★J. LOST 46 LB W/ ELITE NEW DIET PILL★NO LIPO★NO OXY★

Given the number of auctions on eBay, many are looking for diet pills for women that really work.  I'm hesitant to say if this particular auction qualifies for that.  I can't copy the image to my blog, but they show this guy (the diet pill is for both men and women) in what is either his before or after picture.  They show another picture with his shirt on.  He still looks a little fat in both pictures.

There isn't much that anyone can do to protect the consumer in regards to this, especially when it comes to something that you bought off of eBay.  Best thing is for the consumer to protect him or herself.

OXY 10 5 Cover Acne Pimple Treatment Cream 25g 10g NEW

If you're looking for a new acne treatment, you might not find that eBay is the best source to look unless you already know what you want, as the operative word "new" can also mean "unused."  This is the case with this item here.

There really isn't anything I can say about this, except for maybe that it's already available at your local pharmacy and this stuff has been on the market for a really long time, although the fact that the writing on the box is in Chinese and the fact that haven't been heavily advertising on TV as much as some of the other brands (ProActive, Neutrogena, etc.) may tell you something. 

Acne Tablets, The No.1 Acne & Spot Treatment 1-A-Day !!

If you're looking for the best acne treatment on eBay and you came across this listing, I'd say that you haven't found the best acne treatment.

 

Without any details of what these so-called Acne Tablets contain, it's impossible to do any research on the claims, and the tablets could contain just about anything.   And the sad part is that according to the auction, they've already sold 45 packs of them, indicating a huge a mount of misplaced faith on the part of the buyers.

I mean, even the ones that advertise on TV will tell you what you're putting on your skin or swallowing so you have a little more to go on than just "Acne Tablets."  Caveat emptor, people!

Vintage BNIB 80s Adidas Boxing Wrestling Combat US 9.5

When looking up items for the keywords "shoes wrestling", I came upon a lot of athletic equipment that would be good for anyone with an actual interest in wrestling as a sport, as opposed to theatrics, as depicted in the WWE.  With vintage items from the 80s, we get a bit of both.

With a vibrant mix of every neon/fluorescent colour not under the rainbow, this is definitely representative of fashion of the time.  Even though it's more than likely of the highest quality (made long before we outsourced everything to China) and it's never been used, I don't see any serious wrestler (ie: one doing college-level sports) wearing this...unless they did want to make the transition to the WWE.

B&W Photo N9265 Woman standing by kitchen sink

  This is when I remember that eBay is just crammed to the gills with crap that most people wouldn't need under normal circumstances, which would mean that only a very, VERY specific individual would find use for stuff like this, for which they'd probably just create it themselves. 

This particular auction is for a vintage photograph depicting a woman of indeterminate era (possibly 50s?) standing over a kitchen sink. My first thought was about what the significance of the photo is to the seller, which probably isn't any, given that he's selling it to complete strangers on eBay.  Then, as to how the photo was obtained.  Then, as to what use anybody else who doesn't know this person would have for it.

Graphic designers may have a use for this photo, but with no way to verify copyrights, they'd just as soon go for a stock photo agency. 

Lot 3 Matson cruise lines Hawaii Tiki stationary set

While you can find a lot of vacation packages on eBay, you won't find anything on eBay in the way of Hawaii cruise deals. You can, however, find various trinkets and souvenirs from people who've gone on them and are trying to punt them online.

Hence, file under trash and treasure, where this enterprising eBay seller is trying to move a 3-piece stationery set from the Matson Cruise Line.  I also noticed that the thing was labeled "used," which at first caught me off guard when I saw the picture, which at a first glance looked like a napkin.  Maybe if it was a celebrity that "used" it, it might be worthwhile to collectors.

How to Get a Job in Health Care by Robert H. Zedlitz

Wow, they actually are selling information about this?  There's an actual a book entitled, How to Get a Job in Health Care.  It comes with a $4.17 buy it now price.  Hmm...I dunno, get the necessary education and qualifications in whatever field (ie: study hard and go to med school or get your nursing degree or whatever) and they come to you, right?  Or even sign up for a healthcare job bank.  There, I just saved you $4.17.

Need for Speed

Not being a car enthusiast, when I was asked to write about the AEM cold air intake, my first thought went to the Need for Speed video game franchise, which has taken to utilizing product placement in their games, especially in the Underground series.  Not only are there the various car manufacturers from Honda to Toyota having their products featured, you also have the option of customizing your vehicle with aftermarket parts from companies like Kumho (tires), but toss in other product placement for cell phone companies.

Yes, advertising for sale on eBay.  Gotta love it.

KICHLER 10028/WH 21w FLUORESCENT UNDERCAB LIGHTING

Can someone please tell me why a household lighting appliance from Kichler lighting is showing up in the collectibles section?  This is why I've been an advocate for stronger monitoring of eBay stuff, or at least smarter monitoring so that items are properly categorized and anything with malicious code are eliminated immediately. 

Trapped Heart Bling Hard Case For HTC G2 Bell Desire Z

Hey, alright...a product on eBay that I actually can write about from personal experience.  The HTC Desire 2.2 (or, more appropriately the HTC Desire Z, running Android 2.2) is the first smart phone that I ever put down money for.  But with something that fancy, you're going to want to protect it with a good case.  And this has probably got to be one of the ugliest cases I've seen.

Myself, I went with one of the clear cases with a vinyl sticker, although clear cases start showing cracks after mere weeks worth of use, so I bought several of them with this in mind (although I'm on my second one right now and it's already showing cracks, and it's not like I was tossing it around). 

Stone Litho plug tobacco label Vintage Equestrian

I recently viewed the film Thank You For Smoking, a biting political satire about a tobacco company lobbyist.  This got me thinking a little bit about tobacco advertising, since the film references well-known criticisms of the tobacco industry, such as their use of rugged icons such as the Marlboro Man and Joe Camel. 

This particular item is for a lithograph from the Winner Brand British American Tobacco Company, depicting equestrian riders.  As this box was produced long before the surgeon general warned of the dangers of tobacco use, there were no restrictions of tobacco companies being associated with sporting events or promoting any sort of "cool" image.  This can be yours for $84.95.

OXYCONTIN Drug Rep Pen+Pad~VERY RARE~EBAY'S ONLY SET!!!

I typically do a lot of stuff on weight loss supplements so it's rare that I get to write about anything like oxycontin detox.  As it is, it's a highly-regulated painkiller (ie: addictive), so it's highly unlikely that you'll find it on eBay...but they do have a ton of merchandise and freebie crap that's given to doctors so that they'll push it.

The pharmaceutical industry is huge business in the States, especially with the high price of medication and the difficulties that people have with American healthcare.  Stuff like this somewhat indicative of a failing of for-profit healthcare, and when there are financial incentives for doctors to prescribe this medication (it is the top selling non-generic painkiller), and worst of all, the company is actually subject to a lot of lawsuits for misrepresenting their product.

Hence, the need for addiction recovery services.

One Oz .999 silver Canadian Maple Leaf

As a Canadian I tend to find miscategorizations like this a little amusing, specifically when the keywords "silver eagles" yield this as an actual result. I have a certain perception of American patriotism, and figure that coming across Canadian iconography when seeking Americana wouldn't come across very well to the patriotic eBayer. 

Interestingly enough, the seller is based out of the States as well.  Hmm...

VINTAGE AYDS REDUCING PLAN CANDY BOX VANILLA CARAMEL

Finally, a bizarre product!

Some may recall an old South Park diet parodying Jared Fogle (aka the Subway guy), called "Jared Has Aides", referring to a very poorly named product to help a weight loss diet.  Oddly enough, a similarly named 1960s product is also in existence.

"AYDS" seems to have had a resurgence on the internet and eBay because of its close sounding name to a real life disease (AIDS), which generally isn't considered a laughing matter (at least more so in the 1980s and 1990s before better treatments were made available).  Obviously, the product in the auction is not for human consumption (it's an empty box, just for kitsch value).

NWT COCKTAIL DRESS SIZE 11 CHRISTMAS PARTY EVENING GOWN

Evening dresses are another huge category on eBay, with that keyword generating dozens of pages worth of results.  Really can't think of anything funny to say about the item, but with the difficulty in finding properly fitting women's clothing (not for me personally, because I'm a guy), unless you are very well versed in your own size and measurements, you'll have to check the return policies for eBayers very carefully.

Or, expect to have something that fits as well as Gwyneth Paltrow's Academy Award gear when she won for Shakespeare in Love.