Posted September 13 2004
Last week Josh Marquart was riding out Hurricane Frances in his Coconut Creek home when he came up with what he thought was a great idea.
Why not bottle wind from the storm and sell it on eBay?
"I've seen funny things on eBay before," said Marquart, 29, a software developer. Marquart actually bid in an auction in which someone was selling the right to be "complimented profusely" for three minutes. He bid $2, won and had the seller compliment a co-worker.
Marquart captured his Frances samples in 32-ounce plastic containers during a lull between squalls, at about 2 p.m. Sept. 4. He listed them on eBay at minimum bids of one cent.
All four samples sold, at prices ranging from 29 cents to $10 (plus $2 each for shipping). Three people have paid so far, Marquart said.
Jim Pardi, who lives in Bedford, N.H., purchased a sample for $1.26, plus shipping. "I appreciated the humor, and I just wanted to play along," he said. "I thought it was entertaining, and who knows -- it might be worth something someday."
Marquart didn't expect to turn his wind into a windfall. "I did it for the funny, not the money," he confessed. But he's already making plans for Hurricane Ivan. "I'll have the buyers contribute to the American Red Cross next time," he said.
-- By Robyn A. Friedman
I did a search on eBay and they do have a lot of odd stuff.
