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Interview with a Haunted Doll Collector Part 1

 

As a result of my Haunted EBay Doll post here , I was invited into the home of Vanessa, a haunted doll collector.

I felt slightly unnerved sitting in Vanessa's living room surrounded by porcelain dolls whilst she made us a pot of tea. There seemed to be a hundred eyes watching me, glass eyes, the room was filled with Vanessa's collection of porcelain dolls.

I could hear Vanessa in the kitchen, she was talking to the resident kitchen cat, it wasn't a live cat. It was a spirit cat whose conduit vessel, a large china cat figurine, sat on the work surface.

Casting my eyes around the living room I noted several cat ornaments amongst the dolls. Were they ornaments or were they also conduit vessels? And what about the soft toy cat draped across the back of an armchair?  

When Vanessa returned to the living room I asked her if her cat collection were also conduit vessels, 

"Oh yes," she replied, "I love cats, I'd be a mad cat lady if I wasn't allergic to them, so I adopt spirit cats and give them a forever home instead."

Feeling a little lost for words I said that's nice, it felt like a really lame reply, so quickly followed up with, "How many cats do you have?"

"Ten" she said adding, "It's lucky they're already dead as I wouldn't be able to afford the vet bills for that lot!"

I laughed, nervously, I think she was joking, "And how many dolls?"

Vanessa smiled, "Fifty dolls and twenty teddy's, mostly female but there are some males as well."

I was somewhat struck dumb by the sheer number of spirits inhabiting Vanessa's home but didn't have time to worry as Vanessa was on a roll now inviting me to meet the teddys.

The bears resided in a bedroom, sitting on chairs, the bed and a chest of drawers. They varied in age from possibly antique to almost new. 

I was introduced to William, a thirty two year old man who had died in a car accident, it seemed strange speaking to a bear.

Vanessa heard William answer me with a friendly, "Pleased to meet you Grace."I did not. Vanessa explained that was because I wasn't tuned into my psychic mediumship abilities. She recommended that I take a how to become a medium online course, saying she'd taken the beginners course when she first discovered an interest in haunted dolls and was now in the middle of a ten week intermediate course.

We were interrupted by the doorbell, Vanessa darted off returning a few minutes later with a parcel wrapped in brown paper and tape marked fragile. She was very excited explaining that this was doll number fifty one, the conduit vessel of a 17th century witch from Pendle who had somehow managed to avoid the famous witch trials of 1612.

She deftly unwrapped the parcel and gently removed the doll. The doll didn't look very 17th century witch like, but maybe that was how she avoided the witch trials. She had long curly blonde hair and  blue eyes and was dressed in a Victorian style dress and coat.

Vanessa suggested that we welcome Maria, that was the doll's name, using the ghost hunting app on her phone. And that's what we did, Vanessa started up the app and introduced herself to Maria, welcoming the spirit to her home, explaining that she meant her no harm and was here in love and light. It all sounded a bit like a ghost hunting Youtube video.

Was there a response? Yes, amidst the background noise a voice was descerned to say. "Hello." It was quite a gruff voice, sounding more male than female, but Vanessa said that was a good start and that we should allow Maria to rest after her journey.   

Vanessa then showed me some of her ghost hunting equipment, there were cat balls that light up when moved, as well as an EMF detector and a spirit box. We ended the afternoon with a question and answer session using both a pendulum and dowsing rods. I had a go with them and they did move.

All in all it was a very interesting visit with Vanessa and I want to thank her for inviting me into her home and introducing me to her collection of spirits. She has given me a lot to think about. 

                                                                                   To be continued

Part 2 of an Interview with a haunted doll collector 

Part 3 has morphed into an Interview with a haunted doll seller 

 

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