Strange, Rare, and Dark Things - The Peculiar Antiques of Strange Luck

"Oddities—strange, rare, and dark things, especially things claiming to be haunted—were the Darling family specialty and legacy. People came from all over to visit our little red shop that 

looked like a barn at the end of the dusty road."
~Chapter 1 of Strange Luck

In a recent interview I did with J.D. Estrada, he asked me questions about the peculiar antiques sold in the Strange Luck shop, like what would be the most expensive item and why. This really got me thinking, so I decided it would be fun to share what I envision some of the haunted antiques would actually look like. Here we go...

 ~ Conus Gloriamaris aka Tell Shell ~

"There’s a legend that a collector purchased one at auction in 1792 only to destroy it to maintain the value of one already in his collection…The legend says these rare shells will only reveal your fortune once if you hold your ear up to the opening on your birthday.”
~Chapter 1 of Strange Luck

~If I had to pick, this would probably be the most expensive item in the shop due to how rare it is and how high it is on the haunted scale. 

Fun Fact: This item is based on a real shell of the same name, which at one time was the most valuable in the world. A collector did in fact purchase one at auction and then destroyed it.

 ~ Old Pete ~

“The bird had been cursed and would come alive every year on Halloween to ask a new riddle…The legend is that if you answer the riddle correctly the raven will tell you the combination 

to a safe full of money.”
~Chapter 7 of Strange Luck

 ~ Enchanted Love Stamp ~

"If you write the names of two people on a sheet of paper and mail it to yourself with the 

Love Stamp, you’ll be together forever—sealed in love."
~Chapter 26 of Strange Luck

 ~ Haunted Owl Clock ~

“The owners who sold it to us claimed it rarely hooted, unlike a regular cuckoo clock,
but when it did, it would rain.”
~Chapter 1 of Strange Luck

Fun Fact: I love owls! My upcoming book, The Nightmare Birds, actually centers around a
mythic owl cult. I'm also a big fan of cuckoo clocks, so I absolutely had to incorporate the two. :)

  ~ Cursed Geisha Fan ~

“The most beautiful woman in the world would appear behind it once every thirteen years and whoever saw her would immediately fall in love with her, but she would disappear shortly after and the heartbroken lover would have to wait another thirteen years to see her again.”
~Chapter 25 of Strange Luck

 Learn more about these peculiar antiques and discover new ones in Strange Luck.