Ancient vampire-killing kit sparks international bidding war at auction

This 19th century vampire killing kit was owned by Lord William Malcolm Hailey. (CNN) — Buffy the Vampire Slayer would be proud. A vampire-slaying kit once owned by a British aristocrat sparked an international bidding war before selling for six times its estimated price, according to Hansons Auctioneers. The late 19th-century box, which sold for £13,000 ($15,736.49) on Thursday, belonged to Lord William Malcolm Hailey (1872-1969), a member of the British nobility and former administrator of British India. Hansons Auctioneers said in a press release. “Whether out of fear or fascination, it is interesting to learn that a member of the highest aristocratic social order, a man with a place 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 Vampire Killing Kit includes all the tools needed to kill a bloodsucker. The box contains essential items needed to ward off bloodthirsty vampires, including crucifixes, holy water, wooden stake and mallet, rosary beads, a Gothic Bible, silver candlesticks, matching pistols, and a silver powder flask. “The task of killing a vampire was extremely serious and historical accounts suggested the need for particular methods and tools,” Hanson said. “Items of religious significance, such as crucifixes and bibles, were said to repel these monsters, hence their presence in the kit.” The grisly item attracted bidders from around the world, including from France, the United States and Canada. An anonymous bidder from the UK won. It’s unclear if the buyer will put the kit to use. But Hansons Auctioneers says: “The belief in vampires, an undead creature said to need human blood to survive, dates back hundreds of years and persists in some parts of the world today.”