Two auctions, which include the official Olympic torch and the bearer’s white tracksuit uniform, already have bids in excess of 100k. Other auctions for the torches and the tracksuits are attracting lower prices. One hopeful eBay seller has opted to include a Buy in Now Price of £175k.
There will be 8000 different relay runners over the next few weeks and each runner will have the chance to buy their individual torch once the gas canister is taken out and the burner deactivated.
The torches consist of an inner and an outer aluminium alloy skin held in place by a cast top and base. The torches have a gold finish and the 8000 circular holes in each torch represent the 8000 runners.
22 Responses
Personally I think this is discussing.
As London business tax payers we’ve paid a fortune into the costs of the Olympics & now these favoured few are getting all the ££s for doing a short run.
Ebay should have banned any sales till at least after the Olympics, if allowed at all.
I also wonder how many actually do have a torch, oh dear, Paypal, I smell some claims coming on…!!
TONS OF MONEY;
https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330735828718&ssPageName=h:h:alt:3#ht_500wt_1202
BUT THEN THERE THIS;
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Olympic-Torch-Sale-/330736191003?_trksid=p4340.m444&_trkparms=algo%3DCRX%26its%3DC%252BS%26itu%3DSI%252BUA%252BLM%252BLA%26otn%3D5%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D8557618617495633186#ht_500wt_1202
REFERS TO SAME LISTING…..
And this is just for a PICTURE of the torch, they’ve gone Mad;
https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190681453008&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en#ht_500wt_1202
I have thoughtfully offered my own tips to Olympic Torch sellers: https://www.wilsondan.co.uk/2012/05/21/5-tips-for-london-2012-olympic-torch-sellers-on-ebay/
bloody good luck to those that are selling the torch, lots of those torch bearers have major health problems , and the money will enhance their life more than a torch which may be reproduced or lose it value overnight
if the tickets were for nothing ,if Beckham were making nothing from the games, if seb and boris were hungry and cold, I would agree the torch is an honour not to be sold, but why should the little man not grab his chance of a few quid from the games
latest news on the torch its in england and its expecting weather in fact its going to get some weather for the next 7, weeks
From what I gather the Olympic Torches cost some £495 to manufacture. The price of £199 is heavily subsidised by the Olympic Organisers(who of course are very heavily subsidised by the Taxpayer – You and Me).
As there will be 8,000 runners that means 8,000 torches(although I would expect that there are a few “spares” so let us say 10,000 were made. I find myself wondering just how many collectors of Olympic Memorabilias there are World Wide? My guess is that the number will be in excess of 10,000.
Also many of the runners will not be selling theirs. Most will keep them polished and they will live on the Mantlepiece probably with a large framed photograph of the runner carrying the torch).
So I wonder how many will appear on the market? A few hundred is my guess with 1,000 as my top estimate. So the value of the Torches that come onto the market is likely to be “interesting” but in excess of £100,000. That valuation is totally bonkers.
Will I be adding one to my collection of bits and pieces? Only if I manage to pick one up for a few pennies.
It is about to be discussed on Radio 2 with Jeremy Vine today.
This is generating more publicity for ebay than its TV advertising campaign and its free!
Seems to me that so far ebay are the big winners out of the torch relay and they are not even sponsoring the event!
Let us all hope there is a halo effect on our ebay sales as they desperately need it right now!
To anyone that cares
why would you bid thousands of pounds for a 2012 olympic torch on ebay when you can just buy one from the manufacturers. Call it a replica but it would be the same.
Premier sheet metal in coventry.
The TPG group.
https://www.premiersheetmetal.com/home