# Belgium On eBay Bid Reached $14M By Ben Preiss | Published 2007-09-20 | World Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/slightly-used-european-country-for-sale-on-ebay-belgian-tries-to-sell-his-c References: [news.yahoo](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070918/ap_on_fe_st/belgium_for_sale_ylt=AjOkMSm0VGRXYMlocpjibd8DW7oF) & [spiegel.de](http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,506653,00.html) Did you get a chance to bid on Belgium on [eBay](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nike-swoosh)? We're not talking about buying Second Life imitations (see below), we're talking about the real country. To protest the political deadlock in Belgium, Gerrit Six, a teacher and former journalist, attracted attention to a country that gets very little press by putting it up for sale on eBay. eBay went along with the prank ad for a while, but pulled it after [bids reached 10 million Euros](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/highvalue-charity-auction) ($14 million). eBay Belgium's PR manager, Peper Burin, said, "It was a really fun listing made by a Belgian. This person, in a very funny way, reminded the Belgians what a great country Belgium actually is and it would be a shame to sell it." ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.5/10 - Popularity: 79% | Activity: 47% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [World](https://www.trendhunter.com/world) > [Regional](https://www.trendhunter.com/regional) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Online Auction Activism:** Creating social or political awareness through online auction platforms, like eBay, to draw attention to certain issues or causes. - **Country Ownership Satire:** Using satire and humor to mock political situations by listing countries for sale on online platforms. - **Alternative PR Strategies:** Utilizing unconventional and humorous public relations strategies to generate buzz and engage audiences. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **E-commerce:** Leveraging online auction platforms as a tool for activism and awareness campaigns. - **Entertainment:** Creating satirical content and listings as a form of political commentary and entertainment. - **Public Relations:** Exploring unconventional PR approaches to generate attention and engagement for brands or causes. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Logo-Shaped French Fries](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nike-swoosh.md) - [Mysterious Painted Car-Door Auctions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/crazy-horse.md) - [Online Luxury Resale Platform](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/luxury-consignment-platform.md) - [Expensive Whiskey Sales](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/emerald-isle-whiskey.md) - [Martian Meteorite Collectibles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sothebys-nwa.md) - [Electric Microbus Charity Auctions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/id-buzz-virtual-auction.md) - [Charitable Digital Auctions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/digital-auction.md) - [Charitable Low-Cost Art Raffles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/1-picasso-for-100-euros.md) - [Spoof Sparkling Water Cans](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/can-of-art.md)