These odd shop owners are driven by passion

IT’S NOT. I GOT TO STEP HERE AND I COULD PROBABLY DO A HALF STEP HERE. NO, THIS IS BUSINESS UNUSUAL. IT IS THE WORLD’S LARGEST RUBBER DUCK STORE. SHOPS. SO ODD THEY’VE DEFIED THE ODDS. WE’RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING OUT OF THIS. AND OWNERS UNDETERRED BY DETRACTORS, NOT JUST MY KIDS, MY FRIENDS, MY FAMILY. EVERYBODY WAS LIKE, SHE OKAY? SHE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST TONIGHT. CHRONICLE GOES SHOPPING FOR THOSE DRIVEN BY PASSION AS MUCH AS PROFIT. IT’S MORE CHASING THE MUSE AND NOT THE MONEY. AND WE DISCOVER THE JOY OF FINDING ONE’S NICHE IN TODAY’S HURLY BURLY MARKETPLACE. THIS IS MY PURPOSE IN LIFE. THIS IS CHRONICLE ON WCVB CHANNEL FIVE. LIKE EVERY PERSON EVER, COLLETTE CUMMINGS NEVER IMAGINED OWNING A RUBBER DUCK STORE. I’M IN MY NINTH YEAR AND IT STILL BLOWS MY MIND. IT STILL BLOWS MY MIND. CHATHAM, MASSACHUSETTS MAY OFFER MANY CHARMS, BUT LET’S BE REAL THE CAPE IS LOUSY WITH GORGEOUS BEACH SCAPES. THERE IS ONLY ONE DUCKS IN THE WINDOW. IT’S UNLIKE ANYTHING I’VE EVER SEEN. I’VE NEVER SEEN A STORE LIKE THIS THAT DRAWS SUCH A CROWD OF PEOPLE. IT IS ALMOST STANDING ROOM ONLY ALL SUMMER LONG, NEARLY A THOUSAND DIFFERENT DUCKS FROM MICRO TO METAL TO MONA LISA. THERE’S A DUCK FOR EVERYONE. OUR NUMBER ONE SELLER IS THE SPIDER-MAN DUCK, FOLLOWED BY A PINK UNICORN, FOLLOWED BY DUCK VADER. I GET THE GRAND CANYON. WE’VE COME TO THE DUCK STORE. THIS GROUP OF FRIENDS FROM BRITAIN. I WAS KING CHARLES, UNDERWHELMED BY THE PILGRIMS IN PLYMOUTH, MADE A SPECIAL DETOUR TO VISIT THE WORLD’S LARGEST RUBBER DUCK STORE. IT’S THE BEST THING I’VE EVER SEEN. IT DIDN’T DISAPPOINT. YOU KNOW WHAT? THERE’S MORE DUCKS THAN I THOUGHT. THERE WOULD BE. WHICH IS WEIRD. AND UNEXPECTED. KEEPING 983 DIFFERENT TYPES OF RUBBER DUCKS IN STOCK AND UNDER CONTROL IS NO SMALL TASK. IT IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. AND HOW MANY THOUSANDS THAT I OWN. OH, I DON’T EVEN WANT TO KNOW THAT NUMBER. BUT COLETTE CUMMINGS PREFERS TO THINK OF THESE DISTINCT LITTLE PERSONALITIES AS A SINGLE, COLORFUL FLOCK. WE WANT IT TO BE A PAINTING. IT’S LIKE A MOSAIC. SO YOU’VE GOT SO MANY DIFFERENT COLORS AND TEXTURES THAT WHEN THEY ALL COME TOGETHER, THEY’VE CREATED THIS MAGNIFICENT, UM, MASTERPIECE OF RUBBER DUCKS. YEP. 43 WAY. LOOK AT THAT. RIGHT ON THE BUTTON HERE. HERE’S A BUCK FOR YOU I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. IT’S A WIN WIN. GOOD LUCK. ALL RIGHT. IT’S THE TINY SPOT THAT GENERATES BIG DREAMS. HEY, HAVE YOU GUYS MADE MY DAY GOOD. SEE YOU. GOOD LUCK. GOOD NEWS. TAKE CARE. FOR 40 YEARS RUNNING, BOB KELLI HAS CUT KEYS AND SOLD LOTTERY TICKETS OUT OF THIS LITERAL HOLE IN THE WALL IN DOWNTOWN CROSSING. IT DOESN’T FEEL CLOSED IN AT ALL. TO ME. I DON’T KNOW WHY. I’M A SIMPLE, SIMPLE MAN. I LOVE IT SIT HERE WATCHING PEOPLE ALL DAY. IN TRUTH, THERE IS NO ROOM TO ACTUALLY SIT. I HAVEN’T HAD A STOOL SINCE 2001 WHEN I PUT THE LOTTERY IN. THERE’S NO ROOM. THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD DAY. BYE BYE NOW. BOB KELLY’S KEY WORKS IS SAID TO BE THE SMALLEST COMMERCIAL SPACE IN BOSTON. WELL, I GOT A TAPE. MEASURE 26IN. AND ABOUT 40IN. HEY, HOW’S IT GOING? BE RIGHT WITH YOU NOW. 40 YEARS UPRIGHT IN SUCH A CONFINED SPACE MIGHT WELL VIOLATE THE GENEVA CONVENTIONS. BUT BOB KELLY HAS MADE HIS PEACE WITH IT. WELL, THIS IS MY LITTLE DESK. IF IT’S NOT RAINING, I DON’T DO MY PAPERWORK HERE. AND IF IT’S RAINING, I JUST PUT IT OFF UNTIL A DIFFERENT DAY. AS FOR LOTTERY DREAMS, KELLI SAYS HE’S ALREADY HIT THE JACKPOT. I LUCKED INTO THIS. I MEAN, I KNOW HOW HARD MY DAD AND MY BROTHER HAD TO WORK THROUGH THE YEARS, AND I’M IN HERE JUST BASICALLY COASTING ALONG, WATCHING THE WORLD GO BY MORNING. I LIKE THIS LITTLE SPOT. I PLAN ON STAYING HERE FOREVER. I’M NOT. I’M NOT LEAVING. AND IF EIGHT HOURS IN THAT TINY BOOTH SEEMS A BIT MUCH, BOB KELLY SAYS IT’S BETTER THAN THE 12 HOURS A DAY HE SPENT THERE PRE-PANDEMIC WITH THE SLOWDOWN IN STREET TRAFFIC, HE’S LETTING HIMSELF OUT OF THE BOX. A BIT EARLIER THESE DAYS, AND HOW DID COLETTE CUMMINGS COME TO OWN THE WORLD’S LARGEST RUBBER DUCK STORE? WELL, AFTER LOSING HER JOB AS A RETAIL EXECUTIVE, SHE TOOK A PART TIME JOB AT THE STORE. SHE LOVED IT SO MUCH SHE BOUGHT THE PLACE COMING UP A CHILDHOOD

In Massachusetts, odd shop owners are driven by passion

From a rubber duck store to Boston’s smallest business (literally), these quirky stores have a growing following.

Updated: 8:00 PM EDT Jul 12, 2024

Chatham, Massachusetts, has many charms, including Ducks in the Window, the world’s largest rubber duck store. Keyworks, is said to be Boston’s smallest business. Only the size of a broom closet, it fits owner Bob Kelly to a T – he’s been at this Downtown Crossing hole-in-the-wall for 40 years!

CHATHAM, Mass. —

Chatham, Massachusetts, has many charms, including Ducks in the Window, the world’s largest rubber duck store.

Keyworks, is said to be Boston’s smallest business. Only the size of a broom closet, it fits owner Bob Kelly to a T – he’s been at this Downtown Crossing hole-in-the-wall for 40 years!