Curbside Curses: The Yardsale Anthology

by Nadine Stewart (Compiler), Nico Bell (Editor), Robb Basham

The holidays have come and gone, and bit of spring cleaning is in the air. “Out with the old, in with the new”. Or so they say…In our neighborhood, the bargain hunters are on the prowl. Whether they’re looking for forgotten collectibles to resell or those vintage dishes that are all the rage on Pinterest, thrifters are looking for one hell of a bargain.

At our sale, that may be truer than you care to find out. Here, your bargains are sure to come with a bump in the night. Collected here are 22 tales of second-hand deals that are so cheap, it’s scary… Literally!

Siblings-Tabatha, Rae, Donovan and Tyler are cleaning out their childhood home after their parents, Howard,(an amateur paranormal investigator), and his wife Jean, (a retired archeologist), mysteriously passed away within hours of each other. The siblings are selling off everything at an estate yardsale but unbeknownst to them a curse has affected every single item in the home. Each of the 22 stories in this anthology connect back to this one sale. Each story tells how the curse affects their purchased object and its new owner. And all are framed by a back story told through the prologue and epilogue.

Genres: Horror, Anthologies

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 25, 2024

Reviews

[Theresa (mysteries.and.mayhem) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great collection of horror short stories! There seriously wasn't a bad one in the bunch. Nadine Steward did an amazing job curating the stories for this collection.

Imagine that one item you find at a yard sale. That one thing you just can't pass up. It's as if it's whispering your name. And what a deal! There's no way to pass this up. Then you get it home. Strange things begin to happen. Was that item cursed? Of course not! That only happens in horror stories - these horror stories!

Within the pages we find stories from indie authors that I've come to love through other books I've read. Are you wondering if an indie author has the chops to stand up to your reading standards? Or do you have the chops to even dare read their stories? Pick up a copy of Curbside Curses and find out for yourself. Tell them Theresa sent you!

I give Curbside Curses five cursed stars. I was only disappointed when I ran out of stories to read! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't super keen on the first handful of stories in this anthology but the final stories really made up for it.

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Make sure to add this anthology to your reading list! “Curbside Curses: The Yardsale Anthology” is a fantastic collection of secondhand/bargain horror.

After their parents pass away, 4 siblings clear out their childhood home, running a yard sale in the process. Little do they and the buyers know that each item is cursed.

I loved the idea of this anthology, and the tales from a variety of authors didn’t disappoint! I’d say the lampshade that shows the ghosts of anyone who has died in your home was one of my favourites (it’s the first one actually and sets the tone for the rest- AMAZING!).

Thank you to BookSirens, the authors, & the editor for a copy!

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is honestly one of my favorite anthology prompts ever! I am a thrift store and yard sale girlie to my core. So I could not wait to check this out.

I would be a liar if I said I've never picked something up and thought "Damn, that looks like it comes with a ghost" or "I hope I don't 'bring anything' home with me!" . Truth be told, I know the likelihood of that is probably slim to none, but I can't be the only one??

This collection of shorts plays up that fear big time. The characters stop by a yard sale and all purchase pretty innocuous looking items and get a lot more than they bargained for. From a Lamp that shows you ghosts to a Taxidermy ferret, these items are all harboring some dark secrets.

Another thing that I found to be super fun about this anthology is the underlying connection between the stories. I loved this one, and I can't recommend it enough.

I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

[Bryan Moyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great collection of stories centered around cursed objects found at flea markets, years sales, and the like. The stories are varied in both the types of objects (dolls, household appliances, and electronics to make a few) and the kinds of horror (hauntings, creatures, and even a taste of Hell). As with any collection, some stories are better than others, but there wasn't a disappointing one in the lot.

[Kayleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curbside Curses has everything I could want from a short story collection- focussing on story’s of cursed items found at Yard sales, this collection has it all- from body horror that made me retch to the kind of insidious dread story that made me nervous- with 22 tales there’s something to suit most people’s taste.

In no particular order some notes from my read through 😂🙈Some mild spoilers ahead…
🏚️I knew Fugly footwear was dangerous
🏚️Creepy AF
🏚️Who needs to shave anyway?!
🏚️Nooooo don’t do it
🏚️Only you can save mankind… or not!
🏚️I didn’t need more taxidermy induced trauma
🏚️Reason 823 to stay single
🏚️Perfect comic gore
🏚️Actual nightmare fuel- should not have read whilst eating
🏚️A woman scorned and all that!
🏚️Genuine fashion victim
🏚️Kids are creepy
🏚️F*cking teeth
🏚️Gagworthy
🏚️Actual shivers- need more
🏚️Why eyes?!
🏚️Love a gory revenge

Some stand outs for me;
Las Pulgas Vestidas- Alana K. Drex
In The Attic Lives The Corn Husk Girl- Jason A. Jones
A Steady Constant- A.D. Jones
Room for Two- Bert S. Leichner

Also really loved the prologue and epilogue by Nadine Stewart- who curated the collection- perfect bookends to an awesome collection of varied tales!

[Katie Brunecz · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Warehouse 13' x 'Are You Afraid of the Dark'

Who doesn't love a fantastically weird garage sale find?! 'Curbside Curses' provides 22 tales of cautionary tales of positively possessed purchases that just might make you re-think your next visit to the flea market or thrift store.

There's great variety to be found in the stories, and while a few could have benefited from a little more fleshing out (pun intended), most worked well as a quick snapshots into (occasionally gross) unknown horror.

Standouts for me included:

'Huber' - Lance Loot - This was pure silly tongue in cheek horror, and it worked perfectly.

'A New Gimmick' - Dr. Stuart Knott - I can't say I've ever cared much for professional wrestling, but this was so wonderfully written.

'A Steady Constant'- AD Jones - This concept was so intriguing that I wanted more!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jenny Kuhns · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fun read, can horror be fun? Yes it can, I liked the cursed objects stories…it definitely makes me hesitant to go to yard sales anymore! Some stories were a bit slower than others, but overall I enjoyed them very much. Will look for more horror anthologies in the future, and several of the authors I will be checking out their other works. Including but not limited to AudraKate Gonzalez, Carolyn O’Brien and Robb Basham. I received this as an ARC.

[Chiara Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s not always that an anthology of short horror stories has an exciting theme, but Curbside Curses is one of those! From the theme I already knew that I was going to read some of the most creative and original stories and how true I was!

I had so much fun reading about random objects people welcomed into their homes, unwilling of what they brought upon themselves! And because these are everyday objects, it was very difficult to predict where the stories would go, with endless paths, so that every time the reader is surprised by the authors’ imagination.

I have to admit that I’m a fan of second hand shopping, but I might have to stop for a while after reading these stories! Although, I really have to look for a fanny pack the next time I go ;) (IYKYK)

This anthology is a blast and will provide a lot of entertainment for anyone who wants to be spooked, disgusted and mesmerised by seemingly everyday objects found at a yard sale. Are you ready to pick yours?

Thanks to Nadine Stewart and BookSirens for a copy and this is my honest opinion.

[Steph Patterson (spookyspatters) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology is like if Grady Hendrix wrote a series of Goosebump stories for adults! You’ll find some wonderfully strange and unnerving tales in here. As you turn the pages, you’ll discover bizarre items that contain the most unfortunate curses. Everything from a fanny pack to a water bed to a pair of fish flip flops. 🐠 Nobody and no item is safe from this yard sale.

Nadine did a phenomenal job cultivating these stories! And a shout out to Nico Bell for editing. Do yourself a favor, and take a rummage through these amazing indie authors as soon as you can!

All the stories are great and each story has an unexpected horror for you inside it. There were a few stand out stories for me:

Las Pulgas Vestidas By Alana K. Drex - Just go into this story not knowing anything about it and enjoy as it unfolds. It’s bizarre and I can promise you probably haven’t read anything like it.

Watered Down By AudraKate Gonzalez - A water bed and repressed feminine rage. A combination I never saw coming. Will make you go - “Good for her!”

The Billiken By Dan Rafter - Believe it or not if you find yourself in Southern Illinois you can visit the second largest truck stop in the world for a quick tooth pull. Stan considers himself and his assistant the “Jiffy-lube of dentistry.” Everything is going ok for him. That is until he is paid with a Billiken doll. Then his luck goes crooked.

Dollusions By Caleb J. Pecue - A fever dream of a story. A girl gets into an accident and then has conversations with the toys in her room. She thinks it’s all in her head. Then one doll responds.

Fishcore By Connor Boyle - A pair of fish flip flops lead to some aquatic transformations. This story was really fun!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Isaac Nightingale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Combine an intriguing concept and a fantastic selection of authors and you get this! A bunch of wildly different stories that'll leave you either horrified, disgiusted, heartbroken or amused, but always entertained. There's a lot of imagination here and each author's work really shines.
It's hard to really review an anthology because each story is so different to the last, but there's something here for everyone and it's a hell of a good time!

[carlareadssometimes · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you know anything about me, you know that I love a yard sale/ thrifting trip and a good horror story! This book combines 22 short stories from various authors involving haunted objects purchased from a yard sale. I like how the prologue and epilogue kind of tie the short stories together to make a cohesive flow throughout. I also like the variety in the individual stories. Some stories are more gore/splatterpunk while others are more supernatural. There is also a variety in the types of items purchased as well, including dolls, appliances, kitchenware, and clothing. I really enjoyed this collection and would definitely purchase a physical copy. Thank you to the authors and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who doesn’t wonder if something they picked up a yard sale was cursed or haunted? These tales ask that question and more.

Here are my favorite stories:

Watered Down by Audrakate Gonzalez
A haunted water bed, some righteous femine rage and revenge. That’s all you need to know.

Estelle by Brad Wilkins
Grant picked up some old VHS tapes, a TV and a VCR. He settled down to one of the home movies (which is just creepy on its own) but instead got pulled into a ride of mental illness and a ghost reminiscent of the girl from The Ring.

The Screams Were Coming From the Fanny Pack by Joey Powell
Unfortunately, Fanny packs are back in style, except worn completely wrong. Kayla finds a vintage one at a yard sale and restores it to find place in the popular girls club. She gets way more than she bargains for.

[Lauren K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curbside Curses : A Yardsale Anthology is one of the most unique short story anthologies I’ve ever read! Each story is about an item that was bought from the same Yardsale, about which we get information for in the prologue and epilogue. This is seriously the most brilliant idea for an anthology anyone could ever come up with, and there is legit a story for everyone! Some stories made me cringe in horror, gave me shivers, made me laugh in evil glee, or just left me pondering. I highly recommend this fun adventure to those seeking some spooky fun!

[Dawn Petersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore anthologies and Curbside Curses did not disappoint!! Nadine chose the most wonderful authors to write short horror stories for this collection. I love stopping at yard sales to look for little treasures but I haven’t come across anything that was written about in this book!
Nadine starts off with the prologue telling us about four siblings whose parents passed away mysteriously. While going through their parents stuff for a yard sale they discover so many oddities that their mother and father collected. Dressed up fleas, a beautiful but strange mirror, an antique silver hairbrush, a screaming fanny pack, a portrait of a corn husk girl and so many more fascinating yet creepy items. And 22 amazing authors wrote a story about each little treasure finding its new owner. Ending this yard sale is Nadine telling us about one last item that one of the siblings found…
I loved this Yard Sale Anthology so much! It was such a fun summer read! With all of the yard sale signs I see posted around my small town, I’m seriously curious about what I could find!!
Thank you Booksirens for giving me the opportunity to read this fantastic book, for free, filled with creepy stories selected by the amazing Nadine Stewart!!

[Paige | Booked Not Bothered · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curbside Curses is the newest Horror anthology that includes macabre stories of 22 cursed second hand yard sale finds!

This may be my most favorite prompt of an anthology so far. Vintage, thrifted and yard sale are my love language and I was so excited to see this come together with many friends, familiar names and some first timers too!

I love that with this anthology all the stories are connected through the Prologue and Epilogue written by the story curator, Nadine.

Overall this was enjoyably solid!
There were 3-4 standouts original plots and exception writing. Majority were pretty solid and only one or two felt out of place and not on par to the rest.

My favorite story by far, Las Pulgas Vestidas came from Alana Drex!

I want to note as well how impressed I am with Nadine and how wonderfully and professionally she has handled this project. Snaps to providing ARCs through BookSirens and not some weird obscure google doc! Nadine has set the bar high for small indie presses and It truly makes a difference, even to me, the reader, reviewer, and bookstagrammer

[Milt Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing premise for an anthology: an estate yardsale, but all the items are cursed! Each story explores the cursed object, almost always after it's been sold, though there's also background information before and after. If you've ever been in a similar sale, and picked up an old doll, a pack of cards, or a vinyl, and felt something like an aura around the object, an underlying uneasiness, or an unpleasant tinkling in your fingers as if you were touching directly its sinister past, you'll find plenty to like in this anthology. It's full of creepy ideas, original settings, and nasty twists. The stories, though interconnected, are very diverse, and several times hit the nail, bringing out one's fear of bringing home something unknown, something more than they bargained for (pun intended). Some of the tales often sound like morality tales, but most of them go simply for the right concept to convey the nastiness awaiting the new owner. I recommend going blind into the stories, of which my favorites were "Las Pulgas Vestidas" by Alana K. Drex, "Dollusions" by Caleb J. Pecue, and "In The Attic Lives The Corn Husk Girl" by Jason A. Jones. Highly recommended!

[Amber Hathaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Curbside Curses: The Yard Sale Anthology, curated by Nadine Stewart, is a collection of short stories about perilous secondhand purchases. The stories span multiple sub-genres of horror, but each one involves a cursed, haunted, or otherwise troublesome yard sale item.

Like any good yard sale, there's something in this anthology for everyone. Whether you like your horror with a side of humor or deadly serious, whether you're looking for creepy dolls, curious containers, killer kitchenware, twisted VHS tapes, or a waterbed, you're bound to find a story that's just right for you.

I loved the overarching yard sale theme, how each item came from a specific yard sale detailed at the start of the book. For the most part, the stories do an excellent job maintaining that consistency, and it added to the immersiveness of the book. I also appreciated the variety of items. There were some neat and unexpected ones, like the aforementioned waterbed and the corn husk doll painting. Of course, with an anthology this varied, not every story was to my personal tastes, but each story will be right for someone.

If you enjoy horror stories about cursed or haunted objects, you'll definitely want to check Curbside Curses out.

[Pulp_Fiction_Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very cohesive and well curated collection and while there will always be stronger and weaker stories in any collection it didn't feel like there were any duds in here, everyone seemed to understand the assignment. I don't think there's anything I'd rate lower than three stars. The only reservation I had going in was how repetitive would 22 "cursed objects" stories get? Fortunately each story felt very unique and there was a great variety of horror, from possession, to hauntings, creatures, body horror and even a slasher. Instead of trying to rate 22 stories though I thought I'd just shout-out my favourite three.

Las Pulgas Vestidas by Alana K Drex (A story about true love, fleas and a cleaver).

Homo Follicular by David-Jack Fletcher (A story about a hair brush, lasagne and a demon).

Huber by Lance Loot (a story about a vacuum cleaner and that's all I'm telling you).

[David Washburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can honestly say that this book is probably the most creative concept for an anthology I've seen to date. It isn't generalized or full of cheese. It's very niche, hyper-specific, and executed with purpose.

Nadine Stewart pulls together a nice mix of indie authors to contribute stories to this collection. Each story is about a different item obtained from the same yard sale. And, you guessed it, all of those items are cursed.

This was such a fun collection and while some stories felt similar to others in tone, the creativity of how each item was cursed stands out enough to make this one easy to digest. I read one or two stories a day and really enjoyed that pacing from item to item.

The mix of dub-genres is wide-open throughout. You have possession, body horror, grief, and campy, and even to a lesser extent some slasher as well. I think this book is meant for the constant reader and a true lover of horror.

The prologue and epilogue, written by Nadine, tie this up perfectly and at the end I was left feeling excited. I was excited to ponder what other items were at this yard sale that DIDN'T sell.

This thrifty thrillride is a must read!

(Disclosure, I did have a story in this as well, but I am reviewing on the merits of the book as a whole.)

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stewart delivers 22 fun horror shorts, each centered around a yardsale item, and the talented authors within all brought their A game. I enjoyed all the stories, but here's a list of my absolute favorites:

Spinning Out of Control by A.W. Mason and G.M. Pugliese - some hipsters pick up a Lazy Susan and use it as a get-together centerpiece, but when it spins it does more than serve delicious artisanal cheeses. Gross and awesome.

The Billiken by Dan Rafter - a truck stop dentist gets more than he bargained for when he ends up with a weird good luck doll.

Homo Follicular by David-Jack Fletcher - a couple grabs a hairbrush at yard sale, and really bad things happen. Funny, great characterization, and some really disgusting moments (in the best way). I've had Fletcher's Raven's Creek on my Kindle for a while, and this story just bumped it way up on my TBR.

That Old Charm by David Washburn - a home improvement team with a YouTube show gets an old mirror for the bathroom of their latest renovation. The mirror has other plans. Super creepy.

Dollusions by Caleb J Pecue - a bedridden little girl entertains herself by conversing with her stuffed animals, but a new addition to the menagerie isn't what it seems. Very creative storytelling.

Room for Two by Bert S Lechner - a yard sale enthusiast brings home a wooden box that her partner ends up obsessed with. Spooky, and goes to a place I hadn't expected. Probably my favorite of the whole collection.

Fishcore by Connor Boyle - a young slacker who has been crashing at his sister's place comes home with some kitschy fish slippers, and they quickly become his whole personality. Weird and clever.

[Emily Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Siblings have a yard sale. The items in the sale are not normal items. People buy things to add to their homes only to have everything change. Creepy

[Dark And Thorny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, some of the stories were great, others were not the best. I really enjoyed the premise of the cursed Yardsale. I found the book started off with some of the worst stories and got better if you pushed through. Overall, I wouldn’t read it again and it was entirely too long to be the only book you’re reading. I’ve attached my notes and ratings on each individual story because I did it for a book club, so I have them. May be spoiler-ish, so marking it as such.

Lampshades: 2.5/5
It was okay, but not great. I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style and it felt rushed, so like the “solutions” were just suddenly available. The fact that the first thing they tried worked just took away from it. I think this could have been a great story if written a little differently.

Spinning out of Control: 3/5
Intriguing and definitely interesting. There was no question as to what was happening. Felt the end left something to be desired though.

Watered down: 4/5
I really enjoyed this and the twist behind the creepy aspect. I loved how the karma of the cursed item played out. Very well written and perfected good brevity in a short story

Mr. Ferry: 2.5/5
Very abrupt ending with no real detail or resolution. I found it strange when the friend asked for a check in when nothing had really happened. Very mild ending to a story with good build up.

Las pulgas vestidas: 3/5
Really good writing and kept me intrigued. The story was so neat, too. Not at all what I was expecting. To be honest, in the first few pages I expected it to be dumb and to hate it but I was pleasantly surprised!

Time to go: 4/5
I really enjoyed this one. It did NOT end the way I expected at all and I was hanging on to every word. A fantastic short read

The billiken: 2.5/5
It was okay. The writing was decent and the story was kind of interesting, but it didn’t leave me feeling wowed.

Estelle: 3/5
Good story but the ending was kind of lame. There was no real closure or even a cliff hanger. It just kind of.. ended

Huber: 3/5
Really enjoyable read and kind of funny plot. Decent amount of gore, given the premise of the story, and overall just entertaining. Gotta say I’m glad I don’t have a huber 🤣

The blank cartridge: 4/5
I really loved this story and thought it was done really well. It had a twist, which isn’t easy to implement in a short story, and was just overall really well done. As someone who grew up playing old school Nintendo, I think this was a great and jarring story.

Homo Follicilar: 4/5
So good, so gross. I really enjoyed the premise but hair just grosses me out so much this wins the disgust factor for me. It was so good and had a great ending.

The screams were coming from the Fanny pack: 4/5
Really good book, had great pacing. Really happy that Randall was short lived 😅 as the unpopular kid in high school, I would have loved that screaming Fanny pack 🤣

In the attic lives the corn husk girl: 3.5/5
I enjoyed the premise of this book, the ending made me kind of sad honestly. I got really happy for a moment, then got sad again. But I really liked this story and it was very well written.

That old charm: 4/5
This was a fantastic story! I’ve had an irrational fear of mirrors since I was a child (mostly managed now) lol and this definitely didn’t help! The writing/narrative wasn’t my favourite style but the content made up for it.

Dollusions: 4/5
This was a great short story! I like that the end made you know some shenanigans was going to ensue. I loved the personification of the toys, it made me feel for them and the little girl. Interesting concept and a well written story.

A new gimmick: 4/5
Right off the hop don’t like the MC. WHO EATS WELL DONE STEAK?! Overcooked meat aside, this was an incredibly well written story. I thought I’d hate it because… wrestling. But I was pleasantly surprised. The writing and premise were both really good. Like a horror version of “The Mask”. Or the mask meets Hannibal lector. Very glad I stuck it out, despite my initial worry that I wouldn’t enjoy it.

The final piece: 2/5
The ending felt very abrupt and I still don’t really understand what happened. Did she attack him because SHE wanted to finish the puzzle? Why did the picture change? Why didn’t they die from the vicious attacks? Why did he hear screaming that never happened? I don’t understaaaand.

Video girl: 3/5
Well written and an interesting concept. I would’ve liked to know more about what was happening with Chrys. But otherwise it kept me reading and I did enjoy it.

A steady constant: 3/5
This one made me sad. Which is strange because it wasn’t really a sad story but something about it just made me feel bad. I can’t imagine reliving the pain of an injury over and over and over. Never getting a reprieve. Maybe it hit hard because, as someone who has suffered migraines most of my life, I understand the longing to get away from pain that feels as though it’ll never end, never let up, like you’ll never be comfortable again. I wish I knew more about how what happened to Josh came to be, but overall a really good story

Any which way you slice it: 2/5
It was okay, kinda weird. Not like weird but gives you closure at the end just straight up weird lol. I don’t understand what happens now.

Room for two: 2.5/5
It was an interesting story. I, too, have found myself mesmerized by soft fabrics so I mean.. I get it I guess haha. I don’t understand how Meg was able to do what she did to get in there but… I wonder if there turned out to be room for two.

Fishcore: 4/5
I loved the ending of this story! The whole premise was actually really neat. I thoroughly enjoyed fishcore and I can’t even say I wouldn’t wear the slippers because… come on. That would be bomb lol.

[ScarlettAnomalyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick little spooky read.
It felt a little on the young side, but more teen, then kid.

The first story was the absolute best out of the collection for me.

I loved the whole idea of yard sale , second hand, the whole lore around older objects and this delivered on that front.

Recommend if you want something to get you in the mood to read more spooky tales.

[Eric Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beware the Yard sale!

A fun collection of short stories centering around cursed yard sale items, many of which took me back to my childhood! Items such as lamps, stuffed ferrets, clocks, video games, vacuum cleaners, hairbrushes, antique mirrors, and turntables were more than their buyers had bargained for. One of my favorites, “Watered Down” by AudraKate Gonzalez, tells the story of a wife trying to work things out with her cheating husband, but the sudden addition of a vintage waterbed soon brings terrifying warnings. I also enjoyed “The Billiken” by Dan Rafter, a tale of a shady truckstop dentist who receives some painful good luck after being gifted a doll. Then there was “Estelle” by Brad Wilkins. It was a nice nostalgic trip back to the VHS days, but a cursed tape is not something I’d have wanted to deal with. “The Screams Were Coming From the Fanny Pack” by Joey Powell wins the award for Favorite Title. It’s also one of the more creatively gruesome tales and will have me never looking at fanny packs the same again. “A Steady Constant” by A.D. Jones will keep me shaving with an electric razor for the foreseeable future. And “Any Way You Slice It” by S.C. Fisher was deliciously twisted.
Overall a strong collection of creepy tales with a fun theme. Although I did notice that several stories ended abruptly and could’ve been made better with more drawn out conclusions.

[Tess · Rating 4 out of 5]

keep an eye on these authors, they're gonna be big one day soon.

[David Cluck · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4. Fishcore really stood out to me as particularly disgusting, but fun at the same time!

[Dave Musson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this more. The concept was great - an anthology of stories about items sold at the same yard sale - but sadly I found most of the stories to be rushed and not particularly good. There were also too many tales here, which diluted the overall quality of the collection. A shame.

On the positive, I did really enjoy the following stories: The Biliken, Huber, The Screams Were Coming From the Fannypack, and A Steady Constant.

[Shannon M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the October pick for the virtual/Discord book club I created. There were only a few of us reading it and the general consensus was 3/5 stars. The rest of these opinions are only my own.

I was so excited to read Curbside Curses! The premise of a bunch of cursed objects coming from the same yard sale was super neat and interesting — but 22 stories was TOO MUCH. I enjoyed the prologue and epilogue by Nadine (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) and I compiled my notes for each of the stories in this anthology below. Please note, they are chaotic AF.

Lampshades ⭐️
Not the greatest writing — not a fan of the style. The story was okay but it felt like the rules kept changing just to move the story along.

Spinning Out of Control ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked this one. No filler, kept me interested and entertained. Very clear what the item was doing. I liked the ending — bit of a cliffhanger in a sense.

Watered Down ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Great story! Very interesting. The writing was decent, to the point, and had fantastic storytelling. Master of short stories.

Mr. Ferry ⭐️⭐️
Extremely abrupt ending. Was hoping for gore. Very tame story with a big build up that didn’t meet my expectations with the ending.

Las Pulgas Vestidas ⭐️⭐️
Kind of weird story. Confusing on first read through. But interesting concept.

Time to Go ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Well obviously I’d love this one because I have had a similar story idea brewing in my brain/notepad for a couple years now. I enjoyed it. Super quick and fun!

The Billiken ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Kind of confused how this is related but so far it’s creepy. Ah, okay, we got there 😅 Billiken is a gift from a shady fuck. Jesus. I don’t much care for the dentist now. Am I missing teeth?

Estelle ⭐️⭐️⭐️
At first I was worried this would just be The Ring but it’s different. I REALLY appreciated the fact that Grant paid attention to the teeth marks and the lack of possibility of self infliction. It was a great touch.

Huber ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hahahaha is that a nod to Scary Movie? Poor Officer Doofy! This one is more extreme than the others and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The last line made me laugh out loud. “I can see why these fuckers were discontinued”.

The Blank Cartridge ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I enjoyed the well thought back story to why they selected the item at the yardsale — I feel like that wasn’t something that happened in many other stories (up until now). This one was really great! I love how it took the MC out of the world first before coming back to the world.

Homo Follicular ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one was super weird. Pulling the hair from himself was detailed and made me shudder a little. Reading that the hair was crawling across the floor made me reconsider sticking my hair to the shower wall in the future.

The Screams Were Coming From Inside the Fanny Pack ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I actually quite enjoyed this one; her not caring about the missing boy she didn’t like because she had to focus on the fanny pack is pretty authentic to teenagers — it made me laugh. Jubilee deserved it — fucking bitch.

In The Attic Lives The Corn Husk Girl ⭐️⭐️
This one was quite short, which was nice, but I didn’t find it all that enthralling.

That Old Charm ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Really liked this one — it was very interesting and the length was actually perfect. Wish there was more backstory about the object though.

Dollusions ⭐️⭐️
I thought that Winnie imagining all the voices was kind of cute but this story got weird and then ended VERY abruptly.

A New Gimmick 🚫
If I read the word gimmick one more time… DNF’d this one. It was quite long and not very interesting to me.

The Final Piece ⭐️⭐️
This was gearing up to be one of the best stories in the anthology. I have no idea what happened at the end but I really wasn’t impressed.

Video Girl ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one was another weird one. Definitely interesting though and I flew through it. Not sure why the oven was the first thought and why it just so happened to work, but here we are.

A Steady Constant ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really enjoyed this one — the ending was abrupt but didn’t feel abrupt, in the sense of missing out on story. It was good. Such an interesting concept.

Any Which Way You Slice It ⭐️⭐️
So it was like a truth telling curse or something? Plus like… over indulgence? Kind of confusing tbh.

Room For Two ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Super quick and super simple but packed a punch. I enjoyed this one!

Fishcore ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ooooooh this one was GREAT! I loved it so much. But like… I want some fish flops.

Definitely love the idea for Halloween/Spooky anthologies for our October book club pick but next time, I think I’ll find one with less stories. Over all, this was decent and I am glad I got the chance to read it.

[Blake Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite stories were Estella, Huber, and the Prologue/Epilogue (very Ed &Lorraine Warren vibes). I think this gave a creepy perspective to think twice before buying random sh!t at people’s yard sales LoL