Dusty bottles of dandruff shampoo from the ’70s line the shelves. Rubber chickens hang off the wall above feathered angel wings. You turn around and notice foam mannequin heads staring at you with vacant blue eyes. An ice cream freezer filled with stuffed animals sits almost hidden among hundreds of frightening Halloween masks that glare down at you from above.

Don’t worry. You’re not stuck in an episode of the “The Twilight Zone.” You’re inside a beloved, though misunderstood, DeKalb store.

Ralph’s News Stand and Trophy House, 664 E. Lincoln Highway, has been satisfying customers and making friends for 50 years. With so much history, it’s easy to see how owner Ralph Seats accumulated such an eclectic array of merchandise. And what about those Halloween masks still hanging around?

“If you saw a hundred masks in June, you’d be bound to remember the place. Would you not?” Seats said.

Ralph’s also houses a basement filled with hundreds of elaborate trophies and plaques for all occasions. Customers are welcome to reserve any awards that they would like to have engraved.

Among the strange and wonderful, there also are the necessities of everyday life.

The store has lots of imported tobaccos cigars, Zippo lighters, incense, candles, books and magazines, a variety of newspapers, class and party supplies, lottery tickets and about two aisles of greeting cards, many of which are in Spanish.

“I wouldn’t voluntarily sell a card that isn’t fresh as a daisy,” Seats said.

Ralph’s also offers heart-shaped boxes of candy and other gifts for those who need a token of love for that special someone this Valentine’s Day.

Every day Ralph’s gets about 400 customers, many of whom are regulars who come in for a newspaper and some cigarettes, as well as friendly conversation.

“You can always stop in and chat. It’s the atmosphere,” said Jon Miller of Cortland. “He always has nice people here.”

Many actors from local theaters such as the Egyptian Theatre shop at Ralph’s for face makeup.

“If you can’t find it in any other store, Ralph’s got it,” said Fred Smith Jr. of DeKalb. In the last 11 years, Smith has visited the store and has befriended Seats and his employees.

The 79-year-old Seats doesn’t plan on retiring any time soon, and he involves himself in every aspect of the business. He not only looks forward to opening and closing the store, but he also enjoys greeting and chatting with the friends he’s made over the years.

“You know that TV show ‘Cheers’ that says ‘Where everybody knows your name’?” Seats asked. “Well, that’s here.”