Diving Me Crazy: Antique Deep Sea Diving Suit for Sale in Rome
Got some extra room in the house for an interesting conversation piece? A Rome resident is currently selling an old commercial deep sea diving suit on eBay for $6500 clams.
The suit dates back to the 1940s and was manufactured by the Morse Diving company out of Boston, Massachusetts. Morse Diving was founded all the way back in 1837 and existed until 2016. The suit is made of copper, brass, glass and leather, and is mounted on a stand with wheels. The eBay description says it was displayed in a diving shop for years.
The item description says it is in "nice condition," but stresses it should not be used to dive. It is 80 years old, after all. It's primary use should just be to scare your children. Because, I mean... look at this thing.
It's sort of horrifying, no? But the ocean is a frightening place, so I guess it makes sense to try to be as scary as the creatures that are already down there. If you're on the sea floor and run into a goblin shark, you want to make sure you're dressed to impress.
Still, the more I look at this antique diving suit, the more it reminds me of a certain character from the early days of Saturday Night Live...
Am I wrong, or does this diving suit bear a passing resemblance to Mr. Bill?
The suit is currently listed for $6499.99 on the original eBay listing, but the seller has the "Make Offer" feature enabled. Local pickup in Rome only. Naturally.