Hours after hitting newsstands, copies of the Charlie Hebdo “survivors issue” have cropped up on eBay, attracting bids of thousands of pounds.
Retailers in Paris have been selling the magazine for €3 (£2.30), but UK eBay sellers have been offering it for up to £900 to buy it direct. Auction bids have surpassed four-figure sums, with one copy attracting a bid of £60,500 (the bid was subsequently cancelled).
Other Charlie Hebdo-related items on eBay include 'i am charlie' domain names, currently available to purchase directly for £98,846.79, and back issues of the magazine, one of which is being sold for £2,000.
Distributors announced this morning that they will increase their print run of the special edition to 5m copies to meet demand. They had previously announced a planned print run of 3m copies in 16 languages.
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The first batch of magazines – 500,000 copies – flew off the shelves at French newsagents within minutes.
— tony davis (@mrdavistony) January 14, 2015
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However other people have been quick to condemn re-sellers as exploiters of the tragedy, as proceeds from the special edition are intended to go to the families of those killed in the attack.
Just checked Ebay. There's a #CharlieHebdo on there up to £1,500+!!!! Profiteering from that tragedy is disgraceful. Have some respect!
— James Mitchinson (@JayMitchinson) January 14, 2015
So people are buying #CharlieHebdo's and then selling them on @eBay, and people wonder why the west is so hated.
— Mowl (@CaptainStroppy) January 14, 2015
The controversial special edition depicts a cartoon of a weeping Prophet Mohammed with the words “Tout Est Pardonné” (“All is forgiven”) above him, holding a sign saying “Je Suis Charlie”.
Al-Qaeda in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack in an online video posted today.
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