At least the shipping's free.
December 16, 2007 2:22 AM   Subscribe

 
man, scammers are always targeting senior citizens. next it'll be insurance against robots!
posted by Hat Maui at 2:59 AM on December 16, 2007 [1 favorite]


In 2007 Bush dollars, this is actually quite affordable.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 3:16 AM on December 16, 2007 [3 favorites]


Well, good luck getting your grubby hands on my eToys stock certificates.
posted by toma at 3:38 AM on December 16, 2007


*frantically rushes to shed to dig up old AOL 1.0 5.25" disks*
posted by spiderskull at 3:40 AM on December 16, 2007


Wow. I mean, I guess there's a fetishistic collector out there for everything. But, wow. Relics of a terrible ISP make for pricey auction items. Who knew?

When I was working at Sears, we had a big endcap of AOL CDs near the computers. They were labeled with "1800 free hours" or some such. At least once a week, I'd catch some nub trying to sneak off with a big stack of them. I rarely intervened. I never had the heart to shatter the fantasy that spurred them, the notion they'd just outsmarted everyone and would never have to pay money for the internets.
posted by EatTheWeek at 3:42 AM on December 16, 2007 [3 favorites]


By now, this 'Sears' startup is, what? A plenary multi-media aggregator of RSS feeds?
posted by toma at 4:01 AM on December 16, 2007


I'd rather have the Suzuki Grand Vitara with an image of Christ on the back window [scroll down]. That'll pull in the big bucks.
posted by Smart Dalek at 4:14 AM on December 16, 2007


'Suzuki Grand Vitara with an image of Christ on the back window?'

Nothing?
posted by toma at 4:24 AM on December 16, 2007


I probably have some Q-Link 5.25" disks in my parent's basement. I bet they're worth millions.
posted by _aa_ at 6:06 AM on December 16, 2007


Isn't GlossyNews like a low rent Onion?
posted by absalom at 6:20 AM on December 16, 2007


Interesting that the seller didn't link to the original article on an obvious satire site, but to a re-post in some random forum. "Caveat emptor" and all that, but does E-Bay have a policy regarding deceptive descriptions?
posted by Huck500 at 6:21 AM on December 16, 2007 [1 favorite]


The AOL cd's are much better coasters. Except when they stick to the bottom of the glass, then suddenly drop off.
posted by R. Mutt at 6:29 AM on December 16, 2007 [2 favorites]


"Why I'm selling this antique:
A older relative of mine on my mom's side has had a wooden eye for, oh, at least 50 years now. It has deteriorated over the years and now it looks really bad. I'm hoping to use the funds from this sale to get her a glass eye for Christmas"...
posted by growabrain at 6:48 AM on December 16, 2007


Yes, the GlossyNews artice is a joke.
posted by xmutex at 7:40 AM on December 16, 2007


$4,995.00 $995.00 ... and no bids, so no story.
posted by itchylick at 8:22 AM on December 16, 2007


From the article regarding the $9,214 sale: "Mr. Farmer explains, "that disc served me well. It's a 5 1/2" floppy, double-sided, double-density with all the original packaging."

I call shenanigans. 3 1/2" or 5 1/4", maybe. 5 1/2"? Liar.

Or perhaps that extra 1/4" is what made it so rare. I could be mistaken.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 8:43 AM on December 16, 2007


See, this is why I have spent 20 years filling my home from floor to ceiling with Beanie Babies. Sure, nobody will come over and visit me anymore... and sometimes it's hard to forge a clear path into the kitchen... but someday I'm gonna go on ebay and make MILLIONS!
posted by miss lynnster at 8:57 AM on December 16, 2007


$995.00 ... and no bids, so no story.

Oh yeah? Well, uh... it's HAUNTED too!
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 8:58 AM on December 16, 2007


i'm going over to his house with a magnet.
posted by TrialByMedia at 9:13 AM on December 16, 2007


maybe its time i sold my v.1 floppy of Apple's eWorld! at least eWorld was much more cool than AOsmelL
posted by kuppajava at 9:19 AM on December 16, 2007 [1 favorite]


Hmm. It would not be hard to counterfeit something like that.

Also, it hardly looks like it's in mint condition.
posted by delmoi at 9:28 AM on December 16, 2007


At least once a week, I'd catch some nub trying to sneak off with a big stack of them.

I jacked a big stack or two of AOL CDs and I hung them on my wall shiny-side out or threw them at people.
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 9:49 AM on December 16, 2007


Hmm... if you want to auction off something in that age range it has to be at least one of these three factors: rare, interesting, desirable.

I don't see how even a first-edition AOL floppy meets any of these criteria.
posted by clevershark at 9:54 AM on December 16, 2007


Somewhere around here I have the first few free CD samplers from the original mp3.com still in their unopened mailer sleeves. Maybe someday I can auction them off and retire on the proceeds?

Hybrid Theory, the band that would go on to become Linkin Park, is on one of them...maybe I can find a rabid LP fan?
posted by JaredSeth at 10:06 AM on December 16, 2007


I jacked a big stack of AOL CDs and nuked them in my microwave oven.
posted by Tube at 10:09 AM on December 16, 2007


what a gorgeous antique. i want to put my butt on it.
posted by gorgor_balabala at 10:25 AM on December 16, 2007 [1 favorite]


See, this is why I have spent 20 years filling my home from floor to ceiling with Beanie Babies. Sure, nobody will come over and visit me anymore... and sometimes it's hard to forge a clear path into the kitchen... but someday I'm gonna go on ebay and make MILLIONS!

lynnster, lynnster, lynnster. You've been told before, back when you could still see the floor in some places.

Beanie Babies are little plush animal toys.

What you have filling up your apartment, if not the gaping hole in your heart, is about 2800 babies wearing beanies. Not the same thing. Smellier. Deader. More criminally punishable.

Time to make chili again.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 10:34 AM on December 16, 2007 [2 favorites]


Wait, what? So there's a difference?

True, the smell is pretty bad. But at least they've all stopped crying.
posted by miss lynnster at 10:59 AM on December 16, 2007


I just asked the seller if the relative in question is Sandy Duncan.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 11:26 AM on December 16, 2007


Yes, I know Sandy Duncan doesn't have a real glass eye, but it's a long-running gag on Family Guy, and I just wanted to know if the seller actually HAD a sense of humor, considering this auction has got to be a joke.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 11:28 AM on December 16, 2007


One day, even my :CueCat will be worth something.
posted by SPrintF at 12:23 PM on December 16, 2007


At least once a week, I'd catch some nub trying to sneak off with a big stack of them.

I did that to every AOL or Earthlink FREE CD display I ever saw.

And then I threw them in the first trash can I found.
posted by loquacious at 1:01 PM on December 16, 2007


But, but, . . . data WANTS to be free!
posted by Joe Invisible at 1:14 PM on December 16, 2007


loquacious - something of a public service then, yeah? protecting folks who didn't know better from themselves?
posted by EatTheWeek at 1:36 PM on December 16, 2007


I'm bidding on the 50 year old wooden eye. Talk about antique!
posted by inconsequentialist at 2:31 PM on December 16, 2007


some friends of mine used to lathe-cut freebie aol cd's and turn them into records.
posted by generalist at 3:31 PM on December 16, 2007


My ex has these sent to my friend's house on a near-daily basis, all from fake names. Stacks and stacks. I think I've destroyed them in every possible civilian way.

I like the CDs, especially when they put out purple or orange ones. They have such great potential.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 3:51 PM on December 16, 2007


At least with the CDs you can make some snazzy furniture. This lamp, for example, looks pretty damn good. Use the CDs to make table legs and then put a thick piece of glass on top, making a neat table. Or a not very comfortable looking chair.
posted by clevershark at 5:32 PM on December 16, 2007


Too bad I formatted over all my AOL, Compuserve, and eWorld disks...
posted by Kadin2048 at 6:31 PM on December 16, 2007


Anybody else see the picture of Jesus on that thing?
posted by flabdablet at 6:59 PM on December 16, 2007


I guess nobody here knew about it, but at least for a while AOL CDs were big collectors items on eBay. They fit the bill perfectly to be collected - they're not worth anything initially, and they come in a variety of different packages and promotions, some of which are small runs, making them rare - some even had odd-shaped or metal cases. They are ubiquitous like coins, but a few valuable ones are difficult to track down. I admit to lugging around a small box of them - maybe 30 altogether - but I fully expect them to be worthless (and will be pleasantly surprised if I get anything from them). That sort of collectors market can only thrive when the economy is really good and people have plenty of expendable income, and who knows if that will come around again.
posted by krinklyfig at 8:48 PM on December 16, 2007


clevershark writes "Or a not very comfortable looking chair."

I'll see your chair, and and raise you an AOL CD Throne. Still not comfortable looking, but it lights up. And it's a throne.
posted by krinklyfig at 8:55 PM on December 16, 2007


An ebay auction with no bids and a joke fake-news site that isn't clearly marked as such. I want my 2 minutes back.
posted by ikkyu2 at 9:53 PM on December 16, 2007


Metafilter: I want my 2 minutes back.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 1:21 AM on December 18, 2007


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