# The stupidest thing I've seen for sale... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 1, 2003, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupidest-thing-ive-seen-for-sale/198965 "2003-09-01T14:35:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SanguineSpider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SanguineSpider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanguineSpider)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupidest-thing-ive-seen-for-sale/198965/1 "2003-09-01T14:35:43Z")
I cannot stand infomercials. I think they are also a demonic device for brainwashing our society (along with all those home shopping shows!). Recently, as I flipped TV channels on a immensely boring Saturday afternoon, I saw the end-all, be-all of the stupidest, most idiotic items ever offered for sale. The company was Igia and the product was the heated eye-lash curler… WTF??? Heat near your eye, lawsuit just waitin’ to happen, OMG. I really love the before and after computer generated photos of women they think to hook consumers with. What a load of SH\*T! Heat near the eye, OMG… does anyone else have a problem with this?? Down with IGIA!! Get the bug spray!! ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupidest-thing-ive-seen-for-sale/198965/2 "2003-09-01T15:14:01Z")
Mmm… no, I’d have to say that the dumbest thing I have ever seen for sale were the boxes that certain toys came in. No, seriously. On eBay, I have seen packages for sale. The toys themselves are not in the package, but the packages themselves can be purchased. Precisely why you would want to buy a box for a toy that ceased to be manufactured twenty years ago is unclear… but it’s for sale on eBay, if you want it… ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupidest-thing-ive-seen-for-sale/198965/3 "2003-09-01T15:21:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wang-Ka \* > \*\*Precisely why you would want to buy a box for a toy that ceased to be manufactured twenty years ago is unclear… but it’s for sale on eBay, if you want it… \*\* If you have the toy but not the box, getting the box would be a great idea. Vintage toys in their original boxes can increase the value by ten fold. Haj ---
**Author:** ![eveanyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@eveanyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eveanyn)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupidest-thing-ive-seen-for-sale/198965/4 "2003-09-01T15:27:58Z")
How can Igia even stay in business? Every year they come out with a new “permanent” hair removal system. At some point, people are going to get wise to this! Home electrolysis, sugar syrup in a tube, sandpaper sponges, lotions potions and creams. Well, the last few products didn’t work…maybe the next one will be the real deal! I’m just bitter because years ago my friend and I paid just under 50 bucks for the home electrolysis kit. The apparatus was essentially a needle on a stick attached to a nine volt battery. The idea was, dip your fingers in a bowl of warm salt water, hold on to the metal strip on the needle-stick, place the needle at the base of a hair and then press a button, and voila! Right. Like a couple of fools, we spent about an hour zapping each other’s legs before we would admit that we got ripped off. It’s funny now that I think about it. ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupidest-thing-ive-seen-for-sale/198965/5 "2003-09-01T15:31:40Z")
Hm. Hadn’t thought about the idea of buying a box for a toy you already had, to increase the value. As to selling stuff that doesn’t work… well… I get a half dozen emails every day offering to help me increase the size of my penis. I’m quite certain none of these solutions will do a damn thing, but I keep getting the emails. SOMEONE is making money, and I suspect it’s just a matter of farming the idiots out there. Mass advertising equals mass money… whether the product actually works or not… ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupidest-thing-ive-seen-for-sale/198965/6 "2003-09-01T16:24:31Z")
At Borders, they sell something called an “indoor s’mores kit.” It consists of about six marshmallows, a dozen graham crackers, a bar of chocolate, a couple of wood skewers, and a few tea lights – for _14.95_. I could buy the same items at the supermarket and assemble at least twenty kits for less money. ---
**Author:** ![biqu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@biqu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biqu)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupidest-thing-ive-seen-for-sale/198965/7 "2003-09-01T16:28:03Z")
[eBay auction offers nothing for $1](http://www.whattheheck.com/ebay/zilch.html) ---
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupidest-thing-ive-seen-for-sale/198965/8 "2003-09-01T16:32:19Z")
I just saw Igia’s latest offering: “Air-O-Sage”…it’s these dorky looking blue boots that you strap onto your legs for a “soothing massage”. Only 39.95. I swear they are the absolute stupidest thing I have ever seen for sale in my entire life. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupidest-thing-ive-seen-for-sale/198965/9 "2003-09-01T17:14:52Z")
Have you guys seen the automatic scissors yet? That has to be the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen. Especially since the commercial insinuates that regular scissors are missing limbs waiting to happen. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupidest-thing-ive-seen-for-sale/198965/10 "2003-09-01T18:35:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HelloKitty \* > \*\*I just saw Igia’s latest offering: “Air-O-Sage”…it’s these dorky looking blue boots that you strap onto your legs for a “soothing massage”. Only 39.95. I swear they are the absolute stupidest thing I have ever seen for sale in my entire life. \*\* Actually, I would get those. But I wouldn’t strap them to my _legs_. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupidest-thing-ive-seen-for-sale/198965/11 "2003-09-01T18:41:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wang-Ka \* > \*\*Mmm… no, I’d have to say that the dumbest thing I have ever seen for sale were the boxes that certain toys came in. > > No, seriously. On eBay, I have seen packages for sale. The toys themselves are not in the package, but the packages themselves can be purchased. > > Precisely why you would want to buy a box for a toy that ceased to be manufactured twenty years ago is unclear… but it’s for sale on eBay, if you want it… \*\* IMHO, a bunch of these on eBay are scams. The seller hopes everyone bidding on it doesn’t notice it’s just a box. Back to the subject at hand: check out [stupid.com](http://www.stupid.com/index.html). ---
**Author:** ![SanguineSpider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SanguineSpider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanguineSpider)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupidest-thing-ive-seen-for-sale/198965/12 "2003-09-02T03:34:06Z")
IGIA=ripoff… ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupidest-thing-ive-seen-for-sale/198965/13 "2003-09-02T05:41:11Z")
When a Japanese company announced a [PC case made of corrugated cardboard](http://www.lupo.co.jp/develop/ccpc/ccpcbox_index.html), I thought that was was stupid enough. But the new version of their cardboard PC case is 2 meters tall and [shaped like a robot](http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/akiba/hotline/20030621/ouka.html). It sells for $600. (Sorry, links are in Japanese.) ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupidest-thing-ive-seen-for-sale/198965/14 "2003-09-02T07:03:44Z")
Right now, I’m watching a REALLY badly acted infomercial for some herbal penis enlarger. The onslaught of thinly veiled euphamisms and bad pseudoscience being presented in awkward, stilted dialogue is about to make my head explode. ---
**Author:** ![SpasmicChaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@SpasmicChaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpasmicChaos)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupidest-thing-ive-seen-for-sale/198965/15 "2003-09-02T10:15:02Z")
Ron Popeil’s spray-on hair gets my vote. ---
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupidest-thing-ive-seen-for-sale/198965/16 "2003-09-02T15:50:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Ron Popeil’s spray-on hair gets my vote. This was going to be my awnswer. Also I saw on e-bay that someone was actioning off “farts in a jar” for $29.95. ---
**Author:** ![SanguineSpider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SanguineSpider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanguineSpider)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupidest-thing-ive-seen-for-sale/198965/17 "2003-09-03T06:37:56Z")
“Farts in a jar”? My estimation of eBay’s ethical and moral fiber is lessening a tiny portion each day! Actually, I’ve seen a guy selling the soul of his bestest pal for $0.01 so… (places her winning bid mere seconds before said soul listing ends… err, what am I doing? Shhhhh, you do not need to know _muffled cackle_). Anything and everything can be bought, sold, or traded on eBay. It’s downright wicked! ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupidest-thing-ive-seen-for-sale/198965/18 "2003-09-03T07:30:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HelloKitty \* > \*\*I just saw Igia’s latest offering: “Air-O-Sage”…it’s these dorky looking blue boots that you strap onto your legs for a “soothing massage”. Only 39.95. I swear they are the absolute stupidest thing I have ever seen for sale in my entire life. \*\* They use them at hospitals to stop embolisms when people have to lie down for long periods – especially during and after surgery. Course, they’re white and medical looking… ---
**Author:** ![Mogadon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7feea3/32.png) [@Mogadon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mogadon)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupidest-thing-ive-seen-for-sale/198965/19 "2003-09-03T15:27:09Z")
I can’t see why anyone buys a Micro$oft operating system. Of course, they go to considerable lengths to make you think that it’s an integral part of a PC, and so you aren’t really buying it, and besides, it’s much better that the last one… ---
**Author:** ![gmarkstephens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@gmarkstephens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gmarkstephens)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupidest-thing-ive-seen-for-sale/198965/20 "2003-09-03T15:30:57Z")
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