The online marketplace Etsy is usually a repository for homemade teapot cosies, Lego jewellery and 3D-printed toe rings.
This… is a little bit different.
SoulsRUs is an Etsy store which specialises in celebrity souls.
The store sells sealed jars containing the essence of celebs including Justin Bieber (a cut-price special offer), Ryan Gosling and Jennifer Lawrence, among many other popular actors and musicians.
The souls are inexpensive, at just $15 per item plus $5 shipping. The jars come with a warning label on top letting customers know that opening the jars is unwise, given the spectral and ethical considerations involved.
Of course, selling souls online is nothing new. Ebay even has a specific policy in place to prevent the sale of ethereal or non-corporeal human essences, after several cases of soul trading in the early years of its site.
SoulsRUS is different for both the artisanal nature of its souls on offer, and the fact it reaps those souls to order.
The store describes the process as follows:
"Is your mantle bare? Perhaps you're looking for a one of a kind gift for a loved one? Do you just feel the need to own the soul of Matthew McConaughey? No matter your reasoning, I don't judge. My hobby is reaping souls, and I do it very well. I place each one in a stylish mason jar to keep it fresh and out of trouble. Fear not, this jar does not pose a threat to you or your loved ones... as long as it stays closed."
Molly "The Happy Reaper" Gates, who runs the store, told Mashable that she developed her talent for reaping souls without killing the target when she was a child.
"I was playing with a childhood friend ... 'reaping' souls of her stuffed animals. You know, kid stuff. Then I got my hands on her hamster, and when I pretended to reap its soul, I actually did it. That friend and I don't talk anymore," she said.
Unfortunately for her, business is currently "embarrassingly slow". But given the publicity of a piece in Mashable and other internet outlets, she might be in line for a boost.