# What is your opinions/suggestions about this business venture? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 3, 2023, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinions-suggestions-about-this-business-venture/988026 "2023-08-03T23:03:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinions-suggestions-about-this-business-venture/988026/1 "2023-08-03T23:03:01Z")
Before you dismiss this as silly, bear in mind Pet Rocks, The Star Registry and NFTs. 😁 I would like to get into the business of buying and selling souls. Ceremonial bills of sale (and registry of same), terms of sale, possible leasing of souls etc. What do y’all think? ---
**Author:** ![Eric1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3bc359/32.png) [@Eric1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eric1)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinions-suggestions-about-this-business-venture/988026/2 "2023-08-03T23:22:37Z")
It may be like a sacrament but permanent. ---
**Author:** ![Eric1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3bc359/32.png) [@Eric1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eric1)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinions-suggestions-about-this-business-venture/988026/3 "2023-08-03T23:30:56Z")
Or like someone trading guitar talent for their soul? ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinions-suggestions-about-this-business-venture/988026/4 "2023-08-03T23:33:12Z")
I did that in high school and college decades ago! It was much fun, and even profitable, as one person became . . . concerned . . . and bought their soul back for 5x what I bought it for ($5 back on a $1 investment). Sadly, I figure these days there’s a glut on the market, and I doubt the average soul (of someone willing to sell) is in decent condition. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinions-suggestions-about-this-business-venture/988026/5 "2023-08-03T23:34:04Z")
Who is listed as buying your soul? I can see a great gag certificate that you sold your soul to the devil. Or you sold your friend’s soul ro the devil. Registered for all eternity for all to see! (You can even pay a fee where you can remove your name from the list.) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinions-suggestions-about-this-business-venture/988026/6 "2023-08-03T23:43:27Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > Who is listed as buying your soul? Animae Artis Inc., perhaps, and I think I’ll leave Ol’ Scratch out of this. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2023, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinions-suggestions-about-this-business-venture/988026/7 "2023-08-04T02:23:48Z")
Freakonomics Radio on this very topic. > **[Soul Possession - Freakonomics](https://freakonomics.com/podcast/soul-possession/)** > > Soul Possession - Freakonomics ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2023, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinions-suggestions-about-this-business-venture/988026/8 "2023-08-04T02:38:43Z")
Shouldn’t require much of an investment so worst case minimal loss. Best case you’ll put some cash in your pocket. Nobody will check on these soul sales so you can actually sell the same souls over and over again and no one will be the wiser. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2023, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinions-suggestions-about-this-business-venture/988026/9 "2023-08-04T02:50:00Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Nobody will check on these soul sales so you can actually sell the same souls over and over again and no one will be the wiser. I don’t _think_ so: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6EsNyIRG-g](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6EsNyIRG-g) ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2023, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinions-suggestions-about-this-business-venture/988026/10 "2023-08-04T02:59:42Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > What do y’all think? As a novelty gift, yeah, I think your idea has legs. If you could include a lordship in Scotland I think your souls would sell like hotcakes. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2023, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinions-suggestions-about-this-business-venture/988026/11 "2023-08-04T03:19:43Z")
Playing off of @Odesio’s point, you could combine this with the Scottish lordship scam. I mean, after all, by many definitions, a soul is infinite (at least in duration) - you could therefore fundamentally divide it by anything short of infinity and sell SHARES of your, or another’s soul. I mean, even if you make the argument that you as a mortal can’t take ownership of another being’s soul, a huge body of popular and scholarly work would say you can of your own (although an equally large body would say only God and possibly Satan own it). So you could sell, say shares representing 1/1,000,000,000 of your soul on the open market along with a very nice certificate, for all the market will take. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2023, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinions-suggestions-about-this-business-venture/988026/12 "2023-08-04T03:21:37Z")
Did the idea come from the Simpsons episode where Bart sells his soul? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2023, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinions-suggestions-about-this-business-venture/988026/13 "2023-08-04T03:25:02Z")
No-It came from the idea that dumber ideas have worked (See the examples in the OP). ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2023, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinions-suggestions-about-this-business-venture/988026/14 "2023-08-04T03:29:35Z")
Rather keep it straight-Souls, bought, sold and leased…and maybe pawned. K.I.S.S. Rule and all that. Hmmmm…_'Pon My Soul_. Too much? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2023, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinions-suggestions-about-this-business-venture/988026/15 "2023-08-04T05:38:26Z")
I want a soul of a pet rock. Got any of those? Pink is my favorite color. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2023, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinions-suggestions-about-this-business-venture/988026/16 "2023-08-04T07:48:28Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I would like to get into the business of buying and selling souls. Ceremonial bills of sale (and registry of same), terms of sale, possible leasing of souls etc. So, if I sell my soul to you, you get the soul, and I get a bill of sale plus whatever price we’ve negotiated for the soul. I don’t see how you turn a profit on a deal like that. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2023, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinions-suggestions-about-this-business-venture/988026/17 "2023-08-04T08:06:56Z")
Through selling and leasing them back out. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2023, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinions-suggestions-about-this-business-venture/988026/18 "2023-08-04T08:43:02Z")
I remember a _Hellblazer_ story about that. John Constantine approached Blathoxi, Lord of Flatulence, with an offer to sell his soul. At the time Margaret Thatcher was running for re-election, and Constantine bluffed Blathoxi into thinking the lefties would win, so he wanted to cash in his soul’s present value before it plummeted after Thatcher’s assumed loss. Blath turned him down, thinking John had insider knowledge, and decided to invest in widows and orphans instead. He wound up losing a fortune in souls after Thatcher won, and killed all his yuppie demon flunkies in anger. They were the ones John the Con was wanting to eliminate all along. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2023, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinions-suggestions-about-this-business-venture/988026/19 "2023-08-04T08:47:34Z")
To get your business up and running, I offer you my sole for the bargain-basement price of only $1000. Surely you can find a buyer willing to spend many times that amount for the sole of a cool cat. …I’ll require a _“no sale to Karens or Kens”_ clause in the contract. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2023, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinions-suggestions-about-this-business-venture/988026/20 "2023-08-04T17:59:38Z")
1. Do you sell them as is, or do you clean them up (one hour martinizing?) or refurbish them (expose them to dogma or music)? 2. When buying, do you go for the lowest price possible or evaluate them fairly using _Skelly’s Grue Book_? By the pound? Based on depth, cleanliness or model? 3. Volume discount? 4. The chance someone has already done this on the Internet is unity. What advantages do you offer? Do you have any credentials or training? Quality over quantity? 5. Money back guarantee? “Are you familiar with our state’s stringent fraud legislation?” 6. Best way to advertise? Weight loss angle? 7. Satisfied customer testimonials? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinions-suggestions-about-this-business-venture/988026.md?page=2)