This Instagram Account Collects Images Of The Weirdest Things Sold On eBay, And Here Are 40 Of The Best Finds (New Pics)

eBay is unlike any other corner of the internet. Sure, there are other sites where individuals can sell their homemade products or used goods, but the bidding system and items available are certainly unique. If you’re not familiar with eBay, it was founded in 1995 under the name Auction web. At the time, the purpose was for buyers to bid on products from sellers, and whoever made the highest bid after a set number of time (say, 24 hours) would have to purchase the item. Back then, some of the most hot-ticket items were collectibles like Beanie Babies.

Over time, eBay has honed its business model, and now many items can be simply purchased without having to make bids and obsessively sit by the computer. But the website has also changed in the way that there are many more items available now. As of 2022, there are 135 million eBay users worldwide, and 1.7 billion live listings. The most popular category of products sold is “Electronics & Accessories”, but as we all know, plenty of other quirky items find their way onto the site as well.  

Seeing this list of questionable items listed on eBay does beg the question, what can’t be sold on the site? Well, over the years, eBay has compiled an exhaustive list of all of their prohibited and restricted items, so we’ll break down some of the things that shouldn’t be making an appearance in this article. Some of the categories are not expressly prohibited, but instead have specific guidelines about what is permitted or must be sold through “eBay approved vendors”. These include adult items, alcohol, art, cosmetics, collectible currency, and electronic equipment.

When it comes to what is never allowed, eBay bans artifacts and cave formations, catalytic converters and test pipes (these are commonly stolen), use clothing, illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia, firearms and accessories, food, government items, human body parts, live animals, lockpicking devices, military items, MLMs or pyramid scheme programs, offensive materials, pesticides, slot machines, stolen property, and more.