For all the
faults of the poorhouse, the system it replaced was perceived to be even worse. In post-Revolution America, if you were poor, you could be "farmed out" at public auction to the lowest bidder.
[more inside]
posted by Knappster
on Dec 30, 2010 -
8 comments
Hey, that was my getaway car!!! Ever wonder where property seized from criminals and crime scenes ends up? Steal It Back/The Property Room brings police auctions online, and
New York City is now participating too, guaranteeing an large influx of interesting stuff.
Part eBay and part "Cops" episode, the Web site is alternatively cheery ("Hot Pursuit Specials!") and puzzling. How did the police end up with that collectible "I Love Lucy" plate anyway? Where did those eight candlesticks and a Bible come from? Are they really selling that hydroponic grow light — that staple of dorm-room marijuana cultivation? How long before they show up to seize it back?
posted by amberglow
on Jan 4, 2004 -
9 comments
Waiting in line won't help you. According to the New York Times,
Ticketmaster plans to begin auctioning off the best concert seats to the highest online bidders. The paper says there would be no limit on how high prices could go - it would be simply a matter of how much people were willing to pay. So, with ClearChannel, the RIAA and Ticketmaster now officially boinking the fan base...what other methods can the music industry use to drive away fans?
posted by dejah420
on Sep 3, 2003 -
70 comments
An L.A. restaurateur just won a rare 2-pound mushroom in an
annual "charity truffle auction" in Santa Monica. The winner paid $35,000 for the truffle after a fierce bidding war between a New York-based restaurant owner and Gunther IV, who placed his bids through a subsidiary due to the fact that he is, in fact, a dog. The canine heir to a vast German fortune lost the auction, and the honor of placing the highest recorded bid ever for a mushroom. Go ahead, read it again. This is all, mind you,
before anyone actually got their hands on the giant 'shroom.
posted by XQUZYPHYR
on Nov 11, 2002 -
42 comments
Escrew Service. Worried about getting scammed on an Internet auction? "Just use an escrow service," is the customary advice. Not so fast. The latest auction scam is an elaborate swindle involving creation of fake escrow services, complete with convincing Web sites like www.escrow-is.com
posted by srboisvert
on Jul 9, 2002 -
2 comments
In an effort to keep
CitizenX alive,
Halcyon Styn is selling himself for 24 hours. He'll fly to your city and do anything you want, if you've got the cash.
Bid now, as it closes in just a couple hours. Like Hunter S said, "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
posted by mathowie
on Dec 12, 2001 -
36 comments
Good evening, my name is Yang. Tim Yang. A group of nine authors, three of them Booker prize winners are accepting bids to name the characters in their next book after the winners. The authors include Margaret Atwood, Terry Prachett, Ken Follett and Raymond Benson (who is taking up the reigns of writing new James Bond novels). Prices go for as high as GBP6,200. I think it's a fantastic idea! I've always wanted to see my name in print. What role would you like to play if you won?
posted by timyang
on Oct 15, 2001 -
16 comments
Bid Now! Six more days left if you're looking for someone to beat the living crap out of you. C'mon. You know you want to.
posted by jcterminal
on Sep 23, 2001 -
11 comments
Buy My Vote!!! Obviously a statement or joke, this could spell trouble for the involved party. I had the original URLs for eBay, but can't seem to find them now :-(
posted by da5id
on Aug 17, 2000 -
6 comments
The user who was selling Metallica's soul has been banned by EBay for bidding on another item he/she was selling. The strange part of all of this of course, is that I recognized their username when I read this story. Why can't we delete particular items in memory like we do with files on a computer?
posted by fooljay
on May 12, 2000 -
2 comments
Next up for bid, the damn raft. That's right, the top item for sale is the
raft that Elian survived on while traveling to the United States from Cuba. Although six days are left in the auction, 112 bids have already been placed on it, with the high bid now at $10 million.
posted by bvanveen
on May 1, 2000 -
7 comments
