By Tim Binnall
An eerie-looking rocking horse is going up for auction in England later this month and the woman selling the peculiar piece is warning prospective buyers that the classic children's toy is actually haunted. According to a local media report, the odd object (which can be seen below) was originally owned by psychic medium and self-described ghost hunter Dick Godden, who performed seances in his home during the 1940s. Following his passing, the rocking horse wound up being handed down among his heirs until it ultimately reached his great-granddaughter Kelly. Uneasy about having the unique piece in her home and noting that her own daughter has no interest in the toy, she has opted to put it up for auction with something of a worrisome caveat.
Kelly claims that her great-grandfather believed that there was a child's spirit attached to the toy and says that when her grandmother came into possession of the rocking horse, it would inexplicably move to different rooms in her home by way of some unseen force. Although she has personally never experienced anything particularly paranormal by way of the piece, Kelly conceded that she has heard disembodied footsteps coming from the second floor of her home. "It's often quite loud," she explained, "as if someone is walking around, but there's no one up there." Perhaps hoping to rid herself of the spooky housemate, Kelly is selling the purportedly haunted rocking horse at an auction to be held this coming Sunday.
Before the hammer could fall on the decades-old piece, however, she felt compelled to share toy's spooky history with the world, lest someone unwittingly welcome unwanted spirits into their home. "I really feel that whoever bids on it should know," she mused, "even though I realize that might put some people off." That transparency was echoed by the auction house selling the rocking horse as they specifically note that the piece was "used for seances" by "a trance medium/ghost hunter in the 1940s." While some might commend Kelly for revealing the piece's colorful paranormal past, more skeptical observers can be forgiven for wondering if the revelation is merely an attempt to increase its sale value as it is currently expected to fetch around $250 to $400.