Parents try to sell baby on eBay

Parents treasure their new babies, and it is said that there is an instinct that is there in parents that will get them to do all sorts of things if their babies / children are in danger. So it gets all the more surprising when you see people doing weird things with their babies. This couple actually placed their seven month old baby on eBay (a major auction site), and police intervened once they found out about this:

Police in southern Germany say they have removed a seven-month-old boy from his parents after they tried to sell him for one euro (US$1.57) over eBay.
Krumbach police spokesman Peter Hieber said baby Merlin has been put in care of youth services in the southwestern Allgaeu region and was doing well on Saturday.
Authorities have launched an investigation into possible child trafficking against the parents.

It could very well have been a joke, but typically child officials do not take such things as a joke.