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Man sells VCR on eBay, receives heartwarming letter from buyer

Posted at 8:37 AM, Feb 22, 2019
and last updated 2019-02-22 08:37:23-05

ST. LOUIS – What seemed like an ordinary eBay transaction to one St. Louis man turned into a heartwarming interaction with the customer, 86 years old and new to online shopping, according to KTVI.

Matt Shoukry sold a VCR to a man in Phoenix for $40 and didn't think much of it.

“There is a need for VCRs out there because it's something you can’t go to Best Buy or Walmart and get…,” Shoukry said.

Shoukry said he typically sells items, gets a rating and review from the buyer and moves on.

But not this time.

Shoukry said his girlfriend brought in the mail last Saturday and found a handwritten letter from the VCR's new owner, a first-time eBay user.

“It caught my eye because it had a hand-written address on the outside,” he said.

Shoukry read the first few lines and told his girlfriend they needed to read the letter together.

“We read it together and we're both on the verge of tears reading it,” he said.

Shoukry said the man who bought the VCR wrote about watching tapes of his retirement party from 25 years ago, of ski trips, of his children growing up through the years and of his own wedding. He said the wedding video was full of family and friends, some of whom are no longer around.

“I’m going to frame (the letter) and put it next to my desk in the house because it means a lot to me,” Shoukry said.

Don, the man from Phoenix, can expect a letter from Shoukry soon.

“I’m going to offer to digitize his videos so he doesn’t have to worry about his tapes degrading,” he said.