faq (frequently asked questions)

In the whole of the Netherlands: from Schoorl to Enschede, from Eemshaven to Het Zwin, and from Klein-Kullen to Paesens-Moddergat.

If needed, we're more than happy to serve right over the border, but Ghostbusters NL also has fantastic colleagues in Belgium ( Ghostbusters Belgique/België) and Germany ( Ghostbusters Deutschland and Ghostbusters Niedersachsen). Should we really be booked full, you could always still contact our dear colleagues of Ghostbusters Dutch Division.

Most service-sector companies dealing with the paranormal may give off a rather new-age kind of vibe and their so-called expertise is often based on rather vague claims that they are in contact with higher powers (which in itself should set off alarm bells). The services offered by Ghostbusters NL are grounded in a solid scientific basis. Thorough paranormal research by the founders of Ghostbusters Inc at Columbia University in New York in the early 80s has led to our patented technology for detecting, investigating, capturing, and containing of spirits, ghosts, and related ectoplasmic entities.

Unless you have a taken a course or internship in ghostbusting or exorcisms, going DIY can only lead to a limited number of outcomes, statistically speaking: 1) You will be possessed by the entity in question. 2) Your house of business premises will go to the dogs (or hellhounds in some cases). 3) You will completely take leave of your senses after a failed attempt to remove the ghost.

This is not meant as a warning, but merely serves to inform you of the statistics involved (as we know them).
 

First of all, very, very few priests, regardless of the religion they represent, are trained and/or indeed certified spirit removers, and if they are, this is usually limited to demonic possession of people only (also see Canon 1172 of the  Codex Iuris Canonici).

Second, being an extension of the first point, priests who can perform exorcisms are generally insufficiently prepared to handle most other supernatural phenomena.
 

Essentially, any space in a residental or commercial building can at some point or other become subject to paranormal activity, but some spaces do carry a higher risk factor than others. Generally, the more remote a space is from human activity (e.g. a basement or attic), the more vulnerable; chances are higher that such spaces have seen things that couldn't stand the light of day, also triggering a higher build-up of psychokinetic energy. In the end, it very much depends on the history of the location in question—after all, stranger things happen in a psychiatric ward than in a terraced house from the 1990s, but, all things considered (especially human nature), this is nearly impossible to predict.

In short: some research into the history of your premises could prove useful.
 

Obviously, anything that deviates from the norm could be reason to call Ghostbusters NL: if your partner, children, or neighbour suddenly starts speaking in tongues (unless you're certain it's Tourette's syndrome or they're just speaking Frisian), if your furniture appears to be stuck to the ceiling without good reason, or if objects or people have started to levitate when they normally don't.

Other, more subtle signs are inexplicable draughts in the house, lights that spontaneously appear to turn off and back on again, or so-called cold spots, places where the temperature has lowered drastically and suddenly, but without explanation, often accompanied by condensed water vapour when breating as well as changes in the electromagnetic field (which some people can sense).

In all these cases, call Ghostbusters NL!
 

Spectral manifestations (apparitions of all sorts and sizes) can be globally divided into seven categories or classes. One of the criteria that Ghostbusters NL uses for that is the degree to which a ghost manifests by means of ectoplasm: a rather particular, spectral type of matter that renders them visible. On the whole, less ectoplasm means classification into a lower category (e.g. a Class–I spirit, such as an innocent orb), and more ectoplasm means classification into a higher category (e.g. a Class–VII spirit). In most cases, higher classification also means that the spirit in question is more dangerous, but some criteria that determine Class are more linked to other characteristics, such as whether or not we can identify their origin, name or character, or if the ghost in question has an animalistic rather than human origin.

A Ghostbusters NL routine inspection (in contrast with some of more extensive service packages) includes basic field research by means of on-site measurements (usually just aimed at PKE levels) to find the source of the disturbance, after which we will take action in case of positive test results, and will remove the ghost in question. Our service is concluded with a brief written report about the pest in question as well as an invoice. Additional services that Ghostbusters NL can offer are described here.
 

The fact that you have never been troubled by ghosts does not mean that you never will. Even if you have never seen, heard, or felt anything or anyone, you may still be living with a latent (i.e. dormant, hidden, passive) entity, in which case it may only be a matter of time before it manifests itself.

So, the preventive services offered by Ghostbusters NL are always useful, even if it is just to make sure that your premises (or even yourself) are not harbouring any lurking entities.
 

For more information about our services, please check our Services page!
 

For more information about our services, please check our Services page!

There is no immediate need for the owner of the house to be present, but it would make entering the house a bit easier! We also appreciate your presence for a smoother handling of the inevitable paperwork, which is a lot more convenient and personal if we can speak with our trusting customer in person.

 

Practically speaking, you could always put your key under the doormat, of course! ;-)
 

We do strongly discourage yourself, your family members, and/or your pets to be in the same space as where the ghost removal takes place. There is always a chance one of our proton beams will disintegrate you.
 

Ghostbusters NL can always guarantee that after a removal your premises are free of ghosts; whether or not they will remain ghostfree is a different matter. However, we can always ensure that the chance one or more entities will return is significantly decreased. This may, however, also depend on the type of ghost.
 

For a small surcharge, we can always build in an additional guarantee: that a free repeat removal will be performed should the ghost return within a certain period of time.
 

In theory, you are absolutely free to move back into your home or company premises after a removal; it may, however, sometimes be the case that a ghost or ghosts has wreaked so much havoc (some call it interior redesign) in your building, that we would recommend making use of the services of a repair company before moving back in. You are, of course, entirely free to ignore such a recommendation.
 

That is indeed quite likely, yes! The border (or 'veil') between our dimension and the dimensions that ghosts reside in is indeed thinner at certain times of the year, in the same way that certain locations provide easier access to the spirit dimension (and vice versa). Fortunately, you can now make use of our special 'Ghostbusters NL PKE Peak' discounts! Do keep an eye on this website and our social media channels!

In response to your first point: it seems quite unlikely that gnomes are give you trouble—if anything, you are more likely to give gnomes trouble than the other way around. In answer to your question: Gnomes are not supernatural creates but perfectly normal living, biological (and very intelligent) creatures, comparable to you and I, albeit a lot smaller and in closer connection with nature. Purely technically speaking, we would not even be able to remove them using our techniques; they can only be used to combat and contain creatures that are made up of ectoplasm and psychokinetic energy.
 

For more information, we would like to refer you to the seminal reference work on the topic: Poortvliet, R., & Huygen, W. (1977). Gnomes [transl. of Leven en Werken van de Kabouter]. New York, NY: H.N. Abrams.
 

Real people? Yes. Actual Ghostbusters? No. Although we’re doing our utmost to pretend that we are. So, if you ask us again, we will just pretend to be barking mad (which we will not deny) and simply say ‘yes’.

Whatever floats your boat. We won’t comment on such higher issues... ;-)

That is really going to depend on whom of us you would ask. We’re all individuals (“I’m not!”) with our own preferences. I’d say if you want to have a fun chat with us at an event, we’d be more than happy to oblige!

As honoured that we are that you would like to join our ranks, we are currently not taking on any new members, unfortunately. We can always put you on a waiting list, of course, should you like that. In that case, we will approach you as soon as there is room for new members again (whatever the reason for that may be). At that point, you will go through our relatively informal application procedure. That also means that, if we have room, we do not simply take on every Tom, Dick, and Harry.  The Ghostbusters NL membership criteria are as follows:

1. Prospective members should agree with the points set out in the Ghostbusters NL vision document (available on request)
2. There should be a (potential) chemistry with the rest of the group. This can often only be determined after the candidate has joined us socially on a Ghostbusters NL workshop day, but this may differ from one individual to the next.
3. Candidates may expect the following take on the franchise with Ghostbusters NL: In form and appearance, the group focuses on the original Ghostbusters franchise from the 1980s only (i.e. the movies Ghostbusters (1984) and Ghostbusters 2 (1989))—with the odd 'Dutchification' of certain elements to make our Dutch franchise 'logically' fit the Ghostbusters universe (in the same way that the Ghostbusters Fan Film Cinematic Universe tries to do that). Inspiration from the spin-off productions The Real Ghostbusters (1986–1991), Extreme Ghostbusters (1997), Ghostbusters: The Video Game (2009), de IDW comics (2011–), or (to a limited degree) the 2016 reboot, is allowed as long as it does not clash with the ‘original-universe’ style we are trying to maintain.
4. The candidate is expected to work on their own Ghostbusters ‘original-universe style’ costume. In most cases, this means a flightsuit plus related items (also see our ‘Tools of the Trade’ page), but it could also be a costume for related parts/roles: Ghostbusters NL front-office employee (comparable to Janine Melnitz), our Ghostbusters NL accountant (comparable to Louis Tully), or whatever you can think of that makes sense in our Ghostbusters NL sub-bubble (also see our ‘About us’ page for inspiration).
    

Good question. Well, it was great to see some renewed, serious interest and development in the Ghostbusters franchise, and the movie was made with a lot of love and dedication by a good cast, crew, and director, but many in our ranks probably have doubts about how some things were handled in terms of script, casting, etc. (this may differ from person to person).
 

However, as a cosplay group, Ghostbusters NL focuses primarily, if not completely, on the original Ghostbusters move universe reality as originally conceived and written by Dan Aykroyd en Harold Ramis, and as shown in the first two movies. Most of our members have their own thoughts about the reboot, so feel free to approach us at a con or other event, and just ask :-)
 

But of course! If  you ask us kindly, that is (in which case, it won't cost you anything besides a smile! :-) )
 

You can always ask! Whether we can completely depends on who/where/when/how/etc, but asking is always possible! :-)

Whatever you say! If it makes us think ‘Well, we don't mind being seen around these people’ :-) then it's possible! Of course, it does depend on what is expected from us exactly, but we can always talk about it. Hangt natuurlijk ook af van wát er precies van ons verwacht wordt, maar bespreekbaar is het altijd! You never know until you ask.
 

We're essentially non-profit, which automatically means we cannot charge for the sheer sake of attending. What we may do is humbly ask for (realistic) compensation related to travel, sleeping, and food and drink. If we are attending to support some kind of charity (which we would then be very transparent about), we would obviously ask for donations to support said charity financially.  To be absolutely clear, any amount asked for is simply to make our appearance at an event possible.
 

Call/contact us! And check out our Events page every now and again!
 

That depends on your definition of the words 'really' and 'work'... :-) Does our equipment allow us to shoot a wildly undulating proton beam from our neutrona wand? No. Do we have light and sound effects? Most of us do, and some of us don't. But they're awesome toys nonetheless! :-)
 

There are indeed quite a few Ghostbusters cosplayers who make their own outfits and equipment. You may want to consult the following websites for tips, tricks, and links:

• Ghostbusters Fans (https://www.gbfans.com)
• Benofkent (https://www.benofkentprops.com)
• Hyperdyne (http://www.hyperdynelabs.com)
• Jupiter Electronics (https://www.jupiterstore.com/)
• Hole in the Ground Productions (http://holeinthegroundpro.com/)

Also, many readymade props can be found through websites such as Ebay.com and Etsy.com.

Gbfans.com also has a fantastic forum with a vast range of prop builders who post regularly (and have already posted a fantastic amount in the past decade and beyond).
 

We are truly sorry, but we do not put together entire proton packs for people; most of us having full-time jobs, our spare time is the only time that we have, and we hardly find the time ourselves to build the odd additional prop every now and again. Help and advice (on some topics) is always possible, of course! If you cannot find any time to build a pack yourself, then you could always check out a number of reliable prop makers that also make proton packs and sell them (also see one of the following questions).
 

That completely depends on the level of detail and accuracy you would like to put into your proton pack. Some dexterity combined with cardboard and other household and craft materials and tools will bring you a long way, and the costs involved may not even exceed €100. Yet again, others may easily spend ten times that amount for a proton pack.
 

Most important factors in this are your choice of materials, where you choose to buy your parts, and if you decide to add special FX such lights, sound, smoke, and so on.
 

Complete Ghostbusters props can be purchased via the following websites:

• Benofkent Props ( https://www.benofkentprops.com)
• Ebay (US) ( https://www.ebay.com/...)
• Ebay (UK) ( https://www.ebay.co.uk/...)
• Etsy ( https://www.etsy.com/market/ghostbusters)
• Hole in the Ground Productions ( http://www.holeinthegroundpro.com/ghostbusters.html)
• Anovos.com ( https://www.anovos.com/collections/ghostbusters/Ghostbusters)

We are truly sorry, but we neither sell it nor give it away (unless you are a GhostCorps rep). Our official GBNL patch is currently—and will mostly always be—limited to members of Ghostbusters NL. Who knows what the future holds; we may be making a special variation of the GBNL patch, in which case it will be available as a prize to a contest or for sale during an event at our special GBNL mobile headquarters booth!