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For broadcast on CBS Radio Network stations May 17-18, 2003: 

Humor on eBay

Most of the time, it's not intentional. It's a result of "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing," or
unreasonable expectations by sellers.

One offered a set of special envelopes, and in his illustration, he showed every one pinned with a
thumbtack. Holes like that ruin the value.

Another offered a one-cent stamp from 1959 for several dollars, not worth more than one-cent even now.
But wait, it got even better. The stamp was torn and dirty.

Then there was the seller who offered 10 Breast Cancer Research stamps, still available at your local
post office for 45 cents. The price? Ten dollars each!

<Someone else offered selvage -- that's the margin paper -- with no stamps attached for twelve
dollars and three-fifty shipping.>

But the best recently was actually on Yahoo Auctions: An inverted Jenny, with the warning that it could
be fake....which it was. And dirty. But it still sold for 366 dollars. A real one is worth about
170-thousand dollars. I guess hope really does spring eternal.

<Just remember the adage: If a deal looks to good to be true, it probably is. And do your
research.>

I'm Lloyd de Vries


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