Winning bid for tricked-out chair: $10,099

Star Tribune

Last update: November 5, 2009 - 9:00 PM

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Obviously, some eBay bidders had second thoughts about owning a souped-up motorized recliner that was seized after Proctor police caught the owner driving it while drunk.

Last week, bidders on eBay drove the top bid up to $43,500. But after police were forced to relist the item this week, the winning bid Thursday night reached only $10,099.

But Proctor Police Chief Walter Wobig isn't bemoaning the "loss" of $30,000-plus.

"The truth is that we never had the money to begin with," he said.

The eBay listing for the customized chair, complete with stereo, cup holder and lights, was yanked off the site unexpectedly last week because the recliner on wheels was referred to as a "La-Z-Boy," when in fact it's not. So Proctor police relisted it earlier this week, minus the La-Z-Boy reference, and the bidding began all over again.

"It's unfortunate that eBay removed it over the trademark issue, though I thought we worked it out with La-Z-Boy [officials]," Wobig said.

A $43,500 bid would have brought a "terrific, unexpected windfall to the city," he said.

But $10,099 is still a nice chunk of change that will boost city coffers, he said.

"We're going to live with that and move on. It's not the end of the world," Wobig said. "As the police chief here, I have bigger and better things to move on with than a motorized chair."

MARY LYNN SMITH