Comments on: At least the shipping's free.

At least the shipping's free.

MaryDellamorte — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 02:22:36 -0800

You can own your very own AOL 1.0 floppy disk for the low price of $4,995.00. Think this is absurd? Well, it's been done before.

By: Hat Maui

Hat Maui — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 02:59:57 -0800

man, scammers are always targeting senior citizens. next it'll be insurance against robots!

By: Blazecock Pileon

Blazecock Pileon — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 03:16:05 -0800

In 2007 Bush dollars, this is actually quite affordable.

By: toma

toma — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 03:38:59 -0800

Well, good luck getting your grubby hands on my eToys stock certificates.

By: spiderskull

spiderskull — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 03:40:50 -0800

*frantically rushes to shed to dig up old AOL 1.0 5.25" disks*

By: EatTheWeak

EatTheWeak — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 03:42:24 -0800

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.

By: toma

toma — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 04:01:12 -0800

By now, this 'Sears' startup is, what? A plenary multi-media aggregator of RSS feeds?

By: Smart Dalek

Smart Dalek — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 04:14:54 -0800

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.

By: toma

toma — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 04:24:14 -0800

'Suzuki Grand Vitara with an image of Christ on the back window?' Nothing?

By: _aa_

_aa_ — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 06:06:14 -0800

I probably have some Q-Link 5.25" disks in my parent's basement. I bet they're worth millions.

By: absalom

absalom — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 06:20:55 -0800

Isn't GlossyNews like a low rent Onion?

By: Huck500

Huck500 — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 06:21:36 -0800

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?

By: R. Mutt

R. Mutt — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 06:29:08 -0800

The AOL cd's are much better coasters. Except when they stick to the bottom of the glass, then suddenly drop off.

By: growabrain

growabrain — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 06:48:25 -0800

"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"...

By: xmutex

xmutex — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 07:40:40 -0800

Yes, the GlossyNews artice is a joke.

By: itchylick

itchylick — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 08:22:46 -0800

~~$4,995.00~~ $995.00 ... and no bids, so no story.

By: mr_crash_davis

mr_crash_davis — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 08:43:12 -0800

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.

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 08:57:14 -0800

By: CitrusFreak12

CitrusFreak12 — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 08:58:51 -0800

$995.00 ... and no bids, so no story. Oh yeah? Well, uh... it's HAUNTED too!

By: TrialByMedia

TrialByMedia — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 09:13:09 -0800

i'm going over to his house with a magnet.

By: puckupdate

puckupdate — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 09:14:46 -0800

It would be pretty cool if the disk was also a time machine into the late 80s.

By: kuppajava

kuppajava — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 09:19:58 -0800

maybe its time i sold my v.1 floppy of Apple's eWorld! at least eWorld was much more cool than AOsmelL

By: delmoi

delmoi — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 09:28:11 -0800

Hmm. It would not be hard to counterfeit something like that. Also, it hardly looks like it's in mint condition.

By: TheOnlyCoolTim

TheOnlyCoolTim — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 09:49:33 -0800

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.

By: clevershark

clevershark — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 09:54:28 -0800

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.

By: JaredSeth

JaredSeth — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 10:06:41 -0800

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?

By: Tube

Tube — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 10:09:08 -0800

I jacked a big stack of AOL CDs and nuked them in my microwave oven.

By: gorgor_balabala

gorgor_balabala — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 10:25:48 -0800

what a gorgeous antique. i want to put my butt on it.

By: ROU_Xenophobe

ROU_Xenophobe — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 10:34:44 -0800

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.

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 10:59:01 -0800

Wait, what? So there's a difference? True, the smell is pretty bad. But at least they've all stopped crying.

By: Unicorn on the cob

Unicorn on the cob — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 11:26:20 -0800

I just asked the seller if the relative in question is Sandy Duncan.

By: Unicorn on the cob

Unicorn on the cob — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 11:28:01 -0800

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.

By: SPrintF

SPrintF — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 12:23:01 -0800

One day, even my :CueCat will be worth something.

By: loquacious

loquacious — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 13:01:35 -0800

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.

By: Joe Invisible

Joe Invisible — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 13:14:10 -0800

But, but, . . . data WANTS to be free!

By: EatTheWeak

EatTheWeak — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 13:36:22 -0800

loquacious - something of a public service then, yeah? protecting folks who didn't know better from themselves?

By: inconsequentialist

inconsequentialist — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 14:31:37 -0800

I'm bidding on the 50 year old wooden eye. Talk about antique!

By: generalist

generalist — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 15:31:13 -0800

some friends of mine used to lathe-cut freebie aol cd's and turn them into records.

By: Ambrosia Voyeur

Ambrosia Voyeur — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 15:51:24 -0800

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.

By: clevershark

clevershark — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 17:32:10 -0800

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.

By: Kadin2048

Kadin2048 — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 18:31:24 -0800

Too bad I formatted over all my AOL, Compuserve, and eWorld disks...

By: flabdablet

flabdablet — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 18:59:32 -0800

Anybody else see the picture of Jesus on that thing?

By: krinklyfig

krinklyfig — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 20:48:03 -0800

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.

By: krinklyfig

krinklyfig — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 20:55:21 -0800

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.

By: ikkyu2

ikkyu2 — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 21:53:07 -0800

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.

By: MaryDellamorte

MaryDellamorte — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 01:21:59 -0800

Metafilter: I want my 2 minutes back.