With all the hype surrounding the new iPhone 3G, as well as the continuous shortages worldwide, eBay has again become the last resort for true fans of the device. Sadly, though, units on eBay go for as much as $1,000 a piece. More affordable offers range from $800 to $900.

"Bidding on one auction for a seller's 17 black, AT&T-enabled iPhones had started at just one cent apiece yesterday," BetaNews is reporting. "Most of the people hawking iPhones are based in various parts of the United States, judging from the listings on eBay," it is noted on the site. "A lot of them appear to be first-time eBay sellers, possibly trying to make a quick buck from the short supply and high demand for the device."

The source has eyed a few sellers who only have a couple of iPhones to sell, but has also spotted sellers who claim they have "at least two dozen of Apple's 3G handsets today, and some as many as 50 units or more." From here, the obvious question: where are all these 3G handsets coming from? "It's unclear how these sellers picked up all that iPhone loot. With the previous generation, anyone could purchase the device," the source points out. However, the new iPhone 3G requires that buyers activate the device on the spot, and leave the store with it unboxed and ready to place calls. So, yes, many of these iPhones may very well be stolen.

It is worth noting at this point that, if you are so eager to buy an iPhone, and can produce the $1,000 for the buy (without feeling sorry for paying the extra cash), you might want to consider the disadvantages. It's true that you can already jailbreak / unlock the iPhone 3G. The necessary tools for this were released in under a week from launch. Still, by choosing to hack your phone, you are signing an invisible contract (with yourself) in which you agree there's a small possibility you'll have a bad experience with the iPhone 3G. But, if you're familiar with what jailbreaking tools do, and are willing to take a chance on $1,000 worth of hardware, by all means, do what you have to do.

However, a signed agreement with Apple and AT&T grants you compensation for damages, software updates and so on, should you wait for the shelves to fill back up with units. Plus, you'll actually pay the real price for the iPhone 3G ($199 for 8GB, $299 for 16GB).

All this being said, Apple still hasn't said a word on how long iPhone 3G shortages will last.