The Royal Armouries said it expected the box would prove a major attraction when it went on display at the Clarence Dock museum later this year.
The box and its contents all date from the 19th Century but are likely to have been put together in the 20th Century.
It is thought it was produced to capitalise on the popularity of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula and the Hammer Horror Movies.
Acknowledging that vampire hunting kits are modern creations is something every reputable dealer should do.
It’s pretty much as you said in your post, Propnomicon. It’s 20th century, but they failed to determine when exactly when in the 20th century, which is really important. If it was assembled in the early 1900s, that’s not too bad a price. But if it’s an assemblage made in the past 30 years, then it shouldn’t have sold for more than $1,500. The Hammer Films suggestion is probably an admission of late quarter 20th century of assemblage. That being said, it’s still an enjoyable vampire hunting kit. I hope other prop making folks will assemble one as nice as this. I’m glad you did the follow up; that’s thorough posting scholarship.
ReplyDeletethat's near where i live
ReplyDelete@ CoastConFan
ReplyDeleteI'm not too upset about the vague dating. The simple fact that it was publicly acknowledged to be modern was enough to make me happy.
I'm also totally cool with the selling price. Given the nature of the buyer I'm sure they were aware of the kit's shortcomings in terms of provenance. They paid what they thought it was worth. For an operation like theirs I'm sure it will generate enough additional revenue to pay for itself within a year. Heck, one good tie in with the last Twilight movie should be enough to pay for it. Heh.
As long as the buyer knew what he was getting, its all good.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your interest guys. I hope this blog post clears up any confusion;
ReplyDeletehttp://blog.royalarmouries.org/2012/06/26/something-to-get-your-teeth-into/
JF