THE Goulburn-made Sydney 2000 Harbour Bridge Olympic Rings have been sold.
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A buyer from Queensland snatched them up on ebay on Wednesday evening for a healthy $21,100 – more than double the starting bid.
The five steel rings, which measure 70 metres by 40 metres when assembled and weigh a hefty 40 to 50 tonnes, were listed on the auction site last week.
Vendor Bernie Maas from Goulburn Produce said he was very pleased with the sale.
“They sold for $21,100 and I am very happy with that,” he said.
Mr Maas said the publicity surrounding the rings was massive and definitely helped in selling them.
This publicity was initially generated by a story in the Goulburn Post on Monday, May 11.
“I endured 48 hours of madness after this though because it was then on the Ray Hadley Show, the ABC, Channel Seven and in fact it then went right around the world,” he said.
“Without a doubt the publicity helped sell them.”
Mr Maas said he did not know what the buyer intended to do with the famous rings.
“I don’t know what the buyer is going to do with them?” he said.
“He is going to get a shock when he comes and has a look at them - at how big they are, but that’s ok because apparently he has trucks and cranes to take them away.
“Who knows - he might stick them back on ebay with all of this publicity and maybe double the price.
“I don’t really care. I am just happy they sold.
“He is taking them away ASAP and that suits me because I need the shed space back.”
Mr Maas previously told the Goulburn Post that he had ended up with the rings because he bought the building that they were stored in.
The Olympic Rings were constructed by Goulburn firm Kermac Engineering and Welding, but since the Olympics have been stored in the former Kermac shed.