Man Auctioning ‘The’ Word Gets Bids Of Almost A Thousand Dollars


Auctioning on the internet has seen multiple bizarre products, services, and items that routinely border the insane or plain ridiculous. However, it is when the bidding wars start that the ridiculous looks financially promising.

A person known by the eBay handle Sweatyman has listed an item that would never have been given a second look in the real world. But in the world of online auctions offered by global eSeller eBay, the item has been the recipient of some serious bidding activity. The user’s apparently silly auction of a handwritten note containing only the word “The” on eBay Australia has attracted at least 44 bids, with the top bid an equally ridiculous figure of $10,099 AUD (that’s about $9,320 in U.S. dollars).

A Scrappy Paper with the word ‘The’ written on it being auctioned

The man is either a marketing genius or is a successful seller, owing to the interesting description about this “item.” Sweatyman lists the item as “a versatile word that can be used in literally thousands of sentences. Ideal for any situation, this fun-loving item fits perfectly in the palm of your hand, wallet, or purse,” reported the NY Daily News.

The word “The” is merely scrawled — or, as the seller describes it, handwritten with blue ballpoint pen — on a torn piece of Reflex A4 paper. He even mentions a few examples where the word “The” is of grammatical relevance:

“The dogs have escaped again”
“I will buy some meat from The local deli”
“What’s The time?”

According to eBay, the auction began four days ago with a customary opening bid of $0.99. At first, users placed bids of a few dollars, but then things started heating up. Three days into the auction, bids in the thousands came rolling in. Interested buyers have until May 29 to bid on the item. Unsurprisingly, the seller has said he will not accept any returns, reports IBN Live.

The seller has included the photos of the writing instruments used to conjure up the artifact. However, the pen and other items in the listing’s photographs are not included. Sweatyman will only send across the scrappy note. However, in an act of graciousness, the seller has offered to send across the item at no extra cost.

It is as yet unclear whether the item will actually sell. However, one thing’s for certain: It would be certainly amusing to see one of the most commonly used words in the English language sell for thousands of dollars.

Update: The item seems to have been taken down.

[Image Credit | eBay Australia]

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