Ebay

[George Hutchinson]

Do I laugh, cry or gnash?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/JACKS-2ND-1988...3A2%7C294%3A50

Is this one of the most bare-faced eBay lies of all time?

PHILIP

[spryder]

The same seller is also offering Elizabeth Stride's "hat-pin" on a separate ebay auction. Sadly, it has three bids on it already. :-/

[steje73]

It's enough to make you weep in despair.

[Archaic]

Haunted In Its Own Rite?

I looked this Ebay Seller up on the U.S. site. She apparently specializes in ''Genuine Haunted Antiques'' & claims to be an ''expert w/45 yrs experience working investigations including w/the Police''. Each piece she auctions has a very long, detailed, & TRAGIC phoney history, including a discussion of its previous paranormal activity & promises of its special 'paranormal powers'. (eg: ''Draws Spirits''/''Shows Orbs'')
The ring that she claims was Annie's following the death of her husband doesn't even date to the 1880's. The pictures are lousy, but it's obviously both badly & cheaply made, which is why it's unmarked, unattractive, lopsided, dented & the band is broken. (I'm surprised she didn't work the damage into her JTR story!) Unless Annie is known to have vacationed someplace like India or Mexico in the 20th C., I seriously doubt that ring was hers.
And poor Liz; if only she'd thought to pawn the pretty purple stick-pin & stay home that night!

There's also an Art Deco SS & Marcasites Ring w/Blue center (prob. glass) that was CLEARLY made c.1925-1935, so it took quite a bit of Paranormal Activity for it to traveled back in time to be found in a Haunted Attic in 1909- & it was supposed to have belonged to a girl that died years earlier! Wow; freaky.

Even better is the ordinary 1920'-30s Hand Mirror she claims was BURIED WITH A UKRAINIAN VAMPIRE in 1925, then dug up one yr later & kept by the family. (Ick.) Funny that they expected to see the dead woman's BREATH on it, when the Seller's story clearly states that the Vamp's family DROVE A HUGE STAKE THROUGH HER HEART before burying her!

All of these items are being sold to wanna-be Spirit Mediums expressly for use in their 'work'. Each one also comes with the following promise: ''This piece is a wonderful antique in its own rite.'' (sic) I went thru the motions of complaining to Ebay on the basis of 'Fraudulent Listings' & asked for a response, but I don't expect one. In a future Auction this person will probably offer up JonBenet's headband that she was wearing the night she died, and some fool will buy it. It's quite a racket. Best regards, Archaic

[George Hutchinson]

People (including me) so WANT such things to turn up that these idiots (maybe not such an idiot, however?) list these bogus goods knowing they'll make a quick buck. Thanks, Archaic, for your excellent post deconstructing the myth.

JonBenet's headband? I could probably get hold of a John Bennett stray sock.

PHILIP

[Archaic]

Haunted Hatpins, etc

Hi, Philip.
If you ever get tired of KT's blog, you should check out this gal's spiel; it's remarkably entertaining. As I read her epic item descriptions I couldn't help but be impressed (though painfully) by her sincerity, passion, & level of bogus detail. I figured out the secret to her success: Each listing is actually the first half of a Mini Paranormal Romance/Ghosthunters Novel, and the principal charm is that if you are the fortunate one who buys the haunted heirloom, you get to finish that Novel AND write the Blockbuster Screenplay! The Amityville Hatpin, perhaps? Or - this one's for John Bennett- Socko?

I love the part where she solemnly advises her customers to emulate her own professional investigative technique of placing individual haunted heirlooms into a glassed-in Isolation Booth for some period of time in order to observe the activity.
(I can think of certain conditions under which this could be fun, but I'll leave it at that.)

What's she's doing is so over the top it boggles my mind. Her 'Full Disclosure Policy' includes the admonition that you ''should not buy from her for Investment Purposes'' (??) and that she does not offer a 'Certificate of Authenticity' with her pieces. (Implying that they are too authentic to need one? C. of A.'s are meaningless toilet-paper anyway, but even that bar's too high.)

Being a good detective, I checked out her Seller Feedback & was shocked to see that it was mostly positive- her customers gush about their wonderful paranormal jewelry-boxes, terrifying dolls, strange sensations & ceaseless orb activity. They appear disturbingly grateful to her for all the excitement. Oh, well, her targeted demographic seems to love her... let's try to be grateful that she didn't go into Televangelism or Politics instead.

By the way, I actually got a brief 'form-email' response from Ebay regarding my complaint! So exciting! It seemed to come from their New Delhi office. I'll keep ya posted. - Yours truly, Archaic

[Celesta]

I came across this: Rothschild Buildings: Life in an East End London Tenement.

I couldn't get the link to work right, but, if you're interested, you can paste it. The book is supposed to be illustrated. I believe it dates to 1980.


http://cgi.ebay.com/Rothschild-Buildings-Lifein-an-East-End-London-Tenem_W0QQitemZ330332064503QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_N onfiction_Book?hash=item4ce9534af7&_trksid=p3286.c 0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|24 0%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

[John Bennett]

I came across this: Rothschild Buildings: Life in an East End London Tenement.

It's a super book and I assume many here will be familiar with it. Well worth getting if you're not!

[Celesta]

I thought this was the one that keeps emerging here, now and then, and so thought it best to post it here.

[Khanada]

I'm sorry, the ring-listing moron totally lost me at "Annie's body was found on September 8, 1888, seven days after she was murdered."

As... If...

[John Bennett]

JonBenet's headband? I could probably get hold of a John Bennett stray sock.

PHILIP

No problem Phil. Would you like it sent or will you be collecting it?

[Roy Corduroy]

I came across this: Rothschild Buildings:...

Got it. $9 + freight. Thanks for the tip, Celesta -- Roy

[Sam Flynn]

Got it. $9 + freight. Thanks for the tip, Celesta -- Roy

Congratulations, Roy - you've netted yourself an excellent bargain, and an excellent book!

[Bob Hinton]

The Lighter Side of My Official Life

Is now on Ebay at

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=290327075000

I also have a copy of The Ripper File at http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=290327081893

[silverstealth]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=120433966445

Were these a bargain? I got them a couple of days ago and they are genuine enough.