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Archive for March, 2008

19 of the Strangest Sales and Sales Attempts on eBay … Or At Least Meant To Be

March 25th, 2008
  • Haunted Hands Resist Him Painting
  • Item
    #: Unknown
  • Auction
    Result: The Painting sold for $1,025

2360157978 6cfc051cfa m 19 of the Strangest Sales and Sales Attempts on eBay ... Or At Least Meant To Be

This is the original haunted eBay Painting. Hands Resist Him was
painted by Bill Stoneham in 1979. It depicts a young Stoneham
standing in front of a door with a female doll. On the other side of
the glass paneled door, disembodied hands grab at the boy. The
painting was listed on eBay in February of 2000 by a couple who had
found it at an abandoned brewery in California. Taking a liking to
the painting, they brought it home. The couple’s 4 ½
year-old daughter complained to her parents that the children in the
painting were fighting and one of them even walked out of the
painting. After hearing this, the parents decided to watch the
painting at night, and claim to have witnessed the same thing. They
immediately decided to get rid of it by selling it on eBay. While on
eBay, it was viewed over 30,000 times, reportedly making some of the
visitors feel ill upon viewing it. Stoneham is skeptical that the
painting is haunted, but he does admit that both the owner of the
gallery where the painting was first shown and the first art critic
to review it died within one year of having contact with it, and that
he has no clue why it was left abandoned.

  • Haunted Stricken Life Painting
  • Item
    #: 891732698
  • Auction
    Result: The painting sold for $610.00


2359322871 8943e3fba1 m 19 of the Strangest Sales and Sales Attempts on eBay ... Or At Least Meant To Be

This painting was found by a family after they moved into their new
home. Although they were well aware of the reason they got the house
for such a bargain, they weren’t expecting everything that came
along with it. Several years before they moved in Harold, the
previous owner, was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and given
only a few months to live. Distraught over who would care for his
bedridden wife suffering from Multiple-Sclerosis, he shot her in the
head, sat in his favorite chair and then used the shotgun to take his
own life. With this knowledge about what had happened in the house,
you can bet the new owners were shaken up to find this macabre
self-portrait of Harold behind some old boxes. After taking a closer
look at the painting, they realized that there were five faces of
Harold hidden in the red splatter, all which depict him in agony.
They also found a poem scrawled on the back, obviously written by
someone in deep pain. At the request of their teenage son, the family
decided to keep the painting, and even hung it on the wall. The same
night, the family awoke to their pet dog barking furiously at the
painting. In the next few days they began to hear strange voices,
experience electrical problems in their recently inspected house and
find the TV turned on to CNN, Harold’s favorite channel. To rid
themselves of the painting the family listed it on eBay with the
disclaimer: “We really do believe that this work may be
haunted, and that it is possible that any weirdness associated with
this work could be passed on to the winner. DON’T CALL US!”

  • Ghost
    in a Jar
  • Item
    #:

    2931457201
  • Auction Result: The top bid reached to over $90 million, but it
    eventually sold for $50,922 (according to the seller, and we’re
    not sure how reliable he is)



2359333915 ccbac8ae04 m 19 of the Strangest Sales and Sales Attempts on eBay ... Or At Least Meant To Be

This ghost in the jar was listed on eBay by user teajay101 on May 26,
2003, with a starting bid of $99. According to the seller, while he
was metal detecting by an old church cemetery he came upon an old
rotting wood box containing two glass jars and a journal. One of the
jars was accidentally dropped, and when it shattered a black mist was
released. The seller took the second jar and the journal home, but
unfortunately, the journal fell apart before he had a chance to read
it. Since this day, the seller has claimed to be haunted by “The
Black Thing.” In an attempt to rid himself of the second ghost,
he listed the remaining jar on eBay with the warning, “Remember,
DON’T bid unless you are seriously wanting to own this as I WILL NOT
BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS ONCE THE TRANSACTION IS
COMPLETE!”


  • Haunted Stitch Doll

  • Item #: 5566217149

  • Action Result: The haunted doll reportedly sold for $11,100


2360158014 964543ab51 m 19 of the Strangest Sales and Sales Attempts on eBay ... Or At Least Meant To Be

The sellers claimed to have bought this Stitch stuffed animal at a
small road-side gift shop in between Orlando and Daytona Beach,
Florida. Looking back, they realized that the clerk seemed just a
little too excited about selling the toy. At home the doll was placed
on top of the television with many other stuffed animals. Soon, the
sellers would come home to see that all of the dolls, except the
haunted Stitch, had been pushed off the television. At night the
sellers would hear strange noses and even woke up one day to find
their TV cracked. In their first attempt to rid themselves of the
doll, the owner put it in a dumpster outside the house, just to find
it back on the TV later in the day. The sellers started to take the
doll to remote locations and leave it, but somehow it always made it
back. Apparently, this eBay auction was their last attempt. Payment
was only accepted through PayPal and no return address was put on the
package.

Over
Priced Food

  • Virgin
    Mary Grilled Cheese Sandwich
  • Item
    #: 5535890757
  • Auction
    Result: The winning bid of $28,000 was made by the Golden Palace
    Online Casino


2360158096 6cb849c73a m 19 of the Strangest Sales and Sales Attempts on eBay ... Or At Least Meant To Be

In 1994, Florida native Diane Duyser went to take a second bite out
of her slightly burnt grilled cheese sandwich when she saw the Virgin
Mary looking back at her. Knowing she could never eat this religious
figure she put it in a plastic box, where it remained for 10 years.
Then, in 2004 she put it up for auction on eBay. She was sure to let
potential buyers know that, although no mold had grown on the
sandwich in 10 years (which is believed by some to be a miracle), it
was not intended for consumption. The item was viewed 1.7 million
times while on eBay.

  • Doritos
    Cheese Pope Hat
  • Item
    #: 5565234667
  • Auction
    Result: This holy chip was also bought by the Golden Palace Casino
    for $1,209

2359322897 d2320fc1f5 m 19 of the Strangest Sales and Sales Attempts on eBay ... Or At Least Meant To Be

The Chadwick family of Salem, Massachusetts couldn’t believe
their eyes when on a chilly March afternoon in 2005, they opened a
bag of Doritos and found the Pope’s mitre, or at least a chip
that looks like it. They immediately listed this miracle on eBay and
made an easy $1,209. What sucks about this story is that I’m
pretty sure I’ve eaten a few thousand dollars worth of Doritos
artifacts.

Celebrity


  • Britney Spears’ Chewed Gum Wads

  • Item #: several

  • Auction Result: The highest winning bid was $14,000


2359343603 0b10cfff63 m 19 of the Strangest Sales and Sales Attempts on eBay ... Or At Least Meant To Be

In 2004, there was an eBay craze for gum chewed by Britney Spears.
There were literally hundreds of listings, most of which went for
$5-$50, depending on level of proof offered. A piece of gum Britney
spit out in London went for $263 dollars. However, this is pennies
compared to the winning bid of $14,000 for gum the pop star spit out
after a 2002 New York concert. I’m not really sure what people
do with this pre-chewed gum, but hopefully they don’t chew it,
it could be ‘toxic.’


  • James Blunt’s Sister

  • Item #: Unknown

  • Auction Result: His sister found a husband


2360158128 13ae185720 m 19 of the Strangest Sales and Sales Attempts on eBay ... Or At Least Meant To Be

This story is actually very sweet. One day, singer James Blunt found
his sister Emily crying and distraught over not being able to make it
to a funeral in Ireland. Apparently, “the planes were on
strike, the ferry was out of season, and there were no trains.”
Determined to help his sister, Blunt made a listing on eBay titled
‘Damsel in distress seeks knight in shining armor,’ which
explained his sister’s predicament. Several bids were placed
and the winner ended up flying Emily to the funeral in his private
helicopter. A romance erupted between the damsel and her knight, and
after nine months of courtship the couple married.


Just
a little too personal

  • 18
    Year-old Girl’s Virginity
  • Item
    #: 5512586246
  • Auction
    Result: The winner paid the girl $10,000, but never claimed his prize

2359322951 48bd7763bf m 19 of the Strangest Sales and Sales Attempts on eBay ... Or At Least Meant To Be

In 2004, British student Rosie Reid decided to auction off her
virginity on eBay. The 18 year old said she would rather sleep with a
stranger than live in poverty. She was nervous about money because
she was about to graduate from Bristol University with a huge amount
of debt. In three days her auction received 400 bids, with the
winning bid of $10,000. There have been several more attempts to sell
virginity since.

  • Real
    Shrunken Heads
  • Item
    #:289158639
  • Auction
    Result: The winner got all 26 shrunken heads for just under $25


2360158174 efcaa34abe m 19 of the Strangest Sales and Sales Attempts on eBay ... Or At Least Meant To Be

This auction was for 26 shrunken heads from the Jíbaro Indian
Tribe of Ecuador. The heads ranged in color from dark brown to grey
and each had unique decorations. While on eBay, only 7 people bid on
these shriveled human heads.


  • A human soul
  • Item
    #: 5660982226
  • Auction
    Result: The soul sold for $504

2359323005 63116e484d m 19 of the Strangest Sales and Sales Attempts on eBay ... Or At Least Meant To Be

In January of 2006, self-proclaimed atheist Hemant Mehta listed his
soul for sale on eBay. Mehta offered to attend several worship
services of the winner’s choosing. Minister Jim Henderson had
the winning bid of $504. He requested that Mehta visit a variety of
churches and write about his experiences on Henderson’s
website; Mehta agreed. Soon after a Christian book publisher asked
Mehta to visit several more churches and write a book. The title of
the book is I Sold My Soul on eBay and was released on April
17, 2007. Several more souls have been put up for auction on eBay
since.

  • Serial
    Killer’s Fingernails

  • Item #: 127658711

  • Auction Result: These sold for $9.99


2359323025 facd66c654 m 19 of the Strangest Sales and Sales Attempts on eBay ... Or At Least Meant To Be

In 1979, Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris drove through southern
California on a killing rampage, of which there are five known
victims. Years later, someone listed the fingernail clippings of Roy
Norris tapped to the back of a Christmas card on eBay. They actually
sold.


Okay,
these are pretty cool


  • Ex-wife’s Wedding Dress
  • Item
    #: Unknown
  • Auction
    Result: The dress sold for
    $3,850

2360158238 97ae837664 m 19 of the Strangest Sales and Sales Attempts on eBay ... Or At Least Meant To Be

In 2004, Larry Star decided that instead of burning his ex-wife’s
wedding dress, he would try to make a little money for it on eBay. He
was hoping to get enough money for a couple of Mariners tickets and
some beer. To show potential buyers the dress in its full glory, Star
decided to model it himself. While on eBay, the auction got more than
6 million views. In the end, it sold for $3,850—It only cost
$1,200 new.

  • Vampire
    Killing Kit
  • Item
    #: 2961640885
  • Auction
    Result: Sold for $2,005.50

2359323099 069cb39fc2 m 19 of the Strangest Sales and Sales Attempts on eBay ... Or At Least Meant To Be

The Oklahoma seller claimed that this product was an authentic 18th
Century Vampire Killing Kit that was worth anywhere between $29,000
and $51,000. The velvet lined wooden box contained one wooden hammer
(9” long), four stakes (each 7” long), a prayer book,
crucifix, knife, picking scissors, eight bottles of holy soil, holy
water, anointing oil, holy incense, garlic, red serum, blue serum,
secret potion, wooden cross and a metal syringe box. Even if you
never have to use these tools against vampires, it’s a pretty
cool conversation starter.

  • USAF
    Hughes AIM-4D Falcon Missile
  • Item
    #: 150118191
  • Auction
    Result: Reserve never met

2360158272 071f2211e1 m 19 of the Strangest Sales and Sales Attempts on eBay ... Or At Least Meant To Be

This U.S. air force missile was listed for sale on eBay in 1997. The
missile is 6’9” long, weighs 145 lbs, and can travel
approximately 7 miles at the speed of about 1,500 mph. Of course, it
was disarmed prior to the auction. Although the bidding reached
$3,950, the reserve was not met, and the item never sold.

  • Russian
    Test Space Shuttle
  • Item
    #: 1178647016

  • Auction Result: The reserve for this craft was never met.


2359323163 1a9b065b6c m 19 of the Strangest Sales and Sales Attempts on eBay ... Or At Least Meant To Be

The Russian Bor-5 VKK spacecraft is a 1/8th sized model of
the Russian Buran space shuttle. It is 16 feet long, has a wing span
of 9 feet and weighs about 4,000 pounds. The Bor-5 was made to test
the aerodynamic characteristics and the affect of high altitude and
extreme heat on the bigger Buran shuttle. It was launched into outer
space, from the Russian test ground, on June 22, 1988 from a two
state SL-8 rocket. In 2001, this item was listed on eBay with a
shipping & handling price of $5,000. Although bidding reached as
high as $25,000, the reserve was never met and the test shuttle never
sold.


Lame

  • Moller M400X Skycar

  • Item #: 250036057352

  • Auction Result: This item failed to sell, twice.


2359323437 a6ef8289c3 m 19 of the Strangest Sales and Sales Attempts on eBay ... Or At Least Meant To Be

Desperate and running out of money the Moller company put the only
M400 Skycar prototype up for auction on eBay in 2006. This Vertical
take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft has been in development since
1974. Its current proposed features include a cruise speed of 305
mph, a max speed of 579 mph, a max height of 10.8 km, an ascending
speed of 1.4 km/min, a max payload of 340 kg, a max take-off weight
of 1088 kg, and the ability to go 8.5 km/liter of ethanol. The
highest bid for this item was $3,000,100, which failed to reach the
reserve price of $3,500,000. This is the second time the company
failed to sell the M400 on eBay, the first failure being in 2003.


  • Boeing Sky Commuter

  • Item #: 220188946461

  • Auction Result: This Sky Vehicle sold for $131,700


2360158498 b0445bdcc6 m 19 of the Strangest Sales and Sales Attempts on eBay ... Or At Least Meant To Be

In January of this year, the last Boeing Sky Commuter in existence
was listed for sale on eBay. Only 3 of these 400 pound ‘cars’
were ever built and only one made it through the testing stage in
once piece. In the late 80’s, after the first two prototypes
crashed before getting even ten feet off the ground, the company that
produced the sky commuters shut down. This unique item sold for
$131,700, and will soon be placed in a museum.


  • The Meaning of Life

  • Item #: 200000461555

  • Auction Result: This elusive answer sold for $3.26


2360158464 5c39143bca m 19 of the Strangest Sales and Sales Attempts on eBay ... Or At Least Meant To Be

Since the seller of this product would only ship within the United
States, it seems as though those living outside the U.S. will never
even have the chance to know what the meaning of life is. The only
information given about this item by the seller was a picture of a
rainbow on the auction site. The answer to all of life’s
questions sold for a whopping $3.26.

 19 of the Strangest Sales and Sales Attempts on eBay ... Or At Least Meant To Be

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