One influencer is criticizing eBay for “making a profit” from the Holocaust after discovering that items such as “collectibles” are selling for thousands of dollars online.
Chelsey Brown, 28, from New York, often searches thrift stores, antique stores, and online marketplaces for old magazines, letters, and documents, then tries to reunite them with people she once lived with or her grandchildren. To listen.
During a recent eBay search for such items, she was terrified to find a listing of “Holocaust collectibles” that put several items up for auction with an initial bid of $4,950.
He scolds the e-commerce company for making money from the “torture and suffering” of World War II victims.
Influencer criticizes eBay for “profiting” from the Holocaust after finding works sold as “collectibles” for thousands of dollars online
Chelsey Brown, 28, frequently searches thrift stores for old documents and then tries to reunite them with the descendants of the people they belong to.
During a recent search for such items on eBay, she was terrified to find a listing of “Holocaust collectibles” that put several items up for auction with an initial bid of $4,950.
A search for “Holocaust collectibles” on eBay today shows dozens of items for sale, from photos to train tickets to correspondence between relatives.
“They are taking advantage of the torture and suffering of these victims,” Chelsey told Jam Press.
Now New York City-based Chelsey is shutting down her e-commerce business to monetize the “torture and suffering” of WWII victims.
“Holocaust artifacts and documents are more than what I’m particularly passionate about returning memorabilia.
“Unfortunately, Holocaust artifacts are sold for ridiculous prices, thousands of dollars at auctions, or sold underground.
“It’s something a lot of people don’t talk about, but it’s a real problem in the world of family artifacts.
“Sometimes I use eBay to find old letters or photo albums and I saw an ad pop up for a Holocaust letter – it was September.
“Then I plunged into the terrible world of how the Holocaust documents were sold.
“Recently someone sent me a message on IG and said they saw Grandma’s Diary of the Holocaust on eBay and the seller didn’t lower the price so I could get that item back. It was sold to someone else.
“The Holocaust didn’t last long and people forget that survivors are still alive to this day. These items belong to their legal families and are not sold for profit.
“These items belong to their legal families and are not sold for profit,” said Chelsey. Pictured here are some of the Holocaust collectibles sold on eBay
“The Holocaust trade is sick – and people buy these items to keep in their collections.”
A search for “Holocaust collectibles” on eBay today shows dozens of items for sale, from photos to train tickets to correspondence between relatives.
One piece – a set of Red Cross letters between parents in Budapest and their son in Jerusalem from 1941 to 1944 – sells for $600.
He said selling Holocaust artifacts at a “ridiculous” high price had become “a real problem” in the “world of family artifacts”, and that it was “something beyond passion”.
Another correspondence between a deceased man and his family sells for $200, and a photograph of a Jewish boy in Budapest sells for $450.
In 2013, eBay was investigated for a similar situation, and after an investigation, the company apologized and put about 30 Holocaust memorabilia up for sale.
“We are very sorry that these items are listed on eBay and have been removed,” said eBay spokesperson Steve Heywood.
“We don’t allow this type of advertising and we employ thousands of people to monitor our site and use the latest technology to find items that shouldn’t be for sale.
“We are very sorry that we did not meet our standards. We donated to a good cause to express our concern.’
And now Chelsey feels that the site has failed to maintain its standards for selling such products.
He contacted eBay and wrote in an email: “You have benefited from millions of Holocaust documents, belongings, and memorabilia that directly despise Holocaust victims, the living and the dead.
You say in your own terms that “historical items related to the Holocaust and the Nazis, including replicas and all post-1933 swastika items” are prohibited, but these items are for sale and auction and you continue to make millions of profits from them. works.
In response to Chelsey, eBay said: “eBay generally does not ban historical documents, including letters and postcards.
“In response to Ms. Brown’s correspondence, we are reviewing our policy to update the relevant sections to clarify what is prohibited.”
Chelsey later expressed her anger at the Instagram sale with her 92,000 followers †
He said: “Products end up at flea markets and in the hands of retailers for two main reasons. First, the family drama: someone has access to the property and doesn’t give their belongings to the rest of the family.
And second, a lot was lost as many families moved across the country after WWII. Objects disappeared during these movements and continue to circulate to this day.
Chelsey contacted eBay (her email is pictured) and replied that they “do not ban historical documents, including letters and postcards.”
He later expressed his anger over his Instagram sales to his 92,000 followers, many of whom went to the comments section to mock eBay.
“These artifacts should be returned to families first, and if this is not possible, to historians or museums. But always the family first.
“EBay should be ashamed for allowing sellers not only to torture these victims but also to take advantage of it.”
The post received over 7,000 likes, and many of Chelsey’s followers have turned to the comments section to mock eBay.
One commented, “This should be illegal: it’s sick to get artifacts from your family when they have relatives they want and benefit from.”
“This is devastating. I have no words for another user, people selling Holocaust products,” he said.
Another added, “Uh, that’s terrible.”
‘What!? This is vile,” another user said.
Another viewer commented, “Oh my God, this is so scary, I didn’t know about it.”
Jam Press reached out to eBay for comment.
Source: Daily Mail
