On Why Ebay Is No Longer A Good Thing.

See this little guy?



This here is Peter Rabbit. He's a bit bigger that he looks in the picture, in fact he's 18 inches tall. I know this not because I have measured him but because I have just bid (and been outbid) for him on Ebay.

Why did I want him? I didn't, but Matilda (see previous post) did. She just didn't know it yet. And Matilda's Mum wanted him too. And the reason they wanted him is because currently there resides in this house a Peter Rabbit exactly like that one, only 6 years older and therefore 6 years more cuddled. Peter Rabbit who lives in this house (as opposed to the one who lives on Ebay) currently has velour on his tummy that is so thin he's going to need major patching surgery soon. Currently Peter who lives in this house has no carrot, since it was chewed off by Harry when he had no teeth and was less than 6 months old. Currently Peter who live in this house sleeps wrapped up next to Harry in his bed every night and has done for the last 6 years and 27 days.

You see, Peter Rabbit who lives in this house was bought for Harry 6 years and 27 days ago on the day that he was born, and the person who bought him was Matilda's Mum.

Harry's Godmother.

My very, very, best friend.

Peter Rabbit who lives in this house has been Harry's companion for every day of his life apart from a two week stint where he was left behind at someone's house and no-one could track him down (and Harry was distraught so we told him that Peter went to the pub and would be back soon. Why this should make things alright I don't know, but it did, and to this day Harry still refers to the time Peter went to the pub).

So you see it's only right and proper that Matilda should also have a Peter Rabbit and that it should be the exact same one that her Mum bought Harry all those years ago. Only the company which used to make them doesn't make them like that anymore, which is why I spent 3 hours Googling this afternoon seaching for a shop which sold one but to no avail, and which is why I ended up bidding for him on Ebay this evening.

So I bid. (It's worth noting at this point that I have never been outbid before so it never occurred to me that I wouldn't win.) I set my limit at 30 dollars. I thought, 'that's enough, who the hell else would pay 30 dollars for a stuffed rabbit?' Apart from me of course.

But someone did. Someone paid 33 dollars precisely. If I had have known, I would have paid 40 dollars, 50 dollars. Who knows? But I didn't. The winning bid was a last second entry, possibly courtesy of those tiny Ebay outbid pieces of software, you know the ones that crash in at the last second and win the prize.

Anyway.

So now I don't have him.

So Matilda doesn't have him.

So Matilda's Mum doesn't have him.


Fucking Ebay.


Where the hell am I going to find one now?