Scarlett's cold a big draw on eBay

It seems Scarlett Johansen is cashing in on the last-minute spending frenzy ahead of Christmas and is making some considerable cash for charity by auctioning off what she calls a celebrity cold.

Appearing on Jay Leno last week, the actress complained that she was struggling with a nasty cold that she had caught off fellow A-lister Samuel L Jackson on the set of her new movie Spirit.

“It’s not just any cold, it’s Sam Jackson’s cold. It’s a celebrity cold. I feel it’s valuable in some way – I think I could sell it on eBay.”

And ever keen to do her bit for charity, she blew her nose into a tissue and put it in a plastic bag provided by Leno.

While it may seem a little presumptuous to assume that fans would part with their cash for a cold during this difficult time, it seems many got caught up in the bidding, which sold yesterday for US$5,300 ($7,797).