By Cabot Shore

The distinctive and quirky Troll Shop at 86 Main Street has closed its doors, although you can still get your troll fix through their online shop. It was one of the oldest shops on the street, founded by Edith Marra in 1976 under the name The Flaming Cauldron. The original store was twice the current size and featured Halloween merchandise and a variety of imported gift items from around the world, including the trolls.

The Marra family lived in Warwick but The Troll Shop was opened in East Greenwich because they noticed a vacant store when driving through town. This was where Edith could pursue her dream – the idea of creating a store to sell items you could not find at the mall, Doreen Marra Bullock said of her mother. “She loved to shop and find different things.”

The Marras discovered the trolls during a vacation in the south, where they met a Scandinavian family who made trolls. Edith bought a supply and when they were an immediate hit she got exclusive rights to the market area. 

She moved the business to Pawtucket for a while, but opened up back on Main Street in 2011. 

After Edith died in 2018, Doreen stepped in. 

“When she died, my brother and I didn’t want to close the shop, because it was something she loved. It speaks for itself,” Doreen said. She considers the business part of her family’s legacy.  

But hardships from the COVID-19 pandemic made Doreen reconsider the business model. The Troll Shop had its merchandise shipped to them from several different countries, including Denmark and India. Supply chain problems caused inventory shortages and Doreen closed down the store in February. 

While the closure marks the end of an era on Main Street, you can find many of the distinctive items online at thetrollshop.com. And Doreen hopes to hold pop-up events in the future and maintain the magic of the original Troll Shop.