planetdan

Tuesday, June 28, 2005 :::

Sexybay

Fresh out of college and making $9.38 an hour (+ benefits!), I looked for ways to supplement my income while doing the least amount of work possible. This was around the dawn of eBay. I had read somewhere online that a certain Sears catalog had been recalled back in the 1970's for showing a little too much "skin" on one of the male underwear models, and I looked on eBay to see that this particular catalog was readily available from sellers who apparently weren't aware of its collectibility. So I bought a couple (for around $10 a piece) and then relisted them on eBay (for around $35 a piece). I had no problem selling them after describing what could be seen on page 602. Nowadays, the effort hardly seems worth the $25 profit, but I get a little nostalgic recalling my days as a Sears catalog smut broker:

You can hardly even see anything from this bad scan unless you really squint hard, but trust me, the guy in the boxers was definitely in need of some longer drawers. Recently, my coworker sold a couple old star wars action figures on eBay for $100 a piece, and my friend B* sold some anime book for over $1,000, so I'd be in way over my head if I tried to compete in that market again. I'm officially retired from the eBay selling scene.

There are some other people who should probably retire as well.
For instance, whoever was the model for this auction.

::: posted by dan at 11:24 AM :: [ link ] :: (15) comments

Comments are Closed On this Post

15 previous comments:

From that link, I guess "petite" means something different in the UK than it does here. Yikes.

That guy doesn't need longer shorts, just to bring the ones he has down a bit. Is that how boxers are supposed to be worn? I miss ebay porn. Stupid "websense" at work.

By

brent, at 12:04 PM

(from a longtime reader, but rare commenter)

Ow, my eyes!

Hilarious that it says "petite" size 12. I'm guessing that girl needed at least a size 16. Icky.

By

Cara, at 1:26 PM

there is no way she is a size 12. She couldn't even button those things!! My question:

would you want to buy them after she had stretched them out???

By

duane, at 1:38 PM

Clearly the string bikini underwear on that woman was necessary. I'm blind.

By

ab, at 1:47 PM

I became an ebay legend in my office community several years ago when I sold a menu from a local bar for something like $6.95. I know, not a B* sized score but it was sort of the glory of it. The menu was just paper, but it was shaped like an owl, from a bar in San Francisco called "The Owl Tree" which is entirely decorated in owls, everywhere you look. If you thought owl decor went the way of the macrame plant hanger, you are wrong. I swear I could just go there and ask for a bunch of their menus and then make a living off all the owl collectors on ebay that will pay big bucks for these things.

Of course, this started my pal Bonnie and I on a crusade. We went to Chinatown armed with $20 a piece to see how much crap we could get and then sell on ebay for profit. (We hear there are some cities in the US who don't have a Chinatown!) I think we made about $10 over what we spent, but it was just the beginning of a long history of selling off my old crap on ebay and bragging about it to everyone - like I'm doing now.

By

tcarole, at 2:36 PM

By the way, that story was meant to divert attention from the horror that was that woman's belly hanging over that skirt. That reminded me of Dan's previous post of the granny in Daisy Duke shorts with her ass cheeks hanging out.

By

tcarole, at 2:38 PM

Is it just me or does that guy look like Ray Liotta?

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Jeff, at 3:48 PM

LOL!!! yep that model does look like ray liotta... now who does the other model look like? he reminds me of the guy who used to be on Hollywood Squares (he had a square for a while)... the guy with dimples. I want to say Bobby Sherman but I don't think that's correct.

By

fifi, at 5:17 PM

The other guy reminds me of Captain Apollo from the original "Battlestar Galactica". See his pic here:

http://www.battlestargalactica.com/outside_docs/bg_outdoc0018.htm

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Jeff, at 5:28 PM

captain apollo... yup he looks more like apollo than the guy i was thinking of. I finally remembered that guy's name... John Davidson. I really don't know where i came up with Bobby Sherman. I don't think I'm that old... i don't think.

http://www.johndavidson.com/john.html

By

fifi, at 7:02 PM

I love that the skirt is advertised as "sexy/kinky". Well, now I must have it.

By

lynne, at 8:10 PM

My social studies teacher in 11th grade was an ex-catalog model. He never mentioned modeling underware, but I bet he did. And that girl with that skirt (shudder). Don't click that link when you're eating...My dad has playboys dating back to the 70's - maybe I can sell that issue on Ebay with Madonna in it with hairy pitts.

By

Biglug, at 7:52 AM

Some guy also made money on this catalog with a novelty song called "The Man on Page 602." See http://www.chartrecords.net/man_on_page_602.htm. The 45 still shows up on e-bay pretty regularly.

By

Nick, at 3:56 PM

Oh, thank you so much for posting this photo! I've heard about the infamous Sears Catalog schwanz for years and have never had the pleasure of seeing it. I can even remember my mom talking about it, back in the day. Now I can go on with my life!!

By

Suz, at 4:21 PM

This is so funny, I recall my bus driver in Scullville N.J. telling us about page 602 and we ran home to check and there it was. I never thought anyone remembered this..... I am so glad the old days never die.....Here's to the 70's ! Barb, South Florida

By

Barb, at 6:45 PM

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