Slashdot Mirror
Man Selling His Life On eBay
A number of readers have sent in the story of the guy in Perth, Australia who is selling his life on eBay. 100 days before the auction opened, he put up a site detailing all that was on offer: house, car, jet ski, friends, job, and so forth. (No wife.) The auction has five days to run and the bidding is up over $300K, supposedly from qualified bidders. The seller says: "Upon completion and settlement I will walk out of my home for the last time in just the clothes I am wearing, and carrying only my wallet and passport."
Is his identity for sale? Otherwise all he is selling is a bunch of stuff. Not "His Life". It would be more interesting if you could actually buy his identity and completely assume his life. Of course, you couldn't do that completely. His friends probably aren't going to buy into it. And also, what of the government?
If he can't tell everyone the reason why his wife left him, then he is obviously not ready to give his life away. He is still holding on to the idea of privacy, when in fact he is giving that away. Could you imagine selling all the pictures, memorabilia, etc. that you have.
because he got divorced, and "everything" reminds him of her and hes just so miserable. The divorce was the catalyst for the whole thing.
You mad
Here's your chance to finally get a life! Gentlemen, place your bids!
My blog
I wanted to sell my life too, but then I remembered I didn't have one. :(
Link to the story here = http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,23908397-948,00.html
Man, he could have at least thrown in a PS2...what a cheap bastard.
...his debts are included? A 90% mortgage would make the house less attractive. From his own site: 1). Potential buyers of this package does not need to concern themselves with any mortgage or debt that I have on the property. In Western Australia transfer of property is done through a Settlement Agent, who pays off any mortgage I have outstanding with my bank before releasing the balance of the proceeds of the sale to me, The buyer is responsible for arranging their own finance, and is in no way responsible for my loans or debts. There is no outstanding finance at all on any of the vehicles, or anything else in the house.It's all fun & games until someone loses the game.
Honestly, this is the most fantastic Slashdot story that I've seen in a really long time. Unusual, sure. But I think that this is the perfect place to post this.
I've always dreamed of doing something like this. Starting over, giving everything up. And I'm right positive that I'm not the only one on Slashdot to have those dreams.
This guy has balls of steel. And I wish him the best.
All my life for sale is a book by John Freyer who managed to list most of his worldly possessions (even his Christmas presents) on eBay.
i have to pay 300K to get a house AND i have to work two weeks as a rug store sales assistant. What a sweet deal.
People sell their WOW accounts all the time.
I am Slashdot. Are you Slashdot as well?
My father in law does outside construction. He own's a tow behind camper, 16' bass boat, 2 jetski's, 2 chevy 1500 HD trucks, a lincoln town car, and a $450,000USD house and a camping property on the Missouri river. I'm pretty sure people who budget early in life can afford nicer things later on if they make enough to initially subsist on and a little extra.
You can buy a house and a jet ski and all the other stuff anywhere, but friends? Whoa!
I can't wait to show them my complete Star Wars Action Figures collection!
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- - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
We're going to find out that the Mafia has a hit out on him or he's supposed to be in an arranged marriage to a cannibal princess or something. The lovable everyman who buys this guy's life will now be in a madcap race to escape the consequences, probably falling in love with a girl-next-door Hollywood starlet in the process.
Kwisatz Haderach
Sell the spice to CHOAM
This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
Oh come on people, the guy lives in PERTH. Surely nobody is bidding on that.
(Trying to figure out why I think it is so funny but it just cracks me up...) Meh. He's selling his current living conditions. He'll continue to live; if he's happy, he's still "winning," just like any of us. I'm not losing just because someone has more stuff than me (see George Carlin on that). BTW- It will be hard to see George since this weekend...
I often hear people complain about how "materialistic" we've all become, and how much happier we're supposed to be if we learn to reject some of this.
Isn't that the same promise the Catholic religion has been hawking for the last 2,000 years or so?
No, your possessions don't literally equate to your "life" ... but at the same time, I think they can (even SHOULD) help define a person. Looking at myself, I realize that my purchases directly reflect the things I enjoy doing in life. For example, I own several computer systems. Well, that's been my main "hobby interest" for close to 20 years now, and it led me to my career choice. Computers are the key to what makes me a "productive citizen", earning a regular paycheck. I also have a decent-sized music collection, and even some musical instruments (electric guitar, synthesizer, etc.). Sure, they're not necessities in life, but they're enjoyable distractions for me, and reflect on my interest in music in general.
The people who worry me the MOST are the ones who don't seem to have any clear "hobbies" or interests that involve ownership of property! I've had friends like this, who seem like they're wandering aimlessly through life - spending their money on "intangible entertainment" like movie tickets, amusement park passes or sporting events. Ultimately, they have little to show for the work they do.
What I observe in many people I know is a trend towards accumulation of possessions that don't necessarily make them happy, but that they feel that they deserve because they work at unsatisfying and time-consuming jobs. They feel that they should have something to show for all of their effort, and so they buy themselves things. I myself have fallen into this trap, but have since returned to graduate school. I'm now much poorer and can afford much less, but on the whole, I feel that I need less because I enjoy the work itself and thus don't need to justify it through material means.
What I found most interesting was this comment you made:
The people who worry me the MOST are the ones who don't seem to have any clear "hobbies" or interests that involve ownership of property! I've had friends like this, who seem like they're wandering aimlessly through life - spending their money on "intangible entertainment" like movie tickets, amusement park passes or sporting events. Ultimately, they have little to show for the work they do.
Frankly, I can relate much better to your friends. I would far prefer to have interesting experiences and the resultant memories they bring tucked under my belt, such as travel or outings to concerts, amusement parks, etc. than to have a stockpile of possessions that may have resale value but rapidly depreciate and incur maintenance costs in many cases. Experiences are far more formative to me as a person than, say, car or personal entertainment system ownership.