eBay is unlike any other corner of the internet. Sure, there are other sites where individuals can sell their homemade products or used goods, but the bidding system and items available are certainly unique. If you’re not familiar with eBay, it was founded in 1995 under the name Auction web. At the time, the purpose was for buyers to bid on products from sellers, and whoever made the highest bid after a set number of time (say, 24 hours) would have to purchase the item. Back then, some of the most hot-ticket items were collectibles like Beanie Babies.
Over time, eBay has honed its business model, and now many items can be simply purchased without having to make bids and obsessively sit by the computer. But the website has also changed in the way that there are many more items available now. As of 2022, there are 135 million eBay users worldwide, and 1.7 billion live listings. The most popular category of products sold is “Electronics & Accessories”, but as we all know, plenty of other quirky items find their way onto the site as well.
Seeing this list of questionable items listed on eBay does beg the question, what can’t be sold on the site? Well, over the years, eBay has compiled an exhaustive list of all of their prohibited and restricted items, so we’ll break down some of the things that shouldn’t be making an appearance in this article. Some of the categories are not expressly prohibited, but instead have specific guidelines about what is permitted or must be sold through “eBay approved vendors”. These include adult items, alcohol, art, cosmetics, collectible currency, and electronic equipment.
When it comes to what is never allowed, eBay bans artifacts and cave formations, catalytic converters and test pipes (these are commonly stolen), use clothing, illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia, firearms and accessories, food, government items, human body parts, live animals, lockpicking devices, military items, MLMs or pyramid scheme programs, offensive materials, pesticides, slot machines, stolen property, and more.
The eBayBae Instagram page is not the first outlet that has given eBay attention for the fascinating items it sells. In 2015, Time published a list of the weirdest things that have ever been sold on the site in honor of its 20th anniversary, and they certainly rounded up some good ones. Many of these things would not fly on the site today, but it’s fun to look back on the good old days when eBay was like the Wild West and things like “a latex Casey Anthony mask” could sell for nearly $1 million. Another one of the top items was a grilled cheese sandwich that supposedly “bore a portrait of the Virgin Mary” that sold for $28,000 in 2004. The sandwich was a decade old at the time, and the woman selling it boasted that it never became moldy and must have mystical powers.
Another odd item sold on eBay in 2011 was clippings of Justin Bieber’s hair, which went for a whopping $40,668. The star had gifted his hair to Ellen DeGeneres, who then listed it for auction on eBay to raise money for an animal rescue organization. Well, at least his hair was given consensually!
Speaking of celebrities, another hot item on eBay in 2000 was Justin Timberlake’s half-eaten French toast. He didn’t finish the meal during an interview with a New York radio station, so his leftovers were auctioned off on eBay by the station’s DJ for $1,025. The 19-year-old superfan who purchased the illustrious bread said, “I’ll probably freeze-dry it, then seal it…then put it on my dresser.” I wonder if it’s still there today.
Ad space on a man’s forehead also went for big bucks on eBay in 2005. Web developer Andrew Fischer received $37,375 from the company SnoreStop for advertising their snoring remedy on his face in the form of a temporary tattoo. He only had to keep the ad up for one month, which I would argue was definitely worth it. I don’t know many people who are earning $37k a month! "I look forward to an enjoyable association with Andrew — a man who clearly has a head for business in every sense of the word," SnoreStop CEO Christian de Rivel said about the collaboration.
Another item that’s been sold on eBay before that you might not have realized even exists is a suit of armor made for a guinea pig. Yep, that sold for $1,150 in 2013. The creator of the tiny hand-made suit, which came with a matching helmet, claimed that the armor would keep a guinea pig “protected and secure in all situations”. I’m not sure how many guinea pigs are going into war often, but it’s great to know that at least one little pig out there will be well protected. And if you’re as curious about the suit as I am, you can see it for yourself right here.
