On Thursday, January 9, 2003, Steve Young made the decision to auction off his family. Young says that after speaking with his wife Diana, and their two children, Kelly, 9, and Casey, 8, he posted the ad Thursday on eBay and received more than 10,000 hits within minutes.

But when eBay operators heard about the auction early Friday, they yanked the ad, saying it is against company policy to sell human beings.

"People have tried to sell themselves five or six times over the past four or five years," said eBay spokesman Kevin Pursglove. "There have been attempts to sell their nephew, uncle, wife, whoever is in the doghouse at the time. They've even tried to sell their soul."

Apparently the man defended the sale, saying the auction winner would receive a lifetime of platonic companionship, including invitations to family outings and holiday gatherings as well as tips on writing, gardening and cooking in exchange for a $5 million minimum bid.