Famous/notable people who purchased from you?

[billythekid16]

From my entire time of selling on eBay, I only had two buyers who got my attention...

A Boston Globe sportswriter (currently on staff) bought a Boston Globe Magazine several years ago from me.  He told me in his eBay message that he wrote the cover story on that magazine, but forgot to grab a copy for himself (!) and was elated that he checked on eBay and found my listing.

An American book author and actor bought a high school yearbook from me 10 years ago.  His fame was  appearing in a few Apple (Mac computer) TV commercials years ago and was an occasional guest on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.  He told me (via eBay message) that he never bought the yearbook before he graduated from that high school, and regretted it for many years.  And was glad he found it on eBay, even though the one I had was a used copy.

I know a majority of you don't care about the backgrounds of your buyers and only the sale.  But if someone was famous or notable reached out to you, like a top executive of a corporate company, or a famous actor buying something from you on eBay, I think that you would remember them?  Especially if they directly messaged you...

I was wondering if any of you had any buyers who were famous or notable.

(NOTE: I think I remember that revealing the real names and eBay IDs of any buyers are not allowed on these forums.  But you can reveal their occupation and what they're famous for, like how I described mine.)

[ms.rodriguez*]

My brother sold an expensive boxed original Gi JOE to Hal Steinbrenner about 20 years ago.  He is one of the owners of the NY Yankees.  That's as close as I have gotten to a celebrity sale.  I have had a few buyers that had identical names to famous movie stars but they did not live in Ca. or NY.  So I doubt that they were the actual movie stars.

[monroe67]

I bought a copy of a Sports Illustrated magazine from 1966 that reported on a track-and-field meet at the Los Angeles Coliseum.   

A picture of Jim Ryun entering the stadium clearly showed me behind him -- I was a member of the marching band that lined the steps at the east end of the stadium where the athletes entered.  

[mike_jayroe]

No famous buyers but I went to school with a guy who flew on four or five space shuttle missions.

I didn't hang out with him but in the senior year we sat about 3 seats apart from each other in English class. 

[a_c_green]

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@billythekid16 wrote:

I was wondering if any of you had any buyers who were famous or notable.

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A zillion years ago now, I sold a vintage car book back to the author. I would have thought he'd have cartons of leftover copies in his garage, but apparently not. 😉

On a related note from around 10 years ago now, I had a couple of buyers active in my auctions who won every single auction of mine that they entered, and paid top dollar. Each was totally independent of the other; I would see one or the other in each auction, but never together.

I finally noticed that both buyers had the same Ship-To: address, a Hollywood prop house, so clearly they were on a mission to find and buy as many vintage bike accessories as possible, and this went on for about 2-3 months. I always wondered if I would spot any of my items in a film set in the 1960s, but unfortunately I never did.

[vintagepl]

not sure if I ever had any famous or notable buyers, I do get a thrill though when my items are being purchased to be used as a prop in a movie or TV show,  that has happened a few times that I'am aware of.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

Two that I remember: I sold some old Karate magazines to the wife of the guy who was featured on the covers...apparently quite a big name in the Martial Arts field...he had lost his copies years before, and she was surprising him with them as a gift.

I also sold a collectibles reference book to a girlfriend (or maybe by then, ex-girlfriend, I'm not sure) of Hugh Hefner. Think she was in a reality TV show for a while. 

There have been a couple others, where the name matched someone famous and the address seemed right, but I wasn't 100% sure. I've also sold some stuff as props for Theater/TV/Movies. 

[evelyb30]

I found a small collection of painted wooden bird pins in the local GoodWill, back when they still sold jewelry. (so this was a while ago) Sold them on eBay.  One of them was purchased by the woman who literally wrote the book on the pins and who was/is the daughter of the man who started the company.  It was one she didn't have in her collection.  I saw the name on the shipping label and asked if she was any relation. 

As close as I get, as far as I know.  

[lamber9347]

I used to work in the business and am familiar with many celebrities who both purchase off eBay and some sell items here as well. They remain anonymous, usually using false names or friends addresses, because once someone realizes who they are the price alters immediately, up or down. If someone realizes a celebrity is selling them an item, they want to bargain down so they can turn around and flip it. They also don't want people using their mailing address for unsolicited purposes and normally they have a PO Box. So those sellers who refuse to sell to a PO Box user, you are losing out and don't even realize it. 

I know a Golden Globe winning actress, now retired but still beautiful, who sells items on eBay for years to pass the time. She enjoys selling and it gives her something easy to do from home. She uses a male name and an ID associated with a male, to throw off others. She mainly sells collectibles and sometimes throws in items from past movies she was in, or items from the production. People think they are buying from another collector but in fact it is the actress who used these items on set. 

I know an Oscar nominated and Emmy winning actor who regularly purchases from eBay for his homes. He loves kitschy 50's era items to decorate his two houses. So many have sold to him and don't even realize it. 

Celebrities are real people just like all of us. They buy collectibles, they buy vintage, but they go to many lengths to keep their identity secret for a variety of reasons. Just because one has money doesn't mean they don't also love a bargain. Secondly online purchasing is preferable to them because they can maintain their anonymity. The majority of long-time sellers have in fact sold to a celebrity; they just don't know it....

[lakefor94]

No direct individuals I can think of. I did ship an order this past week to Tesla in Austin. 

[steve_stuff]

Too bad we can't name names

Back in the day of Emmy consideration videos we sold a copy of the first episode of 'his' show to 'him' - Paid with a check from the production company. Reason he bought a copy? They had send all they had out.

Also sold a sealed package of seasoned tomato jello from the 50s to Kraft, the owners of jello. They put in their museum.

[saturdaystoys]

We're honored to have served Bob Iger (CEO of the Walt Disney Company), John Stamos ("Full House"), Lonnie Burr (Original Mouseketeer 1955 - 1958), Ron and Diane Disney Miller (son-in-law and daughter of Walt and Lillian Disney) and a host of others with historic Disney connections.  It's exceptional fun when they trust us when it comes to adding (or selling!) unique items to their collections!

[powell-memorabilia]

Just one sort-of famous buyer - Peter Jackson.  He bought a large number of Beatles items from me - back when I was selling mostly Beatles and Beatles-related items on another account.  

The orders were a bit of a mess - some going to his house in NZ, some going to his publicist in Los Angeles, I think.  I looked up his publicist, and it was a match for one of the addresses being used, and the other did check out as his house in NZ. 

It was pretty cool that he was in the throes of working on the Get Back movie, which I was eagerly awaiting.  

[hartungcards]

I had a sale to a "Marcus Aurelius" (Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD) once, which I thought seemed a little suspect.  Then I looked at his address and it wasn't Rome, but the same address as a guy who stiffed me about a year earlier.  I cancelled the sale because his address wasn't Rome (problem with address).  eBay kicked him off the site about a week later.

[slati_2013]

About 17 years ago, I sold a rare electronic device I won at a NASA auction to a Silicon Valley's boss. A big boss. I will call him the boss of bosses. A legend.  He called me up , a surprise call and wanted me to ship it with his FedEx account. I told him I was shipping it Priority Mail and it would get there in two or three days. He said "no thanks", he needed it right away, so I used his FedEx account to ship it to him next day, early morning delivery. I will never forget that call. And no, I will not mention his name here.