selling Olympic torches?

[Blackpuddin]

Is it a bit odd that folk are allowed to flog Olympic torches? They seem to be fetching something in the order of £4k on ebay. None of the ads I've seen mention giving any of the proceeds to charity.
Just seems a bit peculiar.

[Fort Jefferson]

Charity? what has the Olympics got to do with charity.

[eccles]

I seem to recall the runners can buy the torch they carry for about £250.

[jagracer]

I hope anyone that sells them makes a tidy sum, it'll be nice to see some ordinary people making money out of the Olympics.

[Jasandjules]

Fort Jefferson said:

Charity? what has the Olympics got to do with charity.

Surely you've heard that the UK Govt has generously donated 9billion or so of taxpayers money?!?!

[RobDickinson]

.gov is subsidising the torches so the general public who are taking part can buy one, then they go and sell them on ebay.

Seems the UK in a nutshell to me.

[Blackpuddin]

jagracer said:

I hope anyone that sells them makes a tidy sum, it'll be nice to see some ordinary people making money out of the Olympics.

I don't disagree with that. Maybe I was labouring under the misapprehension that the folk selected to run with these torches were pillars of the community and might therefore lob some of their proceeds to charidee.

[eccles]

Blackpuddin said:

jagracer said:

I hope anyone that sells them makes a tidy sum, it'll be nice to see some ordinary people making money out of the Olympics.

I don't disagree with that. Maybe I was labouring under the misapprehension that the folk selected to run with these torches were pillars of the community and might therefore lob some of their proceeds to charidee.

Perhaps whilst being pillars of the community they've already done loads for charity, so why not let them reap the benefits for once.

[DSM2]

Where do you get 'pillars' of the community from? There are all sorts from celebrity celebrities, students who wrote in and asked, to local sob stories.

Very few worthies from what I've seen and the fact that they are profiteering at the expense of the taxpayer sums them up appropriately.

Anyway more fool the idiots paying 4K for one of thousands and they'll likely be on public sale for a few hundred soon.

[Chicken Chaser]

The first one sold for something in the region of £110k. I'd imagine that if the buyer did indeed buy it, then they'd be pretty unhappy seeing so many for sale for less than £4k

[Blackpuddin]

eccles said:

Perhaps whilst being pillars of the community they've already done loads for charity, so why not let them reap the benefits for once.

Fair comment, like I say I don't disagree with any of that, but I'm maybe surprised that being that sort of person, they would naturally chuck some to charity. Shouldn't judge I suppose.

[Murph7355]

Why are there so many anyway? Shouldn't there be just one that gets passed from person to person?

[anonymous-user]

the first ones went for around £100k, given there will be something like 5000 available in total, one would assume that supply is now exceeding demand so if they are only going for £4k now that makes me chuckle.

I'd keep it, something to tell the grandchildren etc and after all whats £4k if thats the closing bid, a fortnights holiday somewhere nice that you will forget in a few years time.

what annoys me more is the people taking part in the relay, i thought this was supposed to be about regular people doing good things and getting a moment to shiine, all sorts of irrelevants have been carrying the torch from Will.I.Am, Didier Drogba and Lewis Hamilton to Gordon bloody Ramsey....

[Murph7355]

doogz said:

That burns for several months straight?

These days they use different ones, it's not really about the torch, it's (apparently) about the flame.

I wouldn't have thought it that hard to engineer something that could be refuelled. If planes can be at altitude and high speed etc...

Anyway, I need to try and avoid being a curmudgeon about The Games. Or reading anything about the run up and organisation as a consequence.

[mcbook]

Chicken Chaser said:

The first one sold for something in the region of £110k. I'd imagine that if the buyer did indeed buy it, then they'd be pretty unhappy seeing so many for sale for less than £4k

It didn't actually sell for 110k though... some joker just bid it up on ebay and never paid.

[Murph7355]

doogz said:

Of course, but the safety elves would have something to say, i'm sure, about Joe Public holding some fire, while someone tops it up with flammable liquid.

It might make the whole thing a bit more interesting though They could even insist the whole jogonathon isn't allowed to stop...

[Laurel Green]

I'd imagine some of these buyers will be a tad miffed when discovering that the flame part has been taken out of the torch.

[eccles]

Laurel Green said:

I'd imagine some of these buyers will be a tad miffed when discovering that the flame part has been taken out of the torch.

Imagine lighting your BBQ with an Olympic torch!

[anonymous-user]

This ebay add for a torch is brilliant....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/olympic-torch-/271014245...

ends in 30mins, seller doesn't run until 21 July, torch/shell suit available a week after only if the money is sent upfront.

Sellers feedback is negative for both items sold....including a book they sold but then lost and a bit of sweary rant at the person who bought but didnt receive!!

As for "normal" folks making a bit of money, friend of my ex won 4 tickets to the opening ceremony for about £4k, she then advertised her flat for 4 nights plus 2 of the opening ceremony tickets for £17k. She got a buyer in 2 days.

[russ_a]

Someone is even selling 50p for £1.50 because is one of the Olympic ones!