PlayStation 3 charity auction redux -- bid at Engadget

Looks like a grinch stole Christmas out of the hands of charity and the auction is over -- so we're gonna redo this the old fashioned way. We're putting that PS3 back up for auction here on Engadget; place your bids in comments for a Christmas day PS3, and we'll even throw in an extra gadget for the winner. Once again, big thanks to our old pals at BoxWave for supplying the unit. Here's what you need to know.

• Place your bids in the comments of this post; bids should be placed in US dollars. We'll contact the winner by email.
• Real bids only people, this is for charity!
• Auction is over at 11:59PM EST / 8:59PM PST Tuesday, the 26th.
  
• Payment will go directly to Save Darfur, and will be expected to be made within one day of the auction's close. We will confirm with the charity that the payment has been made.
  
• We will ship internationally, but you have to pay customs.
• For the US we'll ship free overnight.

This unit is not 100% deductible -- it is only deductible less the $500 cost of the unit. So if the PS3 sells for $2,000, you get to deduct $1,500. Still, not bad! Plus 100% of the proceeds still go to Save Darfur, so, what do you say? Let the bidding begin!

P.S. -To those who bid but don't win -- don't let that stop you from donating to the charity of your choice this holiday season.

Aight everybody, bid in the comments!

[Evan @ Dec 25th 2006 9:49PM]

Serious bids only please :)

[BigD @ Dec 27th 2006 3:06AM]

Dude...this is Engadget...not Giz.

You're right, though. To the tool that posted that long article, Save Darfur is not about taking a side with any of the militant groups. It's about saving the lives of those who are caught in between those sides. I'm not saying that we should jump in and subdue the agressors with our military might, I just think that it's sad that conflicts in Africa that arise in large part because of our (the developed West) arbitrary application of boundaries to the continent of Africa, are often ignored. That is not our problem, right?

Sorry for interrupting the bidding with my rant, ladies and gentlemen, bid on....

[Pyro19 @ Dec 27th 2006 5:18AM]

I hate to see this charity thread politicised but I guess the auction is over by now.

Darfur is a situation where you have government sponsored Arab supremacists slaughtering mostly defensless black Africans. It's a massacre and it's one sided.

It doesn't matter that to us they all look the same. What matters is how they identify themselves and, apparently, some of them feel strong enough about their Arab-ness to kill over it. It's quite reminiscent of the Rwandan genocide in the 90s except it's moving at a slower pace.

[gib786 @ Dec 25th 2006 7:53PM]

Right time to kick things off. I'll start with $400 (im a skint student!)

[Brian @ Dec 25th 2006 8:00PM]

Alright, let's kick it up to retail!

$500 (I'm also a skint thrifty student)

Now bring on the tax deductions! (Oh, and save Darfur)

[Asad Hussain @ Dec 25th 2006 8:01PM]

I'll up that to $650 USD.

[Eddie @ Dec 25th 2006 8:12PM]

hey im not bidding but i was just wondering if you made a mistake.."# Auction is over tonight at 11:59PM Tuesday, the 26th." wouldnt that be tomorrow night as today is Monday, the 25th?

[Ryan Block @ Dec 25th 2006 8:34PM]

Yep! It's tomorrow night, thanks.

[Dave @ Dec 25th 2006 9:10PM]

$750

[Harry Bawls @ Dec 30th 2006 3:30PM]

100 billion dollars and 99 cents. j/k

[Jason K @ Dec 25th 2006 10:14PM]

I'll make it $500.

[Jake @ Dec 25th 2006 11:14PM]

$751. So I can at least get in the game

[Vences5 @ Dec 25th 2006 11:51PM]

800

[gadgetdon @ Dec 26th 2006 12:22AM]

kitt2112, raffles raise all sorts of legal issues that don't exist for auctions.

[Shuey @ Dec 26th 2006 3:03AM]

I'll pay up to $850

[Noa @ Dec 26th 2006 6:25AM]

wtf why dont you look and see people have bidded more than you.

i second the raffle idea. anyway i remember seeing one of those send money to charity to get a ticket for this auction on joystiq

[wai man @ Dec 26th 2006 6:53AM]

850

[Shuey @ Dec 26th 2006 8:03AM]

I already bid 850, wai man

[Leland @ Dec 26th 2006 11:23AM]

$700

[KidDooc @ Dec 26th 2006 11:25AM]

$900. Sorry. The last was when I tried to get in last night.

[Ryan Block @ Dec 26th 2006 11:31AM]

As I explained in previous comment threads, we cannot do a raffle for legal reasons, as we would have to take out charity raffle permits in the states where we wish to participate -- totally unfeasible.

[Usman @ Dec 26th 2006 12:05PM]

$1000.

[KidDooc @ Dec 26th 2006 12:28PM]

$1100

[Mrfreezie @ Dec 26th 2006 1:20PM]

Come on people, this is for charity. Try not to bid fake amounts.

[KidDooc @ Dec 26th 2006 2:58PM]

Those are real $$ I'm bidding.

[Ricky @ Dec 26th 2006 3:29PM]

Probably makes sense to anchor this auction entry to the top of the first page so it doesn't disappear.

And I'll go to $1,200

[Gabe Newell @ Dec 26th 2006 5:44PM]

$1500

[Gabe Newell @ Dec 26th 2006 5:51PM]

$1500

[Gabe Newell @ Dec 26th 2006 5:53PM]

Argh. Double post noobitude.

[kaztm @ Dec 26th 2006 8:56PM]

Will Ryan be personally matching the winning bid for the most dramatic effect?

[Stock @ Dec 26th 2006 8:57PM]

Auction a wii and then I'll bid,

[SnowB @ Dec 26th 2006 10:17PM]

If that's really Gabe Newell then you can go higher than $1500! :)

[Steve Carlin @ Dec 26th 2006 10:30PM]

It's a good cause. $1550.

[jason @ Dec 26th 2006 10:50PM]

For a good charity I will bid: $1600

[kitt2112 @ Dec 26th 2006 11:20PM]

Ok first off the guy that screwed up the action in my opinion is a scumbag but what about the other 3 high bidders, what happened to them, why did they not pay up, how come no one said anything about them? there just as big a scumb bag as the 1st, ppl on here don't really care about helping anyone they just want to get a ps3 cheap, and thats why this is not going to work, everyone is forgetting why this action is happening, your doing it all wrong the bids are not going to get high, heres a question if this is for charity and BOXWAVE is getting adverting out of it ,why dont they just give you the money, no one does something for nothing! this hole thing is done wrong what you should of done was have a raffle, have ppl give say $10 or $20 for a chance to have there name in a pot for every $20payed by paypal you get another chance to win, this way you get alot of ppl to give you $20 each, it would add up to even more money at the end and then as the bidder you get what you always really wanted a ps3 for a very low price. just my thoughts.

[Dave @ Dec 26th 2006 11:36PM]

I thought to myself, "OK, I'm never going to be able to outbid one of the Microsoft millionaires," but then Jason and Steve seem to want to try regardless. Good luck everyone!

[Leon Lamle @ Dec 26th 2006 11:37PM]

Raffles fall under the same or similar bracket as a lottery... you cannot do them with out certian guidelines, AKA illegal. the only thing they could do is a sweepstakes (free for all to enter). or an auction... money goes to charity... its easy to see what was chosen and why. kitt2112 u should quit your bitching and whining because u are incorrect.

[dukrous @ Dec 27th 2006 3:04AM]

The problem with the Save Darfur group is that it lays the blame at Bush's feet. Much like Rwanda, this is something the UN is responsible for. Bush has used the word genocide to describe what is going on in Darfur, a direct blow towards the UN...he's tried to get more international aid into the nation, but was blocked by the UN in much the same way Clinton's efforts to aid Rwanda were blocked.

[tomas @ Dec 27th 2006 9:01AM]

I can pay $10 that´s all what I have, sorry.

Merry xmas from argentina.

[Tom Norman @ Dec 27th 2006 11:35AM]

I bid 300. Playstation 3, 300 dollars. I dont wanna have a 650 dollar blu ray player when hd DVD wins :P

[Matt B. @ Dec 27th 2006 7:12PM]

so what is the current high bid 1550?

[Alfred @ Jan 30th 2007 3:47PM]

can youn give me money or games as free