Small town previously sold on eBay receives a real owner

BRIDGEVILLE, Calif. (AP) -- This tiny northern California town, which sparked an ill-fated eBay bidding war nearly two years ago, has finally been sold -- this time for real.
A Southern California financial adviser is the proud new owner of what he called an "absolutely gorgeous" 82-acre piece of land among the redwoods, about 270 miles northwest of San Francisco and 30 miles from the Pacific Ocean.
Bruce Krall said he had no idea the town was "quasi-famous from the eBay thing" when he bought it for $700,000 in a deal finalized Wednesday.
"There's a mile and a half of river frontage. It's very green and beautiful. Great weather," said Krall, of Laguna Hills. "In San Francisco, $700,000 doesn't buy you a one-car garage."
Bridgeville, which dates to the early 1900s, includes a post office, a cemetery and more than a dozen cabins and houses. It needs a new well and several buildings need to be renovated.
In December 2002, Bridgeville became the first town "sold" on eBay. Almost 250 bids were cast during the town's month on the electronic auction block. Bidding started at $5,000 and went well beyond the asking price of $775,000 to close at $1,777,877.
But no buyer ever appeared, no check arrived and the deal fell through.
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