I bid for an alto, and all I got was an eefer! And a two-part-bodied wooden German Eefer for good measure!Well, there is the possibility that an "alto clarinet" on eBay really isn't. Could be a basset horn that someone incorrectly labeled.
Personally, while I accept the fact that the alto clarinet has extremely limited utility, I'd rather someone play alto clarinet than give up playing altogether.