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Vampires remain a popular topic at Halloween. In fact, my 4-year-old grandson Angelo is looking forward to scaring his brothers and friends decked out as Dracula today rather than a current pop culture character.
But the legend of Dracula has been around for a long time and of course, much of its on-going popularity began with Bram Stoker's 1897 classic novel "Dracula."
It continues today with books and films that glamorize the spooky theme.
Even Charles Schulz' famous comic strip dog Snoopy has been pictured vampire style.
But what if instead of fantasizing about vampires you were genuinely frightened by them? Perhaps then you might have use for a vampire killing kit, as travelers in the 19th century did. In the world of antiques, these vampire-killing kits remain desirable with collectors.
These are expensive kits, made at one time for wealthy travelers going to Transylvania (Romania) or thereabouts and seeking protection.
The small suitcase-like cases are packed with weapons and tools to protect a person from the threatening teeth of the undead.
Most include a pistol, silver bullets, holy water vial, cleaver, prayer book, looking glass, rosary, cross and stakes.
Prices for these handy protection devices are high and many go for thousands of dollars. Interest is found both in Europe and the United States.
Finding them can be tough but they do pop up at auctions, especially in the south and around New Orleans, where voodoo and vampires are culturally intertwined.
This is one item that has been reproduced in quantity though so be careful and don't be fooled into thinking you're getting a deal on an antique. Most kits today are good copies or cheaply made fakes.
I first learned of the existence of vampire killing kits at an antiques show when I met a collector who owned one and was thrilled to have won it at auction for a hefty price of thousands of dollars.
Just do your research on any high-priced versions and deal with reliable antique shops and auction houses and you won't be fooled.
There is much written about the fake kits on the Internet and there seems to be many variations of supplies found in these boxes, some with instructions.
I've also read online that these kits were often made in Boston and purchased via mail order.
But like all novelties and collectibles, condition and quality of construction would play into the value of a kit.
From what I've seen that varies greatly, as do the number of accessories in the box.
But no matter whether these kits are real or fake, the theatrical image of vampire hunting in the woods of Transylvania remains popular in the minds of people who like the thrill of a good scare and that seems to be the biggest reason that vampire killing kits hold our interest, even today.
Vampire killing kits are also attractive to collectors of firearms and weapons.
Vampire collectibles in general include countless toys, figurines, comic books, costumes, posters, books and decorations for the home.
In fact, a quick eBay search that I did when writing this column resulted in a whopping, 70,102 items to pick from. Maybe you really can't kill this monster! Have a Happy Halloween!