Wind From Hurricane for Sale on eBay
URL:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...=/ap/20040907/ap_on_fe_st/frances_merchandise
By RACHEL LA CORTE, Associated Press Writer
MIAMI - For anyone who didn't get enough of Hurricane
Frances as it blew through Florida, remnants of the
storm are for sale.
More than 170 items were listed on eBay's Internet
auction site Monday, a day after the eye of the
Category 2 storm came ashore.
The starting bid for Tupperware filled with wind was a
penny. Photos showed Broward County residents running
around with the containers "catching" the wind.
Surprisingly, someone had already bid $10 for one of
the four containers.
Somebody had bid $6.99 for beach sand a Broward County
surfer had collected. Three Frances survivors had bid
15 cents each to have a woman pray for them.
One-cent vials of rain that fell in Orlando as the
storm passed over had no bids. Neither did a woman's
offer to sell the T-shirt she wore during the storm,
nor did the request by a Longwood resident for someone
to help get a large oak tree off of the seller's home
and car.
"Winning bidder will receive branches, leaves, sticks,
stumps, whatever you would like!" ... What a
conversation piece! ... You can own a part of
meteoroligical (sic) history!"
Carol Baroudi, industry analyst and author of The
Internet For Dummies, said "I think these are all
tongue in cheek. I don't think anyone's serious about
these things. I think it's trying to find a sense of
humor, which is a good thing."
Ebay has canceled auctions that coincide with
tragedies, such as items billed as debris from the
space shuttle Columbia or pieces of the World Trade
Center and Pentagon (news - web sites).
Ebay officials did not return a phone call seeking
comment about the Frances auctions.
When Hurricane Charley tore through southwest Florida,
causing 27 deaths and billions of dollars in damages,
the same type of auctions popped up. Pieces of damaged
homes, signs and bottled rain all made it to eBay.
"It's a different kind of thing," Baroudi said. "So
far I don't think it's crossed the line of totally
tasteless. I don't see anybody being victimized by
this stuff. I've seen a lot of positive stuff here."
But some people in the path of Frances didn't find the
humor in the various auctions. The storm damaged homes
and businesses and at least four people were killed.
"This is a disaster," said 77-year-old Gloria Aragona,
who was evacuated with her husband from their Palm Bay
mobile home. "It's nothing to make money on."
URL:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...=/ap/20040907/ap_on_fe_st/frances_merchandise
By RACHEL LA CORTE, Associated Press Writer
MIAMI - For anyone who didn't get enough of Hurricane
Frances as it blew through Florida, remnants of the
storm are for sale.
More than 170 items were listed on eBay's Internet
auction site Monday, a day after the eye of the
Category 2 storm came ashore.
The starting bid for Tupperware filled with wind was a
penny. Photos showed Broward County residents running
around with the containers "catching" the wind.
Surprisingly, someone had already bid $10 for one of
the four containers.
Somebody had bid $6.99 for beach sand a Broward County
surfer had collected. Three Frances survivors had bid
15 cents each to have a woman pray for them.
One-cent vials of rain that fell in Orlando as the
storm passed over had no bids. Neither did a woman's
offer to sell the T-shirt she wore during the storm,
nor did the request by a Longwood resident for someone
to help get a large oak tree off of the seller's home
and car.
"Winning bidder will receive branches, leaves, sticks,
stumps, whatever you would like!" ... What a
conversation piece! ... You can own a part of
meteoroligical (sic) history!"
Carol Baroudi, industry analyst and author of The
Internet For Dummies, said "I think these are all
tongue in cheek. I don't think anyone's serious about
these things. I think it's trying to find a sense of
humor, which is a good thing."
Ebay has canceled auctions that coincide with
tragedies, such as items billed as debris from the
space shuttle Columbia or pieces of the World Trade
Center and Pentagon (news - web sites).
Ebay officials did not return a phone call seeking
comment about the Frances auctions.
When Hurricane Charley tore through southwest Florida,
causing 27 deaths and billions of dollars in damages,
the same type of auctions popped up. Pieces of damaged
homes, signs and bottled rain all made it to eBay.
"It's a different kind of thing," Baroudi said. "So
far I don't think it's crossed the line of totally
tasteless. I don't see anybody being victimized by
this stuff. I've seen a lot of positive stuff here."
But some people in the path of Frances didn't find the
humor in the various auctions. The storm damaged homes
and businesses and at least four people were killed.
"This is a disaster," said 77-year-old Gloria Aragona,
who was evacuated with her husband from their Palm Bay
mobile home. "It's nothing to make money on."
hahahah Vampy hehe u are hilarious!
at Vampy