JIN MOUSA Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 My girls got a rock tumbler at our family Thanksgiving/Christmas a few weeks ago, and it came with a few rocks to start out with, but not quite enough. So I ordered more rocks from a website, which occurred to me as an odd thing to 1) buy, and 2) buy online. And that got me thinking about the years that my dad bought a Christmas tree online. It was 15 to 20 years ago, like when Amazon only sold books and music. There was a tree farm in Minnesota or somewhere that had pictures of every tree while it was still in the ground. And you'd choose the tree you wanted and pay for it. Then they'd chop the tree down, shove it in a box, and ship it you. The tree arrived within 48 hours of being cut down. It was pretty novel/amazing/weird. And now I'm curious to hear about other odd things people have ordered online. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 I ordered an 8' javelin from Amazon, which shipped in a 9' long PVC tube. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIN MOUSA Posted December 19, 2018 Author Share Posted December 19, 2018 8 minutes ago, Corraleno said: I ordered an 8' javelin from Amazon, which shipped in a 9' long PVC tube. I bet that was a sight on your doorstep! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acorn Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 Twin bed with bookcase headboard 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeachyDoodle Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 We bought a used car off eBay years ago. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 2 minutes ago, JIN MOUSA said: I bet that was a sight on your doorstep! We had the craziest delivery saga with that thing! Amazon stuck the shipping label addressed to me on one end of the tube, but did not remove or cross out the original label on the other end that was addressed to them. So UPS would pick it up, scan it to me, and then somewhere along the journey, someone would scan the original Amazon label and send it back to Amazon. Then they'd send it back out again, and the same thing would happen. I ordered it about 10 days before Christmas with Prime 2-day delivery, then tracked it online as it bounced back and forth for a week. Eventually someone at Amazon Customer Service took pity on me and they sent someone to the local UPS depot to figure out what was going on, and I finally received it on the 23rd just in time for Christmas. 2 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 Do frozen rodents count? I’ve never ordered a live snake, but I know quite a few people who have. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horsellian Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 We've just received today a short ballet barre for DD. Ordered from a Germany company, and shipped from Poland to the UK. It also came in a rather long thin box! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIN MOUSA Posted December 19, 2018 Author Share Posted December 19, 2018 12 minutes ago, dmmetler said: Do frozen rodents count? I’ve never ordered a live snake, but I know quite a few people who have. That for sure counts! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heatherwith4 Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 A tube of ants for our ant farm. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 11' deck umbrella? (it broke down into two pieces - and it came in a box) mattress? I've ordered crockery from the UK (I always cringe when I ask what shipping would be) wedding reception items from china embroidered embellishment trim from india 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kassia Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 Stripper pole for dd (for circus training). Shipped in original package with a picture of a pole dancer on it. 3 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heatherwith4 Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 1 hour ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said: Chicks! 🙂 I forgot about chicks! We’ve done that once, too. That’s probably weirder than ants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIN MOUSA Posted December 19, 2018 Author Share Posted December 19, 2018 17 minutes ago, Kassia said: Stripper pole for dd (for circus training). Shipped in original package with a picture of a pole dancer on it. I imagine the targeted advertising after that was ... fun. 1 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 An antique bongo board set from EBay. Wow. But I helped DD ship her pet turtle from CA to Chicago. That was terrifying, but it did work out OK. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momto6inIN Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 Live bees. The postal carrier was ... unnerved 🤣 3 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkyandtheBrains. Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 Crickets and flightless fruit flies. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamakelly Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 My neighbor ordered a bathtub. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 I once ordered a short milking pail for goats. They charged me a heck of a lot of duty on that sucker. My wedding dress, from Singapore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 A knitted uterus model and a knitted breast model. (Back in my childbirth educator days.) 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 A mattress, caterpillars, it just doesn’t seem all that weird to order anything online anymore. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TABmom Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 I can't top a lot of these, but we ordered 500 worms one time to start worm composting! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 I've ordered bees online. That's the only weird thing I can think of. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 When my beloved flip flops maker went out of business, I found a supplier in Japan who had apparently bought a bunch when the company went out of business. So, I ordered two pairs of flip flops to be shipped from Japan. Yes, I paid quite a bit of shipping costs! And it really wasn’t like other online transactions because it was really hard to tell if they were legit, but it was a risk I was willing to take! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 Hmm..I think it would have to be the frankincense and myrrh. Actual resin, not oils. Though I'm sure with a little thought I can remember more of my odd purchases. 😄 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 Live land hermit crabs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 Crickets 1000 at a time... Except one batch of pin-heads escaped in the UPS truck-- driver found them for weeks! Reminder to self-- do NOT drop a half-open box of 1000 crickets in your living room... 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 I really want to ask WHYYYY to so many of you. My life is boring. Books and toys are really the only things that we order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 Probably owl pellets. Otherwise, my orders are pretty tame. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 12 minutes ago, Roadrunner said: I really want to ask WHYYYY to so many of you. My life is boring. Books and toys are really the only things that we order. I live in a small town with few shopping options. I do live near a city with lots of options, but that requires driving and figuring out which store has what. Plus dragging 3 kids with me just makes shopping more difficult. Online shopping frees up time so I can do things I find much more enjoyable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 Chickens. We've also bought mineral feeders for the cattle. They are the large round four foot in diameter trough like things. They are HEAVY! They weigh about 50 pounds and are huge and awkward to move. I felt really sorry for the UPS guy. He had to deliver 3 of them. I ordered a milking machine online. My dad bought a truck off of ebay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 14 hours ago, Rachel said: A mattress, caterpillars, it just doesn’t seem all that weird to order anything online anymore. Oh yeah. we bought caterpillars too last summer. That doesn't seem weird to me though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 (edited) 15 hours ago, Rachel said: it just doesn’t seem all that weird to order anything online anymore. This ^^^ I can't think of too many things that are considered weird to order online anymore. I ordered owl pellets for school years ago. I suppose it was weird at the time. We ordered a new key fob for our van, which I used to think you had to get only at a dealership. Dh bought it on Amazon. He's the one to buy weird things more than me. He bought a crossbow a few years back in his Daryl from The Walking Dead phase. It got used exactly twice because it's a pain to drive to where he's allowed to use it. It's sitting in the garage. Ordering weird things is not a new online thing. People used to be able to order weird things from catalogs back in the day. Sears Roebuck sold all kinds of things from their catalog and they started the catalog craze. Sears once sold a house you could order from a catalog. I know this only because if you go on one of the horse and carriage rides in St. Augustine they'll take you past the Sears house and tell you about it. 🙂 https://www.curbed.com/2018/10/16/17984616/sears-catalog-home-kit-mail-order-prefab-housing https://www.history.com/news/sears-catalog-houses-hubcaps Edited December 20, 2018 by Lady Florida. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 Honestly, nothing I've ordered even seems weird anymore! I've ordered: beds, frozen crickets, shoelaces, kitchen counter cleaners, underwear, GF white bread mix, shower curtains, rolling kitchen islands... It all feels pretty normal to me, right? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 1 hour ago, Lady Florida. said: This ^^^ I can't think of too many things that are considered weird to order online anymore. I ordered owl pellets for school years ago. I suppose it was weird at the time. We ordered a new key fob for our van, which I used to think you had to get only at a dealership. Dh bought it on Amazon. He's the one to buy weird things more than me. He bought a crossbow a few years back in his Daryl from The Walking Dead phase. It got used exactly twice because it's a pain to drive to where he's allowed to use it. It's sitting in the garage. Ordering weird things is not a new online thing. People used to be able to order weird things from catalogs back in the day. Sears Roebuck sold all kinds of things from their catalog and they started the catalog craze. Sears once sold a house you could order from a catalog. I know this only because if you go on one of the horse and carriage rides in St. Augustine they'll take you past the Sears house and tell you about it. 🙂 https://www.curbed.com/2018/10/16/17984616/sears-catalog-home-kit-mail-order-prefab-housing https://www.history.com/news/sears-catalog-houses-hubcaps My step-siblings’ grandparents had a Sears house. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 22 hours ago, dmmetler said: Do frozen rodents count? I’ve never ordered a live snake, but I know quite a few people who have. We order frozen mice for our snake from Amazon. I've also ordered Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, bacteria cultures, and various science equipment. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 A full set of brakes for my vehicle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 1 hour ago, Shellydon said: A full set of brakes for my vehicle We’ve ordered all kinds of car and tractor parts online. Also, we order all of our vehicle tires online Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excelsior! Academy Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 On 12/19/2018 at 12:47 PM, PeachyDoodle said: We bought a used car off eBay years ago. We've done that! It was years ago and I thought Dh was crazy when he ordered it. Metal porch furniture (with free shipping!), cat litter and box (Kitty Poo Club), and all Christmas presents this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawyer&Mom Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 Engagement ring and wedding gown. They both had good return policies, so why not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 2 hours ago, Lady Florida. said: . Ordering weird things is not a new online thing. People used to be able to order weird things from catalogs back in the day. Sears Roebuck sold all kinds of things from their catalog and they started the catalog craze. Sears once sold a house you could order from a catalog. I know this only because if you go on one of the horse and carriage rides in St. Augustine they'll take you past the Sears house and tell you about it. 🙂 https://www.curbed.com/2018/10/16/17984616/sears-catalog-home-kit-mail-order-prefab-housing https://www.history.com/news/sears-catalog-houses-hubcaps Off topic, but I finally learned why Sears started their national catalogue. Part of it was to allow African-Americans in the south to circumvent the sharecropper shops. Sears was able to offer door-to-door sales at national low prices, which meant they didn't have to deal with price gouging or having to stand waiting until all the whites were served or get low quality. And when the post office (which were often part of the general town stores) refused to do business with those who were buying from Sears, Sears instructed buyers to hand their money and order form to their postman directly while he was on his route, since he was legally obligated to take it. The postmen could buy the money order for them if necessary. I thought it was pretty cool of them to do that. But there's your dose of odd daily trivia. 😄 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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