posted on November 10, 2003 05:45:54 AM new
Just a couple of thoughts to start the week:
Barbra Streisand Academy Awards Outfit was auctioned off this past week (item 3359213710) and from what I understand Barbra Steisand and JulienEntertainment.com will be continuously auctioning off items for the next year or three. What better way to keep this egomaniac's name in the news for the foreseeable future?
What compels someone to spend almost $12K for an outfit they can never possibly wear that is from someone who brings so little to humanity other than her self-importance?
"PLEASE NOTE: THERE WILL BE A 15% BUYER’S PREMIUM ADDED TO THE FINAL BID AMOUNT OF THIS LOT OVER AND ABOVE THE HAMMER PRICE. The Buyer’s Premium is standard in the auction industry and assists in covering the costs of facilitating the sale. *" --- Why is this not FEE AVOIDANCE? If I sell all of my items for 50% off but add on a 100% buyers premium, do you think E-bay would get upset? We all have costs of doing business, and god knows we've all got the complaints for adding $5 to shipping to cover the box, foam peanuts, tape, gas, time of shipping a package so why should this seller get away with this fee avoidance?
I guess they had to add in after the fact that the "net proceeds" will go to charity. Maybe people didn't want to pay the big bucks to just line Barbra et al pockets. And "net proceeds"?? are there additional costs above and beyond the aforementioned 15% buyers premium that would mean the whole amount couldn't go to charity? I mean think of it - $1700 buyer premium to post on e-bay and sell a 34 year old dress that she probably had donated from a designer in 1969. Is this for the drycleaning? Because you know, for the $13K you end up spending, they can't even toss you a bone and throw in shipping!
People, please, cut out the middle man egomaniacs and send the $13K or whatever you can to the poor souls who lost their homes in California, to the Children's Fund of various nations, whether Iraq, Africa, S. America they all could use it, to the local environmental causes that protect the wildlands, to your local animal shelter to help the suffering animals that humans caused to be brought in the world, to your library so that reading can be encouraged and enjoyed...you and the world will be better for it.
posted on November 10, 2003 07:54:05 AM new
NEROTER12: Making a profit is certainly not evil but I'm trying to think why one of the wealthiest woman in the entertainment industry can't donate tens of millions directly herself and still be fantastically weathly. Any idea what the revenue stream of JulienEntertainment.com is and what the administration takes for it's cut before tossing a few scraps to charities? I'm tired of self-important celebrities that stay in the limelight for their own self importance as much as any charity. And it's not just about politics w/ my dislike of Barbra (though again I wonder just why any thinking human would wonder what would Barbra say before making an informed political decision). Elton John signs a $100M contract to perform in Vegas but when it comes to AIDS research, he donates clothing and other personal items to be auctioned off for charity. What's wrong with this picture? Or is it just me? On the other hand, Bill Gates and Ted Turner (God I hate his politics but I'll give him his due) donate hundreds of millions of dollars to charities directly, knowing full well that they can't possibly spend their billions in their lifetimes and should do something good for fellow man. Angelina Jolie, Sting, Bob Geldolf donate a lot of their time, energy, sweat for humanity. And Barbra donates her used clothes and then can't even absorb the costs of auctioning them off but instead has to add that to the costs. Shame on her...
posted on November 10, 2003 08:35:00 AM new
Elton John has donated millions of dollars and been a tireless advocate for AIDS research. Not every cash donation is made public. The donation of clothes and such are done in addition to those donations in order to bring in additional funds from other sources. He also lends his timeand his name to numerous fund raisers thru out the year, the most notable being his Oscar party.
BTW - when naming the truly charitble people please don't forget the recently departed Joan Kroc of the McDonalds Krocs who left nearly everything to charities ranging from shelters here in San Diego to a $200 milion donation to NPR (whose operating budget is $100 million per year).
As for Streisand, I have no problem with her politics but her ego is boggling!! As fior this auction - aren't additional premiums above the bid price a direct violation of ebay regulations? At least when Oprah auctioned of her items 100% went to the Angel Network where she absorbs all costs.
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If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on November 10, 2003 11:59:36 AM new
Has anyone asked ebay if this is fee avoidance?
What is their answer?
I know "normal" auctions have buyers premiums, but I have never seen it at ebay.
My mom is a big Babs fan and has photos of early early concerts of hers in CA. Love her or hate her, every knock is a boost! lol
J
~~~~~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~~~~~
All the monkeys aren't in the zoo,
Every day you meet quite a few,
So you see it's all up to you.
You can be better than you are,
You could be swingin' on a star
