On this page we catch up with and diagnose the search trends on eBay from the previous week. We get our information by matching the top 20 items spiking daily in search trends from eBay itself with other topics currently being searched on outside the eBay walls.
Top Search Trends: Week ending Friday September 7, 2012
Topping our trends this week were searches for Halloween costumes and Halloween decorations, as our savvy shoppers tried to get a jump on the season. With most of us just barely recovered from the back-to-school shopping frenzy, it seems a bit much to be looking for Halloween costumes already. And yet my son came in yesterday and asked to look (on eBay) for ideas for Halloween, so there must be something in the air. Perhaps, on the first day of school, all the kids ask each other what they are gonna be for Halloween, which inspires those kids to ask their parents, which leads to our search trends results being skewed, early.
Ah yes, the butterfly effect in full force.
So, we turned to our Top Shared page to see what the wisdom of the crowds was pegging as THE most interesting costumes this season. We’re happy to report that eBay browsers have not let us down, starting with this Assassin’s Creed 2 II Altair Cosplay Costume:
This costume can also be used for “cosplay,” which is defined at UrbanDictionary.com as “Costume Play, or dressing up and pretending to be a fictional character (usually a sci-fi, comic book, or anime character).” The thing about cosplay is you don’t need to wait for Halloween to dress up. Apparently every day is Halloween.
Another Top Shared Halloween item that caught our eye was this Skeleton Xray Maternity Top:
The listing notes that it “is perfect for everyday wear, as part of a costume, or to get in the spirit during the Halloween season!” Not sure of the sex of the baby? No problem. According to the listing, the baby skeleton can be a boy or a girl, but that the “girl skeleton has eyelashes as well as a bow that you can choose the color of.” There is no word on the listing as to how they distinguish the boy.
Other searches were for a Nintendo 3DS XL game system. After seeing the DS fall out of handheld gamers who w ere choosing their smartphones instead, this search was a bit confusing. One of our readers pointed out they could be looking for this Microwaved DS XL Black/Red (latest model):
Yes, you read that right: this is a MICROWAVED DS. It is hard to believe this item sold, but apparently the selling price for this “limited time original artwork, sign & dated by the artist made by your professional microwave operator at dOvetastic Microwave Theater” was over $2,000. It is amazing what a work of art will sell for on eBay these days.
Finally, we landed upon the strangest search term we’ve seen in awhile. The search was for tattoo my forehead, and we thought it must be joke, that there couldn’t really be any search results to do with this term. We were wrong. We found this listing offering to Tattoo your Advertisement on my Forehead :
Yes, this person is willing to have your tattoo on his forehead. The listing describes the details:
“I will let your company place its advertisement on my forehead and it will all be Done at INSANE INK in Marianna Florida by Marty and Cloe Mullinax”
If this seems like an “insane” offer, the listing at least sounds legitimate. The seller goes on to note that even though he is in his forties, he plans to be around for a long time (he hopes for 20 years or more), so this could be a good investment. You will have to read the fine print to find out what happens if your company goes out of business and you want to remove the tat. The only somewhat similar offer we’ve seen was when we wrote this story Your name on an Olympian for $4K. After 85 bids the winning bid was over $11K. It looks like there may be a business opportunity, here…
Selected high-value items listed or sold on eBay this week:
Please note this a sample of high-value items on eBay. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it is a representative list.
2006 Ferrari F430 Convertible – $149,999
Trimble Robotic Total Station SPS930 1 Sec Machine Control w/TSC2 – $23,500
2 *AISLE* Los Angeles Lakers *PREMIER* Full Season Seats w/PLAYOFFS included – $22,000
JOHN DEERE 644G WHEEL LOADER PAYLOADER TRACTOR RUBBER TIRE LOADER – $21,457
Tiffany&Co Etoile Plat Diamond Anniversary Wedding Ring Engagement Three Stone – $20,000
G Argy Rousseau French Art Nouveau Pate de Verre vase, Le Jardin Des Hesperides – $19,500
Really? Someone blew two grand for a nuked DS? What’s that saying about a fool & his money?
That melted DS is NOT a work of art. It is a melted DS. Elephants that paint have more talent than the person who melted this DS. Let all the fanboys and morons tell me that “it’s in the eye of the beholder.” It’s a melted DS, and it’s no more a piece of art than a wrecked car or a grocery sack. Oh wait, I just smashed an old radio out in my garage and peed on it…now it’s art and surely some sack with an extra 2k to waste will buy it from me!!! I’m an artist!!!!