Century-old mortuary table listed on Trade Me for Halloween

The table is currently disassembled on Jay's trailer. Photo / Supplied

A century-old mortuary table being sold on Trade Me could be used as a baby-changing station, or simply a nice, cool spot to lie down on a hot day, the seller says.

The table was salvaged nearly 70 years ago from a closed-down hospital in Te Kuiti, and spent most of that time stored in a barn until the owner died and his items were sold off.

Hamilton man Jay bought the half-tonne table from the new owner just a couple of weeks ago, but has now listed it on Trade Me for a $1 reserve.

"To be honest, my partner isn't too keen on me having it," he said, denying allegations he was selling the table because it was haunted.

"I just don't want to sound like a sissy, I've had bad dreams since I got it," he joked.

Jay, who didn't want his surname used, said he liked collecting things that were out of the ordinary, and the table, which he believed was built in the UK in 1899, was a great addition to his collection.

"I think it would be perfect just to have there in the shed."

The porcelain would be nice and cool to lie on during a hot summer's day, he said.

"I would just lie down on it and meditate, realise how lucky I am to be alive," he laughed.

"Honestly, you could use it as a baby-changing table, you could just hose it down after."

The table is currently disassembled on Jay's trailer. Photo / Supplied

Other options included a fish filleting table, a tarot card reading board, or a surface for "anything messy", as the porcelain surface and drain hole made for easy cleaning.

Jay thought it could also make a great prop for places such as escape rooms and add a touch of "authenticity".

He recognised there were some people that wouldn't want to "muck" with it for spiritual reasons, but Jay felt it was "all up to preference".

"I personally don't worry about that stuff too much."

The table has a buy now of $1000 and is pick-up only from Hamilton.

Trade Me spokeswoman Millie Silvester said the listing "won't be everyone's cup of tea".

"It's not every day we see a listing for a mortuary table on Trade Me," she said.

It has caught the attention of a few Kiwis "with over 400 views since it was listed on Tuesday evening.

"In the past four weeks we've seen 4000 searches for Halloween" as Kiwis get ready for the spookiest day of the year, she said.

There are almost 2000 listings for Halloween decorations and party supplies onsite from coffins to gas-breathing zombies. There are also more than 10,000 costumes for sale onsite.