A paranormal investigator has warned shoppers to avoid buying three specific items from charity shops, claiming they could bring unwanted spiritual energy into their homes. Ruby, who calls herself the 'Paranormal Queen', shared her advice on TikTok, saying, "There are three things you should never, ever buy from a charity shop - and I'm pretty much betting that at least one of these things you have right now."
Books and Vinyl: Potential 'Possessed Possessions'
Ruby listed the items in reverse order of spookiness. First on her list are second-hand books, which she says paranormal investigators call 'possessed possessions' – objects that spirits attach to. "The older the object is, the worse it is," she explained. However, she noted that it's not horror novels that are risky, but rather books with personal inscriptions, such as diaries or books with notes in the beginning. "My grandmother used to leave me notes in my books so anything like that – you're not just buying the book – you're buying that person as well," she said.
Next, Ruby cautioned against buying old vinyl records, a warning she says "most people don't suspect." She referenced the 'stone tape theory', which suggests strong emotions or events can imprint onto materials and replay. "Think about what a record actually is. It's a recording that sat in someone's living room for 50 years... through every argument, through funerals, grief and the last night in that house," she elaborated. She added that residual energy can play like this, and when people say they hear sounds under the music, "make of that what you will."
Mirrors: Doorways to the Paranormal
At the top of her list are mirrors, which she says are never to be bought second-hand. "In traditional lore, mirrors are not objects - they are doorways. Some say they trap spirits, some say they absorb the energy of the last person that looked into it," she declared. She even claimed that a mirror at the Myrtles Plantation in Louisiana is said to hold the spirits of a poisoned family, with visitors reporting hand prints seen from inside the glass, even after it has been cleaned. "So that £4 mirror you spotted in the charity shop - you have no idea who is still looking out from it," she warned.
Public Reaction
The video sparked mixed reactions. One TikTok user wrote, "Good Lord! I bought a mirror at an antique shop! I dolled it up with glass flowers that I made." Another shared, "I have a Bible from the charity shop. I'm not religious. It was more of a sentimental thing, and I felt a pulling towards it. It has handwritten notes on the front page inside, dated 1927." A third commented, "I do paranormal investigations and research I would never buy a mirror only new ones, but I have books and vinyls but I did not know about the vinyls. I am going to listen to them when I am done moving. I am really intrigued." However, a fourth dismissed the advice, stating, "What a load of nonsense."
