# Ebay "Mystery" Auctions. WTH? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 23, 2005, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-mystery-auctions-wth/332393 "2005-11-23T06:23:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-mystery-auctions-wth/332393/1 "2005-11-23T06:23:26Z")
Why are these allowed? They even have their [own category.](http://everythingelse.listings.ebay.com/Mystery-Auctions_W0QQfclZ3QQfromZR11QQsacatZ102534QQsocmdZListingItemList) Some are obvious pyramid scams like this one… [http://cgi.ebay.com/Mystery-Paypal-Auction-Make-Big-Using-Paypal\_W0QQitemZ5635786509QQcategoryZ102534QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem](http://cgi.ebay.com/Mystery-Paypal-Auction-Make-Big-Using-Paypal_W0QQitemZ5635786509QQcategoryZ102534QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) But most of them are people unloading boxes of junk/merchandise/treasures… [http://cgi.ebay.com/GREAT-MYSTERY-BOX-OVER-4000-MERCHANDISE-INSIDE\_W0QQitemZ5637229368QQcategoryZ102534QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem](http://cgi.ebay.com/GREAT-MYSTERY-BOX-OVER-4000-MERCHANDISE-INSIDE_W0QQitemZ5637229368QQcategoryZ102534QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-mystery-auctions-wth/332393/2 "2005-11-23T14:48:25Z")
The interweb confuses me sometimes… ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-mystery-auctions-wth/332393/3 "2005-11-23T19:19:42Z")
I wonder how many people are stupid enough to fall for the pyramid scheme ones. Although, like spam, they wouldn’t do it if there weren’t at least a _few_ rubes who buy it. ---
**Author:** ![Sgt.Pepper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Sgt.Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sgt.Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-mystery-auctions-wth/332393/4 "2005-11-23T19:36:36Z")
I don’t know, but maybe for the mystery box ones, there’s an unspecified amount of money/jewels/gold etc, and bidders think their bid will be cheaper than the total amount of the contents in the box. That would give the bidder a profit. Some of those bids are pretty high, so it has me thinking that there has to be something of value in those boxes. ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-mystery-auctions-wth/332393/5 "2005-11-23T20:11:57Z")
Haha, take a look at what the second guy (mystery box) is selling and some of his past auctions. Hilarity! ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-mystery-auctions-wth/332393/6 "2005-11-23T20:18:29Z")
With the advent of the Internet, five are now born every minute… ---
**Author:** ![G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c67d28/32.png) [@G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.B.H.Hornswoggler)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-mystery-auctions-wth/332393/7 "2005-11-23T20:25:25Z")
Maybe I’m just devious, but I think the buyers and sellers are doing something that eBay doesn’t allow, but not explaining it for the rest of us. Some of these auctions have awfully odd phrasing; I wonder if there are code words the explain what’s really going on (for those who already know what’s going on). So my guess is that they’re selling something illegal, which eBay would ban if they officially knew about it. What that is, I can’t say – maybe counterfeit currency? maybe drugs? But I don’t think there would be a whole category of things like this just taking advantage of idiots; the buyers must be getting _something_ that they want. ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-mystery-auctions-wth/332393/8 "2005-11-24T01:03:37Z")
Most of them say something like… > [@](#): > > Per ebay rules, you are bidding on the box, the contents of the box are bonus items and are simply gifts from me to you. So evidently, it’s a no no to sell the mysterious items, but they get around it by selling the box. Kind of like the used panty auctions of yore. The seller had to say that they were clean panties. But somewhere they would mention that they were happy to answer any questions or “requests”. _:wink, wink:_ ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-mystery-auctions-wth/332393/9 "2005-11-24T02:05:49Z")
> [@G.B.H. Hornswoggler](#): > > Maybe I’m just devious, but I think the buyers and sellers are doing something that eBay doesn’t allow, but not explaining it for the rest of us. Some of these auctions have awfully odd phrasing; I wonder if there are code words the explain what’s really going on (for those who already know what’s going on). > > So my guess is that they’re selling something illegal, which eBay would ban if they officially knew about it. What that is, I can’t say – maybe counterfeit currency? maybe drugs? > > But I don’t think there would be a whole category of things like this just taking advantage of idiots; the buyers must be getting _something_ that they want. I think you may be on to something. Much like the “collectible absinthe bottles” that are found on ebay. You are buying the bottle, not the green stuff inside. ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-mystery-auctions-wth/332393/10 "2005-11-24T02:24:40Z")
My stars, how do I join in on the action? And what size of a [box](http://cgi.ebay.com/HO-HO-HO-VERY-MERRY-MYSTERY-AUCTION-WORTH-1000s_W0QQitemZ5637370181QQcategoryZ102534QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) would fit all of that stuff anyway? Something has to be going on, because nobody in their right mind, no matter how stupid, would pay $6,000 for a box of “mystery items.” Also, I have never once seen anyone give away benefits for bidding up to a high enough amount. And, the seller has a 98.5% feedback rating! So, can I actually get a box of crap - jewelry, TVs, electronics, etc from the thriftstore - and sell it at some outrageous price? ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-mystery-auctions-wth/332393/11 "2005-11-24T03:06:48Z")
My GF bought a mah-jong set on eBay; for some reason on those goods only, every one lists a tiny starting price and huge postage cost. Obviously this is to reduce eBay charges, but why specifically on mah-jong sets only? I’ve bought dozens of other types of goods there and never seen this. BTW she got ripped off - the mah-jong set was all plasticky and horrrible, which fact had been cleverly disguised by the photos used in the ad. Now she thinks the whole place is a scam. ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-mystery-auctions-wth/332393/12 "2005-11-24T14:44:09Z")
I’m bumping this because this is the first I’ve heard of the mystery auctions and I just looked at them and I’d really like to know what they’re doing. Hasn’t any doper ever bid on one of these (and won)? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-mystery-auctions-wth/332393/13 "2005-11-24T15:03:11Z")
It used to be the case that (real life, not online) liquidation auctions would sometimes include a bunch of ‘mystery boxes’ - usually just boxes of old office equipment, or old stock or components etc that had been packed up and forgotten in the corner of some dusty warehouse. ---
**Author:** ![Lips\_Obsession](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bbce88/32.png) [@Lips\_Obsession](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lips_Obsession)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-mystery-auctions-wth/332393/14 "2005-11-24T20:11:34Z")
I know that [woot.com](http://woot.com) is very popular when it sells it’s “Bag of Crap” - usually some sort of duffle bag or other promo-type bag filled with random items for a buck, $5 postage… They usually sell out within the hour… Same concept, and you can read about what people get in those. Lots of people get neat stuff… most people get “ok” stuff…