An all-in-one vampire slaying kit complete with everything one would need to kill a thirsty blood-sucker like a real-life Buffy is up for auction, where it’s expected to draw $5,000 or more.
The Victorian-era tool kit, which comes in a hollowed-out Bible with secret locked compartments, includes a wooden stake, holy water, a crucifix, rosary beads, a brass hammer, ecclesiastical candlesticks, a small Bible and a miniature telescope, according to Hansons Auctioneers.
And if all that doesn’t get the job done, the collection also includes a pistol to ensure the fanged beasts turn to dust.
The items all date back to the 19th century but are believed to have been put together as a full collection inside the Bible stashbox in the early 20th century.
A name on the lid of the case reads “Miss I & F Willets” and belonged to an American film actress, according to the seller.
The complete collection is expected to fetch between $4,000 and $5,000 when it is put up for auction at Hansons Auctioneers on Saturday.
But it could collect a much higher sum. A similar, late 19th-century vampire kit was sold at Hansons Auctioneers for $20,000 last year after starting an international bidding war.
That one didn’t have the creative fake Bible container and was only estimated to bring $2,000 before the bidding began. It was also missing a wooden stake — the tool of choice to pierce the heart of the supernatural by one of the most famous slayers, Buffy.
“Finds like this appeal to bidders all over the world,” said Chris Kirkham, associate director of Hansons London. “The vampire-slaying kit is pure theatre — spooky and fascinating. Examples, some older than others, emerge from time to time and they always spark major interest.”
Fascination with the blood-suckers dates back to 1819 when John Polidori’s “The Vampyre” was published, followed by the 1897 classic “Dracula” by Bram Stoker, Kirkham said.
In the 20th century, kits of tools believed to be able to slaughter the demons were created to sell as novelty items to fans of Gothic horror films.
But vampires remain a popular spooky myth to this day with films, books and shows like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” the “Twilight” series and “The Vampire Diaries” to name a few.
“The fascination with all things dark and mysterious means vampires make appearances in contemporary TV shows, films and literature,” Kirkham said. “However, references to them go back more than 200 years.”
The kit will be offered for bidders in Hansons Auctioneers’ London Fine Art sale.
