In the world of online classified ads, you can find just about anything for sale - from everyday items like furniture and electronics to the truly bizarre and unexpected. Here are 20 unusual items that have been bought and sold on classified sites:
A ghost in a jar. In 2015, a New Zealand woman listed a glass jar on TradeMe which she claimed contained the trapped spirit of a ghost named Ethel. The auction reached $2,830 before being removed by the site.
Justin Timberlake's half-eaten French toast. After the pop star left the remnants of his breakfast behind at a radio station, the DJ listed it on eBay where it fetched $1,025.
Advertising space on a man's forehead. In 2005, a 20-year-old college student auctioned off 30-day ad placement on his forehead for $37,375 to pay for school. The winning bidder was a snoring remedy company.
New Zealand. No, not real estate in New Zealand, but the actual country itself. In 2006, an Australian man jokingly listed the nation of New Zealand for sale, with a starting bid of 1 cent. The auction reached $3,000 before being shut down.
A cornflake shaped like Illinois. Two Virginia sisters discovered a cornflake in the shape of the state of Illinois and auctioned it off on eBay for $1,350.
The meaning of life. An Australian philosophy student offered the "meaning of life" for sale on eBay with a starting price of $0.01. Bidding reached $3.26 before the listing was removed.
A Dorito shaped like the Pope's hat. A Dorito chip resembling the Pope's mitre sold on eBay in 2005 for $1,209 after the seller found it while snacking and watching TV coverage of Pope John Paul II's funeral.
Seattle's 184-foot Lincoln Toe Truck. The oversized tow truck in the shape of a cowboy boot, a landmark in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood since 1954, was listed on eBay in 2005 with a price of $1 million.
Air guitar. That's right, someone actually bought "nothing" - the item was listed as a "vintage air guitar" from the 1960s and sold for $16.50.
Iceland. In 2016, an English artist listed the entire country of Iceland on eBay as a joke, with a starting bid of 99 pence. Bidding reached £10 million before being removed.
A grilled cheese sandwich with the Virgin Mary's face. In 2004, a Florida woman sold half of a 10-year-old grilled cheese sandwich that she claimed bore the image of the Virgin Mary. It sold for $28,000 to an online casino.
William Shatner's kidney stone. In 2006, the Star Trek actor sold his passed kidney stone to an online casino for $25,000, with proceeds donated to a housing charity.
The town of Bridgeville, California. The tiny town in Northern California, with a population of about 30, was first listed on eBay in 2002 and has been sold several times since then, once for $1.78 million.
A single shoe formerly owned by a celebrity. A single Prada shoe autographed by Oprah Winfrey sold on eBay in 2015 for $10,000.
A haunted cane. A walking cane alleged to be possessed by a spirit named "Haunted Harold" sold on eBay for $215 in 2004. The seller warned, "I would not be held responsible for what the cane does in your house."
The Atari gaming landfill. In 2014, one of 1,300 cartridges of the infamously bad Atari "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" video game, recovered from a New Mexico landfill 30 years after Atari dumped them, sold for $1,537.
A Cheeto that looks like a gorilla. A uniquely shaped Cheeto resembling a gorilla sold on eBay in 2012 for nearly $1,000.
The chance to name a baby. A 2001 eBay auction gave the winning bidder naming rights for a baby boy. "Turok" (after the video game) won with a $1,750 bid, but the parents declined to use it.
A imaginary friend. A British woman sold her 10-year-old son's imaginary friend "Jon" on eBay in 2007, offering a good home to the red-and-blue-striped imaginary creature. The winning bid was $2,300.
An unwanted Brussels sprout. In 2005, a British computer programmer sold a single leftover Brussels sprout from his Christmas dinner for £1,550 ($2,118) on eBay, after it garnered national publicity. He donated the proceeds to charity.
So the next time you're browsing your local online classifieds, don't be surprised if you come across a ghost, a Cheeto, a country for sale, or a famous kidney stone amidst the furniture and used cars. As they say, one person's trash is another's treasure - and you never know what unusual finds await!
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