( 
)
Who knew there was enough eBay food
for it to rate a collector's guide of its very own? Well, I did,
obviously, and when you get finished reading this guide, you will too.
And I think you'll agree that this is my most tasteful eBayana (eBay-ana) guide yet!
A lot of edible eBayana is just desserts, so let's give a nod to good health by starting off with a hearty, well-balanced meal. To be specific, let's see what selected eBay UK Top Sellers chowed down on at their Shooting Star Celebration. I've got a copy of the ebay.co.uk Shooting Star Celebration menu — printed on high-quality parchment — purchased from a Seller who was there to enjoy it and found in the eBayana category at eBay UK. I believe this dinner was held in 2005. It featured three delicious courses and eight fabulous wines (four white and four red). Who says the English don't know how to enjoy fine cuisine? You could take Usher Lieberman directly from dinner to the karaoke bar after all that wine (inside joke; check it out on YouTube). Don't you love the eBay-colored frame around the menu? I got it from my friend and fellow eBayana collector beachbadge.
First course was Smoked Salmon and Crème Fraîche Tartare, served along with a Cucumber Salad. You didn't have to pick one, you got them both. Next up was Rosemary Lamb Shank, Apple Mash, and Cinnamon Red Cabbage (not sure about the sound of that last vegetable side dish). And for dessert — or pudding, as it's called in Britain? Strawberry and Clotted Cream Mousse. Yum!
White wines served were Wild Rush White, Colombar Sauvignon Chardonnay, Reitvallei, and Robertson; red wines served were Wild Rush Red, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tinta Barocca, Reitvallei, Robertson.
After that, you'd probably like an after-dinner mint. Again, you have your choice of several varieties. You can choose the eBay Powerseller Mints that were given away in the PowerSeller lounges at various eBay Lives — evidently eBay PowerSellers are Recognized. Respected. Rewarded. and have bad breath? or is that supposed to be the sweet smell of success? — or you can enjoy the co-branded eBay-USPS Breath Mints that were given away at eBay Live! 2005 or 2006.
And I've got a fabulous bottle of eBay Sekt, or Sparkling Wine, that definitely should be added to any eBay wine menu, either as an apéritif or as an after-dinner palate cleanser to set the tone for the rest of the evening's festivites. You technically can't call it champagne since it wasn't made in the Champagne region of France, but it's eBay Champagne by any other name! It was given to eBayers at eBay Germany (ebay.de) who achieved a Red Star feedback rating of 1000 points. It was sent to them along with a red feedback star magnet and the message Herzlichen Glückwunsch! (congratulations) both on the label of the bottle itself and on the card that came with it. We used to get pins at ebay.com for achieving various feedback star ratings, but we surely never got champagne! I found this greatly treasured collector's item in the eBayana category at eBay Germany, source of many a fantastic artikel of unusual eBayana. It was not easy finding a Verkäufer (Seller) who would ship this item internationally, but I was persistent and finally got lucky — especially so since it arrived perfectly intact, complete with its original straw-padded wooden box.
Cookies (or biscuits, as they call them at ebay.co.uk) are another favorite dessert (or snack, for that matter) but there's one that's specially made for serving after dinner. Hint: If you're fortunate, you might find one — or even some — in the eBay-ana category at ebay.com. Or you can get them from your favorite Chinese restaurant, but they probably won't be pink. Have you guessed yet? That's right: an eBay Fortune cookie! These pink delights were given out at the Pinks Lounge (before they changed its name to the Community Lounge) at eBay Live!, pre-2005. Don't you wonder what the fortunes say? Maybe they give positive feedback. I keep mine in our eBay cookie jar (where else?).
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While we're at it, after-dinner chocolates are another traditional treat. And we've got it eBay — literally: It's a chocolate disc wrapped in foil to look like a casino chip, and it bears the eBay "it" logo in orange, yellow, and green at its center. Delish! It chocolate discs were given away at eBay Live! 2006 in Las Vegas, the year of the "Whatever it is, you can get it on eBay" promotional campaign.
Actually, there's a small plethora of chocolate eBayana (a.k.a. eBay-ana) in existence. In addition to the chocolate it disc, I've got a decorative eBay choccy with the eBay logo in two colors of milk and white chocolate. It was given out at a special PowerSeller dinner during eBay Live!, I believe pre-2005, and it now lives in my freezer. It's probably no longer edible, but who's planning to eat it?
Also
in the chocolate category is a truly obscure and rare (especially since
it was not only perishable, but edible — and delicious) eBay collector's item: the eBay Motors Best Offer Hershey Bar. It's got the eBay Motors
logo on both sides. On the front it bears the words BEST Offer along
with the promotional message A SWEET NEW TOOL TO SELL MORE VEHICLES IN
LESS TIME! On the back it says TRY OUR BEST OFFER NEGOTIATING TOOL ON EBAY MOTORS,
THE NUMBER ONE AUTOMOTIVE SITE ON THE WEB. Visit www.ebaymotors.com/bestoffer to find our more about Best Offer or call
a Dealer Consultant toll free: 1-866-MOTORS4 Promo Code: NADAP06. A
gold starburst holds the words "Visit eBay Motors
At Booth #686". And it's a real, genuine Hershey's chocolate bar. In
fact, you can get your own personalized wrapped Hershey Bars at
wrappedhersheys.com. These eBay Motors Best Offer Hershey Bars were given out at eBay Live!, pre-2006. I've got one of the bars (it lives in that freezer box with my other eBay edibles) and one empty wrapper, perfectly preserved.
If you prefer your caffeine in coffee instead of chocolate, we can oblige you there too. eBay Seller gosintamystore, purveyors of fine DJ equipment, gave away Go-Go Beans in the goodie bags at the eBay Radio Party, June 24-25, 2009 in Las Vegas. And The eBay Shop recently sold caffeinated peppermint Blitz Gum in cute little tins bearing the eBay logo. That's not the only refillable goody they sold at The eBay Shop, either. They also sold Jelly Belly jellybeans in all four eBay colors, again in a cute little tin bearing the eBay logo.
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eBay candy is a full subcategory of edible eBayana all by itself. In addition to eBay PowerSeller and eBay-USPS Mints, eBay Blitz Gum, and eBay Jelly Bellys, there's the eBay gumball machine, which comes in red or the even rarer black. It bears the eBay logo in white on the front of the glass and can occasionally — very occasionally — be found at ebay.com, usually in the eBay-ana category. I also found an eBay gumball machine in the eBayana category at ebay.de. It was made in honor of eBay Germany's 10th anniversary and had a special full-color eBay logo on the side with a cake, but unfortunately the glass broke enroute from Germany. :(
Then there's the famed collectible that, according to corporate legend, kicked off the whole eBay phenomenon: Pez dispensers. There's one whole set of special eBay pez dispensers in all four eBay colors, with no feet and crystal hearts for heads in a contrasting color bearing the eBay logo in white (red heart on blue; blue heart on yellow; yellow heart on green; and green heart on red). There's also a special glow-in-the-dark model with a glow-in-the-dark heart-shaped head on a black body with the eBay logo in black. There's even a custom bobal pez dispenser made in honor of our dear departed bobal (RIP), the very first inductee into the eBay Hall of Fame, whose help on the eBay boards gave assistance to thousands of needy eBayers and whose tips pages live on.
And just recently (September 2009), my husband found two purple eBay Austria pez dispensers on eBay (not in the eBay-ana category, unfortunately, but in the Pez - Vintage (no feet) category). The heart-shaped head features a raised banner with the ebay.at logo in white and is on a 4.9 Made in Hungary (perfect for an eBay edibles guide) stem with IMC1 on a footless heart stem. I assume those technical specifications are meaningful information for a Pez aficionado. These extremely rare ebay.at pez dispensers were produced in an edition of 200 samples for the eBay Austria office, which evidently has closed — according to the auction descriptions — although the ebay.at site is alive and well. One was being offered by a German Seller who bought one from an eBay Austria employee and another by an Israeli Seller who bought five from an eBay Austria employee (sounds like somebody raided the ebay.at collectibles closet). I would definitely have bought one if they weren't $79 for an opening bid and $88/$89 respectively Buy-It-Now.
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What's that old song about "breakfast, lunch, and dinner"? We've covered two of three meals by now, so I'm sure you're wondering what's for lunch (if you haven't spoiled your appetite with all those eBay sweets). You're going to have to use your imagination for this, but picture little dumplings shaped just like the eBay logo and filled with all manner of exotic fillings that you don't dare ask what they are, but mostly what they are, is delicious. Perfect for lunch time or even tea time, they're eBay dim sum steamed in your very own (well, my very own) ebay.com.hk dim sum steamer, won from Seller awden in 2006. This is not the only exotic item of eBay Hong Kong eBayana that I've won, but it's mos' def' my favorite.
While we're on the subject of imaginary eBay food, I've got just one more form of eBay chocolate to share with you: the Meg Whitman Sampler. Created for the late, lamented eBay Matchups (Whitman Sampler VS Meg Whitman Sampler), it exists only as an artist's rendering in which little blonde Meg Whitman heads fill the fluted brown cups of a Whitman Sampler box. My husband created it, and we find it hilarious. Evidently so did all the eBayers who voted for it at eBay Matchups (2006-2007), where we ranked among the Top 100 from day one until the day it was put "to sleep", as the web page tactfully puts it, "…for now, while we pursue other exciting product ideas and community engagement programs." We spent most of one Christmas Day in the shout box (live chat room) of eBay Matchups, along with other eBayers who probably also needed to get a life, and it was one of our most fun Christmases ever.
You can't vote for our eBay Matchups anymore, but you can vote for my eBay guides. Thank you for reading my guide. If you found it helpful, please vote by clicking "Yes" below!
A lot of edible eBayana is just desserts, so let's give a nod to good health by starting off with a hearty, well-balanced meal. To be specific, let's see what selected eBay UK Top Sellers chowed down on at their Shooting Star Celebration. I've got a copy of the ebay.co.uk Shooting Star Celebration menu — printed on high-quality parchment — purchased from a Seller who was there to enjoy it and found in the eBayana category at eBay UK. I believe this dinner was held in 2005. It featured three delicious courses and eight fabulous wines (four white and four red). Who says the English don't know how to enjoy fine cuisine? You could take Usher Lieberman directly from dinner to the karaoke bar after all that wine (inside joke; check it out on YouTube). Don't you love the eBay-colored frame around the menu? I got it from my friend and fellow eBayana collector beachbadge.
First course was Smoked Salmon and Crème Fraîche Tartare, served along with a Cucumber Salad. You didn't have to pick one, you got them both. Next up was Rosemary Lamb Shank, Apple Mash, and Cinnamon Red Cabbage (not sure about the sound of that last vegetable side dish). And for dessert — or pudding, as it's called in Britain? Strawberry and Clotted Cream Mousse. Yum!
White wines served were Wild Rush White, Colombar Sauvignon Chardonnay, Reitvallei, and Robertson; red wines served were Wild Rush Red, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tinta Barocca, Reitvallei, Robertson.
After that, you'd probably like an after-dinner mint. Again, you have your choice of several varieties. You can choose the eBay Powerseller Mints that were given away in the PowerSeller lounges at various eBay Lives — evidently eBay PowerSellers are Recognized. Respected. Rewarded. and have bad breath? or is that supposed to be the sweet smell of success? — or you can enjoy the co-branded eBay-USPS Breath Mints that were given away at eBay Live! 2005 or 2006.
And I've got a fabulous bottle of eBay Sekt, or Sparkling Wine, that definitely should be added to any eBay wine menu, either as an apéritif or as an after-dinner palate cleanser to set the tone for the rest of the evening's festivites. You technically can't call it champagne since it wasn't made in the Champagne region of France, but it's eBay Champagne by any other name! It was given to eBayers at eBay Germany (ebay.de) who achieved a Red Star feedback rating of 1000 points. It was sent to them along with a red feedback star magnet and the message Herzlichen Glückwunsch! (congratulations) both on the label of the bottle itself and on the card that came with it. We used to get pins at ebay.com for achieving various feedback star ratings, but we surely never got champagne! I found this greatly treasured collector's item in the eBayana category at eBay Germany, source of many a fantastic artikel of unusual eBayana. It was not easy finding a Verkäufer (Seller) who would ship this item internationally, but I was persistent and finally got lucky — especially so since it arrived perfectly intact, complete with its original straw-padded wooden box.
Cookies (or biscuits, as they call them at ebay.co.uk) are another favorite dessert (or snack, for that matter) but there's one that's specially made for serving after dinner. Hint: If you're fortunate, you might find one — or even some — in the eBay-ana category at ebay.com. Or you can get them from your favorite Chinese restaurant, but they probably won't be pink. Have you guessed yet? That's right: an eBay Fortune cookie! These pink delights were given out at the Pinks Lounge (before they changed its name to the Community Lounge) at eBay Live!, pre-2005. Don't you wonder what the fortunes say? Maybe they give positive feedback. I keep mine in our eBay cookie jar (where else?).
But wait, there's more! Once again, the international eBay sites take the cake for cool promotional/collectible eBayana — especially eBay cookies. First, I've got a gingerbread star cookie frosted in white with yellow star-shaped sprinkles, the full-color ebay.at logo, and the cheery message Fröhe Weihnachten (Merry Christmas) in graceful italics. I found it in the eBayana category at ebay.de and had to get special permission to bid, since originally the Austrian Seller, boccasasso (proprietor of the PeopleAreGood-Shop at eBay Austria), was not going to ship internationally. Imagine my delight when I was told "Ja!" This eBay.at Lebkuchen Weihnachs-Stern (Gingerbread Cookie Star) came from an eBay Austria
holiday party in 2005. It cost me 15 euros, which at the time (January
31, 2006) was about $18, plus 12 euros to ship. A bargain! It lives in
our freezer.
Then there's the one that got away (there always is). Another Austrian Seller had a gingerbread heart cookie in the eBayana category at eBay Germany. It was frosted in white too, with the full-color ebay.at logo and the Austrian greeting Servus! along with some lacy-looking frosting trim. So cute! But I didn't hear back from the Seller in time when I wrote for permission to bid.
And that's not it when it comes to eBay cookies — literally. During the holiday season of 2006, the year of the "Whatever it is, you can get it on eBay" promotional campaign, eBay employees were given "it" cookie cutters that came with instructions for making a cute gingerbread it cookie (you can see a picture of it in my upcoming eBayana Christmas guide, along with a photo of a crown-shaped cookie cutter and holiday Backbuch — baking book — that were sent to Top Kunden — Top Sellers — at eBay Germany during the holidays in 2007). However, a Seller at eBay UK went the U.S. eBay employees one better with this listing in the eBayana category at ebay.co.uk: an it cookie made in the shape of the it logo and frosted with its proper colors of orange, yellow and green. It lives in our freezer too, in the same box as the ebay.at gingerbread cookie star.
Then there's the one that got away (there always is). Another Austrian Seller had a gingerbread heart cookie in the eBayana category at eBay Germany. It was frosted in white too, with the full-color ebay.at logo and the Austrian greeting Servus! along with some lacy-looking frosting trim. So cute! But I didn't hear back from the Seller in time when I wrote for permission to bid.
And that's not it when it comes to eBay cookies — literally. During the holiday season of 2006, the year of the "Whatever it is, you can get it on eBay" promotional campaign, eBay employees were given "it" cookie cutters that came with instructions for making a cute gingerbread it cookie (you can see a picture of it in my upcoming eBayana Christmas guide, along with a photo of a crown-shaped cookie cutter and holiday Backbuch — baking book — that were sent to Top Kunden — Top Sellers — at eBay Germany during the holidays in 2007). However, a Seller at eBay UK went the U.S. eBay employees one better with this listing in the eBayana category at ebay.co.uk: an it cookie made in the shape of the it logo and frosted with its proper colors of orange, yellow and green. It lives in our freezer too, in the same box as the ebay.at gingerbread cookie star.
While we're at it, after-dinner chocolates are another traditional treat. And we've got it eBay — literally: It's a chocolate disc wrapped in foil to look like a casino chip, and it bears the eBay "it" logo in orange, yellow, and green at its center. Delish! It chocolate discs were given away at eBay Live! 2006 in Las Vegas, the year of the "Whatever it is, you can get it on eBay" promotional campaign.
Actually, there's a small plethora of chocolate eBayana (a.k.a. eBay-ana) in existence. In addition to the chocolate it disc, I've got a decorative eBay choccy with the eBay logo in two colors of milk and white chocolate. It was given out at a special PowerSeller dinner during eBay Live!, I believe pre-2005, and it now lives in my freezer. It's probably no longer edible, but who's planning to eat it?
If you prefer your caffeine in coffee instead of chocolate, we can oblige you there too. eBay Seller gosintamystore, purveyors of fine DJ equipment, gave away Go-Go Beans in the goodie bags at the eBay Radio Party, June 24-25, 2009 in Las Vegas. And The eBay Shop recently sold caffeinated peppermint Blitz Gum in cute little tins bearing the eBay logo. That's not the only refillable goody they sold at The eBay Shop, either. They also sold Jelly Belly jellybeans in all four eBay colors, again in a cute little tin bearing the eBay logo.
Then there's the famed collectible that, according to corporate legend, kicked off the whole eBay phenomenon: Pez dispensers. There's one whole set of special eBay pez dispensers in all four eBay colors, with no feet and crystal hearts for heads in a contrasting color bearing the eBay logo in white (red heart on blue; blue heart on yellow; yellow heart on green; and green heart on red). There's also a special glow-in-the-dark model with a glow-in-the-dark heart-shaped head on a black body with the eBay logo in black. There's even a custom bobal pez dispenser made in honor of our dear departed bobal (RIP), the very first inductee into the eBay Hall of Fame, whose help on the eBay boards gave assistance to thousands of needy eBayers and whose tips pages live on.
And just recently (September 2009), my husband found two purple eBay Austria pez dispensers on eBay (not in the eBay-ana category, unfortunately, but in the Pez - Vintage (no feet) category). The heart-shaped head features a raised banner with the ebay.at logo in white and is on a 4.9 Made in Hungary (perfect for an eBay edibles guide) stem with IMC1 on a footless heart stem. I assume those technical specifications are meaningful information for a Pez aficionado. These extremely rare ebay.at pez dispensers were produced in an edition of 200 samples for the eBay Austria office, which evidently has closed — according to the auction descriptions — although the ebay.at site is alive and well. One was being offered by a German Seller who bought one from an eBay Austria employee and another by an Israeli Seller who bought five from an eBay Austria employee (sounds like somebody raided the ebay.at collectibles closet). I would definitely have bought one if they weren't $79 for an opening bid and $88/$89 respectively Buy-It-Now.
Have you heard the expression "it's not just for breakfast anymore"? That saying would definitely apply to eBay Cereals' Meg-A-Loops.
"It's…Mega Fun, Mega Fruity, Mega Crunch! Wholesome cereal for Bid
Power! At least that's what it says on the front of the box, which
shows an
iconic cartoon logo of Meg Whitman with a butterfly net, standing in a
bowl
full of what looks like eBay-colored
Froot Loops and the letters e-b-a-y while she tries to capture some
that are flying away. A purple starburst contains the words "Try our
New game! See back
panel!!" On the back of the box it says, "Play the eBay Game! Learn how
to bid and buy. Win Cool eBay merchandise. Play Now!" There's also some FUN TRIVIA! Q: Why do over 6 million users transact on eBay? A: MEG-A-LOOPS provides "Bidding Power" Q: What makes Meg a great President & CEO of eBay? A: MEG-A-LOOPS! This fortified
cereal gives her the Mega Power she needs each day! Q: What's Meg's
Favorite colors [sic]? A: Mega Red, Mega Blue, Mega Yellow and Mega
Green. I haven't opened the box (nor will I), but when you shake it, it
sounds like cereal is inside, all right. I love this esoteric eBay collector's item, which I bought from an eBay employee (close_shave) who briefly became an ex-employee during the pink-slip scourge of 2009
and now is an employee again. It was issued for an internal promotion —
I've written to him to ask for more details, if he knows any —
pre-2006, and mine is the only box of MEG-A-Loops I've ever seen or heard of.
What's that old song about "breakfast, lunch, and dinner"? We've covered two of three meals by now, so I'm sure you're wondering what's for lunch (if you haven't spoiled your appetite with all those eBay sweets). You're going to have to use your imagination for this, but picture little dumplings shaped just like the eBay logo and filled with all manner of exotic fillings that you don't dare ask what they are, but mostly what they are, is delicious. Perfect for lunch time or even tea time, they're eBay dim sum steamed in your very own (well, my very own) ebay.com.hk dim sum steamer, won from Seller awden in 2006. This is not the only exotic item of eBay Hong Kong eBayana that I've won, but it's mos' def' my favorite.
While we're on the subject of imaginary eBay food, I've got just one more form of eBay chocolate to share with you: the Meg Whitman Sampler. Created for the late, lamented eBay Matchups (Whitman Sampler VS Meg Whitman Sampler), it exists only as an artist's rendering in which little blonde Meg Whitman heads fill the fluted brown cups of a Whitman Sampler box. My husband created it, and we find it hilarious. Evidently so did all the eBayers who voted for it at eBay Matchups (2006-2007), where we ranked among the Top 100 from day one until the day it was put "to sleep", as the web page tactfully puts it, "…for now, while we pursue other exciting product ideas and community engagement programs." We spent most of one Christmas Day in the shout box (live chat room) of eBay Matchups, along with other eBayers who probably also needed to get a life, and it was one of our most fun Christmases ever.
You can't vote for our eBay Matchups anymore, but you can vote for my eBay guides. Thank you for reading my guide. If you found it helpful, please vote by clicking "Yes" below!
Guide created: 09-20-2009 (updated 09-20-2009)
Thank you for voting. If your vote meets our 
