Sorry if this isn’t very coherent, I just find it kinda funny.
I’m reading my new favorite magazine (make) and Bruce Sterling (good author) has an article on leathermen tools. (gist: they repair stuff…poorly)
Evidently, since all forms of bladed devices are now tools for the terrorists, they’re confiscated in large numbers by the NTSA. They have to go somewhere.
They go to ebay.
Search for NTSA and be amazed.
What i find the funniest is the lot of 24 pocket knifes, all lined up in formation…listing all the folks that gave away pocket knives in conventions…'wonder if they knew they were aiding and abetting?
Donate them to the local elementary school, with all the various cutbacks, I’m sure they’re probably running short of essential supplies!
[Rant Mode] This is another example of how friggin’ stupid things have gotten since 9/11. If somebody whips out a knife on a plane and says, “This is a hijacking!” Do you really think the passengers are going to say, “Gosh, we’d better just sit here and be quiet.”? I can see checking for bombs, fire arms, and the like, but knives and scissors? Come on! [/Rant Mode]
It must be someone on the govt payroll doing this because 80-90% of those knives are pure junk, and no one who knows better would bother paying the listing fees to (try to) sell them.
The other interesting thing is how much effort is going into these shitty listings. The lister really is going into some detail on the descriptions in many cases.
It looks to me that private citizens are buying these on the cheap and then reselling them on EBay. Look at the sellers names. They probably buy boxes of them for a couple bucks a pound.
That is correct. The NTSA has public auctions (not on eBay) just like cops do. There are actually some half-way decent things in there. Some. Very few, actually. But I like the idea Tuckerfan had. I just might do some bidding…
