'Short Circuit' robot Johnny 5 for sale on eBay

Posted Monday, July 23, 2007 at 8:15 PM Central

by Tim Briscoe

Poor Johnny 5, he's seen better days. He was on top in the '80s, living the high life. He just starred in two hit movies, Short Circuit (1986) and Short Circuit 2 (1988). He and ALF were fixtures of the L.A. club scene. A five-picture deal with Paramount was in negotiations.

Then the decade came to a close. Hair metal gave way to grunge rock... "The Facts of Life" was cancelled... Michael Jackson turned white... Johnny 5 fell from stardom.

There were rumors that the robot was strung out on Valvoline. Heartache over a failed relationship with Tori Spelling was probably to blame. Roboto Cinco was out on the streets.

It's a sad day for me to see him up for auction on eBay. Bidding for the bot starts at a hefty $100,000 -- quite a price to pay for a has-been hunk of metal. The auction ends Aug. 3.