Anger over torchbearers selling memento online
The honour of being chosen to carry the Olympic flame has given way to the lure of cold, hard cash as dozens of torchbearers put their golden trophy on auction websites.
As the first day of the relay, which started at Land's End on Saturday, closed the first gold torches appeared on ebay.
Sarah Milner Simonds, from Burnham-on-Sea, has received a bid of more than £150,000 for her Olympic torch which she carried through the village of Dunster yesterday.
She was nominated for her work as a community gardener and said the proceeds of the sale would go towards boosting the project.
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"This money will make a huge difference to the work we do," she said.
Describing her decision to sell, she said: "I am thoroughly proud to be representing Burnham in the torch relay, but rather than look at the torch for years to come on my mantelpiece I have decided to auction it and put it to long-term benefit for the community.
"Trying to get funding for community groups during the current financial downturn is incredibly difficult and I see this as a super opportunity."
One torch used on Saturday is currently attracting offers of more than £30,000.
The seller lists the item as: "An amazing sporting souvenir, be one of the first to have one." The 8,000 nominated torch-bearers can buy their golden coloured, aluminium torch for £199 in advance or £258 on the day – substantially less than the £495 manufacture cost.
Two of the Torch Relay sponsors, Coca-Cola and Samsung, are covering the cost and buying torches for their nominees.
Jason Murphy, 19, a football referee from Churston, Devon, who carried the torch in Dartmouth, said that it was "disgraceful" if torches were being sold for pure profit. "It's so precious – It should be a family memento that is passed down," he said. "I plan to make use of it by taking it into schools."
Michael Adams, 81, who ran with the torch at the 1948 Games, said that it "was not in the Olympic spirit" to sell the torch. "Like me, they should keep it so their grandchildren can hold it," he added.
A Games spokesman said that the bearers were free to do what they wanted with the torches, adding: "We just hope they go to a good home."
Comments
by Phil_lip
Friday, May 25 2012, 10:06PM
“Maybe the paper should write another article showing how those that are selling them have the support of the majority of the public that post on the paper website, would give balance to the situation imo. especially as most seem to be selling for charity.”
by Terrywright1
Friday, May 25 2012, 9:42PM
“Corr! wish I had one to flog. These people have had to pay for their torches so it's up to them what they do with it. Like I said 'I wish I had one to flog', because with the horrendous cost of living it 'aint going to do much good sat on the mantlepiece gathering dust. Times is 'ard so you have got to do what you can to live.”
by Taxpayer12
Friday, May 25 2012, 8:55PM
“I havent met anyone who is 'angry' about this - if you buy something you have a right to sell it dont you???”
by stevepz
Wednesday, May 23 2012, 11:14PM
“Anger. What anger?”
by yeahyeahyeah
Wednesday, May 23 2012, 10:23AM
“I think people should be able to sell their torches if they want. We live in tough times, some people struggle to buy their weekly food. What business is it of anyones if they decide to sell their momento of a great day to help fund their families. If they are donating to Charity, that is a wonderful thing to do. I am inordinately proud of the Cornish people who took part and made the day so special.”
by Phil_lip
Wednesday, May 23 2012, 12:09AM
“While we in the uk decide how we feel about people selling something material and it divides us the students of Montreal in Canada are doing this to stand up against their government. Some may say bloody students but they have shown the world how to march peacefully in large numbers.
http://tinyurl.com/cqnrz39”
by Slimslad
Tuesday, May 22 2012, 8:24PM
“Olympic torch relay: £150K eBay bid 'a hoax'
http://tinyurl.com/7ye7tm6.
An internet auction bid of more than £150,000 for an Olympic torch was a hoax, the seller has said.
Cornwall torchbearer Sophia Cowburn put the torch on sale on eBay to raise funds for the Invictus Trust charity. It attracted a top bid of £150,400.
Even it it hadn't been a hoax, the money would have gone to a charity.”
by sandyshaw
Tuesday, May 22 2012, 7:20PM
“Ebay items should be taken with a pinch of salt, so many jokers on their, even though a bid is a legal contract, they never get enforced.
We need to see the torches at real auctions, with a premises and human auctioneer with a gavel.”
by Phil_lip
Tuesday, May 22 2012, 5:51PM
“I just saw the one from earlier, 150k that was a fake, so we have to wait and see whether this one is, which is now technically the 2nd to sell, apologies for my rash posting of 1st, but if it does sell at that price it will be.
Personally if anyone pays more than 5-10k they are fools but if the ones raising money for charity, even the ones with 10% going to them do well then at least something good can come from the farce that is the relay.
Good luck to any of the sellers that are doing it for charity.”
by JeremyBadger
Tuesday, May 22 2012, 5:42PM
“Guess what, at the end of the auction on eBay that offer of over £100,000 was a fake bid!”