Pitney Bowes Postage Meter Tape 610-0 NEW - 6 ROLLS

Just a quick note on liability - it's always important to carefully read the eBay auction. Thankfully, this particular auction for postage tape is fairly straightforward. They even put in the all-important qualifying word "new," as I don't think that used postage tape will get you very far.

We've all heard horror stories of people who actually paid for "wholesale lists" when they thought they were buying computer components or someone who paid for an empty box for a Sony PS2.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Team Alinghi Plat

File this under "has too much money." I'm not sure what the point of eBay is when you start getting to this level. Besides, if you have the kind of money to buy an actual Royal Oak Offshore wristwatch, why the heck are you looking on eBay?

Not being a member of society's elite, I'm hard pressed as to what makes this worth more than an average household's annual income ($125,000), which is why I probably can't afford something like this.

But if you're looking for a deal, don't bother with trying to snipe...it's BUY IT NOW only.

Bank of Italy, 1920s School Savings Account passbook

I guess this was okay back in the 1920's, when identity theft wasn't such a big deal. But nowadays, expect any sort of savings accounts information to be shredded when it's no longer in use. Perhaps it's a sign of a more innocent time and a more carefree time, considering that it was the roaring 20s.

While the adage of "Trash and treasure" come to mind, it's reflective of a completely different era. The seller gives a thorough history that is attached to the item, talking about how the Bank of Italy eventually became the Bank of America and was one of the few businesses to survive the earthquake of 1906.

Lightning Reaction Extreme - The Ultimate Shocking Game

Quite probably one of the most sadistic and masochistic electronic games ever devised, it's "Lightning Reaction Extreme," which is actually popular enough to the point that it's spawned dozens of videos on YouTube.

The way it works is that the four players hold onto a metal handle that is designed to give them a shock when they do something wrong in the game. Either the last one who drops the handle gets shocked, or the first one who drops the handle shocks everyone else.

Probably a really bad idea if you have a pacemaker.

$$ SURPRISE MyStErY AuCtIoN $$ LCD TV CASH MP3 Laptop $

Not having any success finding people offering laptop rental services on eBay, I came across another bloated category of eBay auctions: "mystery auctions."

Some people doing mystery auctions are actually selling an item as advertised, and then including a "surprise" somewhere in there. This one in particular is only selling an e-mail address, and he's got 5000 of them available.

To their credit, some of them are actually offering tangible items and whatever they want to throw in, but when someone has something of minimal value (ie: a $2 drink box) that's all the way up to $25 current bid, the old adage of the fool and his/her money immediately comes to mind.

** Brand New Designer Gas Lift Swivel Chair in Pink

I scoured eBay in the hopes of finding the ugliest piece of office furniture available, but the only thing I could find was this.

The seller repeatedly states that this chair would be perfect for "ladies and kids." Having remembered what being a boy was like, I can say that I would do whatever I could to make this any other colour than hot pink. For the right type of working environment, this would be ideal. But not my working environment.

And why does the seller say "happy bidding" when "buy it now" is the only option for obtaining this item?

Orovo

Orovo is a natural supplement purported to promote weight loss and clearer skin, and if the number of eBay auctions that pop up that are selling Orovo, could prove to be potent money maker for whoever is making it. But as to whether or not the product is right for you?

With any other supplement that is sold in bulk on the internet, quick research will tell you a lot of different things. Also, someone wrote in on Yahoo Answers, asking about the effectiveness of the product. The first person who replied was from Orovo.com, while the second person questioned its usefulness.

Caveat Emptor.

AMISH MADE 5' Glider Bench NEW! Outdoor Furniture

I found this to be of some interest: outdoor furniture made by the Amish. Best known for their simplistic lifestyle and shunning of modern technology, it's not expected that they would be involved with internet trading, considering that the Amish are often believed to have minimal contact with the outside world.

If this is indeed made by hand, it looks pretty good...either that, or it's "Amish Made" just like McDonald's is really 100% Beef..."100% Beef" being an actual trademarked name.

REAL ESTATE COURSE- COMMERCIAL APARTMENT/OFFICE/RETAIL

I don't know if this is the sign of a declining commercial real estate market or not. Depending on where you live, real estate is extremely expensive for most people, and first time buyers have a lot of stumbling blocks. On the other hand, sub prime mortgages are one of the contributing factors to the major economic slowdown occurring in America right now.

But, when a seller is offering a real estate license course on eBay, is it indicative of a slowdown in the real estate license course market when the words "or best offer" appear in the price?