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Hot Auction Alert
by acdickson
AC is always on the look out for unconventional auctions. But for the last year or so eBay has been inundated by two varieties of trendy auction fare, the mystery auction -- so popular there is now a special category for them, over 1500 up right now -- or it's cousin the advertise on me auction. The latter being slightly more interesting only in that the auctions have had to get more and more perverse and desperate (much like reality TV shows and contestants) in order to get attention and bids. Less common but deserving of mention are also the my cheating wife left me so I'm getting revenge (most of which I think are just a ruse to get search hits or sell smutty pictures) or the I can't get a job so help me out auction. Naturally these were all a lot more interesting the first, say, fifty times anyone tried them. At this point AC is just bored.
This has been the gambit for a long time. But finally there is hope. Thanks to the First Amendment Project and their literary supporters you can now, get this, have your namesake killed in the upcoming Stephen King novel "The Cell."
Now that's creative. And it's already up to $18,000 with 7 days to go. Steve tells us that the book, slated for 06 or 07 release will be "a violent piece of work, which comes complete with zombies set in motion by bad phone signals that destroy the human brain." Sounds kind of good, huh? Both sexes can bid, but only a female can be killed. You can be described as you are and can even have your nickname mentioned. And 100% of the money goes to helping insure artists freedom of speech.
My guess is that it hits $100,000 and makes the morning show circuit by Thursday.
If King isn't your pace, there is also the chance to appear in the future work of Lemony Snicket for $4,600 and counting, Michael Chabon for $3,700, Amy Tan for just over $1000 and more!
Future auctions will include inclusion in the work of the likes of John Grisham, Rick Moody, Dave Eggers, and Nora Roberts.
This, is what AC calls good eBay.
AC! I just got one of the spoof e-mails you described in the "sneaky sneaky" section. if i hadn't read your blog, i might have written the person back and gotten my identity stolen again!!!!!
your blog just saved my life.
AC for president.
here's the text of the e-mail i got, which does in fact resemble a message from a user on ebay.
"My question is why would you contact me about an item that was not mine...asking for Monthly payments on a vehicle?? Please advise me I am oldwest on ebay
This was your message: Question from hoppock
Do you accept monthly payments? How much is the shipping to ELKHART, INDIANA?
Ebay should be notified"
but the design and thte layout of the e-mail is exactly like one that ebay would have sent.
Posted by: hoppock at September 12, 2005 11:18 AM