Everyone who has taken Contracts remembers the case of Leonard v. Pepsico. A college student sued Pepsi to enforce what he claimed was an offer to redeem 7,000,000 Pepsi Points in exchange for a Harrier Jet. The Judge laughed him out of court, and found that no reasonable person could construe the commercial in question as a serious offer.
Turns out a 7-year-old London boy bid on a Harrier jet on ebay for $113,515. From Gizmodo:
A 7-year-old kid came closer to realize every kid’s dream than any of us: He bought a real Harrier fighter jet for $113,000 on eBay. Yes, a Harrier Jump Jet T-Bird Aircraft XW269. The whole shebang, weaponry not included.
Sadly, his dreams were broken the same day, after his dad found out about the purchase and quickly contacted the company selling it—Jet Art Aviation—telling them the story and asking to cancel the sale. Obviously, they understood it and put it back on the auction block.
But here’s the good news, kid: It wasn’t really worth it. The airplane—which flew for the last time in 1997 after 26 years in the Royal Air Force—was not in working condition for legal reasons. Fixing it would have cost you several million dollars.
Who knew you could buy decommissioned fighter jets on ebay!?