New York’s Traumatic Tampon Shortage: Desperate City Dwellers Take to eBay

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Yes, the store shelves are bare and hundreds of o.b. loyalists are turning instead to eBay to stock up – but they’re paying a hefty premium. (via NY Daily News)

The o.b. nonapplicator tampons, which normally sell for an average of $7 per box, are being hawked on eBay for as much as $25 each. And for those forward-thinking consumers looking to buy in bulk, you won’t be saving much. Auctions with 3 boxes – a whole cadre – are running up bids of $91 (above).

The New York Times first shed light on the shortage before Christmas. A spokeswoman for the manufacturer said that the company was experiencing “a temporary supply interruption.” But the explanation ended there, and stores haven’t seen a restock in months.

Now retailers, and users, are flailing as shelves go completely bare.

(More from Healthland: See how advertisers market feminine products.)

Naturally, cue up the eBay price gougers, looking to take advantage of a desperate marketplace. But shockingly, female fury in this case seems to be at a minimum, and the o.b. lovers seem willing to put forth the hefty eBay prices.

That’s because, as BUST Magazine editor Debbie Stoller told the New York Daily News, o.b. tampons are the only ones without an applicator, making them environmentally friendly and unique – and without competition.