(Un)Holy Halloween, Batman, It’s Antique Vampire Killing Kits!
10.15.09 By Deanna DahlsadCover your tween’s eyes and ears, because what I’m about to discuss isn’t going to please millions of Twilight fans and vampire fanatics… While the current vampire mythology has twisted the creatures into romanticized objects of love, the original lore dictates the killing of them — the proof of which is up for auction on Halloween at Stevens Auction Company: an authentic antique Vampire Killing Kit.
Antique Rosewood Box Containing Vampire Killing Kit
Inside the beautiful Rosewood case with mother of pearl cross inlay there’s an assortment of items to deal with the undead, including a cleaver, prayer book, Holy water vials, looking glass, silver occult dagger, candles, what looks like some wooden stakes, and a pistol with silver bullets in an ornate coffin case.
Antique Vampire Killing Kit
It’s a stunning display of craftsmanship, yes; but what really fascinates is their existence at all.
These are expensive kits, made for the wealthy; not some cheap and cheesy plastic novelty items. Such luxury concedes a seriousness — a deadly seriousness. These items were made to address deep, dark, primal fears. And then, like our fears often are, they were not thrown away but stored in equally dark and out of the way places… Antique wooden killing kits in the attics of old houses, just waiting for the day when the creatures creep from the attics of our minds.
Vampire Killing Kit, Dating To 1840-1860's
Fascinated, I spoke with Dwight Stevens, of Stevens Auction Company, on the phone yesterday about the antique piece of vampire history.
“I don’t believe in vampires — I’ve never met one. But somebody believed in them, something drove people to believe… From New Orleans to Vicksburg, these old boxes remain.” Stevens has sold four vampire killing kits in his 27 years as an auctioneer, most recently selling one a year ago, in Natchez, Mississippi, for $14,850.
Walnut Case Vampire Killing Kit, Circa 1800, Sold For $14,850
The selling of that boxed kit for ridding oneself of vampires garnered international interest. Wistful buyers from all over the world, as well as bloggers and traditional media folks, contacted the auction house. And they continue to contact Stevens. Recently one person asked Stevens how he came to be an authority on vampires — he laughed, he’s not an expert on vampires. “But,” I said, “you are an authority on vampire killing kits.”
While I think the finding and selling of four of these old superstitious boxes of death is amazing, Stevens contemplates the small number of them which have survived, saying “Maybe the vampires got them.”
Or maybe all the collectors have.
“We contacted Anne Rice about the one we had last year, but we never heard from her; she must be retired,” said Stevens with an audible shrug.
“Or maybe she already has her own kit and she’s all set,” I replied.
More likely, Rice knows what I do: Vampires do not die; real or not, they live on in our obsession with them.
The Vampire Killing Kit, part of at Miss Isabel’s estate, is up for auction in Port Gibson, Mississippi (27 miles South of Vicksburg) on October 31, 2009, by Stevens Auction Company. Reserved seating and phone bids are welcome with advanced arrangements.
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Article Tags: antiques, auctions, collectibles, Halloween, vampires================
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October 15th, 2009 at 10:21 am
Fascinating reading! You’re right, the latest books and movies make vampires out as romantic – not the case. I’ll check our basement and attic, we may have a kit, ha! Another great article.
October 15th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Does it occur to no one that our ancestors had a sense of humor? These kits exist for the same reason as the Zombie Disaster Preparedness Plan.
October 15th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
OK, I’ve never heard of “the Zombie Disaster Preparedness Plan,” but the word “plan” alone tells me it’s not a “kit” and therefore likely without a price — or at least not a price tag intended for the wealthy. This rosewood vampire killing kit was expensive, not a novelty item, when originally made and so does not convey “joke” to me, Jonathan. When you can show me a whoopie cushion or other joke item that sold for 10K — when it was originally made — I might be more inclined to believe your sense of humor theory.
October 15th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Where is the evidence that these kits were $10,000 when they were originally produced? Can you site your references for this claim? Also, did the kit that sold in Natchez sell for $1485(as stated in your article) or $14850(as stated in the caption under the picture)?
October 15th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
…oops, typo… “cite,” not “site.”
October 15th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
JF, the 10K comparison was regarding a whoopie cushion made today — an example of an item made and sold sale today that a) shows a sense of humor and b) is for the wealthy, with a price tag to match. I don’t doubt that people had a sense of humor at any time in our history, but typically our humor items are inexpensive novelties.
I have no idea how much a vampire kit cost — or if they were even made as vampire killing kits; they could be kits made by individuals for individual protection, etc. I only know what the auctioneer stated. (I suggest further questions regarding the kit, its authenticity, etc. be directed to the auction house. I’ve seen no more than the photos shown here.)
I have fixed the typo; the previously sold walnut kit sold for $14,850 (also listed in the link to the post auction sales results coverage).
October 15th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
I’d also like to add, based on comments here and at BoingBoing, the following comments:
* I’ve never found lots of antiques/items that are known to have existed; personal finding is not necessarily proof of authenticity, it’s anecdotal commentary.
* There’s a world of difference between a “humor item” and a “fake.” (Just as there is between a manufactured item, sold as a kit, and a set of items an individual collects to make a kit, collection — be it for serious reasons, humor or artistic reasons.)
* Even if this kit is fake, it doesn’t detract from my article’s point about vampires — as characters: they do not die; they remain fixtures in lore and popularity.
And I again suggest folks contact/challenge the auction house with any questions about this kit &/or items in it.
October 15th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
“JF, the 10K comparison was regarding a whoopie cushion made today — an example of an item made and sold sale today that a) shows a sense of humor and b) is for the wealthy, with a price tag to match.”
Wait, a whoopie cushion costs $10,000? Don’t you have a dollar store in your area?
While there is no question that these items are interesting (if they weren’t, I wouldn’t be here), your argument is fallacious.
From above:
“When you can show me a whoopie cushion or other joke item that sold for 10K — WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY MADE — I might be more inclined to believe your sense of humor theory.”
The quote is directly from your post. I have capitalized to emphasize your claim.
You stated that the Vampire Killing Kit cost $10,000 at the time it was made. I asked if there was evidence to support this. I will ask the expert, as you have advised. I am pointing out that clarity is important when describing any item, real or fake, gravely serious or humorous in intent.
That is all…
October 15th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
When I was a security guard i was showing a new guy around the campus. I showed him where I stashed my sharpened stakes. “For vampires,” I told him. “I only have to use them once and I’ve justified their existence.” Not long afterwards I had a nervous breakdown. Connection….?
October 15th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
To JK: Oh my gosh, dude. If you read what I wrote in my comment (specifically the quote you made all caps for emphasis: “When you can show me a whoopie cushion or other joke item that sold for 10K — WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY MADE — I might be more inclined to believe your sense of humor theory.”) you’ll see, as I have been forced to, that you can interpret that several ways. I have tried to clarify it, but here I go again…
The “when it was originally made” was stated to differentiate from an “antique,” “rare,” “celebrity used,” “modified,” or whatever whoppie cushion which sold for a much higher amount due to age (or other reason) than it sold for originally.
I did not state the vampire kit (or anything else) was sold for any amount let alone 10K when it was originally made (the 10K was just a number pulled from my behind during the comment creating phase, not anything else); you obviously have read an implication into that hastily created comment — but I did not actually type “the vampire killing kit originally sold for” in any place, at any time. Your accusation that I or my argument have been deceitful is unwarranted.
In other words, my whole comment boils down to a challenge: Show me a high-end whoopie cushion or other gag item that compares to this kit in terms of being created for the wealthy (bonus points for being old and with proper provenance or proof that it was a humor item, i.e. and advertisement for it showing it’s a gag) and maybe I’ll agree it could have been made/sold as a humor item.
October 15th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
Perhaps it wasn’t so much of a “sense of humor” that our ancestors possessed, but that they too had their share of snake-oil salesmen preying upon the fears and weaknesses of others.
It is also possible that someone has taken an old writing box, religious artifacts, ointment and medical bottles and has combined them to make an “antique vampire killing kit.” It could even be a writing box that had been owned by a priest or minister into which they tossed a couple of weapons to make the “kit.”
October 16th, 2009 at 12:09 am
No garlic? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
October 16th, 2009 at 10:28 am
There’s also one in the Mercer Museum in Bucks Co., PA.
October 16th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Interessante, mas serve pra quê mesmo???? deve ser muito útil……
October 16th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
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October 21st, 2009 at 10:00 am
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November 1st, 2009 at 12:34 am
I was at this auction today (Oct. 31, 2009) and this particular kit sold for $8,000.
November 5th, 2009 at 4:04 am
Oh, Sarah, was it a lovely house with lovely things? Were you there for the music too? I’m so jealous that you got to see it all in person!
November 7th, 2009 at 2:39 am
Didn’t go for the music … alas!
The house once was very beautiful, but now is in quite a state of disrepair. It needs a LOT of work and a great deal of money to restore it. I hope someone takes on the task. But even still, with so many things wrong with it, the quality and beauty of parts of it still shone through, like the lovely parquet flooring in the foyer/entryway, and the beautiful wood staircase and bannister. There were some nice stained glass windows, as well.
The variety and quality of the things that were auctioned was just incredible. The furniture was pristine and lovely … there was more cut glass than I’ve ever seen in one place. Tons of books … bookcases …. pier tables. Beds. Mirrors. Oh, and I thought this was super cool … there was one lot that contained vintage clothing to DIE for. Beautiful old dresses with trains … ornate hats. Of course, much of it was very fragile. But such fun. I think that lot of clothing sold for something like fifty bucks.
I think one of the more interesting sales was for the “contents of the attic.” Someone paid about $500 for the privilege of going through everything that had been left in the attic. From what I heard, there were old toys, trunks … tons of documents and ledgers. A really old bookcase that’s rarely found anymore. Bet it was a fun hunt through there.
I bought some jewelry (one piece i particularly loved was a gold pin with the initials “IMP” for Isabella Myles Person), some books … a lovely rosewood lap desk with silver inlay … an enormous Japanese bowl … a clear blue glass art deco bowl. Some things sold very reasonably, others, not so much.
I think the most interesting thing about the sale was the vast period of time that the contents covered. There were lots of things there from antebellum times, but also a great deal of lovely Victorian period stuff. From what I understand, Isabelle and her mother did the “Grand Tour” back in the day, and they brought back a lot of interesting pieces from that trip, as well. It was a really eclectic, interesting collection.
Anyhow, as you can tell from my enthusiasm, it was a lot of fun. Wish you could have been there!
Oh … one more thing. I heard that the woman who bought the vampire killing kit had come all the way from Pennsylvania for the sale, for the purpose of buying that in particular.
November 8th, 2009 at 12:39 am
Oh Sarah, it sounds even lovelier than I had imagined!
The photos on the auction website certainly made the auction look like it was full of wonderful finds and beautiful pieces; glad to hear that it was not a disappointment.
Did the person who paid the $500 for the trip to the attic get to keep — or just to look? In any case, what a thrill!
I’d love to see the pin; Miss Isabel was, by all accounts, a fabulously fascinating woman and owning something so personal of hers, well, I’m green with envy (but very happy for you!)
November 8th, 2009 at 5:42 am
Oh, yes! I didn’t make that very clear. Sorry! They got to keep ANYTHING they found in the attic that they wanted.
Her initials were “IMP” … and from all accounts, she lived up to them. -laffin’
November 16th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Sarah, that attic trip price was too cheap!
I want to see that pin — especially as it did belong to an ‘imp’!
November 28th, 2009 at 12:40 am
Hello,
Just a little correction to your story.The LAST vampire kit sold by STEVENS was NOT the 1800 one for $14,850.Stevens auctioned one on March 28,2009,which was the THIRD one they have sold.It was from 1840 era and sold for $7700.Reason I know is that I was the buyer.Phone bid,so I didnt get to dance around the Auction floor. ,but was just as happy due to the price.As soon as it ended,the person on other end of phone said “I STOLE IT”…I figured it was due to the fact of the Economy heading straight down at that time.
November 30th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Hi Gerge,
You & Stevens may have your vampire killing kits out of chronological order, but the important thing is that you’ve got your kit!
Would you care to share some photos of your kit with us?
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