# I won a mystery auction on eBay, should I be worried about Terrorists? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 5, 2005, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-a-mystery-auction-on-ebay-should-i-be-worried-about-terrorists/334172 "2005-12-05T14:42:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-a-mystery-auction-on-ebay-should-i-be-worried-about-terrorists/334172/1 "2005-12-05T14:42:29Z")
I’m a bit sceptical about this “Mystery box”, I’ve never won one before. I mean, in this day and age of wacky auctions, it could damn near be anything! You just don’t know, until you open it. Then I thought, what about terrorists? Wouldn’t this be the perfect plan? I couldn’t image what they might send to some innocent person in Kansas. Anyone know how close the Administration is keeping an eye on these “Mystery boxes”, in fighting the war on terror? ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-a-mystery-auction-on-ebay-should-i-be-worried-about-terrorists/334172/2 "2005-12-05T14:53:31Z")
Check the sellers feedback. It’s it’s a high number, or a lwoer number but all positive, odds are it won’t blow up in your face. I’m not saying it will be _good_, it just won’t blow up. Enjoy your box of rocks. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-a-mystery-auction-on-ebay-should-i-be-worried-about-terrorists/334172/3 "2005-12-05T14:58:23Z")
The feedback was pretty good. ---
**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:** [December 5, 2005, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-a-mystery-auction-on-ebay-should-i-be-worried-about-terrorists/334172/4 "2005-12-05T15:03:09Z")
I’ve been curious about these for a while (they sound like an ordinary, non-dangerous scam to me). Let us know how it turns out, if you survive. ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-a-mystery-auction-on-ebay-should-i-be-worried-about-terrorists/334172/5 "2005-12-05T15:03:19Z")
I’ll be very interested to find out what’s in your mystery box. I’ve seen them, but have never been brave enough to bid. May I ask how much you paid for it? Was it for a certain product/company? ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-a-mystery-auction-on-ebay-should-i-be-worried-about-terrorists/334172/6 "2005-12-07T23:01:27Z")
Well, no Anthrax was found. I bid about $240. I ended up with a Lexmark printer, waffle maker, coffee maker, a watch, an Adidas deodorant kit, pocket organizer, cd case, and a beard trimmer. All in all, none of it added up to the value I paid, so I lost there. I may just end up re-gifting, and or donating to local places. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-a-mystery-auction-on-ebay-should-i-be-worried-about-terrorists/334172/7 "2005-12-07T23:11:36Z")
Well, at least terrorists didn’t jump out and burn down your city. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-a-mystery-auction-on-ebay-should-i-be-worried-about-terrorists/334172/8 "2005-12-07T23:25:29Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > Well, no Anthrax was found. I bid about $240. I ended up with a Lexmark printer, waffle maker, coffee maker, a watch, an Adidas deodorant kit, pocket organizer, cd case, and a beard trimmer. All in all, none of it added up to the value I paid, so I lost there. I may just end up re-gifting, and or donating to local places. So let me get this straight. You ended paying $240 for no idea of what you’re getting? I’m _way_ too cynical to try something like that. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-a-mystery-auction-on-ebay-should-i-be-worried-about-terrorists/334172/9 "2005-12-08T01:28:18Z")
Yeah, it’s not something I’d normally do, but I was intrigued. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-a-mystery-auction-on-ebay-should-i-be-worried-about-terrorists/334172/10 "2005-12-08T01:41:11Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > So let me get this straight. You ended paying $240 for no idea of what you’re getting? > > I’m _way_ too cynical to try something like that. Personnaly, I’m going to congratulate the OP, because I, like plenty of other posters, wondered about the content of these mistery boxes. She spent 240 $ for the noble cause of fighting our ignorance and satisfaying our curiosity… ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-a-mystery-auction-on-ebay-should-i-be-worried-about-terrorists/334172/11 "2005-12-08T01:45:11Z")
WHAT WAS IT?!?!?!?! WHAT WAS IT!\>?!?!! Do you have it yet? Just imagine me on Christmas eve… ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-a-mystery-auction-on-ebay-should-i-be-worried-about-terrorists/334172/12 "2005-12-08T01:48:25Z")
There’s a sucker born every minute. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-a-mystery-auction-on-ebay-should-i-be-worried-about-terrorists/334172/13 "2005-12-08T01:50:47Z")
Hmmm…what could I do with a $240 waffle iron? (I really do need a waffle iron.) ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-a-mystery-auction-on-ebay-should-i-be-worried-about-terrorists/334172/14 "2005-12-08T01:53:45Z")
[Jack Bauer]A Lexmark printer, a waffle maker, and an Adidas deodorant kit?!? Listen very carefully: You need to get a pair of wire cutters, a voltmeter, a laptop computer and a standard printer cable, a gallon of bleach, and at least of pound of those styrofoam packing peanuts. _DO IT NOW!!!_[/Jack Bauer] ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-a-mystery-auction-on-ebay-should-i-be-worried-about-terrorists/334172/15 "2005-12-08T13:58:29Z")
Wow. That must have been a really big box. Was everything new? And what would possess someone to just throw all that stuff into a box instead of trying to sell some of them separately? Wait, I think you already answered that question … because someone might pay $240 for stuff that’s not worth that much. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-a-mystery-auction-on-ebay-should-i-be-worried-about-terrorists/334172/16 "2005-12-08T14:51:57Z")
Well, like I said, it’s not something I’d normally do. It may have been stupid, but then again, buying a new car that depreciates can be pretty stupid too. And in that case, people know what they’re getting and lose thousands driving out of the dealership, so I don’t feel too bad to be honest. Especially since it’s my first, and last mystery box. I wanted to try it, and I don’t tell y’all what you do with your money! 😛 ---
**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:** [December 8, 2005, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-a-mystery-auction-on-ebay-should-i-be-worried-about-terrorists/334172/17 "2005-12-08T15:07:57Z")
So… what kind of feedback do you intend to leave? ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-a-mystery-auction-on-ebay-should-i-be-worried-about-terrorists/334172/18 "2005-12-08T16:17:52Z")
I don’t think you’re stupid, and apologize if I made it sound like I thought you were. I think I’m partly just in awe at your bravery. I want my own mystery box now! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-a-mystery-auction-on-ebay-should-i-be-worried-about-terrorists/334172/19 "2005-12-08T17:44:30Z")
HOw does terrorism enter into it? I should think that a terrorists would sell seder plates on Ebay. ;j ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-a-mystery-auction-on-ebay-should-i-be-worried-about-terrorists/334172/20 "2005-12-10T01:33:23Z")
I was thinking of modern day terrorists, unless they’re shipping tv dinners to go with it. yellowval, it’s all good. I probably shouldn’t have said how much I bid.