The Union Solidarity Coalition have auctioned off exciting experiences with fans on eBay, and have reached the $150,000 mark.
The Union Solidarity Coalition (TUSC) organized a celebrity auction on eBay for Hollywood workers who were affected by the strikes.
More than 200 Hollywood actors, writers, producers and directors came together and organized an auction on eBay for the Hollywood workers who were affected by the strikes.
The TUSC’s auction ended on September 23.
They posted services and other mundane experiences on the e-commerce website to hopefully attract potential bidders.
The Writers Guild of America, along with the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), went on strike since May of this year.
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Some of the experiences created for fans included a crossword puzzle-solving session with Natasha Lyonne, a dinner date with Bob Odenkirk and David Cross, Adam Scott offering to walk a dog for an hour, a Zoom meet with the cast of New Girl, and bar crawling with Dolly de Leon, among others.
Auction supported by bidders
Many of the listings earned upwards of $5,000. Adam Scott’s hour-long dog walk went for $5,300. A 30-minute Zoom meet with Schitt’s Creek creator Dan Levy did well and made $8,200.
Bob Odenkirk and David Cross’ listing, which would make the bidder join them for dinner, made the most money in TUSC’s auction. It may take place in New York or Los Angeles. If the bidder can’t travel, the dinner will push through Zoom. This will include a food delivery of the bidder’s favorite restaurant. This experience alone raised $24,550.
The cast of Bob’s Burgers offered a personalized song in the auction and became the second highest bid in the celebrity auction. This included a strike-themed poster of the characters. The quirky offer from the cast made $13,000.
The offer of Brit Marling’s hoodie from the now-canceled Netflix series The OA had also made the five-digit mark. The hoodie sold for $10,700.
Funds “reached” the $150,000 mark
Liz Benjamin, a member of TUSC who came up with the idea of an auction in support of the Hollywood writers’ strike, said that the organization has so far raised $150,000.
“I was terrified it was gonna bomb,” Liz said. “None of us could have ever predicted [this total].”
The bidders need to send payment before total funds raised can be finalized but the organizers said that the earnings have “definitely passed” the $150,000 mark.
TUSC member Andrea Savage said winning bidders will be contacted. After payment, the bidders should contact the organization. “Some of them have a year to use it,” Savage said. “Some of them are sooner, some of them are one-night only.”
All the funds raised from the celebrity auction will be used to pay for the healthcare bills of film and television crew members. These workers were unpaid due to the industry-wide shutdown in May. The strike ended today, September 27.
Banner photo via the official website of Empire Online.
