Last Twinkie? Big money for some

SAN FRANCISCO -- Hours after Twinkie maker Hostess announced its plans to close its doors forever, people flocked to stores to load up on the cream-filled spongecakes and their sibling snacks -- Ding Dongs, Ho Hos and Zingers.

Late Friday and yesterday, the opportunists took to eBay and Craigslist. They began marketing their hoard to whimsical collectors and junk-food lovers for hundreds -- and in some cases -- thousands of dollars. That's a fat profit margin -- a box of 10 Twinkies retails for roughly $5.

Greg Edmonds, of Sherman, Texas, lost his job as a sales representative eight months ago, so he is hoping to make some money feeding the appetites of Twinkie fans.

After spending a couple hours driving around to stores Friday, Edmonds wound up with 16 boxes of Twinkies and Ding Dongs. He started selling them yesterday on eBay, advertising three boxes for a hefty price of $300.

"I could really use the extra money since I'm unemployed," Edmonds, 50, said. "I figure I better sell them pretty quickly because I am not sure how long this novelty is going to last."

John Stansel, of Tampa, Fla., blanches at the thought of eating a Twinkie. He's a self-described health nut. Yet he, too, rummaged shelves and spent about $100 for 20 boxes of Twinkies and Ding Dongs. His goal: Sell them for about $1,000 and put the money to good use.

"Maybe I will hire a personal trainer for myself or go do some shopping at Whole Foods or donate the money to a charity to fight diabetes," Stansel, 40, said. "No matter what, I figure I am getting sugar off the streets."