# Real Russian submarine on eBay **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 23, 1999, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-russian-submarine-on-ebay/12259 "1999-12-23T13:08:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 1999, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-russian-submarine-on-ebay/12259/1 "1999-12-23T13:08:00Z")
Saw this on CNN this morning: [http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=222791130](http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=222791130) It’s had 2 bids, current price is $1,000,300 The guy has one positive feedback for selling on eBay in the past: “Praise: This guy is great! I bought 10,000 AK47s from him, and the delivery was prompt!” * * * – Teeming Millions: [http://fathom.org/teemingmillions](http://fathom.org/teemingmillions) “Meat flaps, yellow!” - DrainBead, naked co-ed Twister chat O p a l C a t [www.opalcat.com](http://www.opalcat.com) ---
**Author:** ![The\_LION](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e7dd6/32.png) [@The\_LION](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_LION)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 1999, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-russian-submarine-on-ebay/12259/2 "1999-12-23T13:58:00Z")
I know what I want in my stocking! Peace On Earth t lion * * * * * * " I Wonder What Happens When I push THIS Button? " * * * ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 1999, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-russian-submarine-on-ebay/12259/3 "1999-12-23T16:26:00Z")
I almost bought that thing - a million dollars is a good price for a nuclear capable sub - but my accountant told me I couldn’t afford to build a bathtub that big ☹ * * * The overwhelming majority of people have more than the average (mean) number of legs. – E. Grebenik ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 1999, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-russian-submarine-on-ebay/12259/4 "1999-12-23T16:37:00Z")
My husband told me about the submarine last night. Wonder when eBay’s going to get around to yanking it. Hubby: “Hey honey! There’s a Russian sub for sale on eBay!” Me: “I don’t think so, dear.” Hubby: “But look! It’s right here!” Me: “Yes, I can see that. Can you say ‘joke,’ dear?” Hubby: “But there’s bids on it!” Me: “Get a clue, dear.” ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 1999, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-russian-submarine-on-ebay/12259/5 "1999-12-23T16:34:00Z")
Outside of kidneys for sale there the only other weird thing I came upon was a 1950’s mounted Gorilla Penis, starting bid $250,000, when I went for details, there weren’t any. Russian Sub? I think if that were true they would not sell it in the USA Ebay, but the UK [ebay.com](http://ebay.com) unless they have a russian ebay site. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 1999, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-russian-submarine-on-ebay/12259/6 "1999-12-23T16:52:00Z")
handy, the sub is currently owned by someone in F L O R I D A (as a quick glance at the linked page would tell you). That said, I don’t think it is a joke. It was on CNN this morning and they also have a website [http://subexpo.com/](http://subexpo.com/) * * * – Teeming Millions: [http://fathom.org/teemingmillions](http://fathom.org/teemingmillions) “Meat flaps, yellow!” - DrainBead, naked co-ed Twister chat O p a l C a t [www.opalcat.com](http://www.opalcat.com) ---
**Author:** ![dlv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dlv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dlv)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 1999, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-russian-submarine-on-ebay/12259/7 "1999-12-23T17:02:00Z")
I know the story. You can probably search CNN and find links to it. Some folks bought the retired sub (diesel-powered, not nuclear) from the Russians, meaning to use it as a tourist attraction. They moored it someplace off of St. Petersburg, FL, and then declared bankcrupcy. From what I hear, the sub is in a very bad shape and not safe for the tourist to get on. I also heard that the Russians frequently sell their old subs and other ships for scrap metal, and you can buy a similar sub directly from them for about $250,000. ---
**Author:** ![Atrael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Atrael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atrael)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 1999, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-russian-submarine-on-ebay/12259/8 "1999-12-23T17:07:00Z")
Actually, while you probably can’t really buy a sub, you can buy all sorts of other naval ships… [www.drms.dla.mil/special/ships.pdf](http://www.drms.dla.mil/special/ships.pdf) This requires that you have Adobe Acrobat reader… Or you can take a look at other military surplus here… [www.drms.dla.mil/asset/pubgeo.html](http://www.drms.dla.mil/asset/pubgeo.html) ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 1999, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-russian-submarine-on-ebay/12259/9 "1999-12-23T17:58:00Z")
Uhhhh…do I owe my husband an apology? ---
**Author:** ![bantmof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@bantmof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bantmof)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 1999, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-russian-submarine-on-ebay/12259/10 "1999-12-24T00:44:00Z")
What better way to prepare for Y2K! Remove some of the crew berthing spaces and weapons storage areas, stock with food, beer, and entertainment, and retrofit as a big submersable party center for you and your friends to ride out the end of the world in comfort at 500 ft under the North Atlantic! – peas on earth ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 1999, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-russian-submarine-on-ebay/12259/11 "1999-12-24T01:26:00Z")
Ah, so it is real Op… Sure love that military surplus online site. Doesn’t look like it has anymore nuclear warheads in it… ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 1999, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-russian-submarine-on-ebay/12259/12 "1999-12-24T02:54:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Ah, so it is real Op… > Sure love that military surplus online site. > > Doesn’t look like it has anymore nuclear warheads in it… It never did have any nuclear warheads in it! Not even the Russians are nutty enough to equip a tub like that with nukes! A nuclear warhead would be more valuable then the submarine itself, and they aren’t about to risk losing one on a rustbucket like that. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 1999, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-russian-submarine-on-ebay/12259/13 "1999-12-24T04:36:00Z")
Yes, as has been noted once, this is a deisel sub… * * * – Teeming Millions: [http://fathom.org/teemingmillions](http://fathom.org/teemingmillions) “Meat flaps, yellow!” - DrainBead, naked co-ed Twister chat O p a l C a t [www.opalcat.com](http://www.opalcat.com) ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 1999, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-russian-submarine-on-ebay/12259/14 "1999-12-24T04:45:00Z")
According to various websites, the sub was _not_ nuclear powered but was “designed to be capable of launching attacks on targets in the US mainland using four P-5 nuclear-armed cruise missiles.” ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 1999, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-russian-submarine-on-ebay/12259/15 "1999-12-24T16:16:00Z")
From the pictures, it looks like its already been remodeled extensively so that’s why the high price tag. I wonder what the ebay fee would be? ---
**Author:** ![Woodhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3bc359/32.png) [@Woodhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Woodhart)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 1999, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-russian-submarine-on-ebay/12259/16 "1999-12-24T20:27:00Z")
Although incredible perhaps, the submarine is real, is facinating, was never purported as being nuclear powered but was a capable weapon that today may seem harmless but during the cold war effected millions. Any ship or submarine that is no longer useful for its designed purpose can be rightfully called scrap. This submarine however has all of its equipment intact apart from the batteries and of course the weapons. It may need some paint but is quite sound. I am familiar because of my efforts to open a sister ship in San Diego. That project came to a halt partly due to the redevelopment plans of the Port of San Diego and the sale of the submarine to a German company that has opened it at Peenemunde.