Oh this is too good. Here is the item number: 300006962914
Check it out, auction is finished but check out all the questions and answers not to mention the photographs.


AD READS: "While exploring desolate areas of Fort Desoto Beach at the southern end of St. Petersburg, here in Florida, I came upon a rather startling discovery. Before me lay what at first appeared to be a very large strange fish. Shocked and amazed, I realized I had found another mermaid or sea monster.
I went back to my car to get my camera. My hands were shaking as I tried to calm down to take these photos. This Mermaid or Sea monster, you be the judge, is a few inches shy of being 5 feet long. Laying on a fresh natural bed of seaweed, this creature of the sea looks out as if still alive. What killed this mystery from the depths?

Candini

I wish that I would have found her! Cute!

LOL, She could use some braces though per thing, no orthodonist at those depths. There sure is a lot of drama on that auction. I think there was 84000 views or more so far.

She's cute!!

Does anyone know if she's single?

-- Topher

LOL, we are sitting around the office commenting on all the questions and seller's answers. I tried to be open minded, I really did but....

One response was he has found other mermaids through the years. What are the odds?

Is that the same one shown on coasttocoastam.com? St. Petersburg, eh? Close to home.

He's a 'maker' that obviously doesn't mind telling a few lies to sell the item...something I really frown on for many reasons. But to each his own. He puts a lot of these 'things' out and aims at the general public for sales...something I always refused to do to protect the 'unknown' aspect for pro showmen...maybe I should rethink that...it is after all my living and the game seems to be wide open all of a sudden with wannabees coming out of the woodwork. There was a time when it was just Mark Frierson and Myself making the gaffs.

I find the seller name interesting and amusing...'seamystery'... especially since for years, mine was mysterysea (mysterysea.com) and the buyer of the one on coasttocoastam has one of my other old dot com names mysterymuseum (mysterymuseum.com)...both those domains I let go a few years ago when my sites became way TOO popular and thousands of punters a day were seeing the secret source for the gaffs.

Guess maybe it's time to not be so protective of the showmen I deal with and sell more 'stuff'...but it is a shame that the oddities are legion these days and available to anybody with a keyboard...

I'll just have to be more creative and hope the Higley name still carries some status on the trail.

For all intensive purposes, it looks more like a hollywood prop than a proper gaff. It's cool, would look great on a wall, but I don't think it could ever pass off as a real thing.
First off, it is supposed to be just a thing he found and preserved- With eyes? You can't preserve those, you would have to taxiderm it and add artificial ones. Second-The mouth looks completely nonfunctional. Too many teeth for the jaw, it wouldn't be able to open it's mouth wide enough to eat anything that those teeth were made for. It is unrealistic to say the least.
Your niche with the real showmen is safe Doug...I guarantee I will buy from no one else. Experience, skill and quality will win out over greed and thoughtlessness every time.

Even if I wasn't planning on getting a Higley gaff for use with the Higley Grind Show How To manual (Which I am...), I'd get one for posterity. The Higley creations will have all the longevity and impact of the Homer Tate creations (But with higher realism and quality!)and hold both their monitary value and shock value, while the latex looking, oversized, Geigeresque, pop-culture alien creations of "Seamystery" will fade out almost immediately to little more than a conversation taking place in some guys mom's basement while he and a friend go through his comic book collection.
"Hey...Where'd you get that?"
"Some guy off of e-bay. Said he found it on the beach."
"Hrmmm...Smells like rubber gloves."
"Yeah...It's a fake. Wanna see my PortlyMan Comic #64? Mint,1st edition..."
"Sweet!!"

Doug's stuff is light years beyond this.
Gwyd

Ah another late night Art Bell fan. Yes, it is the same one:)

Doug,I was going to PM you with this but I knew you would find this thread easy enough:) We sat around the office last night and went through the Q n A. Also, note the sheen coming off the chest area on the photos. There are so many flaws its unreal. Your props looks soooooooo much better. I wonder how long it took to make this thing? $1550 for the winner (loser).

142,000 views and counting now on EBAY.

Same guy had a 'sea monster' on eBay awhile ago. Very similiar write up- but his feedback rating is good, so the buyers must like what they got!

Dja get the fine print? "The entire body has been determined to be covered in once living fish skin with scales." The 'body' could be from anything. Heres one of the questions (which were a HOOT to read!); "Hi, I need another monster for my next movie terror, with which materias was used to construct it??" "A: It's real fish skin, fins and teeth. REAL".

Here's a good one: "Possibly this creature came from a USO. ( unidentified submerged object ) The deep oceans of the world are the most logical choice to hide an alien base. On other worlds fish life may have evolved beyond the human race. I love sharing my discovery with the world. Today people are ready to accept any information regarding alien life."

But this is the best- "Q: Dear Seller: This is not a dead mermaid but an alien from another world. Note the fingers, there are more then 4 fingers 1 thumb. If I were you, I would get a metal detector and hunt the area for strange metals, and computer parts, they may be in the water. Have someone scuba dive, and I'm sure you will find something. Then notify Army corp about the incident. Florida is a hot spot for UFO's by the way. If you need need futher information I will get it for you.
A: I also noticed the Alien like features, especially the face. There was a book written a few years back about an African tribe that interacted with Alien visitors who happened to be half fish, half humanoid."

Creative taxidermy! If you looked close at the previous eBay 'sea monster', it looked like a longish fish was skinned from the gills back and put onto a much shorter taxidermy fish body - with a commercial baboon skull and jawset put onto the front. The extra skin was probably pulled over the 'skull' and the ends of the skin tucked into the 'lipline' of the jaw. Form the skin around the fishbody and skull, poke in a couple of holes where the eyesockets were, and let the rascal dry. Then seal the dickens out of it.

I'm sure it was more difficult than that, but a Higley it isn't. I'm just tickled spitless with my Dark Museum, the animal traps routine, the 'zibit information and the personal attention from Doug. Am saving up for a 'zibit!

Last night I was viewing some auctions myself and came across a purple orgone energy protector amulet. Current bid is $80.00. If you look close you will notice it is an aluminum necklace bottle for holding your nitroglycerine tablets, dyed purple. I don't think it is inappropriate to fleece stupid people for any reason. I recently sold a tibetan coin bottle that I bought on ebay for $3.99 in the ethnic jewelry section and sold it 8 days later for $304.59 as a cursing amulet from Jacob Buutersnitz the Lancaster County Amish Witch. We are professional story tellers gentlemen. Feel free to make some spare change from ebay, my conscience is clear. By the way, I'm sharing this info with you guys, and I don't think the secret should go any further than here. I like taking care of my own.

Doug Higley's products are works of art. To own a Higley is to own a piece that will be treasured and passed on to the next generation (should they be deserving...). You will never find any of my Higleys on ebay. Wannabes be ***ed. There is only one Master and his name is Doug Higley.
--- Steve Bosque

Thanks Guys...the guy on ebay is obviously having fun with his stuff and making good dough...good for him...no beefs...except I do wish it was all just for US to use as show pieces in the traditional way ya know.

Your support and kind words is most appreciated...maybe I'll sleep past 3am for a change.

Yes, Doug's props have the characteristic that they are BELIEVABLE. This mermaid, however well done is simply over the top, like a "too perfect" magic trick. It is an obvious movie-type prop. And my guess, disappointing in person. Whereas Doug's are scarier in person! My shrunken head still mumbles at me while I am trying to sleep. Shut your accursed lips ***YOu! I'll sew them up tighter, I sware!

I agree,the more I look at Doug Higley's work the more I'm thinking of adding a attractions tent to my shows.

Much as I hate to cut into Doug's potential profits (which he so richly deserves) Rev, you might want to PM Doug and discuss that with him. He has often said on here that ONE zib is more likely to be effective than many, so you might get by with setting up a curtain with one 'Little Doug' behind it and charging the same price as for a tentful.

The artist did a good job and I agree with Gwydion on that it would make a very nice hollywood piece. But to use it in a grind show I don't think it would be successful.
It's body position is the first thing that really pops out as a weak point. The face is too cutesy. And I think it's just a touch too big to be believable. If this creature was dead it would have signs of decay. Bring on the Decay!!

So don't worry Mr Higley... your talents are safe.
And as soon as a few more pennies are pinched, there will be a Doug Higley creation in my home...
I may not sleep the same afterwards

Thanks for the tip Airship But all the little Dougs are so cute . My 3 yr old loves it when she sits on my lap when I'm on his site . She not your typical 3 yr. old her favorite toy is a rubber rat.

Rev, it can go more than one way. I have quite a few 'zibits. Each one can carry it's own wait. I do however, use them all as a musuem. It works really well. Any way you choose, you can not go wrong with Doug.