this natural wood electric violin, carved into the shape of a death’s head to add some- thing extra to the eerie tones of a lone string instrument playing in a near-deserted castle under a full moon. No word on whether they use the traditional gut strings, though. Or- chestrate terror at electricviolinshop.com.
ALIEN CHOPSTICKS $9.99
Imbue your next takeout experience
with the spirit of the Nostromo, using these detailed, nine-inch chopsticks featuring your choice of face-huggers, chest-bursters or the Xenomorph in all its glory. Just try not to stuff your face until your torso explodes. Dine deadly at kotous.com.
BIGFOOT AIR FRESHENER $3
Let’s face it, lengthy cryptozool-
ogy field trips in the wilderness can leave your car a little ripe – so why not lose the stink with a Bigfoot air freshener? And if the big guy seems a little out of place, you can always surround him with the classic tree-shaped ones, to help him feel at home. Follow the scent at sourpussclothing.com.
JEWELLERY $12–$50
PREFECTLY RANDOM
From bats and ravens to anatomical hearts and classic flash tattoo images, these hand- cut vinyl pendants are all made from recy- cled records. Most come in your basic black, but they can also be customized (check out the Day of the Dead-inspired skull in shiny white). Get into the groove at etsy.com (search RandomPrefect).
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MONSTER SOAKYS The Universal Monsters have been used to sell every-
thing from tissues to fast food. One of the more unusual products was a set of four plastic bubble bath containers called “Soakys.” Released in 1963 by Colgate-Palmo- live, the set consisted of the Frankenstein Monster, Wolf Man (available in both blue and rarer red pants ver- sions), Mummy and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Standing ten inches tall, the containers –which sported
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heads that could be unscrewed to pour out the liquid soap – could be used as toys afterward. Frequently found on eBay, loose, undamaged containers routinely sell for $75 to $100, while those in mint condition with original neck tags and cardboard packaging can fetch hundreds of dollars apiece.
JAMES BURRELL MORE CRYPTIC COLLECTIBLES AT RUE-MORGUE.COM