Expo items to go under hammer

Workers arrange the sailboats used in the opening ceremony of the Expo 2010, in Shanghai, July 27, 2010. [Photo/Xinhua]

SHANGHAI - Shanghai residents and visitors will have the opportunity to buy memorabilia and props used in the opening ceremony of the Expo 2010 Shanghai during an auction next month.

The props, including 37 motorboats, 231 sailboats, windsurfing boards and about 1,800 costumes were put on display on Monday at the Beizhan Wharf and the Shanghai International Commodity Auction Company, the official auction partner of the Expo.

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"Anyone interested in the Expo items, including foreigners, can take part in the auction," said Fan Ganping, vice-president of the auction company.

There will be no restrictions on who can attend, so people interested in bidding on the Expo props and memorabilia will be able to take part in the auction, said Fan.

Although auction items have only been on display for two days, they have attracted many potential buyers, some from outside Shanghai. The motorboats are the most asked about item, Fan said.

"A real estate company from Jiangsu province sent some of their staff here. They said they would like to buy a motorboat home and showcase it as one of its waterside properties," said Fan.

Auctioning Olympic or Expo items help reach more channels of revenue and make more profits, according to Huang Jianzhi, deputy director of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination.

The Shanghai International Commodity Auction Company said previous World Expos, such as the Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan, recouped funds through highly successful auctions.

Fan said it is hard to predict the bidding prices of single items, but the value of the props will be much more than expected.

"The motorboats, for example, were priced at 300,000 yuan ($44,000) each when they left the factory. Although they are now second-hand after being used for the opening ceremony, the Expo itself has added much commemorative value to the them," said Fan.

After the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the price of a fou, an ancient Chinese percussion instrument used during the opening ceremony, rose quickly at an auction held in 2009. With a starting price of 13,000 yuan, 10 fous were eventually sold for 706,000 yuan.