Haunted Ruined Castle

This castle sculpture was given to me on October 3, 2020. While attending a local flea market, I was browsing a table when he spotted a plush demon. After picking it up, the vendor joked, "You like demons?". This sparked a conversation about the afterlife, heaven, and hell. The vendor grabbed a box from under the table and pulled out this castle. He explained that his wife, who was "very psychic," freaked out soon after he brought it home from a Goodwill store. She claimed she started hearing "growling and whispering" voices, saying things like "I know when you sleep" and "sleep is when I will take you". After a few days, she finally realized the voices were coming from the castle. She insisted that it be removed from the house. It remained in the trunk of the vendor's car until the day of the flea market. He had panned on either selling it or tossing it a dumpster. When I asked, "how much?" - the gentleman said, "Take it. My wife will be happy I didn't bring it back home".

For two weeks, this castle was in the former location of the Mystery Museum, during the filming of a horror movie. Although cast and crew members were constantly around it, with at least three of them claiming to be sensitive, no one reported hearing any growls, whispers, or voices coming from the castle. Since November of 2020, it has been in the basement of my home and has been peacefully quiet. 

Toxic Jewelry Box?

This antique jewelry box was dropped off at my table while I was set up at a paranormal conference. The item was wrapped in bubble wrap and inside a cardboard box. The older gentleman claimed he purchased the box from an antique shop in New Hope, Pennsylvania. After bringing it home and placing it on the mantel of his fireplace, he noticed a dark red rash developing on his hands that lasted for four days. Strangely, he would continue getting the same type of rash whenever he handled the jewelry box. Jeff, the owner, claimed he even had the box tested for irritants, but none were found. He wasn't the only one to be affected, friends and relatives who tempted the box's "curse" (as it came to be known) also received a dark red rash after handling it. Soon, Jeff placed the box in a display case and wouldn't allow anyone to touch it. After his grandchildren began visiting more frequently, Jeff decided to dispose of the box, worried that one of his grandchildren may get a hold of it and get hurt. Being a fan of the paranormal and local to Philadelphia, he was familiar with me and my collection of 'haunted' objects. Jeff drove out to the conference and handed the box to me in 2018.

I have handled the box several times  since receiving it and haven't had any issues. 

Evil Spirit Pocket Mirror

This pocket mirror belonged to Francis Sheneer, grandfather of Jimmy (a friend). According to his family history, Sheneer was a hard-working farmer that apparently practiced 'dark magic'. He did not care for his neighboring farmers, claiming they were always trying to steal his land. Sheneer was said to constantly put curses on them. This mirror was dropped by a neighbor's daughter after she was found trying to "rescue" (steal) Sheneer's dog. Family history states Sheneer cursed the mirror so that any female looking into its small mirror would be overwhelmed with the feeling of being watched by beings that live 'in the dark places of your soul" (I'm guessing "demons"?). Jimmy's wife claimed that she could feel an 'energy' coming from it whenever she held it. She described it as "dark, evil, and waiting for me to sleep so it could possess me and be among the living again." Jimmy gave me the mirror in 2018, knowing my love of oddities. 

The has been used by three females so far, all of whom looked directly into the mirror and even applied makeup while using it. Two of them reported nothing unusual. The third woman reported the following, "when I looked into the mirror, I don't think the reflection was me. I mean, it looked exactly like me, but I felt like it was its own entity, an evil version of me." It's important to note here that the third woman had already read the description earlier that day (in the former museum location) and held a strong belief in the paranormal. 

David - The Bad Luck Statue

This statue is a reproduction of "David," the title of two statues of the biblical hero, David, by the Italian early Renaissance sculptor, Donatello. This statue was donated by the good people of Selma Mansion, located in Norristown, Pa. According to Dee Kirkpatrick, "It arrived at the Psychic Fair in 2019, and from the time it entered the mansion, we (staff) were at each other's throats. Anyone that was around it started to feel oppressed. It felt dark and moody in the mansion." Bill Freeman reported that "every project he started - since the statue arrived - always had a ton of issues and problems...nothing would ever go right." The Selma Mansion staff offered the statue to me for the Mystery Museum and I happily accepted it. Dee reported later, "Since it left, it's been a lot lighter mood in the mansion. Even if we (staff) disagree, it's not a big deal anymore." Bill further reported that event planning has been going smoothly ever since the statue was taken out of the mansion.

Since having the statue, I have had some bad luck. However, I've also had some good - even great - luck. The "bad luck" is most likely due to Confirmation Bias that began from one bad instance that occurred soon after the statute arrived at Selma Mansion. The statue represents the idea of overcoming an obstacle that appears too big for you. Yet, with a calm and intelligent approach, one can overcome the overwhelming odds and prevail. I proudly display the statue on my front porch.  

Infiniti Stones Jewelry Box

The previous owner of this antique jewelry box claimed that this box smells, but not all the time. It was inherited by Kendra when her Oma (grandmother) passed away in October 2008, two days after her 98th birthday. The box was placed in her bedroom and contained a few items that had also belonged to her Oma. Kendra reported that on her Oma's birthday the following year (2009), her bedroom was filled with the scent of lavender - which was something her Oma loved. The scent lingered for several hours and was completely gone the next morning. By contrast, on the anniversary of Oma's death, the bedroom was filled with a rotting odor, which was so strong that Kendra had to sleep in another room. Over the years, Kendra claimed the same two odors will fill her bedroom on the same two days. She had different professionals check the house, looking for a cause, but would come up empty-handed. In 2019, Kendra's daughter asked her mother if she could have the box, to which Kendra agreed. As October approached, Kendra waited for the scent of lavender to fill her bedroom, but it didn't come. Likewise, two days later, the scent of rot failed to fill her room. However, her daughter claimed that her room "smelled like zombies". Kendra's gaze went straight to the jewelry box on her daughter's dresser. The thought of what might be happening frightened Kendra too much. 

Not long after, a mutual friend (ghost hunter) put her in contact with me. Kendra sent me the box in early 2020. I've had the box sitting on my desk since April of 2020, and have detected neither lavender nor the scent of rotting flesh. 

Mikey

Mike Fodor was a member of my ghost hunting team many, many years ago. After that team dissolved, they remained friends. Sadly, Mike passed away in early 2020. While he was still with us, he agreed that if he could somehow make it back, he would possess something of my choosing. This life-sized Mikey Ninja Turtle has been standing in the corner of my home office for quite some time, after acquiring it from a flea market. It seemed like the perfect fit, and Mike laughed and enthusiastically agreed. 

Of all the items in my collection, I would truly love to see this move around on its own. For now, I patiently wait to see if my friend stops by once more. 

African Wood Statue

This item was received as a gift from the owner's grandmother. However, she claims that it made her son extremely violent, with incidents of the boy picking up the statue and attacking friends and family. The boy, who was nine at the time, would appear to not have any memory of the attacks - once the item was taken away from him. 

After a long talk with the owner, I found there had been behavioral issues since the boy's father left the family. Although this is likely the cause of the boy's outbursts, the mother still believed this item to be cursed and wanted nothing to do with it, insisting I take it with me.

Silver-plated Tea Pot

This antique teapot was acquired from an estate sale. The previous owner, Catherine, stated she had inherited the piece from her grandmother, who died in a house fire. The teapot was placed on a shelf in her kitchen. On several occasions, Catherine claimed to have witnessed steam coming from the spout while it was on the shelf, nowhere near a heat source - or having been filled with water/tea. The scent of roses would also accompany this experience, but no source for the scent was ever found. Catherine became convinced the teapot was haunted but insisted whatever was haunting the teapot was completely harmless. When Catherine decided to relocate to Florida, she reached out to me and offered the "haunted" teapot for his collection. I enthusiastically accepted it. 

The teapot has been placed on a shelving unit in my office, alongside a few dozen other "haunted" items. I check it each time I enter (as I do with all of the items in my collection), but it has yet to produce any steam or the scent of rose. 

Bell Witch Cave Rocks

The rocks you see here were obtained from the well-known Bell Witch Cave in Adams, Tennessee when I visited the location in 2018. According to the tour guide, legend says if anyone takes rocks from the cave, they will be cursed with extremely bad luck by the witch herself. The curse is reportedly so bad that people have sent their 'borrowed' rocks back to the cave owners with letters of apology to the witch. Although not directly encouraged to take any, we were not specifically told NOT to take any rocks. So, on May 27, 2018, I liberated several rocks of various shapes and sizes. 

I sent several of the stones to the three hosts of the Squaring the Strange podcast, who are fellow skeptics. None of the hosts, nor I, have experienced any of the alleged "extremely bad luck". 

Imperial 2 Pocket Knife

According to Phillip, he picked this up at an estate sale. Not long after, he went on a weekend camping/fishing trip. After getting a fire going, he went inside his cabin for a beer. When he came out, he claimed an old man was sitting by the fire, described as long grey hair (looked like Willie Nelson), a bit chubby, wearing a brown and red flannel shirt and old jeans. Phil said he asked the guy if he needed help, and the old man was suddenly gone, disappeared right i front of him. The next day, while on the lake in his boat, Phillip claimed the old man showed up again, just appeared at one end of his small fishing boat. As quick as he appeared, the old man was gone again. Phil believed the old man was somehow linked to the pocket knife. These appearances continued for four years, and the old man became more of a comforting, yet silent, companion. Eventually, Phil stopped going on camping trips for personal reasons. He contacted me during a recent event at Selma Mansion, where I had a booth set up. Phil showed me the knife, told me the story, and then handed it to me. He said, "Take it camping, this will make you a believer. Tell the old man, 'Thanks for keeping me company'". 

So, I haven't had the opportunity to go camping yet, so I haven't been able to test these claims. I'll keep you posted. 

The Rocking Chair

This chair was acquired at a yard sale after a conversation with the previous owner. His mother loved to sit quietly and read a book while rocking in the chair. In 2019, his mother passed away while sitting in this chair. Afterward, the owner claimed he and his wife often witnessed the chair rocking on its own late at night. One time, he stood in the doorway of the spare bedroom and watched it for "a good ten minutes, and it just kept going". In addition, guests that would stay the night would report a strange feeling whenever they sat in the chair - it was as if someone was already sitting in the chair, and the guest was now sitting on their lap. Most guests refused to use the chair, with one guest actually moving it outside the room (into the hallway) after witnessing the chair rocking by itself. The previous owner asked me to take it, under the condition that if he witnessed the rocking himself, I would tell his mother that her son loved her and misses her. I agreed, and the chair was placed in the corner of my home office for about a year. 

The chair was moved to the former location of the Mystery Museum in early 2020, then returned to my office in October the same year. So far, no one in my family nor visitors has witnessed it rocking on its own. There have been several friends, including Matt Rosvally of Haunted Routes & Shockfest Film Festival, that has sat in the chair to see what they felt. One person reported feeling "creeped out,"  but he knew the story behind it and was a firm believer in ghosts. 

Chinese Warrior Statue

This statue was purchased as a souvenir during a cruise in 2013. Jennifer, the owner, claimed that the statue did one of the oddest "haunted" things she'd ever heard of - it would fall down. Almost daily, Jennifer would come home from work and find the statue face-down on her fireplace mantel. Sometimes she would be in the kitchen and hear a distinct knock, only to find the statue was again face-down. One morning she had set up a video camera before going to work. When she got home, the statue had fallen. The video, she claims, showed the statue slowly tilting forward - on its own - until it fell. Jennifer no longer wanted the statue, believing that something was possessing it and would eventually come after her. She contacted me through my Facebook page and offered me the statue. Being local, I was able to pick it up the following weekend. 

Unfortunately, Jennifer deleted the video of the statue falling down...which would have been REALLY cool to see. She believed whatever possessed the statue could also come through the video (something she said she learned from Zak Bagans), so she wanted all connections with the statue severed. The statue does have an uneven base, which makes it wobble a bit. However, it's not top-heavy nor does it lean too far forward. Without inspecting the location where Jennifer had kept the statue, I can't determine any reason why it would fall forward. Since I've had it, it has been standing tall in my shelving unit for several months without incident.

Face Necklace

This necklace belonged to Janice F. She acquired it from an antique shop in Chicago, Ill. For several months, the necklace was displayed in a small curio cabinet in Janice's home. She and her sister, Jackie, planned to attend a Halloween party in 2019. Jackie asked to wear the "creepy-looking" necklace to the party, Janice agreed. A few minutes later, Janice heard her sister scream and hurried to assist her, finding her sister sitting on the couch crying, the necklace on the floor. Jackie claimed that after she put the necklace on, it suddenly tightened around her neck and she started choking. Checking her neck, the sisters found several impression marks from the chain. For the next few months, the necklace was stored in a locked box under Janice's bed. Curiosity got the best of her, and Janice tried the necklace on herself (she was skeptical of her sister's account). Nothing happened. She kept the necklace on throughout the day without incident. Later that night, she dozed off on the couch. She awoke coughing, feeling the chain pulling tightly around her neck. The necklace went back in the locked box. After stumbling across one of my podcasts, Janice reached out and eventually sent the necklace to me.

The first thing I did was put the necklace on. I mean, that IS the best way to test this claim, right? I wore the necklace over the course of a week, even wearing it while I slept (the little bit that I do). Nothing has happened so far. After establishing this website, I wore it again after adding this section to the page. Still, nothing has happened. 

Angel of Death Statue

Purchased from an occult shop in New Orleans. The owner presented the statue to his wife an anniversary gift. After a few nights, his wife began complaining that she was having frightening visions involving her husband's death. She also claimed to have heard a whispering voice that would say things such as "I will take him soon" and "his time has come" on several occasions. They also claimed to have an EVP that says, "Death is upon him." The visions became more intense, and she begged her husband get rid of it, insisting the statue was cursed by the real Angel of Death. In 2017, I came across the statue at a yard sale. The husband mentioned, "my wife thinks it's cursed," which naturally prompted me to inquire further. The conversation ended with the husband insisting I take the statue. 

I placed the statue next to my bed where it stayed for several months. I have had no visions of anyone's death, nor have I heard any whispering voices. I even so far as to place a digital recorder next to it for a week. All I captured was me...snoring. 

Choir Girl Candlestick Holder

The previous owner received this antique candleholder as a birthday gift (part of a set). The owner, Alice, claimed that over several nights she would awake to the strong smell of smoke in the house. She would rush through the house looking for any signs of fire but would never find one. One night, a friend stayed over for the weekend. Both ladies awoke around two o'clock in the morning to smell smoke, and they both proceeded to check the house. The odor was strongest near this candleholder, which made the ladies suspicious. When the owner picked up the candleholder, she screamed and dropped it. Alice claimed it was "burning hot," like picking up a frying pan without a kitchen mitt. I received this item in 2018 after being contacted by Alice via social media. 

So far, I have not detected any smoke in my office, which is where the item is located. I also picked up the figure twice a day consistently for three months without any noticeable increase in temperature. I had a spare smoke alarm that I also hung above the item...just in case. It never went off. 

1800s Jewelry Box

Christina (previous owner) stated she obtained the box from an estate sale. A note found in the box reads, "This jewel box belonged to Sarah Roberts, my great Aunt. She lived in the early 1800s. Carrie V. Speck". After bringing it home, she began having dreams of an elderly woman walking around her bedroom. Twice she was awoken by the old woman standing over her, mumbling "the box is mine...MINE!". Christina called a psychic friend, who claimed a spirit was attached to the box and refused to move on. Christina no longer wanted the jewelry box and asked her psychic friend what to do. In a twist, the psychic suggested she contact me. After a brief conversation, I drove over and picked up the box (July of 2019). 

The item was placed on a shelf next to my bed for several months. Neither I nor my wife saw any apparitions or heard strange mumbling voices. It is possible that after reading the note inside the box, Christina became so interested in it that she literally dreamed up the experience while she slept. In our conversation, Christine did mention that she had tried to look up the woman on Ancestry.com, but what unable to locate her. She had gone to bed that night feeling frustrated. I also learned that when she contacted her psychic friend, Christina had told the psychic all about the note and the apparent dead-end search for the original owner. This is the worst thing she could have done, psychic-wise. I don't think this box is haunted, rather...it was just a dream. 

Red Crystal Bell

This bell came from a Catholic nun serving in New York. The bell was a birthday gift from her sister. After about a week, the nun would be awoken every morning by the sound of the bell ringing. However, the bell was set on a shelf, which caused the inner marble to rest on the shelf as well since the chain was a bit too long. There was no physical way the bell could ring, nonetheless, she would hear it ringing just before she was scheduled to wake up. On several occasions, she set an alarm earlier to be fully awake when the bell rang - but the bell would ring just before the alarm went off. The only time it didn't ring was when she stayed up all night waiting for it to ring. The bell was sent to her brother (Jim) in Philadelphia, who had an interest in the paranormal. After a week of hearing the bell ring, he contacted me, declaring he had a genuine haunted object. After some discussion, Jim sent it to me in 2019 to test it myself.

Since receiving the bell, it has been silent. I've placed both video cameras and audio recorders near it, and it has spent several weeks beside my bed. Unfortunately, it has yet to perform. When I called Jim and told him my results, he told me to keep it anyway. He said it woke him up all the time, and it was better off being with me. 

Russian Nesting Dolls

These nesting dolls allegedly contain a trapped demonic entity from a race of creatures from Belarusian mythology called "Zlydzens." These creatures enjoy engaging in all sorts of harmful and damaging activities, trying to ruin everything around them, quickly turning a home into a disaster area. In Belarusian folklore, it is said that Zlydens will emerge from their hiding places and cause destruction throughout the house, breaking furniture, ripping clothing, etc. These Russian Nesting dolls were obtained after a psychic claimed to have trapped one of the Zlydens inside, encasing it within the layers of the dolls, each one with its own binding spell on it. I politely challenged the psychic, which led to a "friendly debate" for several years. Sadly, the psychic passed away in 2018, but her sister (June) got in touch with me, offering me the dolls. June confessed that her sister actually enjoyed our 'debates' a lot, so it was only fitting that I end up with the dolls. I graciously accepted them.

Yes, upon getting home the first thing I did was open the dolls, waiting with excitement for a demon or evil spirit to burst out like that scene in Ghostbusters after Peck shuts down the grid. Sadly, nothing happened. There wasn't anything inside the last one. Unless, the demon is invisible and is just hanging out somewhere in my office...being lazy.  

Mask of Mishka

This mask was created in 1998 by a woman named Sharon. She was apparently inspired by the film, The Man in the Iron Mask, which is the story of an unidentified prisoner who had been arrested in 1669 or 1670 and kept imprisoned for 34 years. No one is known to have seen his face, as it was hidden by a mask of black velvet cloth, later misreported (by Voltaire) as an iron mask, and the true identity of the prisoner remains a mystery. 

The mask itself is made of paper mache. Sharon's mother (who gave me the mask), claimed her daughter had a dry skin condition which caused her to be overly shy, except when making craft items like this. Sharon allegedly mixed in some of her dried skin with the silver paint that decorates this mask. Sharon passed away in 2002. Mom says she always got a "strange feeling" when looking at the mask, like "it had a life of its own, but it was just sleeping."

So far, the mask has not given me any strange feelings. It hasn't been on display for the public, so I haven't been able to get any impressions from other people yet.