My Yoda puppet signed by "Weird Al" Yankovic is now listed on eBay

Well, I'm now a liar and worse.

A little over ten years since I vowed that I would never, EVER do it, I am indeed selling my much-loved Yoda hand puppet signed by "Weird Al" Yankovic.

It's really out of my hands (no pun intended).  For reasons which I don't care to disclose publicly, some financial resources have come to be required.  That's just the way things are right now.

So last night the listing for "1980 Star Wars Yoda Hand Puppet Signed By "Weird Al" Yankovic went live on eBay.

Mom bought me the puppet in 1980, a few months after The Empire Strikes Back came out in theaters.  I was six years old and distinctly remember that night at the toy store.  Long story short this puppet - which has maintained PERFCT condition despite the years and miles traveled - went with me to a book signing by "Weird Al" Yankovic in June of 2013.  Al's eyes lit right up when he saw it!  And he was very glad to sign it.

It's Star Wars.  More to the point it's Yoda.  And it's been on the hand of and signed by the greatest parodist in the history of the arts.  For those reasons and more, it's a very precious possession of mine.  And now I'm prepared to let it go.

I thought long and hard about how much I'm asking for it.  This is such a unique item, and it really does matter to me that this will go to a good home.  In the end I had come up with a substantially larger figure.  However eBay's system doesn't think I'm a "power seller" just yet and it's restricted me to bidding starting much smaller.

So if any of this interests you, click on the link above and learn more.  If you would like to bid on it, I wish you all the best.

 

 

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eBay auction for crypt above Marilyn Monroe

Elsie Poncher says she needs money. But instead of pawning her wares or otherwise liquidating what most people consider to be normal assets, Mrs. Poncher has opted to sell off what must be one of the most unusual pieces of real estate in the world: she's selling the tomb of her husband at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles. The crypt is currently occupied by the remains of Richard Poncher.

It's also located directly above the final resting place of Marilyn Monroe.

And what's more, Elsie Poncher is auctioning the tomb on eBay.

The initial bidding began at $500,000. As of this writing eBay Item #320412140795 "Crypt Above Marilyn Monroe For Sale" has received 23 bids and is up to $2,750,600.

Here's the item's description:

Here is a once in a lifetime and into eternity opportunity to spend your eternal days directly above Marilyn Monroe. This crypt in the famous Westwood Cemetary in West Los Angeles currently occupied above Marilyn Monroe is being vacated so as to make room for a new resident. "Spending Eternity next to Marilyn Monroe is too sweet to pass up", recently quoted by Hugh Heffner, who has reserved his place in eternity next to her. The lucky bidder will be deeded a piece of real estate that he or she will make their last address. And below you will be Marilyn Monroe. In fact the person occupying the address right now is looking face down on her.

"In fact the person occupying the address right now is looking face down on her"...?!

Words fail.

But in case anyone's interested, here's a photograph of what Mrs. Poncher is selling on eBay:

And she even takes PayPal!

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eBay auction for Steve Jablonsky-signed copy of TRANSFORMERS: THE SCORE ends today

A friendly reminder in case you've been watching it, that in just less than six hours from now the eBay auction for the copy of Transformers: The Score signed by Transformers composer Steve Jablonsky will be ending.

All proceeds from this auction will be going to benefit music education in Rockingham County (North Carolina) schools.

EDIT 10/26/2007 6:31 a.m. EST: The auction was a great success! The winning bid for the CD was $312.

Thanks again to Transformers composer Steve Jablonsky, and the Transformers fan community which helped spread the word, for doing this to assist with music education here in Rockingham County :-)

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Scammers trying to hijack the eBay action for the Jablonsky-signed TRANSFORMERS Score

Someone... or someones... out there is trying to run a scam involving our auction on eBay for the copy of Transformers: The Score signed by Steve Jablonsky.

Last night, through the item's eBay page, I received a question from Crystal, (which you can read for yourself toward the bottom of the page, just below the big photo of the signed CD). Here's what she told me (and I've put this scammer's name and e-mail address in bold)...

Hi Chris. I got a message through my e-mail from Mr Rhichar (rhichar2dgerer@gmail.com). They said they were you and that I won the CD by default. I figure its a scam. I know you are selling it for a good cause. If you would like I can send you the entire e-mail. I figured it wasn't you. Thought you should know about it. Crystal (aka Uniapeg)

Here's the answer that I gave back to Crystal...

Dear Crystal, That's not me. The only regular e-mail address associated with this auction is my theknightshift@gmail.com one. This dude "Rhichar" is a fraud. If you could, yeah please forward his e-mail to me (again to theknightshift@gmail.com) I'll go over it and might post something accordingly to warn people about this. And thanks!! :-) Take care and God bless, Chris

And earlier this morning Crystal sent me not only the original e-mail from Rhichar but another one from someone who might be a different person. Here's "Rhichar"'s e-mail...

Dear Buyer ,

I'm the seller of the item that you've recently bided through the eBay system.
Item name : Transformers: The Score (CD) signed by Steve Jablonsky Item number: 150172275487 and i`ve just been contacted by the eBay staff who informed me that due to some reasons the eBay policy automatically proclaims you to be the winner by default.
I need your agreement on this so I can contact eBay to confirm you that you're the winner, otherwise I'll relist the item. I am sorry for the inconvenience, but I need an answer asap.
What is your price for my item ?You have oportunity to purchase my item if your offer is resonable for me !!
Waiting for your answer!
Best regards!

And here's the other one that she received, from ardeifoc@ (gmail.comardeifoc@gmail.com)...

I have for sale: Transformers: The Score (CD) signed by Steve Jablonsky Item Number: 150172275487
My price is negociable.
If you are interested just give me a fast reply on this email address and you will find all the info that you want.
Thank You For your Time

Okay well obviously, these aren't from me. And the only way to contact me about this auction is through either the CD's eBay page or through my real e-mail address which is theknightshift@gmail.com. It's only through those two that there'll be any correspondence from this end (the one holding the actual CD) about the auction.

And the only party that is getting this CD is the one that wins the auction and pays the money for it. There won't be anything shady or underhanded going on involving it, and that's why I'm posting this right now: to warn others that there are some bad people out there trying to unfairly profit from it. And to reaffirm - if it needed it - that this auction is one for a good cause and because of that, I'm full-blown committed to keeping everything above the boards and open to scrutiny.

With all of that in mind, I hope that this can remain a fun and memorable lil' event :-)

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Steve Jablonsky-signed copy of TRANSFORMERS: THE SCORE eBay auction is ON!

Here we go fast and furious: the copy of Transformers: The Score signed by composer Steve Jablonsky has just been listed on eBay!

Bidding starts at $25. Along with the signed CD of the Transformers orchestral soundtrack, you get a Certificate of Authenticity (I spent hours last night trying to figure out the right way to make that out, then wound up going for a pretty-much straightforward affair) verifying that this thing is what it claims to be and why we're auctioning it. And just for fun, I'm gonna throw in a copy of the online petition - signed by Yours Truly - that may or may not have helped matters along but it sure seems to have raised a stink over the summer, didn't it? :-P

100% of the proceeds from this sale will be going to help fund some music education projects in the public schools here in Rockingham County, North Carolina. When I first pitched this idea to Steve Jablonsky, what I'd had in mind was to help fund this coming spring's Rockingham All-County Chorus, 'cuz at the time the word was that there wasn't going to be much funding for it. Happily, we don't have to worry about that anymore. But there are still all kinds of things related to music education here that the schools could use some help on: like purchasing new instruments, and possibly some assistance in funding next year's All-County Chorus. I did make sure to tell Steve about the changed situation and he gave us his blessing to use the money from this, however we can to help music education here. So that's what we're gonna do, however it is that we can :-)

I can't begin to say how thankful we are to Steve Jablonsky, that he's helping us out like this.

Okay well... what are you waiting for?!? Hit the link above and feel free to oggle the goods. And to bid on it if you feel so led :-)

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