What did the world do with all of its junk before the advent of eBay? In just a few years it has become one of the most used websites in the world, and if you can’t find an item for sale on eBay, it probably doesn’t exist. But in among the unwanted DVDs, clothes and household items are some truly bizarre auction lots.
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1 Kids
Anyone who is a parent has probably joked about how if the kids don’t start behaving they’ll be sold on eBay, but one German parent took things a step further and set up a listing for his new baby boy, starting the bids at one euro and saying that the newborn had got too loud. The German authorities failed to see the funny side though and took the baby into temporary care while investigating the parents for child trafficking.
2 A Texan Town
A 13 acre town, complete with a tavern and houses, was put up for sale on eBay in 2007 as most residents had moved away and the decline needed to be halted. Bidding started off well, but the town failed to reach its reserve price of $2.5 million and since the auction ended, the property and buildings have been sold off as separate lots.
3 Ghost in a Jar
An American man listed an old, dusty jar on eBay, claiming the jar contained a ghost and stating he was getting rid of it because it was terrorizing him. The auction hit the media around the world, and when the auction ended the jar was sold for over $50,000. The fate of the person who purchased the jar is unknown, but the seller was more than content to be rid of the jar and considerably richer at the same time.
4 Advertising Space
Money is tight for everyone, but would you ever consider auctioning off the space on your forehead to be used as an advertising billboard? An enterprising man from Nebraska offered the opportunity to have a company logo or website temporarily inked onto his forehead for 30 days, but only managed to attract bids of $322.
5 Liver
Selling body parts is a pretty extreme way to make money, but as with everything there is a market for it. A Florida man tried to sell his liver on eBay, but due to the fact that it’s illegal to sell body parts in this way, the auction was taken down immediately when the story hit the press. At the time of removal, the liver had been bid up to $5.7 million.
6 Cheese Sandwich
You’d think it would have to be a very special cheese sandwich to reach the price of $28,000 on eBay, and it wasn’t the fact it was a cheese toastie that made one sandwich reach that price. If you half-closed your eyes and squinted in a certain direction, you argue that a face was visible on the surface of the toast. The sandwich was promptly listed as the “Virgin Mary Cheese Sandwich” and the bidding frenzy began.
7 Brussels Sprout
Everyone has sprouts left over after Christmas dinner but not many of us would think about listing them on eBay. A British man listed one solitary left over frozen brussels sprout for sale on EBay on Christmas Day in 2005, and stated in the description that all proceeds would go to charity. He raised £99.50 for the Tearfund charity, which does relief work in the developing world.
8 Fighter Jet
It’s not unusual to see cars and boats listed on eBay, but a F18 fighter jet is a little more out of the ordinary. A man from California had bought the plane from a scrap yard, and listed it for sale with a starting bid of $1 million. The US government was not happy about the sale, and insisted the plane did not leave the US. Unfortunately the plane did not sell and its fate is unknown.
9 Wedding Invitation
It can be hard to know who to take as your “plus one” to a wedding, and a woman from London saw the chance to make some money for her charity mountain climb expedition when she had nobody to take to her brother’s marriage. The auction ended at £535 and all proceeds went to a Diabetes charity. The identity of the bidder was kept secret.
10 A Life
After his marriage broke down, an expat Brit living in Australia wanted to make a fresh start and leave his old life behind. He listed his “life” on eBay, and the lot included his house, car job, and even an introduction to his friends. After the auction ended he set off to complete 100 goals such as diving with sharks and learning to fly, and he has had the last laugh as the rights to turn his story into a film have been snapped up by Disney.