'Phelpsean' bid for gold
2008-08-23 11:13
Beijing - Online traders are racing
to cash in on the Beijing Olympics by selling items related to
gold medal winners, ranging from a $1m price tag on the
domain name "Phelpsean" to $4 000 for five pairs of
basketballers' shoes.
US swimmer Michael Phelps, who won eight gold medals at
Beijing making him the most successful Olympian ever, was the
hottest target for dealers on internet auction sites.
Karen Bard, a spokesperson for eBay, said the number of
items related to 23-year-old Phelps had soared 738% in
the past 30 days.
"One of the highest priced sold items was an autographed
Olympic Speedo swim cap from a special appearance he did in
Baltimore in 2004. It sold for $645," she told Reuters via
e-mail.
She said 19 755 Olympic items had been sold in the past 90
days with the top price of $6 000 paid for a ticket to the
Olympics opening ceremony in the Bird's Nest stadium on August 8.
Ahead of the Games ending on Sunday, the most expensive
item on offer related to Phelps was the sale of all domains -
such as .com, .org, .us, .info, .tv, .mobi - for the word
"Phelpsean."
Seller Wolfram Gauglitz, a corporate consultant from
Dallas, Texas, said he derived the word from Herculean and
suggested it meant having enormous strength, courage, or size
of or pertaining to Michael Phelps or his incredible
accomplishments.
"Since Hercules is the Greek ideal for strength and
courage, and was said to have founded the Olympic games to
honour Zeus, 'Phelpsean' was a no-brainer," said Gauglitz who
snapped up the domain names on the day Phelps won his eighth
gold.
"Do I think phelpsean.com will fetch $1m? I think
it's worth far more than $1m to someone out there."
Bard wasn't so sure but the sale was valid under eBay
rules.
"As far as the URL in question, it is not in violation of
our policies. However, it is certainly a very steep price for
someone to potentially pay," she said.