If you’re anything like me, you might have a once-a-year-frantic-Spring-ish-time-clear-out. This entails going through piles of old stuff that you’ve been meaning to get rid of for months (if not years) and deciphering which subsequent heap it needs to go in. The ‘charity heap’, the ‘black bin heap’ or - the one we’re all most interested in - the ‘sell it on heap’.
With the trend of people buying second hand growing exponentially - coupled with the accessibility of online channels and social media - we’ve seen a huge increase in the number of people getting on the bandwagon. If you haven’t already, give it a go! We’ve got a great online platform that makes it seamless.
If you’ve seen any particularly bizarre items sold online yourself, let me know in the comments below and I’ll add them in to my weird and wonderful list!
Here’s the 12 weirdest I've found so far…
1. The Roman Empire. Sold for 6,250 drachmas.
One of the most significant auctions of all time was in 193AD when the Praetorian Guard, who served as the secret police, put the empire up for sale. Bizarrely, the highest bidder ended up getting beheaded!
2. John Lennon’s molar. Sold in 2011 for $31,200.
This was sold to a Canadian dentist named Michael Zuk who has the tooth on display in his surgery.
3. Queen Victoria’s undies. Sold in 2015 for $16,300.
Embroidered with her initials “VR” for Victoria Regina, the undies were in pristine shape, having been wrapped in tissue and kept in a temperature controlled room.
4. Elvis Presley's lock of hair. Sold for $115,000.
It turns out Elvis’ hairdresser had been collecting his trimmings all those years and turned them into a small fortune in 2002. Thrifty at its finest!
5. A Dorito shaped like the Pope’s hat. Sold for $1,209 in 2005.
One of my personal favourites; the seller went on to set up a website called PopeHatChip.com to capitalise on the crisp's popularity.
6. Russell Crowe’s jockstrap. Sold for $6,500 in 2018.
The item is from Crowe’s role in Cinderella Man and was sold at auction in Australia as part of his post-divorce auction aptly named ‘The Art of Divorce’.
7. The World’s Largest Cat painting. Sold for $826,000 (to a cat loving billionaire).
Weighed in at a casual 227 pounds and it was so heavy it had to be displayed on a specially reinforced wall. Now cat’s impressive!
8. Ronald Reagan’s blood. Sold in 2012 for $3,550.
One of the most controversial auctions that kicked up such a stir that when it went for resale - the second time around - it was taken down by the Presidential Foundation.
9. Marilyn Monroe’s x-rays. Sold for $45,000 in Las Vegas.
Kept by her gynaecologist, the doctor’s children inherited them when he died and decided to cash in once they had the chance… not a bad outcome!
10. John Wayne’s toupee. One of many, sold for $6,250 after he began wearing them in 1948.
The toupee is made of human hair and hand tied one strand of hair at a time to a lace mesh with interior bands to give the appearance of a scalp.
11. A 200 year old condom made from sheep intestines. Sold for $556.
Thought to be from 18th or 19th century and was an unusual 19cm long and, believe it or not, encouraged quite the bidding war!
12. William Shatner’s kidney stone. Sold for $25,000 in 2006.
Purchased by an online casino website with Shatner donating the profits to a housing charity.
If you have any weird and wonderful items of your own that you'd be interested in selling on, take a look at our seller's bible to find out more.