Would you, could you buy half a cake from a stranger on Facebook?

 
Originally published in the Daily Advocate Jan. 17, 2020
By Bethany J. Royer-DeLong
Pushing Ink no. 18

Facebook is a fascinating, strange, and more times than not frustrating (for lack of a better,
printable set of words) place. If it isn’t a mess of algorithms that produce posts days late or not at
all, it is every piece of personal information sold to any bidder. However, nothing is quite so
strange and outright weird as that of the Facebook marketplace.

At first, the marketplace seems similar to a local garage sale or newspaper sale listings with
individuals offering a variety of everyday items such as furniture, clothes, and toys. Back in July,
I made my first and so far only purchase from the marketplace without any problems. The seller
was attentive, the transaction simplified via PayPal, and the purchase arrived at my doorstep
without complications a week later.

I continue to visit the marketplace from time to time, whether a narrow search for a particular
item or to gloss through the main page as a time-waster. However, after perusing item after item,
nothing has left me with more questions than food sales. In particular, the day I crossed paths
with a multi-layer pink and white half strawberry shortcake cheesecake cake (say that three times
fast!) on a white plate. The cake was in a kitchen judging by the blurry background though
whether it was a home kitchen or commercial, I could not tell.

My curiosity and apparent boredom made for a strange mix. I began to click and click and click
some more, but there was no mention of a business such as a bakery, as similar food posts
showcased. (Example, custom cake creators show off their ability and sales via photos of
previously made custom cakes.) There was nothing on the baker or if it was a store-purchase or
homemade. There was no mention of whether the seller had eaten half the cake. There was a
clean half-cut leading one to speculate it wasn’t home devoured. There were none of the tell-tale,
dead giveaway fork marks amongst the cake crumbles and buttercream.

It becomes a rewritten Dr. Seuss book — would you, could you buy half a cake from a stranger
on Facebook?

Now, I know we eat food produced in the average kitchen all the time. The co-worker that brings
in home-baked goodies, grandma with her prized fruitcake to a holiday gathering, potlucks,
picnics, and more. There have been plenty of garage sales or various sale drives with home-
baked Saran wrapped on paper plate goodies for purchase. We don’t stop to think about what
condition their kitchen or cooking habits. We purchase and consume without comment or
thought, for the most part.

It sounds innocent at the start. However, as I reflect on a former church cook who dipped their
finger (repeatedly, without a break between) in every dish for a taste test, I feel uncomfortable. I
get the willies the longer I contemplate a half cake for sale on Facebook. It begs the question,
would you even buy a half-eaten cheesecake from someone you do know, like a relative?
I can hear the phone conversation now:

Mom: Hey, how goes it?

Me: Good, good, you?

Mom: Great, but a little tired.

Me: Oh, doing all right?

Mom: *Big sigh* Yeah, just I made this huge, expensive cheesecake, and there is no way I can
eat it all.

Me: ….

Mom: Would you want the leftovers?

Me: … Uh …

Mom: It’s half a cake.

Me: … I guess?

Mom: *A little too excited* OK, good, just make a check out for $25.

Me: $25?!

Mom: Yeah, for the remaining half of the cheesecake.

Me: I’m not buying half an eaten cheesecake for $25!

Mom: Why? I’m your mother, it’s a steal, and we have the same germs.

So, what brings a person to sell a half cake on Facebook? Do you eat half and decide one
morning to sell the remainder? (No one is going to eat it. I may as well make a few bucks!)
Inquiring minds want to know because it’s one purchase I would not make outside a grocery
store. There are half things in the deli section, such as subs, wraps, and single dessert slices, but
not half an enormous cheesecake that I have ever noticed. There are no absurd questioning
thoughts, such as whether the deli maker ate the other half.

Maybe I don’t get out enough, and perhaps I should get out a little more often. After all, I spent
far too much time reflecting on the sale of cheesecake on Facebook. I even posted the question
on the social media giant — would you, could you buy half a cake from a stranger on Facebook?

I need better hobbies.

Bethany J. Royer-DeLong is a reporter for the Daily Advocate and Early Bird and a life-long resi
dent of Darke County. She holds a bachelor’s degree in work psychology and a master’sdegree i
n organizational leadership because she’s a sucker for all things jobs. You may reach her at broy
er-delong@aimmediamidwest.com.