KEY POINTS:
Wellington university student and website designer Hamish Laude is selling off the Earth.
Mr Laude, 23, has mounted a website, http://earthisonsale.com, with a world map and is now auctioning off the 125 countries on it, priced in proportion to their population on the real globe.
"New Zealand will cost a mere US$8 ($12)," he has told prospective purchasers.
"There will be some bargains like this to be had where population density is low - Australia is huge but costs only US$41."
There are over 40 countries available for less than US$20, and for the "high rollers" he is offering China and India: China is most expensive at US$2646 ($3953).
The unusual auction has attracted thousands of curious web surfers and advertisers from around the globe, with companies, individuals and even rock bands among the early purchasers of countries.
Mike Casey of band management company Disco Manifesto bought Iceland for US$1 within days of the launch of the website.
"I just liked the idea of owning a country, but my ad on Hamish's site keeps surprising me with an increasing number of referrals to our website," he said.
All the other US$1 countries: Greenland, French Guiana, Western Sahara, and Suriname also sold quickly.
Mr Laude said the giant garage sale was to finance his OE - so he could go and visit the countries he is selling off as advertising sites on his world map.
"Capturing the imagination of many is critical for the idea to be a success," he said.
"I've been receiving a tonne of positive feedback. The challenge is to keep up with the emails and keep up the selling momentum."
Mr Laude is putting the proceeds from the sale of the countries towards an OE.
"I could save for an OE the way most kiwis do - working a regular job - but this way is far more challenging, exciting, and hopefully much faster," said Mr Laude, who has just graduated from Victoria University with a degree in commerce and administration.
He developed the idea after a working holiday in the United States between university semesters, where he was frustrated by the high costs of travelling.
Earlier this year, another New Zealand university student, Aditya Kesarcodi-Watson, 29, launched a website, www.anovelmillion.com, selling words at US$1 each.
Donors "buying" words are able to contribute to two online novels.
So far, he has sold 1572 words in the embryonic million-word novel, and 1160 characters in an accompanying million-character story.
- NZPA
