Screen grab of Craigslist ad posted by Connecticut man Michael Amatrudo.

Screen grab of Craigslist ad posted by Connecticut man Michael Amatrudo. (CRAIGSLIST)

By STEPHANIE BARISH wpix.com

2:26 p.m. EDT, August 31, 2009
MADISON, Conn. (WPIX)—
All sorts of items usually go up for sale on Craigslist - but parents are typically not one of them. That is, until now.

A Connecticut man - who was feeling a little ballsy this past weekend - decided to do his own social experiment of sorts. Michael Amatrudo, of Madison, posted an ad that read, "Perfectly good parents- $155. Got lots of use out of these guys over the past 50 years but it's time to move on. Excellent overall condition. Still plenty of life left in them...."

Amatrudo said he visited the Craiglist website on a regular basis and was always astounded by the amount of strange things people posted on the auction site in order to make a quick buck.

"I was trying to think of something unique and of great value," Amatrudo told FOX 61 in Connecticut. "It was kind of a study on the human condition, informally . It really was a fluke that I did and then it took on a crazy life of its own."

Michael said he began receiving emails from all over the United States - and with the exception of a few, a majority of the responders knew the ad was a hoax.

"I was laughing really hard at first, but then I thought, 'oh gosh, I don't want your parents to feel bad,'" joked Amatrudo's wife, Karen.

As for Armatudo's parents - they weren't the least bit surprised.

"I wasn't shocked. All my kids have had a sense of humor. We loved it!" said Arlene Amatrudo.