(Photo: Victor Prado/New York Magazine)

So your store is in a shack. How come?
The owner was trying to get rid of the shack upstate, but I had nowhere to put it. Then one day I was in a bar and these two girls found me. They were like, “We heard you have a shack. We have a garden and want something cool to happen there.”

How have people responded so far?
They like discovering us. You have to walk through this weird neighborhood, this weird yard, this weird door, and then you find this nice little store. One kid Razor-scootered in here the other day, and he was so excited. He said, “I knew this place was real! My mom tried to say it wasn’t.”

What kind of stuff do you sell?
Art and non-art. I’m interested in the stories behind every object.

Are those daggers? They look sharp.
Yeah, they’re by Michael Bauer and made of stones and crystals. I also have books, vintage bathing suits, and penis sculptures by Charlotte Pinson. The kyanite necklaces are really popular, too. It’s a stone that promotes telepathy; we sell them in sets so people can give one to a friend. They work. I’ve had customers come back and say, “This is really freaking us out.”

Interview by Tory Hoen.

Related:

• Archive: “Ask Shop Clerk”
• Table of Contents: Oct 1, 2012 issue of New York | Subscribe!