folks thought we were a little too strange, too dark, or too much. But many others found something magical in our quirkiness. They saw themselves in our odd little world, and we saw them, too.

When the world slowed down in 2020, we leaned fully into our creative curiosities. We began experimenting with taxidermy and creature displays, eventually creating our signature mummified bat lanterns that launched us to local notoriety. We were humbled (and stunned) to meet people who had driven across state lines just to visit our booth. We started vending at events, getting recognized in town, and spotting our products out in the wild. It never stopped being surreal.

Today, Octavius & Grimsby is a growing cabinet of curiosities, stocked with paranormal tools, taxidermy, old books, home goods, apparel, and other lovingly curated oddities. What started as a creative outlet (and a way to declutter our home) has become something much larger: a community. A place where the strange, the curious, and the misunderstood come to feel at home.

And the best part is: we’re just getting started.

FAQs

We source all taxidermy and specimens ethically — from natural deaths, farms, hunting byproducts, and other responsible avenues. We never kill animals for decorative purposes.

View all of our policies, including our return policy here.

Yes. Like our taxidermy, all wet specimens are responsibly sourced and never taken from animals killed for the sake of collection.

Most of our natural history items (such as bones, specimens, and taxidermy) are real unless otherwise stated. Some replicas or reproductions may be used for specific designs and will always be clearly labeled.



Not at this time. Due to strict regulations surrounding the shipment of animal materials, we currently only ship within the United States.

Keep pieces out of direct sunlight and high humidity. Dust gently with a soft brush or dry cloth. For wet specimens, store them upright and away from direct sunlight or extreme temperatures. Detailed care instructions are provided with each order.

We hope to! Supporting conservation and ethical practices is important to us, and we are exploring ways to contribute more directly in the future.

Yes! Octavius & Grimsby has a permanent booth (A13) inside Treasure Village in Columbia, Tennessee. While we aren’t there every day, you might catch us dropping by, and lucky visitors may even receive a surprise! We love encouraging curiosity, especially in young explorers.

Only by your own impeccable taste. (And possibly by the ghost of a very stylish Victorian adventurer.)

We don’t intentionally stock cursed objects... but if something odd does happen, we recommend offering it a nice cup of tea and a polite chat.

Absolutely! We love a good treasure hunt! If there’s something you’re dying to find, send us a message and we’ll see what the fates (and our suppliers) can conjure.

While much of our shop leans toward the curious and macabre, we welcome young explorers with open arms, and we do keep a few gentle curiosities on hand. We love sparking curiosity about science, nature, and the mysteries of the world!

Of course! Curiosity is free, and we are always thrilled when people want to explore, ask questions, and marvel at the wonders we’ve collected.

In spirit, absolutely! Octavius & Grimsby are the whimsical personas we created, inspired by the grand tradition of traveling sideshows, snake oil salesmen, and the tall-tale adventurers of a bygone era. In their world, they traverse the globe by horse-drawn buggy (and sometimes, perhaps, by tandem bicycle tied to a hot air balloon), collecting curious treasures to share with kindred spirits. Behind the curtain, we're real people and lifelong lovers of the strange and wonderful, dedicated to curating oddities, honoring the natural world, and sparking the imagination.