I noticed on ebay that many people are upset about those who are trying to make profit from the recent disaster by selling WTC collectables. Do you think it is wrong?
Right now it is just stuff like WTC refrigerator magnets and old magazines from the opening of the WTC. Maybe eventually someone might even be bold enough to try auctioning off some actual pieces of the building (maybe even not on ebay but somewhere public).
What do you think?
Is it wrong? I don’t know. Is it in poor taste? Definitely.
These people come across as opportunistic profiteers, willing to do anything to make a buck. If that is an accurate impression, I don’t like them.
*Originally posted by Determinist *
Well, it’s my understanding that some people WERE trying to auction off debris from the WTC collapse, although I can’t say if it was actual debris or some kind of joke auction.
Hmmm…just checked ebay - http://www.ebay.com. Type in World Trade Center and look under completed items. It looks as if someone bid to close out the auction. My understanding is that ebay has pulled many of the items that were up shortly after the disaster. I can’t blame ebay for shutting the auctions down. Some people will try to make a buck off of almost anything.
I don’t see anything wrong with selling memorabilia, that’s part of the healing process. That memorabilia will soon be unavailable as it was from before the disaster. My wife even said she wanted a New York T-shirt with a skyline picture on it from before hte disaster.
As for selling pieces of the actual building, that’s pretty twisted, but it is so tell-tale New York. And yes Ebay did pull auctions like that.
Erek
I would think that trying to unusually profit off this disaster at this time is pretty callous, yeah.
Maybe the question should be, is it wrong to “BUY” WTC stuff off the Internet. People can only sell things if there is a demand for it. As much as the making profit might be unethical, the idea of selling pieces of the building is pretty interesting.
I remember watching people tear down the Berlin wall and months later it was possible to buy pieces of the wall–even on a plaque. Its a piece of history and in several years I am sure we will be able to find museum displays across America containing artifacts from the collapsed world trade center that will no doubt have been acquired for a price. Others might also find historical, or memorial value in collectables or artifacts. Then again others just want to make a quick buck.
Does that include selling flags to grieving Americans to show their support?
(I agree that selling WTC items is tacky, but let’s not get carried away here. I myself have been debating whether to try selling T-shirts about the attacks, but am currently of the mind that it’s too creepy and opportunistic for my tastes)
A bit off topic, but this question of profiting from the disaster brings up something I heard on the radio today. Amazon.com (and I think others, but that was the one mentioned) have a place on their website where people can donate to the Red Cross. Amazon has already raised over $4 million. This is an entirely admirable thing, but I found myself thinking: don’t people usually use their credit cards to purchase stuff online? So AMEX, Visa, etc. stand to make a tidy profit off the generosity of others.(Though I don’t know that they are… maybe they are waiving interest on these donations, or donating them. Just got me thinking.)