Weird Wednesday – April 13, 2005

I decided to start a little bit of an eBay/PowerSellers editor’s personal blog. I couldn’t think of what to write about, then I talked to a friend who said there’s some weird stuff for sale on eBay.

I didn’t really think much about it, seeing as to the fact that my friend said he saw some crazy stuff on there like fart machines, Pop Rocks, Billy Bass fish, etc.

So I decided to take a look for myself.

Is weirdness in the eye of the beholder? These items are listed in the “Everything Else” category, so I guess someone thinks they’re weird. I sure do.

Now for the first installment of my personal blog: Weird Wednesday.

WHAT’S WEIRD THIS WEDNESDAY:

Haunted Doll…a real paranormal artifact. “This was a item that was a major part of a real haunt, a true paranormal experience,” the Seller writes on the description. The starting bid for the doll is $895.00. Apparently it was featured on a PBS television show called Midwest Haunts. You can find the Midwest Haunts website by clicking this link or going to www.midwesthaunts.com. I’m not sure what I think about this auction. I think it’s a bit pricey, that’s for sure. Caveat emptor on this one; you could be buying just an old doll.

Actual Photo of UFOs over Tetons in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. “When I was looking back at some of the photos I noticed something in the sky just to the left of the Grand Teton in one of my photos,” writes the Seller. “I’ve shown it to a few people and everybody has just stared in amazement as if they can’t believe their eyes.” The Seller has an image on the auction site that indicates “The photo you see in this listing is NOT the one you buy.” So what exactly ARE you buying for $2.00 plus shipping? Apparently a few people have actually purchased one of the photographs. I checked out one of the Buyers to see what other sort of items they’d bought. They included some old postcards and 1980s Corvette owners manuals. They did leave the Seller positive feedback, so who knows. Personally I’d keep my two bucks.

Chicken Head French Fry. Sure, it remotely resembles a chicken’s head. Why someone would want to pay $20.00 for it I don’t know.

“Rubber shrunken head looks like the real deal”. It doesn’t mention the fact this thing is butt-ugly. “Just like the one from the 60s,” the Seller says. A steal for $6.50 and $1.65 shipping and handling. Most interesting yet rather disgusting is the story of real shrunken heads on the auction page. The Seller suggests hanging it from your rear view mirror “or anyplace you feel fit to freak your friends out.” Uh…thanks.

Webster’s dictionary defines anthropomorphism as a noun meaning “attribution of human motivation, characteristics, or behavior to inanimate objects, animals, or natural phenomena.” Well here’s a bit for your front yard: It’s the Tree Face. “This is so much fun!” says the Seller. The mouth, eyes and nose “mount to your tree any way you like, embedded hanging holes for tree mounting with nails or screws.” The Seller also says, “Will add character to your yard…this is a favorite, you will love it!” While I admit it’s a bit weird, it’s also kind of cute. The pieces are made of resin, giving them a real-wood appearance as if the tree really does have a face. Highly recommended for folks with kids or those who just enjoy whimsical yard art. Like ceramic gnomes a la Travelocity.com. And bidding starts at a penny.

That’s your Weird Wednesday report for April 13, 2005.