Would you expect snowballs to be sold on Ebay?
By shywolf
@shywolf (4514)
United States
January 20, 2007 8:49pm CST
Well, it turns out that a father in Connecticut recently bought three snowballs on Ebay for his kids. With the East experiencing unseasonably warm weather around Christmas, he said that his kids got everything that they wanted for the holiday except snow.
This father went online to Ebay.com and found a listing by Mary Walker, a resident of Loveland, who was auctioning off snow from two monster storms that dumped more than four feet of snow along the Front Range.
He plans to freeze the snowballs in his freezer until his family decides exactly what to do with them.
Apparently, around 100 people bid on the snow. Isn't that amazing? Who would have thought that you could even sell snow on Ebay? And isn't this a touching story of a father wanting to give his children something special for Christmas? ^_^ What is the oddest thing that you have ever bought on Ebay? Feel free to answer any of the above questions, or just give your thoughts on the story! ^_^
More here:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/bizarre/4460521.html
15 people like this
78 responses
@babystar1 (4233)
• United States
21 Jan 07
Yes i also heard that someone listed a tumbleweed for sale.
3 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
21 Jan 07
I have always maintained that you can buy anything you wish via the internet, but I did not envisage it to that extent.
It must have been difficult to package a snowball and have it delivered intact, and even more difficult to keep a smowball for any length of time. Freezing will change the consistancy and virtually convert the snowball to a round ice block, so I would not like to be around when his children decide to throw them.
3 people like this
@shywolf (4514)
• United States
1 Feb 07
You know, you are totally right and I had not thought of that, Asylum. It would be more like throwing a rock than a snowball, if the snow was indeed frozen like that! I hope that his children did not throw these snowballs! They could seriously injure someone, and then how badly would that father feel for having tried to do something nice for his family? But I am sure that that did not happen. This story was too sweet to have such a nasty ending! ^_^
2 people like this
@faylinn_chaeli (1619)
• Philippines
7 Feb 07
Yes nothing is impossible on the internet, I have to agree with that. And also for the shipping. I wonder what the shipping cost was, as well as the measures that the "shipping company" took to deliver the snowball. Why would someone but a snow when you can crush ice from the fridge?
@rosettaresearch (1285)
• United States
21 Jan 07
Well, is that the essence of captialism -- selling what you have a lot of to someone who needs it? This is better than some of the things I have seen sold. After the 2000 election, people were selling hanging chads from the floor of the recount room. I have seen ghosts for sale (several in fact). A kid sold his tumor (well, sold the surgery for his tumor, it was a fundraising type deal). All very interesting and proof that capitalism is alive and well.
3 people like this
@shywolf (4514)
• United States
1 Feb 07
I can understand why people might have wanted to buy those hanging chads. They really were a part of history, albeit a rather embarrassing part! *laugh*
How in the world is one supposed to sell a ghost, I wonder? I would have to go look that one up. How can you tell if you have successfully shipped a ghost to somewhere else? People honestly will sell and buy anything, won't they? It's amazing! *laugh*
Now, the fundraising idea is really sweet. I love hearing heartwarming stories like that, of people that essentially donated via Ebay to help this kid out! ^_^
2 people like this
@brokentia (10389)
• United States
21 Jan 07
And here I thought that there would be some things that people would not buy! LOL
This is surely one of those that I would have never thought of!
Talk about the irony! The person that was selling it did it as a joke and that many people bid on it! Now that seller has to figure out how to get it to the buyer without it melting! ha ha
Well, the seller should not have put the item up for bid then I guess!
Maybe I should start finding things around the house to sell!
I make Ukrainian Eggs...maybe I should start selling those!
3 people like this
@rsmith512 (1561)
• United States
29 Jan 07
Or, when we finally get some good snow again...maybe we can try to sell some snow balls!! Haha!
I bet we might get a lot of hits from people that live in Florida!! haha! But, you might get some great hits on your Ukrainian Eggs, they sure are beautiful!! :DD
2 people like this
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
21 Jan 07
Wow, I could make a fortune but with my luck,nobody would bid on it. LOL
@shywolf (4514)
• United States
1 Feb 07
I guess that you meant that you could make a fortune selling snow? *laugh* Man, so many of us could! Especially if you lived in Alaska, lol! You could supply the entire world with snow, if you lived there! *laugh* But even here in Missouri we had snow just yesterday. Wouldn't it be great if i could make some spare money selling even a handful of it online? ^_~
2 people like this
@Hipponater (262)
• United States
21 Jan 07
You really can find anything on ebay...
The news paper where i live has a part called the Flip Side, and they have an ebay item of the week, showcasing wierd stuff they found. They've had A time machine in there, Nothing (someone was actually selling it...) and couch contents amongst other stuffs. its crazy what actually sells.
3 people like this
@shywolf (4514)
• United States
1 Feb 07
Hipponater, I love your reply! I wish that our local paper had a column like the Flip Side in your paper. Although I am pretty sure that there are sites online, or at least one somewhere, that also lists the most interesting and bizarre items for sale on Ebay. I just can't remember what the name of the site is. I swear that I heard the owners of the site talking about it on TV a few years ago, and I loved hearing about the wacky items that they were describing! ^_^
I can't believe that anyone would try to sell a time machine on Ebay, lol! And how can one sell 'nothing'? I wonder if anyone bid on that! LOL.. for a joke, maybe! ^_^
2 people like this
@misskatonic (3723)
• United States
21 Jan 07
More proof that you can find *anything* on Ebay. Seriously. I don't go looking for weird things myself, but I hear about all these random things. It amazes me what people will buy. Not put up, but will *buy*. Spend money on. Sometimes, lots of money.
3 people like this
@cwgrlsarefun (1581)
• United States
21 Jan 07
Once again we are reminded that you can really find and buy anything on ebay. What a wonderful thing for this father to do for his children. I have not really spent time looking for odd things to buy on ebay so I really don't have anything to add except that ebay really is the place to shop for everything.
@shywolf (4514)
• United States
1 Feb 07
I too thought that it was so sweet, although I couldn't believe what I heard later when I heard that the father paid $100 for the snow! I mean, my goodness, a hundred dollars? Wow. His children must have been so greatful, lol! I was probably lucky to have about a hundred dollars spent on me for Christmas overall, let alone on one present, most years! ^_^
1 person likes this
@Bee1955 (3882)
• United States
22 Jan 07
I believe that if it isnt against the law, someone will sell it on ebay! Now, snow? That is a new one. What would one do with it once it arrived covered in dry ice? Refreeze it, throw it as an unsuspecting neighbor and/or friend? I wonder what a nice size snowball would cost on ebay? LOL
1 person likes this
@JellyBeans (639)
• Canada
21 Jan 07
Actualy the father is either spoiling his kids because he is giving them everything they want even the things he cannot control so he decides he will buy his way to it.
Another thing is that eBay let's you sell Anything, so most people actualy do this and sell almost anything for a quick buck. There was a site i cannot find it anymore but it shows alot of stupid eBay sells such as this girl selling a spot on her chest for someone to write a message on it. starting at only 50$ (wow that's cheap)
1 person likes this
@mkmissey76 (498)
• United States
21 Jan 07
i saw that they were selling snow from colorado on ebay. it was on fox 2 news. that was some silly atuff right there had to ship it dry ice.
too funny
1 person likes this
@shywolf (4514)
• United States
1 Feb 07
It's cool that this story got big enough to be on your news station! I really don't keep up with the local news as much as I should, but I love looking up weird news stories like this snow on ebay selling one. It only makes sense to ship the snow in dry ice, as well. Otherwise it wouldn't make it to the recipient in the correct form! ^_^
1 person likes this
@HighPriestess (739)
• Melbourne, Florida
21 Jan 07
Really, when it comes to Ebay, nothing surprises me anymore. I just wish I had a grilled cheese sandwich with Mary burnt into it.
1 person likes this
@shywolf (4514)
• United States
1 Feb 07
Yes, very little is truly surprising to me about what is sold on Ebay.com after reading all of the wonderful responses that I've gotten in this topic! *laugh* But I am still pretty stunned when I think about it! And you have to admit that it makes sense that anything that resembles a religious figure is going to go for a high price. People are very fascinated with that sort of item, and I can totally understand why ^_^
1 person likes this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
21 Jan 07
Before it is all over everything will be offered on EBay.The only thing that would seem odd to me is water. Not spring or mineral water, but good old fashioned tap water. I once heard a baker from NY say he needed NY water to make his pizza. Only he was in California. So he had it shipped to him. It is only a matter of time before amateur chefs will want the water.
1 person likes this
@shywolf (4514)
• United States
1 Feb 07
Wow. So even water _has_ been sold on EBay. This really doesn't surprise me, though. I mean, people will pay a huge price for bottled water from locations all over the globe, from what I've heard. Still, the idea that this chef felt that he could only make his pizza using New York water is pretty interesting! I bet that he marketed that pizza at quite a high price. But I wonder if anyone bought it? ^_^
1 person likes this
@sublime_lover02 (143)
• United States
21 Jan 07
Wow! I love ebay, I never heard that one though.. Thanks for the laugh
2 people like this
@shywolf (4514)
• United States
1 Feb 07
I have to admit that it gave me a good smile and a chuckle, as well. I wonder what other interesting things families have bought for their children? There was another Mylot user who posted somewhere that she bought fall leaves for her children on Ebay because they didn't have those kinds of leaves where she lived. I also found that to be quite touching! ^_^
2 people like this
@kataztrophy (1836)
• United States
21 Jan 07
I have seen some pretty silly things being sold on ebay, but I have never took them serious enough to actually bid on any of the items. I one I saw someone trying to sell a half bag of potato chips, cannot remember if there were any bids on it or not.
1 person likes this
@shywolf (4514)
• United States
1 Feb 07
I can't imagine anyone paying much for half a bag! I would think that a whole bag would cost more to ship than it would cost to buy in a store, let alone half a bag! So that sounds like a pretty odd thing to sell on Ebay. Did you hear about the potato chip with a smiley face on it that Ellen Degeneres bought on Ebay for her chat show, lol? Now that was an inventive idea! ^_^
1 person likes this
@shywolf (4514)
• United States
1 Feb 07
I have some snow to spare, too, if anyone is interested in buying it from me, lol! ^_~ I think that I heard that he paid around a hundred dollars. But then I re-read a response here that said that he paid two hundred, which would be even more crazy! I mean, it was still a sweet story, no matter what. There's no doubt about that. But I wouldn't pay 200 for much of anything, let alone snow! ^_^
1 person likes this
@crazynurse (7482)
• United States
21 Jan 07
Wow. That is amazing. I read the article that you posted. I so wish it had stated how much was paid for snowballs, that would have been interesting. Also interesting would be how on earth she was able to ship them without their melting! I imagine lots of dry ice? Well, me thinks I am spending too much time on MyLot, I best go peruse Ebay, perhaps I can find some magic anti-aging pills on there!!!
1 person likes this
@shywolf (4514)
• United States
1 Feb 07
LOL! Well, methinks you can find just about anything *else* on Ebay. If you do find some magic anti-aging pills on there, let me know! ^_~ I would sure love to have those, because I sure am not getting any younger, lol! But then again, we all know that they would be a hoax, right? Too bad. It's just about like looking for water from the fountain of youth.
Maybe I'll go look for a love potion, lol! ^_~ Just kidding, but boy would it be nice if something like _that_ really existed and could be purchased for sale on Ebay! ^_^
1 person likes this
@blueseagull (8)
• United States
21 Jan 07
I guess when they say you can find anything on ebay. They mean it
1 person likes this
@shywolf (4514)
• United States
1 Feb 07
There is little doubt about that. I mean, now I feel like I've heard it all - people telling me that a guy tried to sell his soul on ebay, a person who tried to sell their virginity.. people selling ghosts.. it is all pretty insane, isn't it? *laugh* But then, people will do anything for a dollar! ^_^
1 person likes this
@candygurl093 (201)
• United States
21 Jan 07
i think that is sweet and wierd that snow was auctioned off the wierdest thing and the only think i bought on ebay was movies
@shywolf (4514)
• United States
1 Feb 07
I once bought a VHS tape through an online auction as well, but it was an Amazon.com auction and not Ebay. But I have bought a music casette and a really nice PDA with an older style keyboard off of Ebay, and I have loved both items. I agree that the idea of selling snow is pretty 'out there'. But I think that the father wanting to do that for his kids was a wonderful, sweet, loving gesture, as well. ^_^
1 person likes this
