Marblehead’s Wicked Ducks on 27 Atlantic Ave. has become a must-see destination. Recently opened in September, the store sells unique and custom rubber ducks, all of which are hand-painted and some that are authentically made from the sap of Spanish rubber trees.
Co-owners and spouses Courtney and Mandy Lobracio, and their daughter Sophia have brought their family tradition of collecting rubber ducks from overseas to Marblehead, sharing the joy it brings with the community.
“We’ve never even felt like so much a part of the community until we actually opened the store,” said Lobracio. “Everybody comes in and they have a story about every duck and it’s hilarious.”
One duck takes six months to make, with luxury brands spread throughout the UK, Germany and Spain.
“We come up with a design and then we put it into a 3D format and then one duck has a clay model that’s made after the design,” Lobracio said. “Once that’s approved, it goes to a wax mold and once that’s approved, it’s hand-painted. When that’s approved, it becomes spray-painted and ready for production.”
Prices for the ducks are an average of $25.99, but range from $8.99 all the way up to $100 for limited luxury ducks.
“We have some that are large ducks, like one is a Ghostbuster marshmallow,” Lobracio said. “It smells like a marshmallow.”
The ducks have links to celebrities, sports players, movie characters and more. Lobracio said some of the bestsellers include a pug duck, a Taylor Swift duck, a Minion duck and animal ducks.
The store also features a collection of holiday-themed ducks, including Christmas ducks. To be more inclusive within the community, it even offers a rabbi duck, which Lobracio said is rare among most other stores.
“We’re trying to search for some to kind of meet everybody, but they don’t make a whole lot of Jewish themed ducks and things like that,” Lobracio said. “So that was why we wanted to fill in the blanks of what other companies haven’t made.”
The family’s mission goes beyond their store; they have also launched the Wicked Ducks Derby Foundation. Inspired by Chicago’s annual duck derby, which released 70,000 rubber ducks into the Chicago River last August, raising $400,000 for the Special Olympics, they hope to host a similar event on the Charles River.
“We’re trying to involve the community by asking, ‘What kind of foundation would you like to support?’” Lobracio explained.
The family’s passion for spreading joy extends into everyday moments, like when her daughter eagerly “ducks” someone as part of the playful trend.
“It’s just fun,” Lobracio said. “It’s about spreading joy.”
Wicked Ducks is open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. The store is closed on Tuesdays.
“Our tagline is to spread joy and laughter, and I think that’s so important for our community and our country right now,” Lobracio said.
All are welcome into Wicked Ducks on 27 Atlantic Ave. in Marblehead.
