Friday, July 9, 2004

Special Numbers For Sale

1. "Mobile number on sale for $19,000"
   <http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200406/s1136458.htm>
"A mobile telephone number in Bahrain has become the most expensive in the
 history of the local market, on sale for 5,000 dinars (about $AUD19,000)
 for no reason other than aesthetics".  Example: #9111119

2. "Man buys lucky phone number for $US1.1m"
   <http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1086581.htm>
"An online buyer has paid $US1.1 million for a cell phone number on a Chinese
 auction site ... the number 135 8585 8585"

3. "China's 'lucky' phone number"
   <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3163951.stm>
"It may be lucky for some, but is the telephone number 8888 8888 really worth
 paying 2.33m yuan ($280,000) for?"

4. "Hong Kong - Peoples auctions lucky phone number"
   <http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NEW/is_1999_Oct_11/ai_56228638>
"The lucky numbers begin on auction all include the numbers 9xxx 8888. In
 numerically-minded Chinese culture, the number 8 signifies 'get rich,' and
 four 8's is about as lucky as you can get."

5. "At Thai auction, 'lucky' licence plates cost as much as cars"
   <http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2003/08/11/158593-ap.html>
"Thailand's first auction of 'lucky' licence plates drew about a thousand
 bidders Monday, with the high bid - worth about $131,500 Cdn - going for
 number 9999"

6. "Lucky Rhode Islanders win low-number plates: State holds license plate lottery"
   <http://www.click10.com/automotive/2591961/detail.html>
"More than 3,000 people entered for a chance at 25 plates"

7. "Mayor watches his plate go at auction"
   <http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/lv-gov/2004/may/13/516849144.html>
"License plate LV001 was the last to be bid on -- and the most desired --
 at the Centennial License Plate Auction, where license plates LV001 through
 LV100 were available through silent and live auction to benefit the
 celebration of Las Vegas' 100th birthday throughout 2005"

8. "Nobody wants to live at numbers 69 or 666 in Chile"
   <http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_835061.html>