They were in effect buying the person who stood behind the product along with the product itself.

FORBES: Can't Buy Me Love: Marketing Reconnects With Our Pre-Industrial Roots

AutoTrader, well known for its extensive advertising, won't charge a sell fee and will allow some winning bidders to see the car in person before buying.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Reports on Android Central and The Verge also mention hardware spotted at Staples locations, with one person actually succeeding in buying one.

ENGADGET: 32GB Nexus 7 tablets appear at retail with $249 price tag, October 29th street date

In New York, some customers at Apple's Fifth Avenue store were going back in line after buying the two handsets allotted per person, saying they wanted more for friends and family.

WSJ: Global Sales of iPhone 5 Kick Off With Crowds

C. suburbs, who owns a house already and he's trying to refinance, and another person who lives in Chicago and is just buying, and with - so they say impeccable credit scores.

NPR: Will Interest-Rate Cut Really Help?

Researchers once stopped every fifth person in a Shanghai mall and asked them about their buying habits.

ECONOMIST: Free exchange

What happens to the person who parked more than 100, 000 euros in an account before buying a property or before paying foreign suppliers?

BBC: Few winners in Cyprus deal

The average age of a person buying sports apparel has already increased from the low 30s to the high 30s in six years--and this trend should continue to grow, according to the NPD Group, which tracks apparel spending.

FORBES: Deep Pockets, Getting Deeper