Haunted Collector

                   Watching a show about spirits attaching themselves to objects has made me wonder about the things in my house.  I do not believe any of my possessions are haunted, but do I know that for sure? If something in this house does have a spirit attached to it, that spirit is certainly not bothering me.  Other people are not so fortunate.  They do have haunted objects and they are encountering big problems.  Some of them are very fearful and do not understand what is causing the disturbances in their home.  That is where John Zaffis comes in. 

                Mr. Zaffis is known as the Haunted Collector.  Starring in a TV show of the same name, Mr. Zaffis and his team go to different locations in order to find haunted objects.  Usually they go to individuals’ homes, but they have gone to public places as well.  When the investigation begins they do not know what object is the culprit.  To help figure it out, Mr. Zaffis and his daughter Aimee go through the property with the owner.  They note different suspicious objects and places of interest.  After this, the team splits up.  Aimee sets out to research the property.  The equipment technician, Brian, and Mr. Zaffis’ son, Chris, use their scientific equipment to find natural explanations and mark places to spend time in later.  Two other investigators, Jason and Jesslyn, are also part of the team.  They joined the show in the second season after an investigator named Beth left.

                At night the main investigation begins.  The team does different tests to help them figure out the object that is causing the problems.  Some walk around with scientific equipment while others call out in order to spark communication.  They have caught some really good voices on their recorders, although I do not always agree with what they claim is being said.  Then there are the items they find.  Sometimes things are found in the oddest places.  Crawl spaces, walls, and I think even a vent have all revealed unexpected discoveries.  Not all of the items are pleasant.  Some of the things found have really gruesome histories and it is no wonder they are haunted.

                Once the investigation is over, Mr. Zaffis takes the suspected item to an expert.  He wants to know as much as possible about its origins.  Once Mr. Zaffis has his information, he goes back to the owner and tells him or her about what they have discovered.  He asks the owner if they want to keep the item or if he should remove it from the property.  Offhand I do not recall a single person wanting to keep the item, but I may be wrong about that.  Some of the properties open to the public may have held onto what was found.  Usually when the object is removed it goes into Mr. Zaffis’ museum of haunted objects.  There have been some he did not put in his museum for one reason or another.  One of the reasons was because an item was so dangerous it could only be removed by a Shaman.

                More often than not, things are better on the property once the object is removed.  Either activity lessens or it is gone completely.  At the very least, the owners are left with more of an understanding about what is going on and why.               

                The history of the things and places in this show is really interesting.  It is a big part of the show, not just a side note.  Aimee does a great amount of research to find information that is pertinent to the investigation.  She uncovers facts that have probably been lost for a very long time.  The experts Mr. Zaffis goes to also reveal a lot.  They do not give the simple answer about what an item is.  Instead they talk about its history and how the item would have been used.

                I have great respect for Haunted Collector. Mr. Zaffis and his team do not just go into a location, investigate, and are done. They come into an investigation intending to make a difference in peoples’ lives. Some of the things people experience are horrible. In one case horses were getting hurt and in another a family was breaking up because of the activity. While some of the occurrences are harmless, it is clear not all of them are. By discovering and removing the object, Mr. Zaffis is doing these people a great service.