eBay is pretty synonymous with online shopping, and for Australians who still haven’t been caught up in the massive success of online retailer Amazon, it’s the first destination for deals.
And yes, in our days of browsing,�we’ve all seen some strange things for sale on eBay. But we can bet that you’ve never seen anything as weird as this. Here are 10 totally bizarre eBay auctions, and believe us there were a lot more.
1.A Cornflake
Cost: approx USD$1.73
Considering that Cornflakes are about the blandest cereal on the market, it’s no surprise that this eBay auction didn’t turn too many heads.
The cornflake was listed by 19-year-old Bill Bennet, a student from Coventry University as an experiment into the habits of online shoppers. He said that, although at first there was little interest, small bids eventually added up and the single cornflake sold for around��1.20 or USD$1.73. The sale almost didn’t go through though as eBay served Bennet for a violation as the cornflake had no best before date.
2.The Meaning Of Life
Cost:�approx USD$3.26
Everyone’s looking for the meaning of life, but apparently those shoppers are not on eBay. When a North Carolina man decided in 2000 that he had figured it out, he listed his knowledge on eBay with the tagline: “I have discovered the reason for existence, and will be happy to share this information with the highest bidder”. It turns out that there actually wasn’t that much interest, so the meaning of life ultimately sold for just $3.26.
3.An Entire Town
Cost:�approx $1.77 million
Located 260 miles north of San Francisco and home to just 25 people is a village called Bridgeville. It’s not much of a place, but it does have the honour of being the first ever town sold on eBay. The unincorporated town went on auction in 2002 with a price tag of $750,000 after the previous owners, a family who purchased the town in the early 1970s, couldn’t sell it traditionally. It sold on eBay for $1.77 million to an anonymous buyer, but the sale fell through. It was then sold for a much smaller value not long after.
4.Guinea Pig Suit Of Armour
Cost: approx US$1,150
If you’ve ever wanted something to keep your guinea pig family members safe from the ravages of the world, you’ve missed your chance. This set of guinea pig armour sold in 2013 for a respectable $1,150. The seller claimed that the set, both a helmet and some chain mail, would keep your guinea pig safe from anything that life can throw at them. As the auction was held after the deal of a beloved guinea pig, all profits went to the Metropolitan Guinea Pig Rescue in Virginia.
5.Someone’s Forehead
Cost: approx US$10,000
When Kari Smith was trying to figure out a way she could easily provide for her son’s education and future in 2005, she landed on one of the most ridiculous ideas that even eBay had ever seen. For $10,000 she said that she would get the name of a company permanently tattooed on her forehead, essentially becoming a human billboard. The space was bought up by GoldenPalace.com, an online casino, who ended the auction 2 days early with their Buy It Now bid.
Next Page: More Weird Finds on eBay
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