TradeMe's top 10 auctions for 2009

TERRIFYING: The ancient Kelvinator and the cast of characters invented by the seller to entertain thousands and help push the sale price to over $5000 on TradeMe.

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There are only two things more popular than Prime Minister John Key and the cast he wore when he broke his arm: a washing machine and a tractor.

Or to be more precise, a scary washing machine and a tractor with a free farm attached.

Online auction site Trade Me has compiled its top 10 auction listings of the year for the Sunday Star-Times, according to the number of views and comments combined, and Key's cast came in third.

The PM broke his arm in two places in January and after getting his cast signed by a number of international dignitaries, decided to auction it with the proceeds going to the Fred Hollows Foundation NZ. It fetched $18,500.

But if you want to be in the number one spot, humour definitely helps. That's why the scary washing machine auction was a clear winner. The Auckland seller described the machine as the most violent they had ever encountered.

"It makes guests scared and children cry," the auction information said.

"Once, while washing a load of towels, it got a bit out of balance and so out of control for a minute I swear I actually saw a porthole [sic] to another dimension open above it and, just for a second, there were dinosaurs on the other side and they looked scared too."

The listing went on: "On heavy duty spin cycle it sort of sounds a bit like the tortured howls of 1000 undead writhing in the sulphury pits of hell mixed with a train with carriages full of scrap iron sliding down the road with no wheels, on fire, into a bell factory."

It was listed with a $1 reserve and the seller said it was being sold to pay for counselling.

The tractor with farm attached was in the Catlins and wasn't without humour either. One comment noted the auction was more popular than Key's cast, which prompted the seller to say she felt she had now accomplished her life's work.

After the cast came the toasted pita bread that looked like Jesus, followed by the diamond engagement ring from a cheating ex.

The ring seller explained that her boyfriend of eight years – whom she called Moron – proposed and then cheated on her with a woman she called Skanky Hoe. After they broke up Moron texted her wanting the ring back to give to Skanky Hoe. So she decided to sell it and give the proceeds to charity.

Moron's escapades managed to outperform Paris Hilton's boarding pass and the feijoa shaped like a kiwi but the number eight spot, Restaurant 181, a food outlet in a Christchurch shopping mall that was bought by an Auckland mother and daughter, ended up the subject of a television documentary.

They reopened the restaurant but had to close it several weeks later after it failed to make any money.

Trade Me's top 10 searches for November reflect a festive theme as people go looking for presents online. So act surprised if there's something small and wriggling under the tree for you this year – puppies were at number one, closely followed by iPods and iPhones.

Trade Me's top 2009 auction listings:

1. Scary washing machine
2. Tractor with free farm
3. John's cast-off (the prime minister's arm cast)
4. Jesus pita bread (toasted pita bread that looked like Jesus)
5. Diamon engagement ring from cheating ex
6. Roofliss (Toyota Townace that crossed Cook Strait)
7. Paris Hilton's boarding pass
8. Restaurant 181
9. Martin Jetpack (jetpack test flight)
10. Feijoa kiwi (feijoa shaped like a kiwi)

- © Fairfax NZ News