A west-side shop that grew out of estate cleanouts and flea market finds is marking a milestone this summer. Oddball Store Music & More, opened by Manfred Burkholder and his wife Nancy Milliron, is celebrating its third anniversary, having grown from what the couple described as "a mess — and a really good idea" into a successful entrepreneurial venture.
The shop occupies the former Simpich Showcase performing arts theater at 2413 W. Colorado Ave., directly across from Bancroft Park in Old Colorado City. The 2,500-square-foot space is stocked with an eclectic mix of treasures — musical instruments ranging from guitars to pink flutes, poker watches, NFL Super Bowl rings, clocks, corded phones, posters, books, vintage toys, vinyl records and more, neatly lining nearly every visible inch of space.
Milliron described the shop's core purpose as providing "a solution to a problem someone is having, especially when they're looking for a unique gift." Burkholder, an Army veteran who served during the Vietnam era, and Milliron, a longtime real estate broker and residential property manager, established the shop three years ago, and it has since served collectors, musicians and patrons from across Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region.
The business started with the couple cleaning out properties together, during which they repeatedly came across one-of-a-kind items they felt deserved better than ending up in a landfill — so they kept them, and eventually started selling them. Burkholder became a well-known face at the Colorado Springs Flea Market, though he now focuses mostly on selling at his shop. In a short time, the store has made a name for itself as a community go-to for vinyl records, collectibles and exceptional finds.
The shop also repairs items such as guitars, clocks, watches, record players and radios. Most recently, the owners have added an entirely new dimension to the store's inventory. About a month ago, Oddball debuted a year-round Christmas and German shop inside the store — a 250-square-foot section to the left of the main entrance where guests can browse German-made goods including delicate gold Christmas ornaments, authentic German beer steins, lederhosen, music boxes and more.
The expansion came after Old Colorado City's Christkindlmarket made its wildly popular debut at Bancroft Park during the last holiday season, prompting Burkholder and Milliron to research the market opportunity. Burkholder noted that while Colorado has German restaurants, German bakeries and German sandwich shops, there are no other German retail stores in the state.
The shop is officially celebrating its third anniversary on Aug. 12, and while supplies last, every visitor that day will receive a free anniversary gift — a choice among a USA flag necklace, a novelty poker money clip and watch, or a $1 million Betty Boop note, described in a company release as "a playful nod to the same spirit of surprise and discovery that fills every shelf in the store." Oddball Store Music & More is open Monday and Tuesday from noon to 5 p.m. and Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 7 p.m., or by appointment.
How the new German retail section performs heading into the holiday season, when Old Colorado City's Christkindlmarket is expected to return to Bancroft Park, will be worth watching.