EBay's award for Coolest Shopping Site of the Year, won in late January, is now a hot item on the popular auction site.
The online auction house came out a winner at the Coolest Site of the Year Awards in New York City. But no one from eBay was in the audience to collect it.
No matter. Web zine writer Todd Levin was ready to fill in. When nobody from eBay stepped forward, Levin marched on to the stage and nabbed the prize for himself.
Spilling a stream of expletives, Levin decribed his astonishment at winning the award, then walked off to a string of congratulations.
"I just acted astonished and started swearing my head off," Levin said. "I just kept saying, 'Holy fuck,' over and over again."
But the coup de grace for Levin's media hack came Monday, when he put the award up for auction on eBay. Intending it as a joke, he started the bidding at US$1.59, but 57 bids had been turned in by Wednesday morning, driving the price to $455.
"Hey, Joe. Are you feeling like a winner?," the item description begins. "Well, you surely will after you take home this sweet, nearly mint Cool Shopping Site of the Year Award. Nearly in its original state. Has been cuddled with once (or twice), but otherwise no unnatural acts have been committed with item, to owner's knowledge -- guaranteed!
"Think of how fine you will look with one of these babies in your collection," the description continues. "Your Beanie Babies will look like a pile of oily rags not worthy of the rankest hobo next to your almost-new Cool Shopping Site of the Year Award. Don't resist!"
The award is made of lucite and stands about 10 inches high. Levin said he will close the auction on 8 February.
"I have no idea if eBay knows about this or cares," Levin said. "But I'm sure if they knew, they would shut the auction down."
Levin writes for the Web zine Smug, which was nominated for Coolest Zine Site of the Year, an award that went to Slashdot.
EBay could not be reached for comment.
