How I Won a Used 19th Century Coffin!

On Saturday, June 21st, I won a 19th century used coffin at the Haunted America Conference held at the Lincoln Theter in Decatur.

Yes, a used coffin.

When my girlfriend and I checked in Friday, we each got a ticket for the door prize raffle. The coffin was the grand prize. Tickets were also sold throughout the day and Saturday up until the drawing.

We enjoyed the free bus outing to nearby Greenwood Cemetery, which has numerous ghost stories attached to it. The speakers were great, we bought a few books and T-shirts, lunched with our friend, Dusty Smith, who was there to discuss a TV documentary that had aired on a haunting she was involved with in Florida, and generally had a great time.

The drawing Saturday afternoon was the highlight. Troy Taylor, host of the event, drew tickets for various prizes, many of them books and T-shirts, donated by vendors. There were also a couple ghosthunting kits with EMF meters and similar electronic devices commonly used in paranormal investigations. As the drawing continued, an assortment of reproductions of Bigfoot plaster casts were handed out to lucky ticket-holders. Very cool.

Second prize was a board from a renovated haunted house. The owner, who had done the work and kept the leftover board as a souvenir, was tired of hearing footsteps on the floor above and donated it to the raffle. Dusty won that.

Then there was the coffin. The coffin was built in the 1880's, donated to Troy by a guy in his small hometown who had purchased an old funeral home and was fixing it up for a new business.

The coffin had been used for public viewings with the top front panel cut out so the deceased could be displayed for mourners. There was a light screen over that to discourage flies since the bodies at that time were not emblamed, or so I understand. As a result, the coffin had been used presumably dozens of times after which the bodies would be transferred to the coffins in which they'd be buried.

Troy drew the winning ticket and I realized that, although some people would welcome the item, most people who won would not be interested in it. Not only did you have to have the storage space for it, as well as transportation, but the coffin had to be out of the theater by that day.

As Troy began to read the number I leaned toward Pat, my girlfriend, and said "Somebody's about to say 'Oh shoot, I won" except I didn't say 'shoot.' I checked the number Troy had given against my ticket and said, "Oh, shoot, I flipping won." Or words to that effect.

I held up my hand and Troy asked if I wanted it. I passed. So did the next person whose number was drawn. The third person whose number was drawn was very happy to get it.

I did run out and get a photo with it, holding my winning ticket.

So that's how I won a used coffin.