English: Where’s the turkey…. Brussels sprouts coming along nicely for Christmas, mmm! (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
On the radio this morning, while I was half asleep still, I heard talk of a man who had sold two Brussels Sprouts on Ebay. People were bemused as to why someone had paid £100 for them, I was too but considered the possibilities, was he in some way famous, infamous, did the sprouts have the face of Jesus, Santa or Wayne Rooney on them?
Once I dragged myself out of bed and to the computer a quick Google found the answer. They were advertised with the information that the proceeds were going to the Make a Wish Foundation. Someone bought them for the novelty, to give money to charity in a fun way.
That’s the thing about Ebay, people do sell and buy things for the amusement or notoriety. The sprout was not the first – that ‘honour’ goes to a man from Darlington in 2005 and was followed by another in 2006 (both for charity) but presumably since then people have been holding on to their greens.
Wikipedia has a list of some of the more interesting sales including the wife of a radio dj who sold his Lotus car for 50 pence after hearing him flirting with Jodie Marsh on air. Some unusual items increase in value because the sale itself becomes famous – like four golf balls removed from a python (A$1400).
Back to Christmas though, this year a woman is selling three unwanted and unopened gifts from her ex-boyfriend who was trying to win her back, they “must have been wrapped by someone else as he’s not clever enough to have done them” she added. Just down the road from me a man from Worksop is selling a pack of unwanted doilies with a free Mother-in-Law who is “free to a good home” collection only.
According to Gumtree £2.1billion worth of unwanted gifts are given at Christmas. I though was very happy with everything I got, including my Christmas dinner and I ate all my sprouts.
Longfellow's 21st Century Lunch 