History Main / BachelorAuction

* In the ''ComicBook/ActionComics'' backup strip ''[[Characters/SupermanJimmyOlsen Jimmy Olsen's Big Week]]'' (later released as a one-shot), Lois pushes Jimmy into signing up for one of these. Jimmy's narration laments that his life has become a series of sitcom cliches. And then his archenemy, hotshot young Lexcorp exec Sebastian Mallory, is bought by his ex, [[CanonImmigrant Chloe Sullivan]]. Just when he thinks the whole thing is a disaster, a woman offers a million dollars for him. [[spoiler: Shame it's Mr Mxyzptlk's daughter.]]
* ''BComicBook/BecAndKawl'' had Kawl put up in one of these with no interest until a mysterious woman makes a large bid. It turns out that her attractive appearance is actually a {{Glamour}} and she is actually [[spoiler: UsefulNotes/MargaretThatcher]] who is using Kawl as part of her plot to [[spoiler: privatise Hell.]]
* In ''ComicBook/HarleyQuinn's Valentine's Day Special'' #1, Bruce Wayne is New York for a charity bachelor auction, and Harley Decides she has to be the one to win a dream date with Franchise/TheDCU's most eligible bachelor. PlayedForLaughs.

[[folder:Fan Fiction]]

* A [[http://www.stargatefan.com/fictionabc/auction.htm Fanfic]] for ''Series/StargateSG1'' involved this trope, as a fundraiser for Pentagon 9/11 victims and their families. Someone who thinks they're hot stuff- check. Someone bid on by rich, horny old lady - check. Though it's obvious the author is a big Daniel fan.

-->'''Mooney:''' *Takes a bite and very very carefully chews and swallows it.*
-->'''Loretta:''' *expectantly* Well?
-->'''Mooney:''' How much salt y'supposed ta put in this kinda pie?
-->'''Loretta:''' Silly, ya don' put salt in pie...
-->''cue look of horror on Loretta's face''

* ''Film/RoadTrip:'' There's a bachelorette auction at a party, where [[BettyAndVeronica the Veronica]] is to be auctioned off, and knows that a creepy guy will try to get her. She begs the protagonist to bid on her, and the auction leader then ignores any further bids. Note that this is unusual in that the auctioneer stresses that they are not buying the girl, but buying her company.

* In a gender inversion, Batman and Robin (in the [[Film/BatmanAndRobin movie of the same name]]) are at an auction and try to outbid each other for Poison Ivy, with Batman winning and paying for it with his Bat credit card. [[note]]Yes, we know, [[OverusedRunningGag insert rage sounds here.]][[/note]]

* Richard Castle becomes the subject of an impromptu one of these in ''Series/{{Castle}}'' when he and Beckett are staking out a charity event for a jewelry thief. Even worse, his ''mother'' is the one auctioning him off, as revenge from a former source he accidentally outed.

* In ''ComicBook/HarleyQuinn's Valentine's Day Special'' #1, Bruce Wayne is New York for a charity bachelor auction, and Harley Decides she has to be the one to win a dream date with Franchise/TheDCU's most eligible bachelor. HilarityEnsues.

* In the ''Franchise/DragonBall'' fanfiction ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9403730/1/Sold Sold!]]'', the entire male main cast enter a Bachelor Auction. Half of them were [[HenpeckedHusband forced to by their wives]] and/or [[AlmightyMom mothers]] (since they'll receive a cut of the money), while the other half entered out of their own free will. HilarityEnsues.

* ''My Night With You'', a ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' fanfic, did this. Here, the rich old lady was instead a hideously obese hippopotamus woman. Also uses the "purchased by love interest" point.

* ''Series/SueThomasFEbeye'': In "[[Recap/SueThomasFBEyeS2E4ColdCase Cold Case]]", Eleanor Rippendorf, a lady associated with the hospital, drags the FBI's unmarried men into participating in a bachelor auction to raise money for the children. Bobby is bought by an older lady; Myles buys himself to extricate himself from the extravagant promises he made in his audition video, and Tara and Lucy team up to buy Jack so that [[ShipperOnDeck he can go on a date with Sue]] and not [[AbhorrentAdmirer Mrs. Rippendorf.]]

* ''Series/TedLasso'': In "For the Children", the Richmond players are subject to this for charity. Notably, overconfident Jamie Tartt asks his girlfriend Keeley to bid on him so he doesn't get picked by a horny old lady. Instead, it ends up being a bidding war between her and another young woman, who turns out to be a former girlfriend of Jamie's who he also asked to bid to make himself look good, exploiting the trope. Keeley then bids on Roy to make Jamie jealous, [[WhatTheHellHero which Roy tells her off for]]. [[spoiler: This causes Keeley to break up with Jamie.]]

* Richard Castle becomes the subject of an impromptu one of these in ''Series/{{Castle}}'' when he and Beckett are staking out a charity event for a jewelry thief. Even worse, his ''mother'' is the one auctioning him off.

* Richard Castle becomes the subject of an impromptu one of these in ''Series/{{Castle}}''.

This is a common trope in LiveActionTV comedies: A bunch of male characters get together for a "date auction," usually for charity, and the plot is usually written from the results. Expect these to happen:

* At least one of the bachelors will start out [[{{Vanity}} confident of his status as hot goods]], but end up being bought for 3 cents and a secondhand peppermint by a woman who could never get her hands on a bachelor any other way (usually a ''[[AbhorrentAdmirer poor]]'' [[AbhorrentAdmirer horny old lady]]).

Note that those auctions are public and legal, and people take part on their own free will. If criminals hold a secret auction to sell captive {{Sex Slave}}s to the highest bidder, see HumanTraffickers instead.

* In the ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' fic ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7811548/1/A-Certain-Date-Auction A Certain Date Auction]]'', Academy City sets up an event where anybody can bid to get a date with anybody else. The girls in Touma's UnwantedHarem pool their resources to buy him for 1,760,000 yen. In the end, the series BigBad, Creator/AleisterCrowley, gloats because all the money from all the auctions went to him; that was the whole point of this.

* One ''WesternAnimation/ElTigre'' episode has this as an excuse for the Rivera men to get out of the house so their pets could have their DayInTheLimeLight.

* In the ''ComicBook/ActionComics'' backup strip ''[[Characters/SupermanJimmyOlsen Jimmy Olsen's Big Week'' (later released as a one-shot), Lois pushes Jimmy into signing up for one of these. Jimmy's narration laments that his life has become a series of sitcom cliches. And then his archenemy, hotshot young Lexcorp exec Sebastian Mallory, is bought by his ex, [[CanonImmigrant Chloe Sullivan]]. Just when he thinks the whole thing is a disaster, a woman offers a million dollars for him. [[spoiler: Shame it's Mr Mxyzptlk's daughter.]]

* ''Series/WillAndGrace'': Will hosts an auction as part of a charity fair and gets Jack to be one of the bachelors. Despite the low starting bid ''nobody'' is willing to bid on Jack. As Jack tries to leave the stage in shame Will pretends that multiple people are actually bidding on him. Will ends up paying the $1,500 price himself, saving hhis friend from being embarrassed at not being bought.

* ''Bec & Kawl'' had Kawl put up in one of these with no interest until a mysterious woman makes a large bid. It turns out that her attractive appearance is actually a {{Glamour}} and she is actually [[spoiler: UsefulNotes/MargaretThatcher]] who is using Kawl as part of her plot to [[spoiler: privatise Hell.]]

* A [[http://www.stargatefan.com/fictionabc/auction.htm Fanfic]] for ''Series/StargateSG1'' involved this trope, as a fundraiser for Pentagon 9/11 victims and their families. Someone who thinks they're hot stuff- check. Someone bid on by rich, horny old lady - check. Though it's obvious the author is a big Daniel fan.
* ''My Night With You'', a ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' fanfic, did this. Here, the rich old lady was instead a hideously obese hippopotamus woman. Also uses the "purchased by love interest" point.
* In the ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' fic ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7811548/1/A-Certain-Date-Auction A Certain Date Auction]]'', Academy City sets up an event where anybody can bid to get a date with anybody else. The girls in Touma's UnwantedHarem pool their resources to buy him for 1,760,000 yen. In the end, the series BigBad, Creator/AleisterCrowley, gloats because all the money from all the auctions went to him; that was the whole point of this.
* In the ''{{Series/Emergency}}'' fic "[[http://www.squidge.org/peja/cgi-bin/viewstory.php?sid=26745 Catwalk]]'', Dixie buys a date with Johnny. Possibly [[NotSafeForWork NSFW]] content.
* In ''Fanfic/ASongOfGrumblingAndCottonCandy'', Jem is involved in a charity auction where the biggest bidders win a date with her. A drunk Pizzazz crashes the auction and wins by bidding $10,500.

* In the ''Franchise/DragonBall'' fanfiction ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9403730/1/Sold Sold!]]'', the entire male main cast enter a Bachelor Auction. Half of them were [[HenpeckedHusband forced to by their wives]] and/or [[AlmightyMom mothers]] (since they'll receive a cut of the money), while the other half entered out of their own free will. HilarityEnsues.

[[folder:Film]]
* ''Film/GroundhogDay'' features one in the last iteration of the loop. Phil Connors, who by this point has developed into someone who stops the same kid from breaking his leg every day, is bought for $339.88 (the entire contents of his LoveInterest's wallet). His cameraman co-worker is bought for 25 cents.

* ''Film/RoadTrip:'' There's a bachelorette auction at a party, where [[BettyAndVeronica the Veronica]] is to be auctioned off, and knows that a creepy guy will try to get her. She begs the protagonist to bid on her, and the auction leader then ignores any further bids. Note that this is unusual in that the auctioneer stresses that they are not buying the girl, but buying her company.

* In a gender inversion, Batman and Robin (in the [[Film/BatmanAndRobin movie of the same name]]) are at an auction and try to outbid each other for Poison Ivy, with Batman winning and paying for it with his Bat credit card. [[note]]Yes, we know, [[OverusedRunningGag insert rage sounds here.]][[/note]]

* In a ''Series/NewsRadio'' episode the billionaire boss pays a female employee to come to his auction and bid, just so he won't go for a few dollars. She brings along a male employee as her "butler", but before the bidding starts she runs off with another pretend-butler and the male employee has to bid.

* ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' plays with this a bit, using bachelorette auctions. Instead of the usual romantic setup, there is a SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoment, when no one bids on Lindsay and so her brother that she has been fighting with bids on her instead. Also, Buster was told to bid on his mother, but messes up and bids a huge amount on Liza Minnelli's character (who has the same name), continuing the RunningGag where she thinks Buster is interested in her.
** Lucille twice gave one of her sons $10000 to bid on her, only for them to bid on someone else.
* Richard Castle becomes the subject of an impromptu one of these in ''Series/{{Castle}}''.
* In ''Series/DoogieHowserMD'' Doogie's girlfriend Wanda wins Doogie by outbidding a bulimic model.
* In ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}'', the second part episode "Oh My Goddess". Phoebe arrives at the auction after recently becoming the LoveGoddess (ItMakesSenseInContext). All guys start to do auctions on ''her,'' forgetting they're the ones that should be bought. Finally she takes all of them back home, and never so much money was won.
* ''Series/TheNanny'' did this with both Fran and Niles on the auction block to work as a nanny and butler respectively. Fran is bought by the biggest donor's son. Niles on the other hand is bought by [[spoiler: C.C. for less than $40]]
* ''Series/HomeImprovement'' did a variation where rather than bid on dates with the men, people would bid to get the celebrity handymen to come over and do home repairs. Unfortunately for Tim, Al got his SitcomArchNemesis Bob Vila to participate, causing his potential bids to plummet (if his general tendency to DoomItYourself hadn't done so already). Bob went for hundreds of dollars, while Tim's situation got so dire that his wife Jill (who was running the thing as the auctioneer) had to step in and make a bid herself because nobody else would.
* ''Series/OneTreeHill'' had an auction complete with a guy in a bird suit, shirtlessness, and an awkward robot dance.
** And Brooke bought Mouth, who wasn't one of the bachelors, after arriving late.
* In a June 2012 episode of ''Series/{{Neighbours}}'', a charity bachelor auction is held at Lassiter's. Doctors Karl Kennedy (mature) and Rhys Lawson (young and fit) have a private competition as to who will get the higher bid. Karl gets a decent bid of $50 or so, but then Rhys persuades his girlfriend to bid high on him so he wins - she doesn't have any money to spare though, so he promises to pay her back. Essentially buying himself at auction to go out with his girlfriend.
* In the episode "A Few Good Men" of ''{{Series/The Vampire Diaries}}'', although it's actually a raffle.
* In ''Series/SpinCity'' Michael J. Fox's character enters one and is confident but in another subplot also agrees to wear a fat suit which means nobody bids for him.
* ''Series/MidnightCaller'': Jack participates in a charity auction in "Class of 1980." To his embarrassment, Devon yells, "Shake your moneymaker! Strut your stuff!" Naturally, the woman who buys him is a murder suspect.

* Suzanne enters Anthony for a charity bachelor auction on ''Series/DesigningWomen''. As he's a contractor she dresses him up in a tank top and tiny jean shorts. Suzanne wins him when she accidentally bids $5,000.
* The houses on ''Series/{{Greek}}'' held a bachelor auction as part of an inter-fraternity competition.
* ''Series/TheNewAdventuresOfRobinHood'': "The Auction". At the Third Annual Widows and Orphans Charity Fair, Friar Tuck holds a charity auction, in which one of the lots is a date with Robin. When Robin learns that his father may still be alive, he goes off in search of his father, but it turns out to be an impersonation by a sorceress, and he has to battle her and another sorcerer before he can return to the auction. Meanwhile Friar Tuck has to hold off the women of the village, who are becoming impatient with Robin's absence.

* There was an ''Webcomic/OctopusPie'' arc where Marek entered a bachelor auction to raise some money and gave Hanna some money to make sure she got him. She was outbid before she even finished. He ended up spending the date talking about Hanna to the winner.

* The French meeting site [=AdopteUnMec=] ("Adopt A Guy/Boyfriend") advertises itself as a boyfriend-shopping store (and its logo is a man dropping into a woman's shopping cart), such as having "sales" on gingers or bearded men. Despite the premise of women taking charge of hunting for companions, it's been criticized for encouraging the double standard of women as victims of consumerism and treating men like objects.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' episode "The Cat and the Claw," Bruce Wayne participates in a bachelor auction and while there is some competition for him, the auction is won by Selina Kyle (Catwoman). Ironically, Selina is only interested in making a showy donation to charity and not (at first) in Bruce; she agrees to go through with the date only after he turns on the charm.
* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheRaccoons'' used a Bachelor Auction as a FramingDevice for a ClipShow for the backstory of the three main Bachelors involved; Bert Raccoon (bought by a little girl for a picnic), Cedric Sneer (bought by his girlfriend) and Cyril Sneer (bought by the reporter he was trying to avoid).
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Sixteen}}'', there was Valentine's Day special where Jonesy holds an auction for a date and the highest bidder is almost a male cowboy.

* Happens in ''WesternAnimation/TheLooneyTunesShow'' in the episode "Eligible Bachelors" when Bugs and Daffy participate in a charity bachelor auction to raise money for literacy. Bugs gets bought by Lola, Daffy gets bought by Granny. They both have a wonderful time with their dates, anyway, as Bugs and Lola are {{Ship Tease}}d and Daffy gets to hear Granny's stories of her past as a spy in UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewSchool'' does this in an episode. Of course Kuzco is one of the bachelors and no one wants him. Only Yata bids on him out of sympathy... using Kuzco's credit card of course, since he told her to do it.
* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDragonJakeLong'': In one episode, Trixie and Spud, who share the title of StudentCouncilPresident, held a bachelor auction for charity on behalf of hungry puppies and kids who get sick from playing video games in the car (there was no cause ''both'' of them would agree on). The cheerleaders joined up to buy [[JerkJock Brad]]; Fred ended up being bought by his mother; Jake anonymously loaned Danika five dollars so she could outbid nerdy girl Vicki; and Trixie unwittingly bought Spud. Trixie was so upset at Jake for being superficial she spent a good deal of the episode trying to push Vicki towards Jake, only to learn [[spoiler:Vicki was a siren]].

* Music/TallyHall did [[http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/thebidding this]] fantastic song about it.

* The plot of ''Theatre/{{Oklahoma}}'' revolves around a basket auction and who will be accompanying (and bidding on) who.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Sixteen}}'', there was Valentine's Day special where Jonesy holds an auction for a date and the highest bidder is almost a male cowboy. Unusual for WesternAnimation in that characters are rarely portrayed as obviously being gay.

* In the ''ComicBook/ActionComics'' backup strip ''ComicBook/JimmyOlsen's Big Week'' (later released as a one-shot), Lois pushes Jimmy into signing up for one of these. Jimmy's narration laments that his life has become a series of sitcom cliches. And then his archenemy, hotshot young Lexcorp exec Sebastian Mallory, is bought by his ex, [[CanonImmigrant Chloe Sullivan]]. Just when he thinks the whole thing is a disaster, a woman offers a million dollars for him. [[spoiler: Shame it's Mr Mxyzptlk's daughter.]]

* ''Series/TheGoldenGirls'' did a bachelorette auction, in which Dorothy ended up with ex-husband Stan.

* A ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' fic, ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12261905/1/For-The-Love-of-a-Picnic-Basket For the Love of a Picnic Basket]] has the class hosting a picnic basket charity auction, with a lot of students aiming for Marinette's basket due to the delicious treats it will hold. Adrien uses his powers as Chat Noir to rush for the school and win the bid for Marinette... and doing that while he is still ''Chat''.

* In ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}'', the second part episode "Oh My Goddess". Phoebe arrives at the auction after recently becoming the LoveGoddess (ItMakesSenseInContext). All guys start to do auctions on ''her,'' forgetting they're the ones that should be bought. Finally she go back home with all of them, and never so much money was won.