Why the Poe Collection Will Always Be Around
If you’ve followed The Smell of Fear for any length of time, you already know this:
Edgar Allan Poe isn’t just an influence for me but he is the foundation from which I built TSOF. Before there were collections, before wholesale orders, before horror conventions and markets, there was Poe. His work shaped how I understand horror.
So when I say I’m thrilled to share that my Poe Collection candles are available at the Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia, this isn’t just a business milestone, but more a personal one for this li'l Poe fan.
From First Candles to the Poe Museum
Some of my very first candles as a small business were Poe-inspired. His worlds already invoked scents for me: damp stone, old wood, wine cellars, earth, sea salt, & petrichor. Getting this into a candle felt like a natural progression of the Poe experience for me.
My early Poe-inspired scents helped define what The Smell of Fear would become:
story-driven fragrance, rooted in setting and emotion rather than just novelty scary candles.
The Poe Museum has been stocking my these candles & supporting my small biz from its earliest days. The museum became my strongest wholesale partner, believed in the concept early, and helped give those scents a home where they truly belonged.
Why This Partnership Means So Much
The Poe Museum isn’t just another retail location. Knowing that my work sits alongside Poe’s legacy, in a space dedicated to honoring his life and writing, is something I don’t take lightly.
This partnership represents:
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Trust in my interpretation of Poe’s work
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Respect for scent as a storytelling medium
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A shared commitment to honoring Gothic horror thoughtfully
As a lifelong Poe fan, this means so much to me!
A Curated Collection for Fellow Poe Devotees
The Poe Collection is carefully curated to reflect the emotional weight and atmosphere of Poe’s writing. Each candle pulls from a specific story, setting, or psychological moment, designed to feel immersive rather than illustrative.
These aren’t “novelty Poe candles" but instead are meant to be burned while reading, reflecting, or sitting with the unsettling beauty of his work.
For fellow Poe fans, this is a chance to bring home something that feels connected to the stories that shaped us.
Gothic Horror, Then and Now
Poe remains an icon because his work refuses to age out. Each of his themes, obsession, isolation, unreliable narrators, guilt, still resonate because they’re so very human. Translating these complex emotions into scent just felt like a natural extension of his legacy.
Having these scents available at the Poe Museum feels like coming full circle for me as a lifelong student of literature & candle curator.
Final Thoughts
The Smell of Fear wouldn’t exist in its current form without Edgar Allan Poe and it certainly wouldn’t exist without the early and ongoing support of the Poe Museum. This collaboration is one of the things I’m most proud of.
And if you ever find yourself in Richmond, VA be sure to visit the museum & support the legacy of one of the Masters of Horror.
