Twinkie demise sends prices sky high

Twinkies cream-filled snack cakes (AP)

Connoisseurs of American junk food are facing sky-high online prices for the humble Twinkie bar after its manufacturer announced plans to shut up shop permanently.

A box of 10 of the iconic vanilla cream sponge cakes normally retails for about $5 (£3) – but in just one example yesterday a set of 12 boxes had bids of more than $300 on eBay. Another seller offered a pack of two Twinkies for $3,000.

Among those offering Twinkies was Greg Edmonds, a Texan who doesn't even like them. He bought 16 boxes of Twinkies and Ding Dongs on Friday and was offering sets of three for $300. "I figure I had better sell them pretty quickly because I am not sure how long this novelty is going to last," he said.

And it's not just Twinkies. Other brands produced by Hostess, such as Ho Ho and Ding Dong cakes, have also soared in price since the firm filed liquidation plans on Friday. Hostess has ceased production at more than 30 factories, and 18,500 workers risk losing their jobs if the company gets the go-ahead this morning to wind down.

Twinkies were invented by an Illinois baker, James Dewar, in 1930 and about 36 million boxes were sold last year. They are still made by a Montreal bakery which owns the Canadian rights for the product and is not affected by the actions in the US.