# Crazy high price on Ebay. WTF? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 28, 2013, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-high-price-on-ebay-wtf/664727 "2013-07-28T07:29:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-high-price-on-ebay-wtf/664727/1 "2013-07-28T07:29:15Z")
Every now and then on Ebay I’ll come across an item with a crazy high price on it. Like [THIS](http://www.ebay.com/itm/Clubman-Virgin-Island-Bay-Rum-6oz-/121022365714?pt=US_Skin_Care&hash=item1c2d7ec012) bottle of aftershave for almost 10 grand. The same stuff sells at Walgreens for six bucks. What am I missing? What’s going on with this? ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-high-price-on-ebay-wtf/664727/2 "2013-07-28T07:40:08Z")
Someone screwed up: You’re not supposed to see those ads, they’re for members of the Illuminati only. They’re not regular consumer products, the “expensive” versions are actually magical potions for use in arcane rituals. …er, I mean, someone screwed up, it’s probably meant to be $9.99. ---
**Author:** ![forevercountry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/858c86/32.png) [@forevercountry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/forevercountry)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-high-price-on-ebay-wtf/664727/3 "2013-07-28T07:41:27Z")
Sounds pretty crazy 2 me did you read the details? I know i sound crazy but maybe it had some “special past” 2 the owner u. never know some people are crazy!!! SOme people dont read over wat they typed? i usually think of the weirdest scenario first 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Boogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Boogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogly)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-high-price-on-ebay-wtf/664727/4 "2013-07-28T09:31:56Z")
Money laundering? The police ask where all this money came from and you can say with a straight face that you sold a bottle of Brut on e-bay. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-high-price-on-ebay-wtf/664727/5 "2013-07-28T10:34:39Z")
I always figured that it was just someone seeing whether they could get away with it. “I’ll put this book on sale for $250. Maybe someone will buy it and I’ll get lucky.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dam0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@dam0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dam0)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-high-price-on-ebay-wtf/664727/6 "2013-07-28T10:46:09Z")
I think retailers do this when they run out of stock but don’t want to remove the listing. When they get stock again, the price gets reset That’s what I was told anyway when I noticed it before. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-high-price-on-ebay-wtf/664727/7 "2013-07-28T10:59:36Z")
The same seller is selling it for [only $9.00 on Sears.com](http://www.sears.com/clubman-virgin-island-bay-rum-6oz/p-SPM3305079501?prdNo=5&blockNo=5&blockType=G5). ---
**Author:** ![Pitchmeister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pitchmeister/32/3459_2.png) [@Pitchmeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitchmeister)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-high-price-on-ebay-wtf/664727/8 "2013-07-28T11:10:55Z")
> [@forevercountry](#): > > Sounds pretty crazy 2 me did you read the details? I know i sound crazy but maybe it had some “special past” 2 the owner u. never know some people are crazy!!! SOme people dont read over wat they typed? i usually think of the weirdest scenario first 😛 Yeah, some people are crazy, alright. And some people don’t read over what they typed… ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_York](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_York](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_York)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-high-price-on-ebay-wtf/664727/9 "2013-07-28T11:27:28Z")
> [@dam0](#): > > I think retailers do this when they run out of stock but don’t want to remove the listing. > > When they get stock again, the price gets reset > > That’s what I was told anyway when I noticed it before. That is correct. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-high-price-on-ebay-wtf/664727/10 "2013-07-28T12:44:49Z")
If you click on the “[14 sold](http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBidsLogin&_trksid=p2047675.l2564&rt=nc&item=121022365714)” link, it says three people have bought it for $9.99. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-high-price-on-ebay-wtf/664727/11 "2013-07-28T13:50:59Z")
Seems like it would make more sense to up the price to include how much you’d have to pay to get it quickly enough for eBay and to ship it. That way you can still make money with the listing. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-high-price-on-ebay-wtf/664727/12 "2013-07-28T14:37:29Z")
If the seller previously sold it for $9.99 and this is offered at $9,999, perhaps it was a typo? Otherwise, perhaps it’s like those Amazon Marketplace listings where two sellers automatically adjust their prices against each other, sometimes leading to ridiculously high prices. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-high-price-on-ebay-wtf/664727/13 "2013-07-28T18:08:23Z")
> [@Boogly](#): > > Money laundering? > The police ask where all this money came from and you can say with a straight face that you sold a bottle of Brut on e-bay. No. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-high-price-on-ebay-wtf/664727/14 "2013-07-28T22:02:02Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Otherwise, perhaps it’s like those Amazon Marketplace listings where two sellers automatically adjust their prices against each other, sometimes leading to ridiculously high prices. I’m guessing this, or some other automation. Could be that the seller has scripts running to re-list un-sold items automatically. But he’s also on vacation this week so instead of un-listing his stuff he’s got the script set to re-list it at 1000% the price. He’ll lower it next time around, when he gets back. If someone does pay $10,000 for the lotion then he will gladly cut his vacation short to come back and ship it! (more likely what will happen is that none of his stuff will sell this week). ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-high-price-on-ebay-wtf/664727/15 "2013-07-28T22:08:15Z")
I can’t figure out whether it is an alcoholic drink or some kind of cologne. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-high-price-on-ebay-wtf/664727/16 "2013-07-28T22:21:33Z")
They’re not selling it for charity? Those auctions can lead to outrageously high bids for the dumbest stuff (for instance, dryer lint). 😛 ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-high-price-on-ebay-wtf/664727/17 "2013-07-29T00:02:34Z")
A joke I remember from Laugh-In: \*\*Dick: \*\*I’ve decided to open a new business, Dan. \*\*Dan: \*\*Really? What’s your business? \*\*Dick: \*\*I’m selling television sets. \*\*Dan: \*\*Okay. Well, what do you charge for a TV? \*\*Dick: \*\*$10,000. \*\*Dan: \*\*$10,000!!! How many have you sold? \*\*Dick: \*\*None yet. But all it takes is one.