A German couple put their baby up for sale on eBay - and not one of those scary Reborn babies you usually see on the auction site, but a real seven-month-old boy. The starting price: one Euro (less than $2). The ad read: "Offering my nearly new baby for sale, as it has gotten too loud. It is a male baby, nearly 28 inches (70 cm) long and can be used either in a baby carrier or a stroller."
According to the Telegraph, the baby's name is Merlin and the item listing was titled: "Baby - Pick-up in Person Only." That article also quotes the mother as saying, "I would never give up my beloved Merlin. On the contrary. I just did it for a bit of fun, and simply wanted to see whether someone would actually reply to the offer."
Clearly, it was a joke. The wording ("can be used in either a baby carrier or a stroller") is pure satire. But it's a terrible joke, way beyond the pale. Joking about handing your baby over to a stranger is about as acceptable as joking about being a terrorist or about there being a fire in a crowded movie theater.
And the consequences for the family are dire: Merlin has been removed from his parents and his mother is being sent for psychiatric testing.
Reader Comments ( Page 2 of 2)
16. Ditto to Fran's comment.
Chris at 2:40PM on May 28th 2008
17. Oh, come on, who hasn't at one point or another wanted to give their crying, pooping, screaming, puking BABY away. Especially when they act out in a public place like the grocery?
You can't beat your kids anymore, so what is a mum to do?
But I must admit, at 7 months old, this baby is way to fresh and new to get sold on Ebay.
Now, on the other hand, I've got a wonderfully seasoned 16 year old boy that would go great slacking in your basement den, as long as you've got a pool table a big screen and an x-box...
TJ at 3:34PM on May 28th 2008
18. To mac - #6 -- I did see that auction where a guy (teenager I believe) sold his soul on Ebay. He got quite a lot of bids too. The things that people think are funny these days amaze me. With what's out in the world today, listing a human being, especially a defenseless one on Ebay is not good judgement, joke or otherwise, in my opinion.
Meme at 3:58PM on May 28th 2008
19. To TJ # 17.. That is what babies do. They cry, they spit up, they do these things at home, in public, wherever because they are not old enough to kknow otherwise. As far as "beating your kids", there is a difference between "beating them" and giving them a swat on the bum to get their attention. I'm raising the last 2 of my 8 children and never for a second through all the years of colic and even those pesky teenage years, EVER gave a thought to giving a single one away. If you have, then having children isn't your calling, obviously. I do hope that your son reaches his majority sanely living with you until he's old enough to leave.
Meme at 4:06PM on May 28th 2008
20. Sarah:
It is a question of setting. For instance, I bear such an unbelievably strong resemblence to my mother that people used to joke that, "it looked like nobody else was involved" She, in turn would 'joke' that she tried leaving me on people's doorsteps but they kept bringing me back saying, "Whaddaya kiddin us lady?...We're not supposed to know this is yours?" The difference that makes this a 'joke' and this woman's e-bay stunt a 'crime' is that A) my mother never actually left me on any doorsteps and B) the comment was made in a gathering of people who were our friends...not, posted on a public forum that invites stangers to bid on me.
Keith J. Mohrhoff at 8:20AM on May 29th 2008
21. This is a pretty good illustration of how things are going in socialist Europe. Since it "Takes a Village" to raise a child and since the parents joked about something you don't joke about, we'll just introduce trauma and heartache into the lives of the family by taking the child away in totalitarian fashion. Yeah, that'll make things better.
Dave at 1:36PM on May 30th 2008
22. It is a joke after she gets caught. Would it have been a joke if the baby sold for $125,000.00
Damon at 1:40AM on Jun 2nd 2008
23. bob,
True dat. It's still damn funny. Sounds like a Fark.
Mokele Mbembe at 1:24PM on Jul 1st 2008