Haunted eBay...and Other Misadventures

Sometimes, I like to window shop for "haunted items" on eBay. I love antiques and usually end up looking at those in particular. Would I buy a haunted antique? Probably not--and certainly not from eBay. In my opinion, haunted eBay items generally fall into three categories; 1) seller looking to rip people off, 2) seller claiming the object is haunted but making no promises 3) seller playing with fire.

This week I found objects that fell into categories one and three.

Category 3: Sellers playing with fire.

Photo courtesy of Alejandro De La Cruz 
*Not associated with eBay listing

"Rare Antique-from Island of the Haunted Dolls."

I was very disappointed with this listing. If you're familiar with La Isla de la Munecas (The Island of the Dolls) you know it was originally created by Don Julian Santana, a hermit who dedicated 50 years of his life to the upkeep of the island. He claimed he was haunted by the ghost of a little girl who drowned in one of the canals around the island. Don would trade homegrown fruits and vegetables for old dolls and place them around his home as a shrine for the spirit that tormented him. In 2001, he was found dead in the same canal the little girl drowned in.
That said, it appears that this eBay seller has NO respect for the dead. She claims a friend "smuggled" two dolls off the island and is using the money to pay for cancer treatment for their child. Huh. Regardless if the dolls are really from the island or not--it's stealing and bad karma.

"Custom Conjured Spirit Guide Haunted Arrowhead"

Photo courtesy of Wessex Archaeology

*Not associated with eBay listing

I had to read this twice. Really? Really?? For $33.33

you can have a stranger conjur a spirit guide and bind it into an arrowhead artifact. You choose the tribe and whether you want a male or female. *sigh* My feelings on binding a spirit...  I won't rant here. I'll save it for another post. 

"Dybbuk Box, Haunted Dibbuk Spirit, Estate Find. Ghost, Sealed, Entity?"

Seller claims the box began destroying his/her life once they opened it. Sooo....why would I want this again? It boggles the mind.

Category 1: Sellers looking to rip people off.

"Haunted Drinking Glass Cup"

Photo courtesy of Billy Maybray
*Not associated with eBay listing

For $100 you can purchase a drinking glass wherein; "By drinking (from the glass) you gain the power and ability to become anyone or anything at anytime for as long as you like by shapeshifting. Only 5 glasses available."

Uh-huh. 

**Also from the drinking glass seller: "Haunted Gender Sex Change Body Lotion" Lotion reported to turn you into the opposite sex. Seriously?? Seriously. 

"Haunted charging box soapstone box that is also the home for a Angel spirit" 

As awesome as this sounds--apparently the seller is kicking his/her angel to the curb. 

How sad. The description goes on and on.

Oh look--you can buy the box on Amazon too.

Amazon has the same description listed by the eBay seller: "This soapstone box is routed out of solid soapstone, not glued pieces. The lid is dramatic with a routed image of a charging bull with a raised lightning bolt across its middle. Each stone pattern is unique. one of a kind." Oddly enough, all of the sellers objects can be found on Amazon. Angel and spirit free.

I'm all for selling interesting objects on eBay. I won't say "for sure" that these sellers are ripping people off because I don't know them personally. I will say one thing though--there's nothing worse than those that prey on the gullibility of others. Sir Walter Scott said it best in Marmion: "What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive." On the flip side, David Hannum summed it up even better: "There's a sucker born every minute."