Bidders are few for food stamp card

By Timothy Pratt

Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2006 | 7:38 a.m.

Kevin Barbieux, otherwise known as "The Homeless Guy" on his blog of the same name, thinks the time is right for selling stuff - on eBay.

While that may not be very original in this day and age, his purpose is: getting off the streets. And the first item he's offering for sale to the world is even more unusual - a food stamp card that he used this past spring while staying at Catholic Charities in Las Vegas.

The card once had a value of about $150 a month, Barbieux writes from Nashville, Tenn., where he lives now, and where he's been homeless on and off for 24 years.

But now it's worth nothing except "its historic significance, including my signature on the back," Barbieux writes on eBay.

"One day I'll be even more famous than I am now, and this card will be worth a lot," the blogger continues.

The food stamp card may be one of the few things he escaped Las Vegas with, other than his shirt. He admits to spending a lot of time at Binion's playing Texas hold 'em, which he sums up as "a lot of fun, and fury, depending on how the cards fell."

On his blog, Barbieux offers a freewheeling, discursive explanation for the move to eBay.

The Internet is "a great equalizer," he says, affording opportunity to someone like him, who understands "marketing, and supply and demand, and the importance of 'value,' " but who lacks a college degree and has "a spotty job history and a case of social anxiety."

He hopes to become "one of those people you hear about, who make six figures just on eBay."

As of late Tuesday afternoon, 11 people had bid on the item. The leading bid so far: $14.26.

The auction is over today at 8:54 p.m.