Recently, in the newspaper

Seen on Monday in the New York Times-enclosure of Tages-Anzeiger, a swiss newspaper:

click to enlarge.

First as I saw the image, I expected an article about typewriters (Wasn't there one linked somewhere in the Typosphere recently?), but it turned out to be more about selling personal belongings of criminals. Nice Corona, though.

‘M d b'l' ’ B W' h A ' d W b S' A T"°°"°'° ur era 11a ooms lt_ uctlons an Murderabilia Booms with auctions and web sites, smit, smith-corona, corona, typewriter, new york times, nyt, times, e ltes Kaczynski's V - typewriter By moms vlwclovnm iii} Why would anyone want this stuff? , ,,,,,,,,,, agigtfzhed The Smith Corona typewriter went for , . - “Each piece tells a story," Joe Tlirner, a ' ... .~ .5 -.~ -vvqv - - .- _.. - 2 ' $12,003. The hooded swleatshirt and sun- A slck and CIBSPICB-ble British collector who owns a Gacy paint- - 0 __ _~ * ‘I __ _~ __ ___ __ __ _ ' ' $?32.’2f16 for glasses fetched $20,025. indust I a ans es ing and a lock of Charles Manson's hair, "" 1 : l ' . l - ’_' ‘_' hls “Cums Altogether, lI'l an online auction that TY PP wrote in an e-mail. “At some point these ;‘-w—-r -' * *-' **' " ‘~ - ~ afiid f 1 ended June Z, the United States Marshals ' ' killers were normal people who were chil- v ' ‘ ‘ oi“ Q5 ' - t eir ami ies. Service sold 58 lots of property that be- of vlctlms' drenand were lovedby people,then some- 1 H 3:1 fin vfi‘ .. -‘ : a longed to Theodore Kaczynski, known as is where along the line they changed.” . ' ' Lhe Unabomber, who during a 17-year ter- The families of murder victims are ap- - ' _ '-i"_'i'-_ _ “lt’s O.K. for ror spree sent package bombs that killed the individual who coined the word mur- palled by this ghoulish trade. “l’m totally the government three people and injured Z3. The sale, or- derabilia to describe it. against it," said l-larriett Semander of ' ‘ "" ' ‘ ‘ ' ‘ ' ‘ ' ' “ “' " ' ' "' to sell this stuff deredbyajudge,yielded$232,2-16. Acquiring the physical artifacts of Houston. In 1982, her 20-year-old daugh- , V but we can't?" The items were the latest examples convicted killers is not new. But now, ter, Elena, was murdered by Coral Eu- . ' ,, . , . said Mr. Gein of “rnurderabilia" — artifacts of notori- propelled by the Internet, the market is gene Watts, a serial killer. Years later, AGIZNCEFRANCY.-FRF5§| on-lrwauzs (the name is nus killers that end up in private hands. growing. Mr. Knhan said that perhaps she found thataletter he wrote was being “an homage to The auction's proceeds will go to the Un- half a dozen murderabilia vendors in the sold online. Utah,New Jersey, Florida, Alaska,Michi- Ed Gein," the inspiration for the Norman abomber’s victims and their families. United States advertise online. “lt glorifies the criminal,” she said. “lt gan and Montana —forbid the vending of Bates character in “Psycho.") “They’re But that is not typical. Almost always, Online you can find a shirt worn by brings hack the grief.” murderabilia. going to be sold and sold and resold.“ the sellers are in the business for their Richard Ramirez, known as the Night So-called “Son of Sam" laws — named Eric Gein of Jacksonville, Florida, the Mr. Kahan acknowledged the problem. own profit. Stalker, for $1,400. Paintings by the ex- for the New York killer of the l970s— pro- proprietor of serialkillersink.com, dis- “This is the ultimate Catch-2Z.Yes,it’s go- “lt’s a sick and despicable industry," ecuted serial killer John Wayne Gacyare hibit criminals from profiting directly putes the notion of a difference between ing to happen," he said. “But as long as it's laid Andy Knhan, director of the Crime popular; a portrait of his alter ego, Pogo from their personal effects or stories. the court-ordered Kaczynski auction and going to happen, let itbe done withthe pri- Victims Office for the City of Houston and the Clown, is going for $19,999. . Only eight states — Texas, California, private vendors. mary benefit of it going to the victims.”