PICS: Durban man fends off online trolls, sells coffin as a 'Goth bed' on Facebook

Published Nov 13, 2019

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Durban - What do you do when you want to get rid of a coffin that has been sitting in your garage for nearly 10 years? 

Tony Symes of Queensburgh was faced with this very conundrum recently when the last completed coffin from his coffin manufacturing business from 10 years ago was taking up just too much space in his garage.

"I decided that it was time to sell it and I decided to put it up for sale on Facebook's Market place," he explained.

"I used to manufacture coffins but as a one man show it was tough and I had to find other sources of revenue so I stopped making coffins. I initially tried to sell it as a coffin but it became joke central for people on Facebook so I decided to rename it a Goth bed to widen the the customer base but the jokes have just carried on," he said.

Symes said that Facebook users have among other things asked whether the coffin he was selling was the same one used by Pastor Alp Lukau to resurrect a congregant earlier this year.

"They think this is a joke but it is not. I genuinely want to sell this coffin," he said.

Symes said he started making coffin 10 years ago with a friend but the business did not work out. Initially he had dozens of coffins around his house and even had to store some in the lounge.

Tony Symes advertised his coffin online hoping to reach that 'special person'.

"My partner and her daughters did not like it very much and said it was macabre. They did not eve invite any of their friends over because they were too embarrassed," he said.

He however managed to sell most of his coffins but was left with one completed coffin which he stored in his garage. 

"My brother and I made a pact that whoever between us died first, would get to use the coffin. But after 10 years I have just run out of space and I need to sell it. I tried funeral homes but they are in such a cut-throat business the most they want to pay for this coffin is R80. This coffin is made by hand and the materials alone on it is over R500. I am not just going to give it away," Symes said.

He said despite the ridicule he has received online in trying to sell his coffin, he will not give up.

"Hopefully I will get the right person who needs the long term accommodation," he said.

Daily News

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