# eBay: Wanna buy some used socks? See your loan officer first. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 12, 2006, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-wanna-buy-some-used-socks-see-your-loan-officer-first/344094 "2006-02-12T08:42:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2006, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-wanna-buy-some-used-socks-see-your-loan-officer-first/344094/1 "2006-02-12T08:42:53Z")
This can’t be a serious sale, or can it? [Socks Worn By A Goddess](http://cgi.ebay.com/Socks-Worn-by-a-Goddess_W0QQitemZ5470278195QQcategoryZ11526QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) had an opening bid of $12,000 and now has two bids, going for $12,500. The [Shoes Worn By A Goddess](http://cgi.ebay.com/Shoes-Worn-by-a-Goddess_W0QQitemZ7743903620QQcategoryZ63889QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) are a comparative steal, with only a $4000 opening bid. With one bid, it’s up to $5500. Does eBay even allow stuff like this to happen? Or will the auction be withdrawn? ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2006, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-wanna-buy-some-used-socks-see-your-loan-officer-first/344094/2 "2006-02-12T13:18:46Z")
Why wouldn’t they allow it? Some woman sold her late father’s “haunted cane” to put her son’s mind at ease. It was, unsurprisingly, bought by that casino that keeps buying all this weird stuff (goldencasino, maybe?) As long as there is a valid product to be sold, and doesn’t break any of eBay’s basic auction rules, I can’t see why it would be withdrawn. I just keep waiting for the day I’ll find a piece of dryer lint with the image of the Virgin Mary giving birth to the Baby Jesus. I’ll never have to work another day in my life 😉 ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2006, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-wanna-buy-some-used-socks-see-your-loan-officer-first/344094/3 "2006-02-12T13:39:23Z")
If you go to “eBay Pulse” on the home page, there’s all sorts of peculiar auctions. How about a pancake with the image of Jesus on it? Only $15, 600 with over 4 days to go. [http://cgi.ebay.com/Jesus-PanCake\_W0QQitemZ6251847554QQcmdZViewItem](http://cgi.ebay.com/Jesus-PanCake_W0QQitemZ6251847554QQcmdZViewItem) Mind you, I wonder if sometimes the seller (in this case with no FB) puts silly auctions up just to get onto the various “wackiest auction” rankings. I’m not sure the winning bidder is always expected to actually cough up the dough. 😃 So to speak. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2006, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-wanna-buy-some-used-socks-see-your-loan-officer-first/344094/4 "2006-02-12T16:46:14Z")
Now that was disappointing. Usually these wacky auctions have some sort of interesting backstory, even if it’s pure spun BS. But this is just a bare item description. Socks worn by a goddess, full stop. Dirty white cotton socks. Somehow, I always thought goddesses had better fashion sense. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2006, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-wanna-buy-some-used-socks-see-your-loan-officer-first/344094/5 "2006-02-12T16:52:44Z")
Oh, sorry, I’ll be by to pick those up later. (I swear, the things you forget at the gym…) ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-wanna-buy-some-used-socks-see-your-loan-officer-first/344094/6 "2006-02-12T20:27:17Z")
What does that casino do with all that junk? ---
**Author:** ![eusta\_backhoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/aca169/32.png) [@eusta\_backhoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eusta_backhoe)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-wanna-buy-some-used-socks-see-your-loan-officer-first/344094/7 "2006-02-13T00:29:06Z")
Doesn’t it cost a bundle to set a stupidly high reserve? Nobody would do that on a lark. They must have some other purpose in mind. I’d bet they are bidding up their own stuff to get publicity in hopes of roping in some real sucker later on something else. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-wanna-buy-some-used-socks-see-your-loan-officer-first/344094/8 "2006-02-13T00:48:13Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > What does that casino do with all that junk? They milk for all the free publicity they can get by putting it on display. ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-wanna-buy-some-used-socks-see-your-loan-officer-first/344094/9 "2006-02-13T02:16:43Z")
> [@eusta backhoe](#): > > Doesn’t it cost a bundle to set a stupidly high reserve? > Nobody would do that on a lark. > They must have some other purpose in mind. > I’d bet they are bidding up their own stuff to get publicity in hopes of roping in some real sucker later on something else. It only costs $4.80 to set a reserve above $500.00. There may be some shilling going on, but it’s defiinitely illegal. It’s more likely some sort of attention-seeking prank. ---
**Author:** ![stardust\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@stardust\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stardust_1)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-wanna-buy-some-used-socks-see-your-loan-officer-first/344094/10 "2006-02-13T17:32:55Z")
> [@bonobo\_jones](#): > > If you go to “eBay Pulse” on the home page, there’s all sorts of peculiar auctions. How about a pancake with the image of Jesus on it? Only $15, 600 with over 4 days to go. > [http://cgi.ebay.com/Jesus-PanCake\_W0QQitemZ6251847554QQcmdZViewItem](http://cgi.ebay.com/Jesus-PanCake_W0QQitemZ6251847554QQcmdZViewItem) > > Mind you, I wonder if sometimes the seller (in this case with no FB) puts silly auctions up just to get onto the various “wackiest auction” rankings. I’m not sure the winning bidder is always expected to actually cough up the dough. 😃 So to speak. They removed the Jesus pancake auction this morning! This confirms that it was, in fact, bogus. I thought that no matter how odd an auction was, that they’d still let it slide. The dirty goddess socks are still up for auction though. What’s up with that?!