Princeton paraphenalia at eBay

On a website where people have tried to sell their kidneys and even their souls, it might still be surprising to see a Princeton item called "Team Supporter" that might pass as an advertisement for the male version of Vagina Monologues. But "Team Supporter" is just one example of unique Princeton-related gifts one can buy at eBay.com.

Meredith, the seller of the black and orange homemade item on eBay, said she crochets team supporters herself. "I was in high school when I designed and made my first one as a gag gift for a guy I knew," she said in an e-mail.

The very first one was made with red and green yarn for Christmas, with jingle bells attached to the laces, Meredith said.

The idea for "Team Supporters" in particular came much later when the Buffalo Bills played the Dallas Cowboys in the Superbowl in 1994. "I couldn't believe the comments I got from people and how hard people laughed!" Meredith noted.

She has been selling them on eBay since January, and she said the response has been terrific. So now Princeton fans can support the team in a little, um, more personal way.

Many of the other Princeton items on eBay are not quite as outrageous but are nevertheless priceless — that is until the auction drives up the bidding.

Some aren't in any way related to the University. A search for "Princeton" yields such things as Fender amps with that name, pieces of a brand of china with that name and even towns with that name. Not only is there a Princeton, NJ; there is also a Princeton, Ark.; a Princeton, Texas; a Princeton, Mass; and a Princeton, Ill. There is also a Mt. Princeton in Salida, Colo.

As for the University-related items, there are old postcards that show pictures of Blair Hall when the 'Dinky' used to end there, Nassau Street at the turn of the century and Forbes College when it was still the Princeton Inn.

There is even a photo of the famous tire manufacturer Harvey Firestone with his two alumni sons and commemorative stamps of Nassau Hall that were printed to celebrate its bicentennial.

The most intriguing picture of campus, however, is not a picture postcard but a pitcher depicting Blair Arch on its side.

Bill Nesnay, the seller of the pitcher, is an antique dealer from New Jersey. He said the pitcher was probably sold in the University's book store as a souvenir item many years ago.

"When people came to visit the area they liked to take a small piece of the quaint, historic town home with them," he said in an e-mail. "When people traveled they liked to come back with proof that they visited certain areas."

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Nesnay said the pitcher came from the estate of a recently deceased man, whose father was a graduate of the University.

And for athletic Princetonians, there is much more to buy other than the Tiger "Team Supporter." There are numerous ticket stubs from games with Harvard and Yale and other schools. There are also collector's cards of Bill Bradley from the days he played basketball for Princeton.

The University-related items on eBay also reflect other aspects of campus life. Someone is selling a program for a Triangle Club performance of "The Golden Dog (Le Chien D'Or)" from the 1929-1930 season.

It seems like everyone had a reunions mug to sell. There are various beer glasses with various versions of the Princeton tiger on them from 1935.

There are also several items on the eating clubs. There is a menu from Cannon Club in 1899, a Tower Club ashtray and a picture of Cap and Gown Club from 1905. A sterling silver commemorative box for Cottage Club from 1942 contained each members' engraved signature.

The items sold at the U-Store may change over the years, and the car traffic on Nassau St. may be busier than when horses and buggies ruled the streets, but some things never change, at least at Princeton.

Nassau Hall still looks the same. We still have reunions, we still eat in clubs and we still buy ridiculous amounts of Princeton paraphernalia. It's just that now we can get it on eBay for a lower price.