It's hard to believe, but eBay is already 25 years old. These are some of the weirdest and weirdest auctions.
On September 3, 2020, it will be exactly 25 years ago that the popular online marketplace eBay – at that time still under the name AuctionWeb – was founded. In this long time, countless products have come under the virtual hammer.
A broken laser pointer?
A broken laser pointer is actually nothing special, but if it is the first item ever sold on eBay, the defective light pointer has historical relevance. A Canadian inventor, Mark Fraser, is said to have paid a little less than $ 15 for the device at the time.
Countless properties and properties have also been sold on eBay. Few of them have been as unusual as the ghost town of Albert in Texas, which was for sale several times – and was finally acquired in 2009. $ 883,000 was demanded, but it is not known how much the town was actually sold for.
Even more creepy is a "ghost in a mason jar" that was due to be auctioned in the early 2000s. The auction amount gradually rose to almost $ 51,000, but the highest bidder is said to have not paid in the end.
In 2013, an Indiana mother sold a walking stick to convince her son that the walking aid could also allow the ghost of his late grandfather to leave the house. An online casino offered $ 65,000.
Spend eternity in a crypt directly above that of the sex symbol Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962)? In 2009, a Japanese was the highest bidder for this very special final resting place. But he didn't want to pay the $ 4.6 million – neither did eleven other bidders, who had each bid more than $ 4.5 million, want to buy.
Good Appetite!
The same online casino that bought the ghost walking stick had previously bought a grilled cheese sandwich that supposedly featured the image of Mary, the mother of Jesus. At $ 28,000, the sandwich was a real bargain in comparison. Incidentally, the casino got a tortilla chip in the shape of a pope's cap for just over 1,200 dollars.
For a while it was apparently a real trend to auction the chewed gum of pop princess Britney Spears (38, "Toxic"). According to a media report, numerous chewing gums were offered to the singer in 2004 – for up to 14,000 US dollars, but mostly for significantly lower amounts.
The next delicacy is just as appetizing: nibbled, burnt French toast by Justin Timberlake (39). A then 19-year-old female fan of * NSYNC spent more than $ 1,000 on it in 2000.
Namesake Justin Bieber (26) hit the headlines in 2016 when a used milk glass of the singer was about to be auctioned off by a British waitress. The offer rose to £ 66,000, but the waitress didn't see a single penny. A clump of Bieber's hair was previously auctioned off for a good cause for $ 40,668.
Kidney stone or sister?
James Blunt (46) was able to surpass this level of absurdity years earlier. Before the singer became famous, he sold his sister on eBay. At that time, she had no opportunity to attend a funeral in Ireland. The auction winner, a millionaire, picked her up by helicopter. A few years later the two married.
The online casino, which has already been mentioned several times, has a much larger collection – which also includes a piece by "Star Trek" hero William Shatner (89). The actor auctioned a kidney stone for a good cause in 2006 – for $ 25,000.
But who needs a kidney stone when they can have a complete existence instead? The Briton Ian Usher sold his "life" on eBay in 2008 after separating from his wife at the time – including his house, friends and job. He got the equivalent of around 247,000 euros – and his freedom – for it.
Maybe Ian Usher somehow found the meaning of life through it, but he could have found it so much easier. A man from North Carolina is said to have sold the "Meaning of Life" for the first time in 2000. According to media reports, this was apparently no more than three dollars.
Andrew Fischer from Omaha, who sold his forehead as advertising space in 2005, proved his brains. For a month he advertised an anti-snoring drug for $ 37,375.
Last but not least, one of the cutest auctions of all time comes from the animal kingdom. In 2013, a handmade chain mail shirt with a matching helmet for a guinea pig was auctioned for a good cause. The armament brought in $ 24,300.