My Biz: Odd Mama’s thrift store offers collectibles, nostalgia

CEDAR RAPIDS — Sierra Damico has always loved thrifting and always hoped to have her own store one day.

A few months ago, a wrong turn on the way home led her right to that spot.

“I’ve been a vendor at multiple other shops over the past seven years and have been on the hunt for my own place since I moved to the Cedar Rapids area in 2020,” the 37-year-old entrepreneur said.

“Coming across the place that ended up being ‘the one’ was a complete fluke,” she added. “I had given up for a while. I literally missed my turn one day while driving and had to take the next street to get back on First Avenue and there it was, a cute little cottage with a ‘for lease’ sign in the front yard.

“It spoke to my soul. It was an old cottage with lots of character and lots of potential. I called about it right away and within 10 weeks the business was open to the public.”

That was just back in December.

Today, Odd Mama’s, in the MedQuarter neighborhood, is full of vintage collectibles in many genres of merchandise dating from the late 1800s to early 2000s.

“There is literally something for everyone,” she said, noting that items include primitives, movie memorabilia, lunchboxes, toys, all types of jewelry, art (including some from a local artist), VHS, Funko, discontinued Loungefly, Hollywood regency, vintage books, board games, puzzles, clothing and more.

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So far, the response has been very positive, Damico said.

“I can tell the word is spreading about the place,” Damico said. “Since Dec. 15, our Facebook page has reached almost 700 followers so I feel like people are intrigued with what we have here. And I’ve had repeat customers already.”

She said she makes a point to post on social media daily so customers can see specials and the new items that have come in. She’s planning to host live sales on Instagram in the near future as well.

“Happy place’

Damico said she’s definitely found her “happy place.”

“I love looking at everything around me as it brings back fond memories all day for me and provides other folks the same,” she said. “I hear it all the time — ‘OMG, my grandma had this’ or ‘Aw, I had this when I was kid.’

“Then I hear some of the coolest stories from people about those items. I think that's my favorite part about what I get to do — knowing that I'm providing a place for people to come and have feelings of nostalgia and overall a good time while shopping here.”

Of course, Damico still loves treasure hunting, too.

“Estate sales, auctions, antique stores — these are all huge loves of mine, and I enjoy spending time at these places.”

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Thrifting scene

Damico said she’s excited to have her own space as part of the Cedar Rapids thrifting scene.

“Just within one mile of here, there are six other thrift/collectible stores, and they all specialize in something different,” she said. “We have so many great businesses in the area.

“Odd Mama's carries a little of everything though and doesn't narrow the shopping selection to any specific type of collectible. There is a little of everything here and in all price ranges.”

Even though the store hasn’t been open long, Damico said she’s finding she’ll have to work hard to keep the store stocked.

“I know I've only been open for six weeks, but I'm starting to see a challenge keeping the store stocked,” she said. “This is one of the reasons why I have seven others here who consign their stuff here as well. Having a mix of backgrounds and items they deal in brings a good mix to the place and helps keep shelves filled.

“This business really does boil down to time management and being able to negotiate on treasures.”

What’s next?

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Damico said she also has big plans for this shop in the months ahead.

“In May, the courtyard to the left of my building will be made into a little Secret Garden hangout area with bistro tables, tons of greenery, and free Wi-Fi,” she said.

“I used to bake all the time and really miss it so I plan to start doing that on the weekends,” she said. “I'll be bringing in jumbo muffins and cupcakes and serving coffees on the weekends.”

She also plans to host outdoor markets once a month from Memorial weekend through Labor Day weekend.

And she’s working on getting online shopping set up through her website.

“Some items will be exclusive to online,” she said. “So hopefully that will keep people wanting to come back and scroll the site every so often.”

Know a business that should be considered for a “My Biz” feature? Let us know by emailing mary.sharp@thegazette.com.