Weird, Wonderful Warren Street: 8 of the Strangest Items for Sale in Hudson
There's some jaw dropping and head scratching stuff for sale here.
This article is presented in collaboration with Trixie's List.
Strolling down Warren Street in Hudson can feel like stepping into a cabinet of curiosities curated by an elegant, highly intelligent maniac. While the historic thoroughfare is renowned for its array of antique shops and boutiques, it's the delightfully odd and unexpected items that truly capture the city's eccentric spirit. From taxidermied creatures to suggestive ceramics, Hudson offers a shopping experience that veers (or maybe careens) into the wonderfully weird. Whether you're in the market for a statement piece or simply seeking the thrill of discovery, here's just eight examples of the weirdest sh** for sale on (and just off) Warren.
1. A 19-Foot-Tall Giraffe at Devil in the Woods
Understandably, taxidermy isn’t to everyone’s taste, aesthetically or morally—especially when it comes to exotic animals. But when walking through the expansive Antique Warehouse at 99 South 3rd Street, it is certainly arresting to see a stuffed Giraffe peering over the vendor stalls.
On sale for $45,000 the animal was sourced by Devil in the Woods proprietor Ryan Lapoint. But here’s the real shocker: Lapoint actually has two giraffes in the shop, along with a hippopotamus, zebra, and moose. And those are just a few of the larger creatures that make up his massive macabre menagerie.
“I end up with them because I have tall ceilings at the warehouse so I can display them,” Lapoint says of the giraffes. “They all came from museums and zoos. A lot of times when a big animal like that dies they feed the meat to the other animals and sell the skin.
“The bigger one is 19 feet and came from a zoo in California,” he continues. “I bought it at an auction and had it delivered here. The smaller one is 14 feet. They are both vintage. Probably from the 1970s or 1980s."
Shoppers might gasp at the sight of all the rare stuffed animals but most of them were taxidermied in a different era and exist as museum-quality historical objects rather than hunting trophies. Still, visiting the Devil in the Woods stall, packed with preserved wildlife, feels a bit like being aboard Noah’s ark crossing the River Styx.
Tattoo artist Pamala Grande holds up a stensil for creating a Spouty tattoo.
2. Spouty the Whale Tattoos at Hudson River Tattoo
On the subject of big animals, those walking up and down Warren Street will notice cartoon whales on the corner of street signs. The whimsical cetacean icon found throughout Hudson is named Spouty. Though he may be grinning, Spouty is a municipal homage to the former upriver whaling port’s history of profiting off of the killing and dismemberment of the mighty leviathans.
After the American Revolution, Quaker whalers founded the City of Hudson and moved their enterprise to this new, bustling deepwater inlet. There’s currently an exhibit at the Hudson Area Library showcasing two centuries of whaling maps, letters, and documents from the city’s whaling past.
For those looking to take home a permanent Hudson souvenir, a Spouty the whale tattoo from Hudson River Tattoo at 724 Warren Street is just the thing. For about $70, this friendly whale will smile back at its owner forever, and a portion of the cost will be donated to the Hudson Area Library.
3. “Antique Gay City” Swag at Five and Diamond Vintage
Hudson has been known as a destination for antiques since the 1990s, when dealers filled vacant storefronts and opened shops along Warren Street, revitalizing the post-industrial economy. Many of the antique shop owners in Hudson are LGBTQ, and since 2010, Hudson's Pride Parade in June has given the city an inclusive rainbow glow.
A couple years ago, a Facebook commenter derisively referred to Hudson as "Antique Gay City." Rather than being offended by the sobriquet, Hudson's community adopted it as their own with Antique Gay City T-shirts, caps, and even themed parties popping up all over town. For one of the best Antique Gay City souvenirs, check out the artistic silk-screened t-shirt at Five and Diamond Vintage at 502 Columbia Street.
4. A Duck Bank with Questionable Slot Placement at Little Pickles
Warren Street isn’t just for grownups acting like children, it's for actual children too! The Little Pickles toy store, at 707 Warren, is open every day—so little visitors can leave Hudson playing with a present, while their parents struggle to load a postmodern armchair into the back of a double parked Ford Bronco. One of the weirder items here, that seems fitting for Hudson (with all its notorious dark alleyways), is this Duck Bank with an interesting slot placement for coins.
5. The City's Trashbag Vending Machine
It's not uncommon to find tourists staring blankly into this vending machine outside City Hall. They wonder what’s inside—blue plastic rain ponchos?
Nope. This centrally placed vending machine on Warren sells trash bags to Hudson residents. For $2 per bag, locals can put their blue garbage in the alleyways outside of their houses. Hudson's Department of Public Works will only pick up trash in the blue bags. In a move that inadvertently made the kiosk look more like a pop art installation, the sides of the vending machine have been wrapped in camouflage panels designed to help it blend into the masonry of City Hall. A pack of official blue bags might actually be one of the cheapest and most authentically Hudson souvenirs a visitor can buy.
Model Daniel Osofsky.
6. Avant-Garde Fashion and Art at Kasuri
Kasuri, the high-end clothing boutique at 1 Warren Street, has a wide selection of avant-garde outfits some may consider "weird." Fashion model Daniel Osofsky has the following to say about the shop, run by his cousin Jonathan Osofsky:
“This is literal queer family time. The first time I went into Kasuri I was intimidated by the prices and caliber of the garments and walked out without touching anything. A few years later, I learned Jonathan is just a creative weirdo who’s excited to play dress up with anyone intrigued by fashion. ‘It’s just clothing,’ he reminds me. I also love sneaking into The Back Room to see beautiful and horny works by living queer artists, curated by Nathan Rapport—I always seem to walk out with a card by Jay Blotcher featuring collaged vintage pornography and ephemera.”
7. Toby Jugs at White Whale Limited
Ask a Hudson local where to find the most eclectic treasures and White Whale Limited will likely top the list. This curiosity shop, at 410 Warren, is a trove of the unexpected—think vintage folk art, taxidermied bats and insects pinned behind glass, and even oversized sports mascot heads. Yet, perhaps the most conversation-starting items are the Toby Jugs.
Originating in 18th-century England, Toby Jugs are ceramic pitchers crafted in the form of seated figures, often jovial men clad in tricorn hats and 18th-century attire, holding a mug of ale and a pipe. The tricorn hat typically forms the spout, and a handle is attached at the rear. These jugs were popularized by Staffordshire potters in the 1760s and are believed to be named after "Toby Fillpot," a character from a popular drinking song of the era.
At White Whale, the Toby Jugs on display embrace the tradition's more whimsical and sometimes risqué jugs. Some feature exaggerated features or playful designs that might raise an eyebrow, like this well-endowed pitcher.
8. "Where Horny People Come to Die" T-Shirt at John Doe Records
No visit to Hudson is complete without a stop inside John Doe Records. The store is filled with vintage vinyl, antiques, and other ephemera, including their signature Hudson souvenir T-shirt, "Hudson New York,—Where Horny People Come to Die."
Crude? Sure. Rude? Debatable. Confusing? For most. But for culturally entrenched Hudsonians the slogan somehow captures the untamable, grungy, sexy, darkly sardonic attitude one must armor themselves in to survive life in this beautifully weird little city. Hudson might be intimidating at times but it’s also got a generous spirit. For example Dan Steward, owner of John Doe, might seem prickly at first but get to know him and he’ll give anyone the shirt off his back. It just might be a shirt they don’t feel comfortable wearing in public.
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