Ten of the Oddest Things Sold in Online Auctions

Online Auctions like eBay and Craigslist have become mainstream places for people to sell anything they can think of. Potato chips that look like they have aliens on them, paperclips and pencils; anything and everything can be sold in an online auction. What are some of the strangest things ever sold online?The first one that comes to mind is going on right now. A 22-year-old woman, who goes by the name Natalie Dylan, is trying to sell her virginity online. She is quite successful with her current highest bid at $3.8 million.

According to Scandalist.com, Dennis Hof, the owner of the Moonlite Bunny Ranch in Nevada where the auction is taking place, said "We have offers from $1 million to $3.8 million, and we have started collecting deposits. There are a few people she likes. She has been e-mailing and talking on the phone with several men. She wants to be comfortable."

Why is Natalie selling her virginity? She has recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in women's studies. She plans to use the money she earns from this "Virginity for Sale" project to pay for her master's degree.

AssociatedContent.com states that Dylan said, "We live in a capitalist society. Why shouldn't I be able to capitalize on my virginity? Why lose it to some guy in a Toyota when you can use it to pay for your education?"

Neisha Price, a senior at Frostburg has a lot to say about selling things such as virginity online.

"On the internet where everyone is a stranger and no one is who they seem, why would anyone risk their life and sexual rights to make a few wasteful dollars?" asked price.

"People are going to do what they want to do regardless of risk, but at the same time it is disturbing that you want to sell your virginity. I find selling your virginity to the highest bidder quite odd and a bit disturbing. Yet my sexuality, just like everyone else's is my mine to do with and I feel as long as you do not harm anyone in any way, do what pleases you."

There are many other strange things that people have either tried to or succeeded to sell in online auctions. According to Jeremy Raines, there was someone on eBay trying to sell an air guitar. The sale ended January 5, 2008 with only 1 bid for $5 and $4 shipping and handling.

Samantha Dobish, a senior at FSU, commented, "People sell their pee online for people who want to pass their drug test. You get a refund if you aren't satisfied with results."

One website claimed Britney Spears was trying to find clean urine samples for passing a drug test. She was willing to pay $2,000. Unfortunately, the website was a spoof so there is no evidence on eBay that someone has successfully sold this item.

At one point, a virtual island for the game Second Life was sold for $10,000 and included hours for the design and development of the bidder's dream island, as well as a certain number of memberships to Second Life for their friends and family.

Has anyone ever sold their life on eBay? That's just what a divorced 44-year old man did. As of March 2008, the man was selling his friends, home, car, and everything he owned except for his wallet and passport. Some sites rumor the sale topped out at $500,000, but then of course, that is probably only a rumor.

In early 2005, a woman from Salt Lake City, Utah, auctioned off her forehead to any company willing to pay her $10,000. The online casino GoldenPalace.com won the bidding and the woman allowed "GoldenPalace.com to be plastered on her forehead for all to see.

In 2006, a 26-year-old man man named Kyle MacDonald managed to trade one giant, red paper clip for a house. According to ABCNews, "Trade one red paper clip for one fish pen," MacDonald said, "for one door knob, for one camping stove, for one generator, for one instant party, for one snowmobile, for one trip to Yahk [in British Columbia, Canada], for one cube van, for one recording contract, for one year of rent in Phoenix, for an afternoon with Alice Cooper." Eventually, after spending time with Alice Cooper, the man was also offered a movie role and finally traded his paper clip for a house.

Unexplained-mysteries.com has an interesting tidbit on a 27-year-old man who was selling his imaginary friend on eBay. The site explains his pitch read "My imaginary friend Jon Malipieman is getting too old for me now. I am now 27 and I feel I am growing out of him. He is very friendly. Along with him, I will send you what he likes and dislikes, his favorite things to do and his personal self portrait." The man supposedly had bids up to 1,550 pounds.

Another person tried to sell a ghost in a jar on eBay as a spoof. There was an entire story and description of how the ghost was found along with an asking bid of $99. Allegedly, the final price stood at over $50,000.

Lastly, a woman sold what she claimed was her "two cones." According to Esther November's article, Weird Stuff You Can Buy Online, "The description page is set up with multiple breast implications; commentary on the hot and sticky summer weather and sexual innuendoes, but all the winner really receives is two empty ice cream cones." Surprisingly, bidders were willing to pay $41 for the cones.

It seems like anyone can sell practically anything online, whether it's a real auction or just a spoof. Fact of the matter is, the stranger the item being sold, the more attention it gets. Plus, there is probably someone out there looking for a ghost, imaginary friend, or even two empty ice cream cones.