This past Saturday the official Olympic torch relay began, with 8 000 lucky torchbearers chosen to be a part of history. However, a number of them have chosen short-lived wealth over Olympic legacy, as they headed for e-Bay to sell off their unique pieces of history, for exorbitant amounts of cash.

No sooner had the starting pistol fired than torchbearers began posting ads on e-Bay to sell their torches, some even posted their torches prior to completing their leg of the relay, offering them to the highest bidder as soon as they finished.

The majority of the 8 000 torchbearers were selected after being nominated by friends and family for their work in the community.

Although it cost £495 to make each torch, participants were offered the chance to buy them for only £215 which is, considering what you’re getting, a pretty good deal. Those who won their places through sponsorship were given them for free. When it came to selling the torches however, sellers were not nearly as generous, some asking for a minimum of £100 000. Predictably this roused much criticism.

I am so incensed by this total lack of respect for anyone including us folk who were so proud to see you carrying it.

Another was more concerned with the greed of the sellers, than the act of selling itself.

OMG, how tight are some people?, there is a torch going for £145,000 but they still expect you to pay the £20 delivery charge…..If someone paid me that much, I would personally deliver it by foot….even if they lived in Botswana…

For torchbearer Andrew Bell, such comments were enough to convince him to remove his ad, despite his apparently earnest reasons for selling.

I understand some people may find the idea of selling an Olympic torch offensive but we could genuinely use the money. Without giving you a sob story, we’ve a lovely baby boy and my wife has just gone back to work after maternity leave.

Also, the torch is nearly a metre long, and looks weird on the mantelpiece.

Runner Sarah Milner Simonds plans to donate any proceeds to her organisation, which supports community gardening projects, the People’s Plot. Although initially unsure of what to do, she consulted her octogenarian father,

He said that one could create much more of a legacy using that funding than one could by using a bit of shiny bling that 8,000 other people have.

She has already received bids of up to £7 000 for her torch.

After being asked about the issue, a spokesperson for the Olympic organisers, Locog, said:

The majority of people will want to keep their torch, but ultimately it’s their property and for them to decide what to do with it. We hope the torches and uniforms find good homes.

Instant cash versus “a proud keepsake to show to future grandchildren”, which would you choose?

[Source: Daily Mail, e-Bay]