A torch from the Paris Olympics has sold at auction for over $45,000.
The running, jumping, cycling and tumbling in Paris hadn’t even begun when the first torch from the games was auctioned on July 18.
It was sold with a torchbearer’s uniform and went into the sale with an estimate of $35,000.
The auctioneer described the torch, created by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur, as “incredibly rare”.
Makers ArcelorMittal produced just 2,000 of the torches, around a fifth of the number at most recent Games.
A close up of the logo on the torch. The design of the torches can add value for collectors.
The buyer also ran off with a 2-piece, XL-sized uniform in white.
The world finally saw the finale of the 68-day torch relay on July 26.
Since 1936, torches have carried a flame from Olympia in Greece, home of the ancient Games, to a temporary flame in the current Games venue.
Torches are among the most valuable of Olympic collectibles.
All are rare, though some much rarer than others, and all are designed specifically for each Games and may have particular aesthetic appeal.
The 1952 Helsinki Olympic torch is the most desirable thus far. One sold for £420,000 in 2015.
The reason? Just 22 were made. And the Games – a debut year for Israel and the Soviet Union – is seen as a landmark.
This torch set was not the most valuable item at the recent sale. A gold medal from the 1904 St Louis Olympics sold for just over $80,000.
Stories sell: Jesse Owens and Wladimir Klitschko’s medals are the most valuable such awards ever sold.
The St Louis medal also told a great tale. It was won, for rope climbing, by George Eyser, an American gymnast who won six medals in one day, despite competing with just one leg.
The story of Paris Olympic memorabilia will play out in time but these Games are off to a flying start with collectors.
