Consumerist sale headed for 'happy' ending?

When news broke last month that Gawker Media was essentially folding Valleywag and placing The Consumerist up for sale, my reaction was "meh" on the gossip rag and "hope they land on their feet" regarding the watchdog.

The Consumerist -- champion of the little guy, tormenter of shoddy businesses everywhere -- has long been one of my favorite Web sites. They fight the good fight with wit and style, witness their long-running series on the Grocery Shrink Ray, which NBC News is scheduled to lean on in a report Thursday night.

Given my concern for its future, this cryptic Twitter tweet yesterday from Consumerist editor Ben Popken piqued my interest: "The deal closes in ..." That was it, four words.

I sent Popken an ordinary e-mail (call me old school; I'm new to Twitter):

"Just saw your tweet. By 'the deal' do you mean 'The Deal?' Have you been sold? Are you close to being sold? Hope you find a nice home."

Popken's reply:

"Yep, The Deal. Preliminary negotiations, but things look good. The prospect is a good name everyone will be happy with."

I didn't expect him to spill the details.

Preliminary negotiations can fall apart, of course, but we can presume this would-be buyer isn't offering doodle dollars ... and breathe a tentative sigh of relief for Popken and his crew.

(By the way, if you're interested in following me on Twitter, here's the place.)

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