110,000 Tonne Oil Tanker Sold Via Online Auction
Taobao, a Chinese mix of Amazon and eBay, has a reputation for selling pretty much everything you could want.
The company brought “everything” to a new level this week when it sold a Singapore-registered oil tanker for $11.8 million, according to Xinhua.
The ship was auctioned off by the Guangzhou Maritime Court on Taobao’s Paimai auction platform. The auction attracted 33,000 views and received 19 offers from six bidders before it finally went to Malta-based Natalia Shipping.
The Varada Blessing, as the ship is named, was put up for auction for the third time last December after failing to sell twice.
It’s far from the first wild sale to take place on the internet. In 2002, the town of Bridgeville, California, was auctioned on eBay for $1.77 million. Taobao has seen its share of strange auctions too, including ones to rent a boyfriend.
The plus side of buying a sea vessel online? You don’t have to worry about shipping fees.
