Rest In Pieces
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LOGLINE:
Justin Torone & Alaina Gearhart give the dead new life at Rest in Pieces Oddities & Curiosities in historic Richmond, Virginia. Haunted, cursed, and possessed items are unwanted burdens, leaving their previous owners to seek freedom from their chilling clenches-- and RIP is happy to take them off their hands. After careful historical research, a little dusting-off, and even the occasional visit from a medium - Justin & Alaina put the items back on the market for those brave enough to house a troubling commodity.
Background:
It’s hard to feel safe when you share a home with a problematic spirit. A doll, a sculpture, an old piece of equipment-- souls can attach themselves to whatever they see fit. Perhaps the item produces crippling anxiety when its owner comes near, or maybe it draws out suspicious activity when mistreated. These owners need a way out-- but also recognize the need for their belongings to be handled with expert caution.
Longtime couple Justin Torone & Alaina Gearhart know a thing or two about creepy-- in fact, it’s their specialty. From rare taxidermy to abandoned items with tortured pasts, they’ve curated the most eccentric-- and harrowing-- "gathering of the deceased". Clients browse and search for the perfect ghostly addition to their own collection because one man’s dread is another’s desire.
Format Beats:
Beat 1: ITEMS
Justin & Alaina learn of a new item. A panicked owner shows up at their shop, begging them to take an item. A smooth-talker saunters in with a highly valuable paranormal piece, ready to sell for a pretty price. A call comes in describing a mysterious possession, and Justin and Alaina go boots on the ground to remove the item from a distressed owner too scared or ill-equipped to handle it. Every day is a constant effort to field requests and client needs, examine the bounty, and decide if it’s worth their time.
Beat 2: RESEARCH
With a new item in their collection, Justin & Alaina must now determine its worth on the shelf. History, haunting, and appearance all come into play when it comes to a dollar value-- starting with history. Taking what they learned from the previous owner, Justin & Alaina investigate the story through both books and field excursions, following leads as they’re revealed. Why is this piece haunted? Who was the original owner? And what happened to them?
Beat 3: TESTING
After careful research about the item’s history-- often revealing a morbid past-- the team at RIP calls upon a medium to conduct a reading of the item. Richmond, Virginia is rich with historical psychics, so Justin & Alaina reach into their arsenal of contacts to bring in the right medium for the job. Each process is unique to the item - from seances to clearings to just plain summoning the spirit who inhabits it. The medium reveals if their connection with the spirit matches the story of its history, giving value to its paranormal fulfillment. Worst case? Justin & Alaina’s suspicions are confirmed- and the item isn’t home to a spirit at all.
Beat 4: APPRAISAL
After thorough deliberation and the occasional disagreement - Justin & Alaina settle on a price. The item is then polished to perfection and set on display, ready for dauntless clients to browse their fate. For the items that don’t immediately fly off the shelves, it’s anyone’s guess when the right brave buyer will someday desire its unique story-- and the soul that lives inside.
Example Episodes:
A collector of taxidermy passes away in Northern Virginia, so his children call Rest in Pieces to see if they’ll take a few of his creepiest assets off their hands-- particularly the ones that watched their owner die.
A new homeowner stumbled across a hidden rosary that seems to create paranormal activity whenever handled or moved, and is desperate to get it out of the house.
A confident lover of all things haunted brings in abandoned medical equipment he recently uncovered at an abandoned insane asylum.
An Estate Sale in a Civil War home outside of Charleston sends Rest in Pieces on the road to pick through the items with the darkest past.
Clients come in with skulls and bones in need of drying, curing, and polishing. Justin, an expert in taxidermy, helps them get the job done.