Hitler's Gun

A rare German gun that may have belonged to Adolph Hitler -- allegedly taken as a souvenir 60 years ago when U.S. forces captured one of his secret hideaways -- could fetch thousands of dollars in an online auction next month, organizers said.

No one knows for sure whether Hitler owned the Krieghoff Drilling combination shotgun and rifle engraved with the initials "A.H." It is to be sold by Midwest Exchange, a Bloomington pawn shop, at auction at www.gunbroker.com.

Randall Gibson, author of The Krieghoff Parabellum, a reference book on the gun maker, said the gun likely is authentic. The company gave engraved guns to Hitler and other high-ranking German officials as it sought military contracts before World War II.

The gun's unnamed owners, who live in central Illinois, will donate net proceeds of the auction to the Anti-Defamation League, a group that combats anti-Semitism and bigotry, said Midwest Exchange owner Wes Lane.

A league official said Friday that the organization welcomes donations but would rather the owners donate the gun to a museum where it could be preserved and safeguarded.

"When you auction it off you never know who might buy it. ... We prefer it not fall into the hands of people who praise or laud Hitler, because there certainly are still people out there who do that," said Adam Schupack, associate director of the league's Chicago office.

The gun likely would sell for at least $7,000 without a connection to Hitler, and there's no telling how that possible link might drive up the price, Lane said.

"Twenty, 30, 40, 50 thousand? I don't know," Gibson said.

Lane said the online auction will begin Jan. 30 and will run at least 15 days.

According to the gun's owners, Lane said, the weapon was taken as a souvenir when Hitler's hideaway in the Bavarian Mountains was seized in May 1945 by the U.S. Army's 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, profiled in the HBO cable TV miniseries "Band of Brothers."

The paratrooper later sold the gun to an Army lieutenant who was unaware of the connection to Hitler, Lane said. The soldier settled in Illinois and kept the gun under his bed for years, taking it out only occasionally to hunt. He died more than a decade ago, and his family no longer wants the gun.

Stuffed Horse

Who in the hell would want this thing?

eBay Description:
This is a full-sized, authentic stuffed horse. Real animal hair, hooves, mane, tail. Stuffed in a very unusual position. Measures approximately 60" x 36" x 75" Free standing, doesn't need pedestal. Old style taxidermy, not done anymore. Highly unusual prop for stage or theatre, wonderful gift for horse-lover, conversation piece for living room, unique and rare. Chestnut color, black mane and tail. Front right leg is missing, approximately 3". Some tears in skin - approximately 5-10, no longer than 1". Two tears in back, approx. 8". More pictures on request. Contact seller for shipping fees.

Check it out over here.

Apple Newton Museum

I didn't even know there *was* a Newton Museum, but apparently there is... and they are selling everything as a package deal. I wonder if anyone ever came to visit the "museum". hah

Check it out over here.

Exclusive Britney Spears Honeymoon Photos

80 supposedly exclusive pictures from Britney Spear's wedding is for sale right now on eBay.

Opening bid is $3,000 (no bids yet) with 5 days left on the auction.

You can check it out over here.

Long Beach Toyota Celebrity Race

If you've ever wanted to hang out with some movie, TV and sports stars for a weekend - and turn some hot laps in a race car against them while you're at it! - now's your chance.

Starting January 16, 2006 a spot on the starting grid for the 30th Anniversary Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race - part of the April 7-9, 32nd Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach - will be up for bid on eBay, with bidding scheduled to run through January 26. All proceeds from the auction will go to the Grand Prix Foundation of Long Beach, which, since its inception in 1991, has donated more than $1.8 million to Southern California charities.

High bidder will be behind the wheel of a new, race-ready Toyota Scion tC, hitting more than 100 mph in the 10-lap sprint over the legendary 1.97-mile, 11-turn Long Beach street circuit, running fender-to-fender with a group of to-be-announced celebrities from movies, TV and sports, as well as professional drivers.

Past celebrities in the race have included George Lucas, Cameron Diaz, Gene Hackman, Patrick Dempsey, Jay Leno, John Elway and Ashley Judd, along with professionals Danica Patrick, Scott Pruett and Parnelli Jones.

The high bidder also receives, courtesy of Toyota Motorsports USA:

• Four days of professional driver's training at Fast Lane Driving School, Rosamond, CA,
  
• Pre-event Press Day prior to race weekend and other media activities,
  
• Custom-made driving gear, including suit, shoes, gloves and helmet,
  
• First-class air fare and hotel accommodations for training, press day and race weekend, with ground transportation for race related events only,
  
• A $5,000 donation from Toyota in the high bidder's name to "Racing for Kids," a national program benefiting two children's hospitals in Southern California, and
  
• A VIP pass for 2 for a private celebrity event immediately following the Saturday, April 8.

"There are millions of people in this country who have always wanted to drive a race car," said Rick DuRee, president of the Grand Prix Foundation of Long Beach. "Thanks to Toyota Motorsports, USA, they now have an opportunity to do just that with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"And, perhaps most importantly, all proceeds from the winning bid will go to the Grand Prix Foundation which, since its inception, has contributed nearly $2 million to charitable organizations in the greater Long Beach area."

High bidder must attend four days of driver training in March, either on two consecutive weekends (March 4-5 and March 11-12) or for four consecutive days, March 9-12.

The Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race will take the green flag on Saturday, April 8, part of a weekend of racing that also includes the Champ Car World Series, a Drifting challenge, Champ Car Atlantics and the debut of the fast Daytona Prototypes of the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series.

Beginning January 9, those interested can become pre-qualified to bid on the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race package by going to www.ebay.com/toyotagrandprix.

Bambi In A Bottle

Hmmm... interesting.

Bambi in a bottle is a preserved deer fawn in a one gallon jar. This fawn is the real deal. If you didn't get your deer this hunting season, don't worry, bring yours home in a bottle. "Bambi In A Bottle" for the unlucky hunter or discriminating collector. Not for human consuption.


The high bid is currently $76, with about 24 hours left to go.

Check it out over here.

Microsoft Security Flaw For Sale On eBay

Microsoft's crack team of counterfeit scouts must have been in for a shock if they were scouring eBay recently and came across a certain item selling for around $60.

The online auction site last week pulled an auction for a security vulnerability in Microsoft's Excel spreadsheet program, offered by a seller under the moniker 'Fearwall'.

The flaw had apparently been reported to Microsoft on 6 December, but has yet to be addressed by the company. The problem is reported to lie in the way the application handles certain types of data and affect all versions of the program.

A starting bid of 1 cent was described as a fair price for Microsoft products by the seller, who also offered a discount to Microsoft staff who quoted the reference 'LINUXRULZ'.

Microsoft has said that it is not aware of any attacks using the flaw described in the listing and that it is working with eBay on deciding the appropriate action to take with the seller.