- "Don't be a fool! A seller of stolen goods is just a middleman who's trying to provide his customers with good product. Look, I know nothing. If it comes to me, I buy it! I'm a charitable organization that helps people in need!"
- — Man from the Curiosity Shop
The Man from the Curiosity Shop is a character from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. A mysterious figure, he runs the Curiosity Shop in Clock Town. He is one of the twenty people with an entry in the Bombers' Notebook, where his name is literally given as "Man from Curiosity Shop".
Biography[]
Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.
The Man from the Curiosity Shop opens his business at 10:00 p.m. Here, he buys and sells stolen or lost goods for a profit. If the Takkuri flying near the entrance to Milk Road steals one of Link's items, Link can buy it back at the Curiosity Shop. He can also buy the Big Bomb Bag from him for 100 Rupees if he does not stop Sakon's robbery of the old lady from the Bomb Shop on the night of the First Day, or the All-Night Mask for 500 Rupees if he does.
The man knows Kafei, who was transformed into a child by the Skull Kid. The man gave the Keaton Mask to Kafei in Kafei's youth; when the owner of the Curiosity Shop saw Kafei as a child wearing the mask, he recognized him and allowed him to stay in the Backroom of the Curiosity Shop, which can be accessed via the Laundry Pool.
Link can receive the Keaton's Mask from the man on the Final Day if he had spoken to Kafei on the Second Day. The Man from the Curiosity Shop also gives Link Priority Mail addressed to Madame Aroma, which plays a key role in helping the Postman decide to flee Clock Town on the Final Day or in giving Link a bottle filled with Chateau Romani.
In Majora's Mask 3D, the Ocean and Swamp Fishing Hole Owners will deny that they have any relation or knowledge of him, despite their resemblance.
Spoiler warning: Spoilers end here.
Theory[]
Theory warning: This section contains theoretical information based on the research of one or several other users. It has not been officially verified by Nintendo and its factual accuracy is disputed.
Due to the man's striking resemblance to the Man from the Trading Post, it is believed that the two men are one and the same. Both are seen scratching a persistent itch on their back, and both frequently emphasize their statements by saying "I kid you not!" Further evidence supporting this theory includes the Part-time Employee's rambling curiosity about the Trading Post's strangely high amount of Rupees, considering business rates, though this can be interpreted in other ways. Also, if Link talks to the Man from the Trading Post while wearing the Stone Mask, he will say to himself that he has to get ready for the "night shift," however, the night shift is run by the Part-time Employee and starts at the same time as the Curiosity Shop opens, implying that his night shift is actually held in the Curiosity Shop.
If Link talks to the Man from the Trading Post while wearing Kafei's Mask, he first recognizes "Kafei", but immediately corrects himself, insistently claiming he does not know who he is. However, he refers to Kafei as a kid, and everyone except the man from the Curiosity Shop (and possibly Mayor Dotour) would refer to Kafei as an adult, not knowing he had been transformed into a child, which leads to the possibility that the Man from the Trading Post knows about Kafei's situation.
Although this is possible, there are reasons this may not be true. For example, talking to the Man from the Trading Post for the first time does not add an entry for the man from the Curiosity Shop in the Bombers' Notebook. By using the hole in the Backroom, it is possible to see the man from the Curiosity Shop at his desk while the Man from the Trading Post is still working. Nonetheless, there is a chance both of these examples are simply errors made in development, though the former could have been intended to be a mistake on Link's part.
It should be noted that the official Nintendo Power strategy guide states that the two are the same person.
Theory warning: Theories end here.