The MothGhouls are here for the best time of year with a Spoopy Season Special! Sam and Jill, joined by Spellcheck, tell three creepy tales of haunted items. It might be a joke among some collectors, but accidentally bringing home a ghost or two in that cool old cigar box isn't something to fool around with. We are all, therefore, quite lucky that none of these items can possibly come home with you. But you certainly can go to them. Jill adamantly warns us not to sit in it, but you can go see the Busby Stoop Death chair in Thirsk. Spellcheck chatters excitedly about a literal axe murder from the 1890s and the house where it happened in Massachusetts. And Sam regales us with tales of an actual haunted doll all the way down in Key West. Listen whenever you wish, but the MothGhouls think this episode is best enjoyed by candlelight. Preferably while home alone. Happy hauntings. 

Edit and Sound Design by: Grae @ Grae Matter Studios

Intro by: Caylin Temple

Copyediting by: Spell Check

intro and Outro Music: Down the Rabbit Hole by myuu

Source: https://soundcloud.com/myuu/down-the-rabbit-hole

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/



*When this week's episode was recorded, Jill was off on a well-deserved vacation, so dear little Spellcheck sat in for the interview. Julia deVille, taxidermist, custom jewelry artist, and someone Sam has been fawning over for years chatted with Sam and Spellcheck from the future. Victoria, Australia is a bit ahead of Idaho's time zone. The Mothball Prophecies has formed a special relationship with said country. We believe the feeling is mutual. Julia is a fascinating woman with an intensely interesting life and a fantastical upbringing. Her original collection hunting grounds are picturesque, at least for a Mothballer. She's lucky enough to make her living through her taxidermy and custom-made jewelry. There is a beautiful story to go along with each of her creations, some of which might have you reaching for a hanky. Sam had already seen most of her work, but Spellcheck was reacting in real-time to the pieces being discussed. This episode is full of the whimsical, the fanciful, and possibly unsettling. Take a moment before listening to look up her art if you haven't already. You won't regret it.

*Content Warning: This episode frankly discusses human and animal death and the procedures involved in animal taxidermy and posthumous human preservation. Please use discretion while listening. Thank you.*

Edit and Sound Design by: Grae @ Grae Matter Studios

Intro by: Caylin Temple

Copyediting by: Spell Check

intro and Outro Music: Down the Rabbit Hole by myuu

Source: https://soundcloud.com/myuu/down-the-rabbit-hole

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Having Hagvvitch on the show has been an ongoing blessing for The Mothball Prophecies. Mandy, will we ever be able to repay you? Are you tired of us yet? We hope not. As our reigning Supreme, Mandy pointed us in the right direction again with this week's guest. He's the owner and caretaker of the Witch Board Museum, located in the quintessential spooky city of Salem, Massachusetts. John, who is Mandy's life partner in crime, has always collected monsters and Halloween-related items, especially toys. After inheriting a talking board from his grandmother, he knew he needed to spread the good word of the witch board. As one of the largest collections in the US, the museum has a steady flow of patrons. October is always busier than the rest of the year though, thanks to Goth Kid Mardi Gras, so John is probably up to his eyeballs in creeps and weirdos as you read this. Learn the history of spirit boards, death traditions, and John's ironic use of the boards, among other things.

Edit and Sound Design by: Grae @ Grae Matter Studios

Intro by: Caylin Temple

Copyediting by: Spell Check

intro and Outro Music: Down the Rabbit Hole by myuu

Source: https://soundcloud.com/myuu/down-the-rabbit-hole

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/



Being a Mothballer means you'd rather go thrifting with Gammy than hang out at the beach. This week's guest is a hardcore Mothballer and a friend of a friend of the pod. She was suggested to us by former guest Mandy, aka Hagvvitch, and how lucky are we that she agreed to visit with the Mavens?! Liatra is a Halloween collector on top of being a reseller of all the best 80s and 90s nostalgia. She has two booths at an antique mall, one of which has actual VHS AND WE ARE ALL HYPERVENTILATING. She occasionally sells online, though not unless absolutely needed. Liatra is originally from Dillsburg, PA, a town that celebrates news years in a very specific way. Listen in for some family history, shoutouts to other amazing sellers with booths in the same antique mall, and a moment of silence for the yard sale find that could have been. 

Edit and Sound Design by: Grae @ Grae Matter Studios

Intro by: Caylin Temple

Copyediting by: Spell Check

intro and Outro Music: Down the Rabbit Hole by myuu

Source: https://soundcloud.com/myuu/down-the-rabbit-hole

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Nate Gutter, this week's sacrifice to the podcast gods, moved around Idaho a bit as a kid, from Albion to Emmett, until he finally settled in good ol' Idaho Falls. Nate is the second of six siblings. All boys. Can you imagine? The bathrooms must have been hellish. The Mavens talk with him about growing up with all brothers and setting things on fire. And if you're lucky like Sam, you too were picked to be the pressure point demonstration dummy. Aren't families great? They go over how collecting and hoarding can cross paths and his struggle to overcome it. Sam opens up about her own mental health, her recent ADHD diagnosis, and how things are different for her now. On to a gorier, more Mothbally note, Nate collects creepy T-shirts, living dead dolls, and anything horror. He has a special affinity for Freddy Krueger. Jill has a hard time taking any medical horror (gore in general) seriously because, well, when you've seen the real thing, you can't spot the fake a mile off. Jill is the real deal.

Edit and Sound Design by: Grae @ Grae Matter Studios

Intro by: Caylin Temple

Copyediting by: Spell Check

intro and Outro Music: Down the Rabbit Hole by myuu

Source: https://soundcloud.com/myuu/down-the-rabbit-hole

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Kayla Marcell, known as Kayla Sunshine on the interwebs, is 1/3 of Three Daisies Vintage. An Arizona expat living in Oregon, Kayla slings antiques with her mom and sister. She might also have a collection of squeak toys that's large enough to appear in print. We aren't pointing any fingers. Her childhood was spent in TVLand singing along with The Partridge Family and other 70s standbys. Her love is a fickle thing, though, as the 80s have taken over her heart. Anyone want to drool over the Lost Boys? Or Val Kilmer in Top Gun? The Mavens are down. Have a seat and a cup of tea as Jill relives the hair of her youth.

Edit and Sound Design by: Grae @ Grae Matter Studios

Intro by: Caylin Temple

Copyediting by: Spell Check

intro and Outro Music: Down the Rabbit Hole by myuu

Source: https://soundcloud.com/myuu/down-the-rabbit-hole

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

 The Kvammes and the Mothballs go way back. All the way to episode 8 (Kim checked for us). This week we get a fresh batch of hilarious misunderstandings, cool vintage tips, and nostalgia so deep you'll lose your boots trying to wade through. Heaps of fun family stories from these two outlandish ladies give this episode the feel of a late-night, possibly drunken conversation with your cool aunt. They may have helped Jill figure out a (very illegal) way to fix her long-haul covid too. The Kvammes have a flare for drama that they never leave at home. Thanks to Covid, they're about ready to change their last name to Beale (name that reference). Be on the lookout for western ware for the next big trend, along with 90s kitsch. Sam says it'll be the new 50s kitsch. Maybe those beanie babies will finally redeem themselves. 

P.S. If you find any of your old Lisa Frank stickers from second grade, HOLD ON TO THEM. They're basically diamonds at this point. 

Edit and Sound Design by: Grae @ Grae Matter Studios

Intro by: Caylin Temple

Copyediting by: Spell Check

intro and Outro Music: Down the Rabbit Hole by myuu

Source: https://soundcloud.com/myuu/down-the-rabbit-hole

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

 "All human beings, deep down, are makers."

Propmaker, movie historian, hobbyist, and TikTok star Michael Corrie nerds out with the Mavens. Tune in for some genius cosplay tips and behind-the-scenes info about how movie sets are created. 

Welcome one and all to a very special episode! Today we have a full-length Curio Corner for your knowledge and entertainment. Have you ever found yourself wandering around the art section of a museum feeling wildly out of place? Do you look at paintings and say aloud, to no one in particular, "Is this a good one?" Then this special episode is for you. Hop in as we crash headfirst into fine art in what we're calling:

ART FOR THE ARTISTICALLY INEPT: A Learning Adventure with Laura Lee

Former guest Laura Lee takes us by the scruff and lovingly pours information down our throats. Jill (ever one to surprise) is 20 steps ahead of the rest of us on the subject. If you're in the less knowledgeable camp, never fear: this is one area Sam hasn't researched to absolute death, so you will find yourself in good company. Please keep hands and feet inside the ride at all times and exit in an orderly fashion. 

Edit and Sound Design by: Grae @ Grae Matter Studios

Intro by: Caylin Temple

Copyediting by: Spell Check

intro and Outro Music: Down the Rabbit Hole by myuu

Source: https://soundcloud.com/myuu/down-the-rabbit-hole

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The Mothball Team works hard on this podcast. We all have our roles to play. Sam obsesses. Jill regulates. Spellcheck writes. And Grae creates magic with electricity. This episode is the culmination of all of us working together: a choreography of humor, research, stubbornness, and moxie. Grae, that ever-so-talented man, created a showcase for this week of all the best behind-the-scenes clips from our weird little vintage corner of the world. Enjoy a massage from the man himself at the beginning of the episode, and the raw reactions from Sam, Jill, and Spellcheck at the end. We might say this too much, but who cares: we are truly grateful for all the listeners. You're the reason we keep going. Thank you. 

Thank you to our team :

Edit and Sound Design by: Grae @ Grae Matter Studios

Intro by: Caylin Temple

Copyediting by: Spell Check

intro and Outro Music: Down the Rabbit Hole by myuu

Source: https://soundcloud.com/myuu/down-the-rabbit-hole

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/