Sales Of Baseball Bats, Billy Clubs Up 5,000 Percent On UK Amazon.com

Another scary bit of news out of the United Kingdom, which has been overtaken by riots in the past three days: The sale of baseball bats via the UK branch of online marketplace Amazon has risen over 5,000 percent in the last 24 hours, according to amazon.co.uk's Movers & Shakers chart, which Amazon explains tracks "the biggest gainers in sales rank in the last 24 hours":

The £17.15 Rucanor aluminum baseball bat jumped from 6,500th in sales to 125th overnight, for the 5,000 percent improvement in sales that Amazon's UK site is reporting.

This August 9th, 2011, Amazon customer review by Harry Fish in Bristol, England even explicitly mentions the unrest:

This bat is perfectly weighted and will suit any UK shop-owner looking to protect their property.

Thanks to the ergonomic handle, one easy swing should be enough to shatter patellas, skulls or any other bone on your targeted looter. Personally, I would recommend also investing in some fingerless gloves for extra grip.

Also posting huge jumps in sales are the Military Police Telescopic Tonfa, an all-metal police baton, and 5 other kinds of both metal and wooden baseball bats. The top 7 "Movers and Shakers" in Amazon.co.uk's "Sports & Leisure" category are all weapons that could presumably be used in riots, or as defense against looters:

Technology has played an important role both in organizing and recovering from the London riots.

Tottenham MP reportedly asked Research in Motion to suspend its BlackBerry Messaging service in the UK, as rioters were said to be communicating over BBM. London police have also arrested rioters boasting about their looting and destruction on Twitter, and clean-up after the riots has been coordinate via various social media services.

For a live blog and the latest updates on the London riots, click here.

Comments

[keep it solid]

06:30 PM on 08/11/2011

I am surprised that sales of cookware and kitchen utensils did not go up.
"Chefs armed with rolling pins chase away thugs at upscale London restaurant"
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/chefs-armed-with-rolling-pins-chase-away-thugs-at-upscale-london-restaurant-2334749.html

[TrickyDOTcom]

10:35 AM on 08/12/2011

Wow! Good find!

[keep it solid]

04:41 PM on 08/12/2011

thanks, I am searching to see if it has been captured on vid somewhere.
bats vs deep fryeers 0-1

[czs5056]

12:02 PM on 08/11/2011

They should have gotten the asp collapsible baton. Low profile, most of them steel, and a psychological intimidation with the sight and sound of it extending.

[casaroonc]

08:23 PM on 08/10/2011

I guess the conservatives are right (shudder) we just need private enterprise. Got a problem just order a solution from Amazon.

[David L Yates]

07:56 PM on 08/10/2011

Young Frankenstein (1974):
Inspector Kemp: "A riot is an ungly thing... undt, I tink, that it is chust about time ve had vun."

[Hickspy]

03:39 PM on 08/10/2011

If only I had invested in blunt weaponry...

Curses.

[netzwerg]

11:54 AM on 08/10/2011

Who is going to home deliver the baseball bats? Royal Mail?

Fortunately, they don't have guns like citizen of Somalia or other countries do. England would be full of corpses of police, firefighter and shop owners.

[myrmidon568]

11:42 PM on 08/10/2011

More like it would be the united states in a riot, it surprisingly dosen't make that much of a difference except in the tactics used by police

[Milwaukeetj1]

11:51 AM on 08/10/2011

Wait, so....they are looting and rioting but will take the time to log on to Amazon and have a bat shipped to go ...loot & riot. Why does that sound like an episode of Roadrunner? I just puzzled myself thinking out the process.

[markIDGCONNECT]

11:37 AM on 08/10/2011

I'm guessing no one here has actually been to London, England. The American stereotype of Brits is as old as hell. But seeing as only 20% of citizens leave North America, I'm not surprised!

Mark at http://www.idgconnect.com/blog

[Aryeh Melaris]

10:55 AM on 08/10/2011

In related news, sales of water pistols to UK police have gone through the roof!

[jayded]

09:54 AM on 08/10/2011

interestingly, they don't seem to be as wild about guns over there as we are....

[faithpappano]

09:36 AM on 08/10/2011

People need to be able to defend themselves....this is a wake up call to Americans. The right to bear arms could well save the lives of you and your family. Don't let that right be taken away.

[mhtowe64]

08:11 AM on 08/10/2011

That's hialrious

[Pounce the Cat]

07:17 AM on 08/10/2011

Yeah I noticed that last night when I logged onto Amazon. The funny thing is the bat which is the best seller is only 60 cm long. Around the size of a rounders bat..

[exPatPatti]

06:31 AM on 08/10/2011

**when cricket bats just don't cut it**

[exPatPatti]

06:30 AM on 08/10/2011

OMG