Vampires and Werewolves: BEWARE!

Manion’s International Auction House has placed a plethora of interesting items up for bid in their nearly four decades in business, but a recently consigned item is of particular interest . . . to the undead!

At first glance, it looks to be an antique jewelry box, but a lift of the lid reveals an odd assortment: single shot revolver with silver bullets; vials containing holy water, wolf’s bane, and other peculiar potions; a collection of crucifixes, a sharpened stake, and additional artifacts intended to strike fear into “creatures of the night.”

“Apparently kits like these were sold to travelers to Eastern Europe in the 1800s and towards the turn of the century,” said Manion’s representative Andrew Turner. “I suppose one could say they worked fairly well as vampire and werewolf encounters are rare in modern day.”

A similar kit sold with Sotheby’s for $12,000 in 2003.

“The Internet is full of opinion,” said Turner. “Judgments are made as to whether or not these kits, constructed to slay imaginary creatures, are authentic or replicas – the entire conversation is quite a quandary.”

Turner views the kit as a piece of decorative art which would be of interest to an eclectic collector. It exhibits superior construction, and the quality of the artifacts are significant - in addition to their vampire and werewolf connection.

“Whether or not you believe in the existence of vampires and werewolves, you have to admit: this is a pretty neat piece,” said Turner. “If I had a few thousand dollars to spare, the first bid would be mine.”

The reserve price for the kit has been set at $3500 in addition to a 15% buyer’s premium. Photos and additional information can be viewed by visiting the company’s website – www.manions.com – and clicking the appropriate banner in the center of the page. The auction will close May 26, 2009