Ebay sellers offer Pope memorabilia

People appear to be cashing in on the death of Pope John Paul II by selling memorabilia over the internet.

Just hours after the death of the pontiff was announced by the Vatican, there were nearly 140 items for sale on eBay with a connection to John Paul.

Commemorative coins, mugs, figurines, thimbles, records, plates, T-shirts, videos and even a charity cross stitch pattern of the Pope were for sale.

Among the more expensive items was a gold-plated bust of the pontiff measuring 160mm by 80mm on sale for €73.

There was even a copy of today’s Sunday Times with the front page dedicated to the death of the Pope, under the headline Don’t Weep for Me.

The edition is described as a “very collectable item for the future”. With four days to go before bidding closes, it was priced at about €10.

Copies of today’s edition of the Sunday Mirror were also available on the internet auction site.

An eBay spokesman said: “With up to 25 million items for sale at any one time on eBay.co.uk, this is testament to the range and diversity of items that can be sold on the site.”

He said there was no data available that would show if Pope John Paul II memorabilia sales had gone up in recent days, although it was likely.