Buffy would be proud.
A vampire killing kit once owned by a British aristocrat sparked an international bidding war before selling for six times its estimate, according to Hansons Auctioneers.
The late 19th-century box set, which sold on Thursday for £13,000 (US$15,736.49), belonged to Lord William Malcolm Haley (1872-1969), a British peer and former administrator of the British India, Hansons Auctioneers said in a news release.
“Whether out of fear or fascination, it’s interesting to know that a member of the highest aristocratic social order, a person with a seat in the House of Lords, acquired this item,” said Charles Hanson, owner of the auction house. “It reminds us that the vampire myth affects people from all walks of life.”
The box contains essential items needed to ward off bloodthirsty vampires – including crucifixes, holy water, a wooden stake and hammer, a rosary, a Gothic Bible, brass candlesticks, matching pistols, and a brass flask of gunpowder.
“The task of killing a vampire was extremely serious, and historical accounts suggest the need for certain methods and tools,” Hanson said. “Objects of religious significance, such as crucifixes and bibles, are said to repel these monsters, hence their presence in the set.”
The grisly object attracted bidders from around the world, including France, the United States and Canada. An anonymous entrant from the UK won.
It is not clear if the buyer will use the set. But Hansons Auctioneers says: “Belief in vampires, an undead creature said to require human blood to survive, dates back hundreds of years and persists in some parts of the world today.”
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