It's obviously the season for it. Back in May, we reported on a ski resort in Pakistan up for sale. Then the Springbok Ski Club in Joburg became available for budding entrepreneurs. And if you had been paying attention a few weeks ago (and had a few million dollars up your sleeve) you could have made a bid for the Laurel Mountain Ski Company.

Pittsburgh real estate developer George W. Mowl (Dubya??) put the cash-strapped ski area on eBay for $9.5 million two weeks ago according to a story in last week’s Pittsburgh Tribune Review.

Mowl claimed he was not necessarily looking to sell the “Ski Capital of Pennsylvania,” but after two warm winters was trying to find investors to help him cover the cost of operations.

“I just thought I'd throw it out there on eBay just in case," Mowl told the Tribune Review.

Mowl has yet to default on any of his loans, but things got so bad last month that Allegheny Energy cut off electricity to the ski lodge. Mowl told the Tribune Review he won't be able to open for operations this fall unless he finds an investor.

"But I haven't got to the point of listing it or going out looking in the Wall Street Journal or calling any of the major ski players in the country. If I did that I'd probably end up as a minority partner, and I'd like to stay involved. I'm proud of what we've done here," Mowl said.

Mowl allegedly posted the ski area onto eBay having read a story in Newsweek detailing the site's success in selling everything 'from European castles to western cattle ranches'.

[Story from the Pittsburg Tribune Review and Ski Press Magazine]

Mail this page to a friend
What do you think? Tell us in the Chat Room