This guide's purpose is to address the many listings of haunted items.  I see so many listings for 'haunted' dolls, and the truth is, 99.99 9/10% of them are fake.  The sellers use fancy stories to sell their dolls.  The most telling thing about these dolls is the photographs.  I have seen the same sellers with supposedly 'paranormal' photographs of EVERY one of their dolls. 

As an amateur ghosthunter, I can tell you that it is quite easy to take 100-200 pictures of a haunted site, and receive one or two positive photos (i.e., photos that show orbs, shadow people, figures, etc) or sometimes none at all!  Yet these doll sellers manage to have a positive photo in every single listing. 

It is extremely EASY to fake a 'paranormal' photograph.  It is very easy to do with digital cameras!  Oftentimes dust or pollen can show up in a photograph looking very much like a spirit orb.  That doesn't mean that it is a sign of spiritual activity.  It is very easy to use an external light source, such as a match or flashlight, to get very convincing "paranormal" photographs.  If a photograph of a supposedly haunted doll is very dark or blurred, be extremely suspicious.  A seller who is on the level will want to provide you, the potential buyer, with clear photographs of the item.    It is very useful for the buyer to copy the picture of the item to their computer, and then load the photograph of the item in question into a photo-editing program.  Playing around with the contrast, light/dark, etc.on the photograph will often reveal sources of trickery.

I once found a 'haunted' item that had phony paranormal orbs pasted onto the picture.  I saw another item that took photographs, and the main text for their bogus story about the item directly from a published book!  They had changed a bit of the story to fit the item they were selling.  A week later, when the item didn't sell, I saw the same item; this time with a different 'story' behind it.  You must realize that their are many, many tricksters seeking to part you from your cash with an item that they picked up from a dollar store and dubbed "haunted".

Some items do indeed take on the characteristics of a haunting.  It doesn't happen often enough for all the listings I see on ebay, however.  Beware of listings that either give too much information, or not enough.  There should be a good explanation of the item; how old it is, how it was acquired, etc.  Read through the seller's ratings.  See just how MANY 'haunted' items they are offering.  Also beware of ads that entice you with sentences like, "I just want it out of my house!"  These are come-ons, plain and simple.  It reminds me of a carnival barker enticing paying customers inside to see "The Snake Woman, The Ape-Woman!"

Examine the listings and the sellers very carefully...........