By: Joe Strupp The ad was typical for a small newspaper on the selling block: "Become the publisher of a well-established newspaper respected for its local news coverage, investigative reporting, and its integrity to news."
Such a notice would likely draw little surprise in a classified ad, a newspaper brokerage list, or even in
E&P. But this one raised at least a few eyebrows because of its location: eBay.
Alan Abrams, managing editor of
The Rapid Record, a monthly in Bowling Green, Ohio, said he turned to the Web-based auctioneer to sell his wife's publication in an effort to cast the widest net for would-be buyers. "It gets the word out," said Abrams, whose wife purchased the paper just over a year ago. "I don't think it's been done before." Maybe, maybe not: Two other newspapers were listed for sale on eBay at
E&P's deadline Friday.
Abrams, a former gossip columnist for
The Blade in Toledo, Ohio, and a longtime freelancer, listed the paper for sale (with a $35,000 price tag) on New Year's Day, with a Jan. 11 bidding deadline.
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