Hostess' Death Sparks Second-Hand Sales Opportunities

Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Ho Hos are enjoying a resurgence - on eBay, at least

Hostess may no longer be a business worth running, but its products are enjoying a resurgence on second-hand sales sites.

"A 'MUST HAVE' Holiday gift for the one who has everything!" wrote one eBay user who was asking $100 for a box of 10 Twinkies. "What better way to show how you feel than with some of the LAST TWINKIES PRODUCED!"

"With Hostess claiming bankruptcy, these iconic, all-American food snacks will soon be nothing but a legend of desserts past," touted someone in Pembroke Pines, Fla. who turned to Craigslist to ask $500 for four boxes of Twinkies.

Those were some of the more reasonable offerings. Others -- assuming they weren't joking --  appeared overly opportunistic, including the eBay auctioneer who claimed to expect $200,000 for a Twinkies 10-pack. The pitch: “This is a great collectors item that can be passed down to family members and will only gain in value!”

The frenzy was sparked by Hostess' announcement Friday that it was liquidating all of its assets, laying off its 18,500 workers and stopping production of its iconic but financially nonviable snack cakes -- Twinkies, Ho Hos, CupCakes, Ding Dongs -- as well as Wonder Bread.

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There remains a chance that some other company will buy the brand and recipes and start a new line of production. But for now, it appears that the last deliveries are on their way to stores, and when they run out, there will be no more.

That's where the online entrepreneurs jumped in.

One seller, seeking $12.99 for eight CupCakes, posted: "Hostess Cupcakes. Out of Business! So Sad ;("

Another, hawking Twinkies, noted: "Hostess is shutting it down....so, buy extras and throw them in the freezer for future consumption!"

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