A telephone rings in a store. An employee answers, “Hello, this is John speaking. How may I help you?” “Yes, hi, I was wondering if you had any ghosts for sale.” How absurd does this seem? Yet it may very well become a reality.An article on CNN.com reported that a woman had listed her father?s ghost as an item to be sold on Ebay. I kept reading the article, thinking, “This is a joke, right?” Logically, it just seems an asinine thing to do. I do realize we are living in a rather technological (and weird) age where anything goes, but selling a ghost is a bit much.
This woman?s name is Mary Anderson from Hobart, Ind. She is auctioning her father?s ghost because of her six-yearold son who was traumatized after the death of his grandfather.
Apparently the grandfather lived with them and died in that same house. Now the son fears walking in the house alone because he thinks his dead grandfather is still lingering. The son?s fearsare due to what he refers to as a “mean grandfather.”
Under the description on the actual page for the ghost, Anderson counteracts her son?s comment by adding, “My dad was the sweetest, most caring man you?d ever meet” and she is going to give her father?s metal walking cane so that the winning bidder can actually have something “physical.” Her whole entire description has all of seven lines of actual text. The last line asks the winning bidder to do her a favor (or as she calls a request) by writing a letter to her son telling him his grandfather?s ghost is with him/her/them and that they are getting along just fine. Could this be an overprotective mother ?s way of handling her son?s fear of death?
I felt compelled to see if this was for real, and sure enough,on Ebay, under the search “father?s ghost,” five auctions came up. Many mimicked Anderson?s bid. Half claimed to be the real one, although from the information provided on CNN.com, I believe I found the real auction. I did this at around 12 p.m. It is now 4:33 p.m., and there are a total of 55 items matching the search; everything from a dog?s ghost, a dead father?s cane, or even better, a soon-to-be-dead father?s cane. Some auctions go as far as a father?s ghost?s hammer, his Simpsons collectibles, his tiramisu recipe, his Ouija board, and cross dressing pictures of him. And all come with the same description as Anderson?s: “This is no joke.” Anderson?s highest offer right now is $1,825 and an imitation of her auction (a person pretending to be Anderson) is up to $4,362. I think I?ve seen it all, but this is just the beginning. Why not jump on the bandwagon? I think I?ll bid on someone?s dead grandfather?s ghost, or maybe I?ll put my dead nana up for sale.
Jessie Thurlow is a senior majoring in literature.