The internet has replaced the car boot sale as the first stop for bargain hunters and auction site eBay has become the domain for some unusual items.

A bucket of water was sold for £117 earlier this year, while a Wrexham man received a bid of £8,000 after putting his wife up for sale.

Fans of Brighton and Hove Albion caused outrage after mockingly putting a player on a rival auction site in the summer.

Last week alone on eBay, auction lovers were able to bid for a triangular vase from a Brighton pottery, tickets to see Blur at the Brighton Centre, a selection of Albion programmes from 1980 and a Brighton Butlins badge from the Fifties.

The Argus itself was lucky enough to buy some "Pictorial Notepaper" featuring drawings of the Royal Pavilion and Rottingdean Church.

The £4.71 winning bid meant a tidy profit for the seller, who bought the pad for two shillings and sixpence many years ago.

With this in mind, The Argus decided to put a few other items up for sale to recoup the outlay.

Bidders were offered a picture of Brighton glamour girl Jordan taken by a staff photographer, a stick of Brighton rock and some sea air.

Reporters, meanwhile, sat back and waited for the money to roll in.

The rock was billed as "eight inches of pleasure" and attracted 30 views from potential buyers.

We promoted it as: "Sweet and delicious, Brighton rock is synonymous with seaside holidays and wholesome family fun.

"Technicolor swirls of blue, red, green, yellow and purple decorate the outside of this treat while the word Brighton reads right through the centre.

"It comes wrapped in cellophane with a fetching picture of the resort. Bring childhood memories flooding back with one lingering lick."

It was bought at Asda in Hollingbury for 48p so a single bid of 50p would ensure a cool 2p profit.

And that's exactly what it achieved. The sole bidder was Nigel Southworth from Edinburgh, a city famous for its own Edinburgh Castle rock.

He revealed his unusual reason for bidding was: "I collect rock to throw at wayward celebrities like Cheryl Tweedy."

Deep in The Argus archives, we found a glossy A4 print of another wayward celebrity - our very own Jordan. This, too, was put under the virtual hammer.

It was billed as: "A rare opportunity to purchase an original photograph of top-shelf model Jordan with her clothes on.

"The stunner, whose real name is Katie Price, is pictured tucking into her dessert at an awards ceremony in 1999. Neither falling out of her dress, nor blind drunk on the floor, this really is a collector's item.

"With a profiterole proffered seductively towards the photographer, Jordan's fun-loving personality is captured perfectly."

A full 105 people clicked on the link to view our picture but sadly not a single bid was made.

Our sea air received slightly more interest.

We said: "From the Prince Regent to Fatboy Slim, Brighton has attracted the fashionable and famous in droves. For 200 years, people have also flocked to the resort for the health-giving benefits of its clean air.

"Now anyone in a smog-ridden city can enjoy the same benefits from the comfort of their own home. Fresh, pure, with a hint of salt, this air is straight from Brighton beach and sealed at source."

It was bought by Tim Gough from Manchester, whose early bid dissuaded anyone else from joining the race.

Unfortunately, it was considered to be worth rather less than a bucket of water. However, Tim was thrilled with his purchase.

He said: "Living in Manchester you don't get to breathe much fresh air these days. I visited Brighton last year and found the difference incredible.

"After sitting on the beach sizzling sausages in the sea air, I felt completely rejuvenated.

"Although the offer on eBay was obviously tongue-in-cheek, I felt compelled to bid the 50p it was on offer for. The fact that no one was stupid enough to outbid me means I am now the proud owner of a jar of air."

But the sale disappointed Michael Perrin, from Stoke, who asked if we could get hold of any more.

He said: "I'll tell you what. I have some smogged up Stoke-on-Trent air for sale. I could, however, swap it for some of your air."

The Argus declined, even when he offered to throw a Mars bar into the deal.

However, with 2p to burn, that Butlins badge is sounding tempting.