For those who do some of their holiday shopping on eBay there's a new service to help find deals. Many people who list on eBay don't always spell the designer names of products properly. Savvy eBayers have been known to find these auctions and bid on them since the prices will be lower. But now the secret is out and a new website called Typo Buddy helps find misspelled auctions on eBay and Craigslist. Type in a name and it will bring up a list of misspelled auctions. The site also list the top ten misspellings including Abercrombie, Louis Vuitton and Callaway Golf but also some surprises including ipod, laptop and Disney.

[via Globe and Mail]

Kim Kardashian is auctioning off her belongings on eBay yet again for her favorite charity the Dream Foundation. And this time it's not only her old clothes, shoes, and dresses but several members of her car collection also -- including a Range Rover, a Mercedes, and a Maserati. Plus this time she's convinced her boyfriend Reggie Bush, her two sisters Kourtney and Khloe, and her mom to participate in the auction with her by cleaning out their own closets and selling stuff as well.

The Kim's Closet charity auctions are currently running on eBay and scheduled to run through Dec 3rd.

A Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 for $70,000 on eBay? Well, not quite.. A 2008 Pontiac Solstice has been transformed into an ersatz Lambo. The chassis was stretched an extra 12-inches and a Murcielago replica body was added on. Inside it has leather seats with Lamborghini embroidery, electric door openers and there are 18-inch chrome wheels, grilles and color match calipers with Lamborghino logos. Under the hood, alas, it's still all Solstice (not that there's anything wrong with that). The auction ends November 3.

[via Mobile Mag]

Franka Lane, a Los Angeles jeweler, has put this $19,500 Halloween pendant on eBay for the bargain BuyItNow price of $12,000.

Someone had fun making this. The custom pendant is 14k white gold with a diamond pavé casket. The casket is a locket, and inside is a 14k white gold naked lady. Shouldn't it be a vampire? That's mildly confusing.

The white gold lady will not suck your blood, just your bank account. The chain is sold separately.

In 2002, the self-described eccentric Lord of Warleigh advertised for a lady of the manor, and he received over 2000 replies. Now suffering from late-stage prostate cancer, Lord David Piper has now put his manor and title in addition to a "gentleman's residence" with English Channel views and a 42-foot sitting room, a 140-piece contemporary art collection and a pair of Bentleys up for sale on eBay.

Mr. Piper will be moving to London for treatment and apparently needs an influx of cash, claiming he is "impoverished" and "owes a lot of money." Bids are up to almost 10 million pounds sterling (just shy of $20 million), though the property is valued between 5 and 6 million pounds. Best of luck to the Lord of Warleigh regarding his estate and his health.

In commemoration of their final appearance together (scheduled for August 7th at Madison Square Garden) auctions started this week on eBay for a complete set of Police instruments autographed by the band. The set includes 4 instruments that are each available for bidding separately and include Sting's Signature Bass, Sting's Sennheiser Microphone and Stand, Andy's Signature Fender Telecaster, and Stewart's Tama Star Drum Set.

100% of the proceeds will go to benefit Public Television Rocks! in honor of their dedication to art, music, and culture.

As I mentioned when we were looking at the rare items in the world, old Levi's jeans are worth a lot of money. According to the Guinness Book of World Records the most valuable jeans are an original pair of Levi Strauss & Co 501 jeans aged over 115 years old which were sold to a collector in Japan for $60,000 through eBay in 2005. So it's big news that another pair of old Levi's have hit eBay. The seller reports that the rather dusty jeans were found in a mine in the Rand Mining District, on the Mojave Desert,. California. They are covered in candlewax from the candles the miner was using to light the tunnel he was working in and were found with a paper bag with the name of a mercantile store which operated between 1895 and 1898 in the town of Randsburg. The pants have a buckle back with suspender buttons and cloth label indicating they are size W34 x L33. The auction ends today and was over $11,000 last time I checked.

[via Kottke]

Hermes Paris has just posted a 12.8% increase in sales for the first half of the year and also announces plans to unveil 15 new or improved retail posts in the coming months. Further proof that what doesn't go out of style is worth investing in, the brisk sales at Hermes are mirrored in the vintage market, as well -- fashionistas hungry for rare silk scarves and enamel bracelets are in constant bidding wars on eBay. (Don't get me started on my recent loss of a safari-themed bangle from the early '80s. Damn you, iris1680!) A nice point of entree to the luxury brand? Perfect-for-summer scent "Un Jardin en Mediterranee," the eau de toilette equivalent of a stroll through Mediterranean gardens. At least until you justify that new Birkin.

Finally some good news for eBay. The company which just lost a big suit against LVMH in France is having better luck on this side of the Atlantic. The AP reports that a federal judge in Manhattan has ruled in favor of eBay over Tiffany & Co. in a trademark infringement lawsuit. In the suit Tiffany & Co. claimed that eBay's sale of counterfeit goods resulted in trademark dilution, false advertising and unfair competition. When the case opened last November, James Swire, a lawyer for Tiffany, said that a full 75% of 325 items that Tiffany has bought on eBay through a buying program the company started in 2004 were counterfeit.

But the entered by Judge Richard Sullivan at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on Monday puts the onus for policing its brand on Tiffany. The ruling said the company failed to prove that eBay was liable for the sale of the goods.

As in other cases, eBay argued that it is merely a host for buyers and sellers. That argument didn't fly in France but but Judge Sullivan said in his opinion that "Given Tiffany's choice to sue eBay, rather than individual sellers, and this Court's conclusion that eBay does not continue to supply its services to those whom it knows or has reason to know are infringing Tiffany's trademarks, Tiffany's claims against eBay must fail."

If the decision had come back in Tiffany's favor it would have been a decisive blow for eBay, showing that they were liable for the actions of their sellers. But this decision, combined with the LVMH lawsuit, which puts forth a different view, show that right now there is no clear answer in the question of who is responsible for counterfeit goods on eBay. As always, if you are buying on eBay, caveat emptor.

For the consumer who wants to avoid counterfeit merchandise on eBay, a little research can make a big difference. Looking at the feedback score of the seller and reading the comments can give you some insight into the seller's history. A feedback score of at least 99 percent is best. Also when you are in the seller's history click on the past auctions. If this seller has sold a lot of similar or even identical branded items this is a big red flag. Also, sadly, if it sounds too good to be true and the price is really low you may be looking at a fake.

Big news in the lawsuit between Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) and eBay. Today in Paris, a French court ruled that eBay was responsible for counterfeit items sold on the site and for selling genuine products outside of authorized channels. The court ordered eBay to pay around 40 million euros, which works out to approximately. $63.2 million. Louis Vuitton was awarded 19.3 million euros, Christian Dior Couture will get 17.4 million euros and Parfums Christian Dior, Parfums Kenzo, Guerlain and Parfums Givenchy is to receive around 3 million euros. The auction website has also been ordered to stop selling fragrances and cosmetics from those brands immediately, or face more fines.

EBay has already said they will appeal the ruling. The case is just one of several against eBay. The company recently lost a battle with Hermes over counterfeit bags. EBay maintains that they remove counterfeit items from the site when they are made aware of them but the brands believe eBay doesn't do a good enough job in policing sellers. EBay has asserted that they are a host in the selling process and therefore not responsible but a statement from LVMH counters that saying that eBay is not a host but is instead a broker for these goods and therefore responsible not just for counterfeits but for the all the branded goods that are sold through eBay. If eBay decides to crack down on sellers this could have a tremendous impact on the way the site, and its users, do business.

The Tony Hawk Foundation has a very broad mission of working to foster lasting improvements in society and it aims to do this mainly by empowering and supporting the youth of today. The Tony Hawk Foundation creates and supports various recreational programs around the country but usually favors (of course!) putting up skateboard parks in low income communities.

Currently the foundation is auctioning off a one-of-a-kind 2007 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon on eBay that was customized by Tony Hawk himself. As of writing this post the bidding is at $45,500 with the auction set to end later today.

In recent fashion news a French court ruled in favor of Hermes in a case they brought against eBay that involved the sales of fake handbags. This case set precedent and although the punitive fines involved are relatively small, the outcome of the case undoubtedly has eBay a little worried. The verdict directly challenges eBay's argument that it is not directly responsible for what is sold on its web site. Did I mention Tiffany & Co., Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton all have similar cases in the works against eBay! In response, eBay has said it takes counterfeiting very seriously and points to the steps it has taken since the case was first launched to improve its anti-counterfeiting measures. I'm interested to see the outcome of all this and I wonder if consumers will notice any changes in online auction policies as a result.

Model and starlet, Kim Kardashian is auctioning off some of her favorite accessories, shoes and clothing to benefit the Dream Foundation -- a non-profit that helps the dreams of terminally-ill adults come true. From now until June 8th, Kim's items will be on eBay ready for bidding. The gallery below shows just a few of the special finds available -- Jimmy Choo, Cartier and Yves Saint Laurent are just a few of the names dropped at this event. I like the extra bonus of supporting such a great organization while purchasing star-touched items.

[via News4Jax]

Looking for a little entertainment in your own backyard -- say, something that would bring joy to about 600 people per hour? The Ferris Wheel from the Santa Monica pier is up for sale to the highest bidder on eBay from April 15th until the 25th with a price tag of $50,000 (base not included)! This iconic entertainment piece has adorned the pier since 1996, which became solar powered in 1998, and will be replaced by a new one in early May. One great outcome from this sale is that half of the proceeds will be donated to the Special Olympics of Southern California -- such a worthy cause. Opulence and charity do go well together!

[via LA Times]

Jenna Jameson's bright yellow 2002 Lamborghini Murcielago is currently up for sale on eBay. It has a 6 speed V12 6.2 engine with less than 12,000 miles on it, plus a few nice personalized touches like an aftermarket exhaust system and a touchscreen stereo. It's a sweet looking car and sounds really fun to drive, although I admit I wouldn't be too crazy to sit in the same seat as a famous porn star! But that's just me -- I'm sure it's a great celebrity investment. The auction is ending pretty quick so you gotta get moving if you want in on this, it's currently at $182,900 with only 3 bids.

Via Jalopnik