New kind of stupid auction - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Kazza · 12-06-2004, 10:15 PM

U.S. National - AFP

Bids for gramp's ghost to 14,000 dollars on eBay

Mon Dec 6, 2:03 PM ET U.S. National - AFP

CHICAGO, United States (AFP) - A woman who turned to eBay to auction off her father's ghost asked buyers to show some restraint as bidding reached the 14,000 dollar-mark over the weekend in a media-driven frenzy.

"I can't believe this went so far. Please keep the bidding at a minimum," said Mary Anderson in a posting on the online auction site Sunday.

Anderson, who hails from Hobart, Indiana, said the unexpected attention generated by her whimsical eBay sale had "left her a nervous wreck," and that she had cancelled some of the more "outrageous bids."

She reiterated that the purpose of the exercise was simply to reassure her five year-old-son who was uneasy about living in a house that he felt was haunted by his "mean" grandfather.

By way of explanation, Anderson said that her father had died of cancer at home, and towards the end had occasionally become irritated with his young grandson and had tapped him with his walking cane.

"It didn't hurt my son, but it hurt his feelings," Anderson wrote.

"I promise you he's not a meanie like my son thinks, but it's hard to tell that to a five-year-old when all he remembers is the bad things. My dad was the sweetest most caring man you'd ever meet."

To convince her son that the ghost had indeed gone, Anderson decided to offer her father's walking cane along with his ghost for sale on eBay -- with free shipping.

And she requested that the winning bidder write her son a letter after getting delivery of the cane to let the youngster know that both buyer and ghost were "getting along great."

The quirky auction entry, which ran under the headline "This isn't a joke," was picked up by the US media, spawning copycat eBay auctions, and driving the bidding up rapidly.

With just three hours left to run on the clock Monday, the highest bid was just shy of 15,000 dollars, according to the eBay website.

Last month, a woman from Florida sold a 10-year-old grilled cheese sandwich that she claimed bore the image of the Virgin Mary for 28,000 dollars.

Caffeine King · 12-06-2004, 11:14 PM

E Bay auctions keep getting more pathetic by the day!

crystals · 12-06-2004, 11:14 PM

Dude, that's a really stupid auction. The ghost, if there is one in that house, isn't going to move just because someone won a bid. The ghost is either staying in the house because it feels attached to the house or to the people living in the house. This sounds more stupid than the grilled cheese sandwich auction. At least the grilled cheese sandwich is something that can be recieved in the mail. How would anyone mail a ghost?

Brent88 · 12-06-2004, 11:21 PM

OMG...

Hollow · 12-07-2004, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by crystals
Dude, that's a really stupid auction. The ghost, if there is one in that house, isn't going to move just because someone won a bid. The ghost is either staying in the house because it feels attached to the house or to the people living in the house. This sounds more stupid than the grilled cheese sandwich auction. At least the grilled cheese sandwich is something that can be recieved in the mail. How would anyone mail a ghost?

ghosts are put in jars when they're sold. still, it's a ghost. they can do anything, including escaping from a jar. trying to keep him in one like that is mean anyway.

yeah, i saw that in the newspaper.

snl75 · 12-07-2004, 01:24 AM

my mother told me the story this afternoon neither of us could believe it . this proves once and for all that people will buy anything and everything.

Penny Lane · 12-07-2004, 09:57 AM

Oh My!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

12-06-2004, 10:15 PM	#1
Kazza Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 17, 2003 Posts: 3,244	New kind of stupid auction U.S. National - AFP Bids for gramp's ghost to 14,000 dollars on eBay Mon Dec 6, 2:03 PM ET U.S. National - AFP CHICAGO, United States (AFP) - A woman who turned to eBay to auction off her father's ghost asked buyers to show some restraint as bidding reached the 14,000 dollar-mark over the weekend in a media-driven frenzy. "I can't believe this went so far. Please keep the bidding at a minimum," said Mary Anderson in a posting on the online auction site Sunday. Anderson, who hails from Hobart, Indiana, said the unexpected attention generated by her whimsical eBay sale had "left her a nervous wreck," and that she had cancelled some of the more "outrageous bids." She reiterated that the purpose of the exercise was simply to reassure her five year-old-son who was uneasy about living in a house that he felt was haunted by his "mean" grandfather. By way of explanation, Anderson said that her father had died of cancer at home, and towards the end had occasionally become irritated with his young grandson and had tapped him with his walking cane. "It didn't hurt my son, but it hurt his feelings," Anderson wrote. "I promise you he's not a meanie like my son thinks, but it's hard to tell that to a five-year-old when all he remembers is the bad things. My dad was the sweetest most caring man you'd ever meet." To convince her son that the ghost had indeed gone, Anderson decided to offer her father's walking cane along with his ghost for sale on eBay -- with free shipping. And she requested that the winning bidder write her son a letter after getting delivery of the cane to let the youngster know that both buyer and ghost were "getting along great." The quirky auction entry, which ran under the headline "This isn't a joke," was picked up by the US media, spawning copycat eBay auctions, and driving the bidding up rapidly. With just three hours left to run on the clock Monday, the highest bid was just shy of 15,000 dollars, according to the eBay website. Last month, a woman from Florida sold a 10-year-old grilled cheese sandwich that she claimed bore the image of the Virgin Mary for 28,000 dollars.

12-06-2004, 11:14 PM	#2
Caffeine King I Love Rayanne Graff Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 01, 2004 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 622	E Bay auctions keep getting more pathetic by the day!
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12-06-2004, 11:14 PM	#3
crystals Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 02, 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 1,829	Dude, that's a really stupid auction. The ghost, if there is one in that house, isn't going to move just because someone won a bid. The ghost is either staying in the house because it feels attached to the house or to the people living in the house. This sounds more stupid than the grilled cheese sandwich auction. At least the grilled cheese sandwich is something that can be recieved in the mail. How would anyone mail a ghost?
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12-06-2004, 11:21 PM	#4
Brent88 Member Forum Star Join Date: Aug 01, 2003 Location: Alabama Posts: 16,174	OMG...
	__________________ Brent

12-07-2004, 09:57 AM	#7
Penny Lane Butter Pie Forum Icon Join Date: Jul 03, 2001 Location: Beneath the blue suburban skies Posts: 51,261	Oh My!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Attached Images
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12-07-2004, 01:24 AM	#6
snl75 Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 25, 2004 Location: in the formen basement watching snl Posts: 1,377	my mother told me the story this afternoon neither of us could believe it . this proves once and for all that people will buy anything and everything.