Buyers seek Charlie Hebdo copies on eBay as newsstands sell out

The clamour for sought-after copies of Charlie Hebdo has driven some to scour eBay within hours of the controversial title hitting shelves.

Today's edition, which has been published in multiple languages, including English and Arabic, sold out within minutes at kiosks across France.

The survivors’ edition of the French satirical magazine costs €3, but has already attracted three-figure bids on eBay.

The new magazine carries a cartoon of a crying Prophet Mohammed on its front cover in defiance of the gunmen who slaughtered 12 people at its Paris offices, including four cartoonists, over its depictions of the Islamic spiritual leader.

Three million copies of the magazine have been printed, its largest ever run, with translations into English, Spanish and Arabic and versions available in Italy and Turkey. Copies are said to have been earmarked for distribution outside France, although some retailers have declined to stock the magazine.

My local kiosk sold out of Charlie Hebdo in less than five minutes this morning #Paris

— Ruadhán Mac Cormaic (@RuadhanIT) January 14, 2015

Back issues of the magazine have already been selling for inflated prices following last week’s massacre at the Charlie Hebdo headquarters, while reports from France this morning said some newsagents had already run out.

French retailers have also taken to their version of eBay to sell the souvenir edition, with bids of around €50 being registered so far.