"eBay" news and stories

Dad's Root Beer Crate. Photo: eBay.

Several weeks ago, I covered my co-worker's wedding in Louisville, Ky., and raved about how she doubled her wedding cakes as centerpieces. It got me thinking: Everyone attending our wedding knows that both Jon and I are serious foodies. I want to incorporate food into our decor too, but I don't want to overdo it (and believe me, that wouldn't be hard!).

With the cost of food eternally increasing, I need to come up with other ways to incorporate our passion into our cocktail hour and reception. With the help of eBay and Amazon, I think I'll be able to pull it off. I have a vision of filling up old crates with bright, white hydrangeas and placing them by the bars.

Taking that idea one step further, I started a search on eBay for wine crates and stumbled across an antique Dad's Root Beer crate, which just so happens to be one of Jon and my father's favorite root beers. Five days of bidding and this puppy was mine!

Check out more of my finds after the jump!

When it comes to beer-related gifts, vintage and kitsch are king. Bargain shoppers can rejoice with plenty of original and exciting items to be found at reasonable prices... if you're willing to put in a little elbow grease. But thanks to the fact that we live in modern times (Take that, previous generations!), online shopping provides an easy replacement for trips to every local secondhand store in a five mile area.

Idea #1: Think small. Just glancing around my apartment, I have plenty of simple beer-branded items that give me a smile. When I want to play darts, it's Miller High Life against Miller Genuine Draft. Not my favorite beers, but fun Wisconsin kitsch! Most websites that sell dart flights have beer flights available. When I open a bottle, my Brooklyn Brewery wall-mounted bottle opener is my go-to guy -- another online purchase. And tossed all over the apartment are coasters we picked up from various trips to different pubs and breweries -- a quick web search can save you the trouble of travel and have them sent right to your door. All these things are simple gifts for under $10.

The worst things about religious portents is that they are so hard to interpret. When Mary shows up in a tortilla or Jesus makes Himself known in a sliced cantaloupe, are these divine figures endorsing the food or warning that we should probably not eat it? Is an Elvis portrait in a ham steak a sign that he wants us to enjoy pork or is it a veiled commentary on the King's acting skills? If Judy Garland talks to me through my Rice Krispies, is this a sign that I should become a female impersonator or just a warning that I need to start taking my medication again?

Tough questions.

These sorts of conundrums recently gained further relevance with the emergence of a slab of toast that bears the image of Sarah Palin. The starchy message from heaven, which is currently going for $31 on eBay, is not particularly easy to interpret. Does it mean that the famed moose-hunter and Republican vice presidential candidate is divinely inspired, or is it a sign that her message is full of empty calories? Are we supposed to consume her platform, making it part of us, or is the universe telling us that she is toast? Either way, I'm taking a good, hard look at my waffle tomorrow--just in case John McCain decides to make an appearance!

A lot of people have come across an odd shaped piece of food and thought "boy that looks like such and such." We just received a tip about exactly that, and boy is it funny.

Someone found a strawberry that they think looks like the United States. I guess it kind of does, you just have to use your imagination. Where things start to get really funny is this person decided to sell it on Ebay! Not only that, it's up for bid until March 22, though the sales description does say the berry has been frozen.

Bidding starts a just 99 cents, so this interesting piece of fruit could be yours for a bargain. Of course there is the matter of $20 shipping!

In case there was ever any doubt, I've come across further proof that people really will do anything for a Chicago hot dog. The next time you get a craving, look no further than eBay. An enterprising individual recently sold a "Complete (non-eaten) Soldier Field Hot Dog (wrapper included)" along with a ticket stub from the NFC Championship. Wow, I am glad he specified that it was non-eaten.

Yes, the requisite question was asked. Q: Does this come with mustard, onions, relish, celery salt, and a pickle spear? Sadly, it didn't. Nothing but a bun and a wiener, so it is really only a pretend Chicago dog. However, the seller did have some friendly words of advice:

Who needs a wedding cake when you can have a hot dog from the 2007 NFC Championship Game to break out on special occasions?

Who indeed, dude? Who indeed? I'm fairly certain most prospective brides would completely agree with you too.

In case you were wondering (and I know you were), the item sold for $6.49 plus a $20.00 charge for overnight shipping. The hot dog was to be frozen and shipped out late in the day to minimize thawing time. Whew, that's a load off my mind. Wouldn't want it to go bad or anything.

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