Stuck for the perfect Christmas gift for the Corrie lover in your life? Well over the next week or so we'll be finding the best Corrie gift options out there and bringing them to you.

How about this spice-based objet d'art? A Jack and Vera Cruet set.

Bored of applying salt and pepper to your grub via a plain old cruet set? Then simply load up these barely-convincing pot charactertures of everyone's favourite dead Weatherfield bickerers with S&P and get sprinkling.

It would appear that Jack is salt and Vera is pepper (if you were wondering) and the Jack one in particular looks absolutely NOTHING like the actual Jack.

You can buy this amazing item here: http://bit.ly/v5osuK Please note that this item is not recommended by Corrie Blog nor is the Ebay seller offering them for sale.

Stuck for the perfect Christmas gift for the Corrie lover in your life? Well over the next couple of weeks we'll be finding the best Corrie gift options out there and bringing them to you.

We've found a quite remarkable and collectable gift in the form of this Brian Tilsley doll. Younger viewers might not remember Gail's first husband and those that do are still doing their best to forget him but now you can own a genuine (not really) piece of Coronation Street tat (really).

Reading the small print it seems that it's actually a Ken (of Barbie fame) doll that just looks a bit like Brian, but let's not spoil the fun, eh? Buy it for a short-sighted relative and listen to them say 'doesn't Nick look like him?'

You can buy this amazing objet d'art here: http://bit.ly/vUJO0l Please note that this item is not recommended by Corrie Blog nor is the Ebay seller offering them for sale.

While we await the inevitable, and long overdue arrival of Newton and Ridley's finest and a ready made Betty's HotPot, indulge yourself in some alternative Coronation Street action with the latest gadgets which celebrate life on the nations favourite street.

Avid viewers over a certain age will remember Gnomegate, amongst the daftest of storylines where Arthur (property of Derek and Mavis) disappeared sending postcards home from around the world. A severed Gnome ear was even sent with a ransom for fifty chocolate doubloons - anyway, it was Norris who nicked him and now you can own one of Arthur's relations for just £10.99.

There also used to be storylines aplenty surrounding some of the Streets most famous inhabitants- Jack Duckworths pigeons. And now you can have a pair of your very own, styled on his very own Scarlet and Fergie, complete with cobblestone racetrack on which to race this wind-up set. It'll set thee back £5.99 -
Via Toyology.co.uk

Want to own a bit of Coronation Street history? Well, Frisky the Coronation Street, is up for sale (though he has been dead for 10 years).

To be sold at auction on July 22nd, Frisky's ashes come in a sealed wooden casket with a brass plaque along with cremation certificate and postcards of the cat posing with various Weatherfield stars.

He's expected to fetch around £150, but who knows a real Corrie fan may pay much, much more for this (albeit) small slice of Coronation history.

Frisky was hired in 1990, beating stiff competition from 5,000 other cats to the role apparently. He famously starred in Coronation Street's opening sequence where he was seen crouching on the roof of Jack Duckworth's pigeon loft. He died in 2000 at the age of 14.

Chris Albury of Dominic Winter Auctions in Gloucestershire told The Metro newspaper: "It's certainly one of the quirkiest lots we have had for auction this year." He added: "We're not expecting an auction room dogfight but this will add some light relief to the day's proceedings."

Said John Rimington, Frisky's owner:
"Frisky was not only a much loved family pet but also captured the heart of the nation and made thousands of pounds for charities.

"We were very proud to be his owners and we are keen to keep his memory alive."

Via The Metro

Ebay is a marvellous tool for bringing to light some hidden Coronation Street products and gems. Our first find today comes from a charitable auction raising money for Action Aid's PoverTree Day. Some of Corrie's finest have designed seven tshirts in support of the charity, and they are being sold as a set with a starting bid of 99p! Could be a piece of special Corrie memorabilia for any fan so if you're feeling generous get bidding, it is for charity after all!

Other gems to come to light include a top worn on the show by Maria Connor, a Coronation Street oven glove and a 35th anniversary quiz book.

There's plenty more over on ebay, so take a look, and let us know of anything you find!

I've not had a look at what kind of Corrie-abilia is around on eBay for a while, so with my credit card firmly stashed in another room (and trying hard to forget my Paypal password so I wouldn't be tempted to use that either), I've just been having a nose around.

First up, a delightful set of Coronation Street Christmas crackers. Slightly on the pricey side with a starting bid of £15.99, but featuring Bet and Mavis, so you know they're vintage.

The same money would get you a nice set of black and white cast cards, featuring the early and dodgy hairstyles of Sally Webster, Martin Platt and a particularly bouffant look from Bet Lynch.

If a double frame containing photos of Molly and Tyrone is what your wall has been crying out for, then you're in luck, and at £8.50 the pair it's a bargain.

There's a 2009 calendar, somewhat cruelly featuring the lovely Liam (who died in 2008) on the cover. Just when I'm beginning to get over him, too. Sniff.

And finally, here's a rare and beautiful thing - a Coronation Street mug that plays the theme tune when you pick it up. How adorable is that? And yet, how annoying for your non-Corrie-loving family members. Perfect!

I've seen some stunningly lifelike figurines in my time, but this isn't one of them.

Can you guess which Coronation Street character this is supposed to be? Click the continue reading link to find out.

If you collect Coronation Street-related things, there's a bumper harvest of it on eBay at the moment. I can't quite decide whether to call it Corrieana or Corriebilia, though.

Click the continue reading link to browse a lovely selection of Corrie-based stuff, including this beautiful Ken Barlow spoon and something that doesn't look like Vera Duckworth.

It's amazing what you find in the "Kitchen and home" section of Amazon.co.uk. In among the blenders, coffee makers and other gizmos there are a load of Coronation Street photos, some framed and some not. Some are images that you'll be familiar with from Corrieblog and other sources, and some were shot during location filming or other occasions.

My favourite has to be this one, a brooding shot of Richard Hillman and Gail Platt, yours for only £3.99. There's a beautiful picture of Julie Goodyear in a mini skirt - what fantastic legs!

Awhile back, we discovered there was a band called Bet Lynch's Legs. Marvellous name! Now, over on eBay, there's a 7 inch record that was actually recorded by Julie Goodyear, a version of These Boots Were Made for Walkin'! It's a promo copy and is backed by an instrumental version of the Coronation Street theme tune. The auction ends on Sunday and is a rare find for collectors! Have a look at more Corrie-related music , and see other great stuff we've found on eBay at Ebay Gum.

You'd have to be a die-hard Coronation Street fan to be seen in public in this rather spectacular jumper I spotted on eBay. Billed as fitting "big/tall men," it features the front of the Rovers Return pub with a "raised ginger cat" on the roof, gazing at the moon. I like that cat detail, as there's always a cat in the Corrie credits.

The jumper is in "superb" condition and the starting bid is £10. A perfect Christmas gift idea for any big/tall men in your life. In fact, wouldn't it look adorable on Steve McDonald?

More Corrie eBay finds, and for everything eBay check out our sister site, Bayraider.

Who knew that William Roache once devised a board game called Libel!? Probably a lot of you, because you're all very clever people immersed in all things Coronation Street. I have to admit I didn't know such a thing existed, so I was very excited to see it for sale on eBay. According to the accompanying blurb, "The game of Libel was devised by William Roache after he sued the SUN newspaper for printing a defamatory article about his portrayal of Ken Barlow in a well known TV serial." It looks like an ideal way to pass a rainy day, anyhow, and at £6.99 plus postage it could be yours.

More Corrie eBay finds
and don't forget our sister site Bayraider for all things eBay.

Not all of it, I hasten to add, although a nude Michael Le Vell would be warmly appreciated in some quarters of Corrie fandom.

The actor who plays Kevin Webster has donated an "outfit" he wore on the show to raise money for SR2 Supported Housing, a charity for young, homeless people in Sunderland. Whether the "outfit" is a set of his mechanic's overalls, or something from Kevin's civilian life, I'm not sure, but if you'd like to get your hands on it you need to be at the Black Bull pub in Sunderland town/city centre on 12 August at 7.30pm.

In other fashion-related news, if you prefer your clothes to scare children, how about this lovely Blanche T-shirt I spotted on eBay? For a mere £10 you could be giving people that curmudgeonly stare from chest height.

More Corrie eBay finds

Here's your chance to get in ahead of Tony Gordon and purchase the entire Street.

This very cute set of nine buildings was created to mark the 35th anniversary of Corrie. It's very detailed (there are post boxes, milk bottles and pigeons to add to the realism) and is being sold on eBay for UK delivery only. Have a look here, but be quick as the auction ends on 14 July.

13.7.08 Comment by Peter (by email): "I own one of these! It is really good actually and is as detailed as the post says. Sits nicely anywhere in the house!"

More Corrie eBay finds
For all things eBay, check out our sister site Bayraider

Here's a thing which has got me a bit perplexed. It's a T-shirt available from eBay in a range of sizes and a choice of eight attractive colours - and it's emblazoned with the phrase "Deirdre & Ken & Tracey & Blanche."

What perplexes me is, who is going to buy it? It's kind of a funny, surreal slogan in its way but if you're a Corrie fan you'd know that Tracy is currently not residing in Coronation Street and they've spelled her name wrong. But if you love it anyway, it's yours for £10.99.

More Corrie eBay finds. And if you're addicted to eBay, you'll love Bayraider.

There are a few interesting eBay finds today that came up under a Coronation Street search. First off, seeing as we've been chatting recently about Rob James-Collier's reluctance to be known as the soap world's Sexiest Male, some of you might like this pillowcase featuring Rob's face. You can have it say "Love Liam" or "Love Rob" or whatever you like if you're the lucky winner. What better way to nod off to dream land!

There's a nice bluey-greeny striped top that's being auctioned off for charity. The top belonged to Eileen and comes with a certificate of authenticity. It's on a hanger with a "14" on it so I'm guessing that's the size. I've met Sue Cleaver and she seems to be about a size 14-16.

Lastly, there's an interesting hand made and hand painted ceramic "Rovers Return". It shows the inside of the bar with a busty blonde barmaid and an older punter at a table. The ornament looks like a slice off the corner of the bar and was created in the 1960s or 70s by artist Gill Turner.

See other odds and ends we've discovered in that great internet car boot sale that is eBay over here on eBay Gum.

This is your chance to own a piece of clothing actually worn by the legendary Vera Duckworth on Coronation Street. It's a yellow raincoat, and comes complete with a certificate of authenticity and a letter from David Nugent of Granada.

Carole, who is selling the raincoat on eBay, is a Corrieblog reader and she's hoping to raise as much money as possible from the sale to contribute towards a minibus for a school for children with special needs, which her son attends.

The starting price is only £19.99, and Carole is happy to post the item worldwide, so have a look and get bidding!

While perusing the latest eBay listings for Coronation Street gear, looking for something different that might be interesting to blog, I saw a large number of shirts and tshirts with Corrie logos on them. While that might not seem to be all that unusual or worthy of blogging, it is somewhat unusual in that these *appear* to have "official" clothing tags on them and as far as I know, Granada hasn't been issuing very much official merchandise these days. I might be a bit dubious. You pays your money and you takes your chances but there's a variety of tshirts, collar tops, and a few tshirts with a cartoon Jack Duckworth on it for very cheap prices (£2.99 to £3.99 on the average plus a small shipping fee if you're in the UK, a bit larger for overseas). If you fancy parading your obsession on your chest (as opposed to wearing your heart on your sleeve!) then you might want to put in an offer (bid or "buy it now") and if you do, let us know what the garment is like!

We love looking on the eBay listings and blog them here.

This item, found on eBay, is supposedly pretty rare because, as the seller points out, "probably all the other ones (and there weren't many) were drunk."

It's a bottle of champagne which was given to cast and crew members to celebrate Coronation Street's 30th anniversary, in 1990. The bottle comes unopened and in a special presentation box. It's not cheap, though - £100 is the starting price.

You can find all Corrie sorts on eBay

Can't get enough Coronation Street trivia? Wish you could immerse yourself in Corrie facts 24/7? Well, here is the answer to your prayers. Available now on eBay, a Corrie quiz game that you can download to your mobile phone. Play the haunting and yet familiar theme tune while you play. Challenge your friends! Check your phone's compatibility here. You too can be a Corrie-geek! Mind you, there's always a nifty Corrie trivia quiz right here on Corrieblog every Tuesday, and it's free!

You can see all our unusual eBay finds in the past over here in our eBay Gum section.

Here's a darling little item from eBay that you can adorn your best hat, coat or bag with and show your allegiance to Corrie in general and the wonderful Blanche in particular.

Blanche rocks, says the badge, and indeed she does. She's Corrie royalty, in fact.

The same seller also does a rather nice "I'd rather be watching Jeremy Kyle" badge, which amused me a great deal.

For all things eBay, check out our sister site Bayraider

On Friday, we posted a picture puzzle for you and challenged you to guess who the actress in the photo was. The lovely woman is Betty Driver who has played Betty Turpin Williams on Coronation Street for almost forty years. This photo was on sheet music for the song "I'll Walk Alone", and it is up for auction on eBay. The auction ends on Wednesday so you still have time to bid if it's something that you might find collectible. Betty Driver was a well known singer in the forties and fifties before she took to our screens. She's one of our favourites and is still going at age 88! Corrie.net has a bit of information on Ms. Driver's pre-Corrie life here. She actually auditioned for the role of Hilda Ogden in 1964 and then landed the role of Betty Turpin in 1969. What would the Rovers be without Betty's acerbic tongue and hot pot? A sadder place, methinks!

A few interesting items discovered in eBay today: There's a really neat collection of plans available. This one is the street plan with scale diagrams of all the "new side" houses and businesses. Here's a seller's list that contains the other plans and a few scripts available as well. They seem to be authentic plans and script pages so might be well worth a bid for dedicated fans of Coronation Street ephemera.

Here's something you don't see every day. A full sized fruit machine with a Coronation Street Monopoly theme! There are two tops worn by Tracy Barlow, framed stamps from Scotland issued in 1995, and don't forget, you can purchase Jayne Bickerton's Corriecature pop art in prints and cards and original paintings on canvas on eBay, too!

All the odds and ends we've seen on Ebay are listed here.

Another rare item discovered on eBay today, a rare record album, "Ena Sharples Presents: The Lad from Coronation Street". This appears to be classical music played on an organ by someone that was on Coronation Street in the early days. The record is in fair condition and the seller promises to pack it very well for shipping.They don't say who the lad is and though there's a photo of the track listing, you can't make it out but can email the seller for a list.

There are also a few limited edition alarm clocks being offered, like this one, that features Jack and Vera. Wake up in the morning to the Coronation Street theme tune. Clock opens up and lights up when the alarm goes off. How could you resist?!! There is a photo of this clock through the link below.

Check out other odds and sods we've discovered on Ebay!

Perusing the annals of eBay tonight, I came across a listing for Liz Dawn's autobiography, written in 1993, titled Vera Duckworth: My Story. It's an out of print book that you may still find online in used and rare book sites but this copy seems to be in very good condition. Now that Liz Dawn is retired, it might be nice to look back on her life, which has been quite rocky. Last August, there was a long piece in the Mirror that featured excerpts from the book, featured after Liz announced her retirement and sold interviews to the tabloids. If you want to know more about Liz's life, you have a few days to get your bid in.

All our eBay Gum finds are here.