TheUnstitchd
As the pandemic continues to take a toll on everyone around the globe, most people have resorted to buying their needs online. With this, the rise of e-commerce platforms, Instagram shops, and the booming Facebook marketplace can be observed. Yet, way even before the shift of physical stores to online, eBay has always been a pioneer of e-commerce transactions.
eBay was founded way back in 1995 and was known as AuctionWeb. Its founder, Pierre Omidyar, created AuctionWeb as a side job. As of today, eBay is a multinational e-commerce corporation with millions of users around the globe. In 2019, eBay’s annual revenue amounted to a whopping $10.8 billion dollars.
This article will feature some bizarre things that were sold and auctioned on eBay. Enjoy these eBay facts and you might find inspiration on your next quirky purchase!
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A yacht was the most expensive item sold on eBay
Yup, talk about splurging! If you think spending a couple of hundreds on online shopping is too much, try a few millions. Instead of checking out the docks, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich scored this yacht for $170 million. The yacht has a spa, movie theater, helipad, 8 guest rooms, jetstream swimming pool, and a helipad. The bid for the yacht before Abramovich was only $10! Imagine how much eBay made on this transaction alone.
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Justin Bieber’s hair was sold on eBay
Now, if you think about it, buying a yacht compared to hair is more reasonable. But if you’re a die-hard Belieber, then you must have heard about the time Ellen Degeneres and Justine Bieber collaborated and sold Bieber’s hair on eBay. It was sold for more than $45,000! The money collected was donated to an animal welfare charity. Fan merch has got nothing on Bieber’s hair chunks. This may have been a dream come true for some fans. Aside from Justin Bieber, a few celebrity manes were sold on eBay as well, like Neil Armstrong, John Lennon, and Michael Jackson.
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A Pretzel hat for $124,000
Don’t worry! You don’t have to go to fancy auction events to score pieces worn by royalties. You can simply add them to cart on eBay. Worn by Princess Beatrice during the royal wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William. This unique headpiece garnered mixed reactions from the people. Despite that, the opening bid for the hat was $8,229. Money from the auction will go to two charities: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and British charity Children In Crisis.
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An apparition of the Virgin Mary on a Grilled Cheese
Selling religious items and novelty items are pretty normal on eBay. However, this may have been one of the most bizarre auctions ever made. I guess it is safe to say that this may have been the most expensive grilled cheese ever sold. During the time of the auction, the grilled cheese was claimed to be 10 years old, with a big bite at the bottom part of the apparition. It was sold for $28,0000.
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The original HOLLYWOOD sign
No need to be a star when you can just buy Hollywood. Well, the HOLLYWOOD sign, that is! In 2005, the original HOLLYWOOD sign was auctioned on eBay for $300,000. At the end of the 10-day bid, the HOLLYWOOD sign was sold for $450,000.
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Hunted rubber duck
The seller claimed that the hunted rubber duck has the power to control and possess children. The toy was sold for $107.70 after one week of the auction. The seller said that he will not be responsible for the duck anymore once it was shipped.
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Advertising space on a person’s head
If you want a head-turning marketing strategy, then consider paying someone to have a temporary tattoo of your product on their forehead. The company SnoreStop paid around $37,000 to advertise their snoring remedy on Andrew Fischer’s forehead. He wore a temporary tattoo for a month. Another woman did the same auction on eBay, but she only got $10,000 for a permanent tattoo advertisement on her forehead.
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A picture of an Xbox
A 19-year old guy paid more than $550 for an Xbox One Fifa Day One Edition. He didn’t read the full advertisement, where the title was followed with ‘Photo Brand New UK 2012’. To his surprise, a photo of Xbox with a signed thank you note at the back came at his home. Lucky for him, he was able to file for a refund because of the misleading advertisement. Talk about clickbait!
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Right to name a baby
Why rack your brand to find the right name for your baby when you can ask strangers to do it for you–and get paid, too! In 2009, a mother posted several auctions on eBay to sell the rights of naming her baby to strangers. The bid reached $6,800 after the auction.
Takeaway
There you have it! Some of the most bizarre things auctioned on eBay. Some of these facts are very random, yet made some sellers some small fortune. Make sure to make smart decisions when buying unique things online.