FabSwingers.com forum: Olympic thread: Should torchbearers auction their torches?

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

A woman from Burnham-on-Sea has reported auctioned her torch for £153,000, to which she intends to give to the community project she is involved in. Others are not so scrupulous and are selling them for pure profit, yet all were chosen as torchbearers for the sterling work they've done in their communities.

Should they sell them?

(they have to buy them for £200 out of their own pockets, so there's no conflict of taxpayers money being used)

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By *iamondsmiles.Woman
over a year ago

little house on the praire

No i dont think they should and i dont know why they would. Its a piece of history and they should be honoured. SOmething to pass on to their family

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I was thinking how long before fake ones on the market i bet thay are making them now , lol xx

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By *iceguydaveMan
over a year ago

Monmouth

Sounds like Cameron's Big Society in action to me: if you can make a profit out of something (anything!) then go for it.. Olympic torches, cash for questions, schools, the Health Service - all there for the Eton Trifles to turn a profit from.

Sad, but not a surprise.

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By *acciWoman
over a year ago

leeds

I think if you have be chosen to carry the torch then rules should be set. As in sell if you want BUT you MUST give the proceeds to charity

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By *iamondsmiles.Woman
over a year ago

little house on the praire

I was actually quite sad to read that people where selling them.

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By *iamondsmiles.Woman
over a year ago

little house on the praire

"I think if you have be chosen to carry the torch then rules should be set. As in sell if you want BUT you MUST give the proceeds to charity"

For me that would be the only valid reason to sell them

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

If i was a torchbearer i'd keep it!!

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"Sounds like Cameron's Big Society in action to me: if you can make a profit out of something (anything!) then go for it.. Olympic torches, cash for questions, schools, the Health Service - all there for the Eton Trifles to turn a profit from.

Sad, but not a surprise."

It's got sod all to do with Cameron, Eton, toffs or the bloody Health Service. I'd hazard a guess that some of the runners might be Labour voters but it's got sod all to do with that either. There's no political mileage (pun intended) in this thread at all.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"I think if you have be chosen to carry the torch then rules should be set. As in sell if you want BUT you MUST give the proceeds to charity"

After recovering the cost of purchasing them, yes, I'd agree with that.

I hope these torch sellers declare the VAT and pay up.

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By *iceguydaveMan
over a year ago

Monmouth

Sad, but not a surprise.

My apologies - I thought the title of your thread was phrased as a question, asking people's opinions. Sorry if mine is not valid!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

but surely if its their property it is up to them what they do with it, i mean how many generations should keep it before they get rid of it by either binning it or selling it to be proper and right?

no i'm not one trying to justify selling mine nor do i know anyone that has one just seems logical to me that everyone should have the right to do with as they wish with their own property

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By *ove2-shareCouple
over a year ago

South Gloucestershire

"I think if you have be chosen to carry the torch then rules should be set. As in sell if you want BUT you MUST give the proceeds to charity

After recovering the cost of purchasing them, yes, I'd agree with that.

I hope these torch sellers declare the VAT and pay up."

except the one thats doing it for charity.

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By *icketysplitsWoman
over a year ago

Way over Yonder, that's where I'm bound

The full cost of the Torch is £450 so there is a subsidy. However, the fact that Torchbearers have to purchase them makes them fair game for selling. I wouldn't, but I can understand wanting to for a charity.

The athletes have to sign an agreement not to sell their kits etc. but can auction them for charity.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"I think if you have be chosen to carry the torch then rules should be set. As in sell if you want BUT you MUST give the proceeds to charity

After recovering the cost of purchasing them, yes, I'd agree with that.

I hope these torch sellers declare the VAT and pay up.

except the one thats doing it for charity."

Yes, of course.

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By *etillanteWoman
over a year ago

"I think if you have be chosen to carry the torch then rules should be set. As in sell if you want BUT you MUST give the proceeds to charity

After recovering the cost of purchasing them, yes, I'd agree with that.

I hope these torch sellers declare the VAT and pay up."

You only have to pay vat if you are registered

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

Sad, but not a surprise.

My apologies - I thought the title of your thread was phrased as a question, asking people's opinions. Sorry if mine is not valid!"

You never waste an opportunity to have a pop at the govt so I should have expected a few troll posts. Nevermind.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"I think if you have be chosen to carry the torch then rules should be set. As in sell if you want BUT you MUST give the proceeds to charity

After recovering the cost of purchasing them, yes, I'd agree with that.

I hope these torch sellers declare the VAT and pay up.

You only have to pay vat if you are registered"

Above a certain threshold and you're expected to register for VAT. If you don't it is considered tax evasion.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

They were asked to pay for them so it is entirely their choice as to what to do with them.

Are you surprised that having to pay for your torch could turn you into a sceptic?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I think if you have be chosen to carry the torch then rules should be set. As in sell if you want BUT you MUST give the proceeds to charity"

why should they? they paid for it in the first place. If they were 'chosen' for their great work in their communities and this is like a reward then I think think they can do what they like with it and best of luck to them.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Sad, but not a surprise.

My apologies - I thought the title of your thread was phrased as a question, asking people's opinions. Sorry if mine is not valid!

You never waste an opportunity to have a pop at the govt so I should have expected a few troll posts. Nevermind."

awww shurrup ya ol goat!

luvs ya really xxx

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By *etillanteWoman
over a year ago

"I think if you have be chosen to carry the torch then rules should be set. As in sell if you want BUT you MUST give the proceeds to charity

After recovering the cost of purchasing them, yes, I'd agree with that.

I hope these torch sellers declare the VAT and pay up.

You only have to pay vat if you are registered

Above a certain threshold and you're expected to register for VAT. If you don't it is considered tax evasion."

But she is not a business, she is a private undividual.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I think they should burn them!

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"They were asked to pay for them so it is entirely their choice as to what to do with them.

Are you surprised that having to pay for your torch could turn you into a sceptic?"

I don't care what they do with them tbh - I'm just asking the question. I can't see much point in keeping a two-foot object around the house as a dust magnet when a photo of oneself holding it will suffice, but there are people who wouldn't sell it that haven't been asked to run.

Would I sell one if I had one?

Put it this way, it would be very difficult to justify keeping it if selling it meant less financial hardship.

Then there is the cost of insuring a valuable item kept in the home where public records will show anyone determined to steal them exactly who owns them. The insurance premiums would be quite high I'd imagine.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"I think they should burn them!"

You na na.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

If they are kept and handed down from generation to generation at some distant point in the future they will appear on Dickinsons Real Deal or Flog It and then it will be acceptable to sell them. So why not now?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"If they are kept and handed down from generation to generation at some distant point in the future they will appear on Dickinsons Real Deal or Flog It and then it will be acceptable to sell them. So why not now?

There are 70 torch bearers from my company. 10 of them came in today with the torches for people to see and have their pics taken with them if they wanted. Some are keeping them, some are selling and giving the proceeds to charity, some are experiencing financial struggles and this will help them.

At the end of the day, they earnt the right to fun with it for the charity work they do. They have paid for them out of their own pockets. So its up to them what they want to do with it.

It has to be said, the torches are really naff and tacky, so if it was me i would flog it. A photo is less intrusive on your mantelpiece.

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By *kmale421Man
over a year ago

wirral

I have to admit that I was quite shocked to see that they could be sold when I heard the news this morning.

Having had some time to think about it now, I guess it's up to the individual and I'm quite shocked at the prices being paid for them, especially as theres 8000 of them, so it's not like they are rare.

If I was a runner, while it would be nice to say I wouldn't sell, quite frankly I would if the figure offrered was like some I've seen on News/ebay of £150,ooo and £63,000. I do wonder if it didn't have the word charity attached to the sale if it would get that figure, mind you if I was a runner and the offer to buy was say 1000 or less I wouldn't sell.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

My son came to me last night and said he'd found a way to make money ..... by selling a picture of the torch on ebay, as apparently folk are bidding thousands for them!

I had to try to persuade him he couldn't just download a pic of one and sell it.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"My son came to me last night and said he'd found a way to make money ..... by selling a picture of the torch on ebay, as apparently folk are bidding thousands for them!

I had to try to persuade him he couldn't just download a pic of one and sell it.

yeah i just had a look on ebay and saw an a3 pic of the torh going for over a grand!?!? I'm sure the bidders think its the real thing...opps

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By *icketysplitsWoman
over a year ago

Way over Yonder, that's where I'm bound

"My son came to me last night and said he'd found a way to make money ..... by selling a picture of the torch on ebay, as apparently folk are bidding thousands for them!

I had to try to persuade him he couldn't just download a pic of one and sell it.

yeah i just had a look on ebay and saw an a3 pic of the torh going for over a grand!?!? I'm sure the bidders think its the real thing...opps

That is bonkers! Now, how much would I get for the picture of me holding one of the torches, do you think?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"My son came to me last night and said he'd found a way to make money ..... by selling a picture of the torch on ebay, as apparently folk are bidding thousands for them!

I had to try to persuade him he couldn't just download a pic of one and sell it.

yeah i just had a look on ebay and saw an a3 pic of the torh going for over a grand!?!? I'm sure the bidders think its the real thing...opps

That is bonkers! Now, how much would I get for the picture of me holding one of the torches, do you think?"

... the one my lad looked at is 17 grand opening bid, 77 grand buy it now .... with no one in the pic .... bound to get more for your pic!

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By *stwoCouple
over a year ago

anywhere

Depends how you got the oppotunity to be a torch bearer whether you pay for it or not.If you gou in through you get it given to you.

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By *icketysplitsWoman
over a year ago

Way over Yonder, that's where I'm bound

"My son came to me last night and said he'd found a way to make money ..... by selling a picture of the torch on ebay, as apparently folk are bidding thousands for them!

I had to try to persuade him he couldn't just download a pic of one and sell it.

yeah i just had a look on ebay and saw an a3 pic of the torh going for over a grand!?!? I'm sure the bidders think its the real thing...opps

That is bonkers! Now, how much would I get for the picture of me holding one of the torches, do you think?

... the one my lad looked at is 17 grand opening bid, 77 grand buy it now .... with no one in the pic .... bound to get more for your pic!

Methinks that these may all be spoof bids. I'd better not tell my friends and kids I know who had their pictures taken at the same time. Between us we could save Greece at these sorts of prices.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"My son came to me last night and said he'd found a way to make money ..... by selling a picture of the torch on ebay, as apparently folk are bidding thousands for them!

I had to try to persuade him he couldn't just download a pic of one and sell it.

yeah i just had a look on ebay and saw an a3 pic of the torh going for over a grand!?!? I'm sure the bidders think its the real thing...opps

That is bonkers! Now, how much would I get for the picture of me holding one of the torches, do you think?

... the one my lad looked at is 17 grand opening bid, 77 grand buy it now .... with no one in the pic .... bound to get more for your pic!

Methinks that these may all be spoof bids. I'd better not tell my friends and kids I know who had their pictures taken at the same time. Between us we could save Greece at these sorts of prices."

I tried to explain to my kid they were spoofs but he was gobsmacked. xxx

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It is their's to do what they like with. Okay so it's a piece of history and something to pass down a generation or two, but personally if I could sell it for £150,00 I would and I would not give any to charity. Why should I?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

If I owned one, and someone was stupid enough to pay over 100,000 for it, it would be silly of me not to sell it, money like that can change the life of us ordinary folk and in times of financial hardship that kind of money can secure a family for quite some time. I don't think anyone in these economic times can argue that.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

it probably is wrong to sell them but if your offered 100k for something that cost u a little over 200 quid how many ppl would say no .when the olympics are over it'll all be forgotten and the lucky person has made a very tidy profit thank you very much.thats life i'm afraid and in these tough economic times easy money is hard to come by

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"If I owned one, and someone was stupid enough to pay over 100,000 for it, it would be silly of me not to sell it, money like that can change the life of us ordinary folk and in times of financial hardship that kind of money can secure a family for quite some time. I don't think anyone in these economic times can argue that."

That's how I feel about selling them tbh. I'd imagine that the one that actually lights the beacon in the Olympic Stadium will be worth more than all the others put together but I bet some celebrity has bagged that spot.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Defo, I would have no problem admitting I'd just sold a "torch" for that kind of money, that might seem shallow to some people but I'd never turn down that kind of money!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

You can do what you like with your own property.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Apparently there's 8000 or so of these torches and somehow I doubt there will be 8000 people daft enough to want one on their sideboard.

But, if they bought them with their own money, they are, in my opinion fully entitled to do what they want with them.

If someone tried to tell me what to do with one of my possessions I'm sure you can guess what I'd tell them to do

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

If they had to buy them then yeah I think it's perfectly alright for them to sell them to the highest bidder.

And keep the money for themselves, it's the bloody Olympics, not children in need, the ioc make profit.

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By *oole2010Couple
over a year ago

southampto

well i say sell them, after all, all these so called sponsors like macdonalds and the like, gave money to the ioc, got all the good tickets so people would have to buy their products to win a ticket. and you can bet your last pound you wont see many of them giving a slice of their profits to charity, and its not just british sales im talking about, its worldwide sales,as i bet coca cola sent some of their tickets over the pond so the americans could win a ticket if they bought a .

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By *uckscouple2007Couple
over a year ago

Bucks

fa cup winners sell their medals, and in years gone by torch bearers have sold theirs ... just because it is so much easier in this day n age with e-buy-gum why cant they?

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By *am sampsonMan
over a year ago

cwmbran

"I think if you have be chosen to carry the torch then rules should be set. As in sell if you want BUT you MUST give the proceeds to charity

After recovering the cost of purchasing them, yes, I'd agree with that.

I hope these torch sellers declare the VAT and pay up.

You only have to pay vat if you are registered

Above a certain threshold and you're expected to register for VAT. If you don't it is considered tax evasion."

Wishy you suprise me you seem to everything about the uk economy - but don't understand how VAT works

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"I think if you have be chosen to carry the torch then rules should be set. As in sell if you want BUT you MUST give the proceeds to charity

After recovering the cost of purchasing them, yes, I'd agree with that.

I hope these torch sellers declare the VAT and pay up.

You only have to pay vat if you are registered

Above a certain threshold and you're expected to register for VAT. If you don't it is considered tax evasion.

Wishy you suprise me you seem to everything about the uk economy - but don't understand how VAT works"

If an item is resold as second hand that would be subject to VAT had it been new then it is subject to VAT but only on the profit gained bewteen the price paid and the price recieved.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"A woman from Burnham-on-Sea has reported auctioned her torch for £153,000, to which she intends to give to the community project she is involved in. Others are not so scrupulous and are selling them for pure profit, yet all were chosen as torchbearers for the sterling work they've done in their communities.

Should they sell them?

(they have to buy them for £200 out of their own pockets, so there's no conflict of taxpayers money being used)"

£200 is less incandescently than the cost which was over £400 but that's no matter if they have paid for them I see no problem with selling on. Its no different to any other item someone is selling second hand.

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By *ovedupstillCouple
over a year ago

mullinwire

if they bought them, then whats it to do with us what they do with them?

if you buy a council house AFTER its just had a new kitchen and bathroom, for a discounted fee, and then sell it on, should we not allow you to make a profit on your investment?

these people have obviously dedicated themselves to doing some form of cahirty, or community work, or other, volountarily in most cases, so why should this not be seen as just rewards for their exerpts?

maybe it would incline some lazy arsed ne'er dowells to get off thier arses and do something in their communities in the vein hope of getting some kind of reward down the line.

you never know.

and as for the post about passing it down? with the story, i ran 600 yards in the middle of worcester with it? yeah, very impressive, wont keep ya dry or warm when the weather turns. now a house is something you can pass down.

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By *uckscouple2007Couple
over a year ago

Bucks

wishy ... maybe the £200 is inclusive of VAT therefore the resale - as for any private sale item on eBay is VAT exempt

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By *oole2010Couple
over a year ago

southampto

yes it is, but if you have a turnover of £70,000 and over. you are subject to the vat laws? i may be wrong but i think thats why the taxman is going after ebayers and amazon traders who sell as a business, and dont pay their taxes or fill in self assessments.

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By *umpkinMan
over a year ago

near the sounds of the wimborne quarter jack!

I`m looking at this from a slightly different angle. Whilst some company, British I hope, has made some money out of making the torches, I would have only had half a dozen made! As it is they`re being sold to the torch holders at a loss or in other words, cost to those who have helped pay for the Olympics. Done like this no-one would have made a profit out of the torches and the ones made would be much more unique. I would let the person who finally uses their torch to light the stadium flame and the rest going to museums.

I hope that those who do sell their torches put the money to good use and not just to make profit to "piss it up against the wall".

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

You have to give it to the plucky people who sell them. I wouldn't myself but don't see it any different to me selling an autograph on ebay.

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By *umourCouple
over a year ago

Rushden

As I understand it, that £153,000 bid has yet to be confirmed! It may turn out to be a spoof bid and given that there are so many, I would say there is going to be a dissapointment!

Should they sell them? Yep! Cheap, tacky and not at all as nice as I was expecting! If you can get wedge for them now, make the money and enjoy..

As a side note, I read somewhere that there are going to be millions of those "mascot" things left after the games. It was on one of the newspaper sites and they said it just hasn't fired the imagination!

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By *teborahCouple
over a year ago

warrington

Should they sell them?

(they have to buy them for £200 out of their own pockets, so there's no conflict of taxpayers money being used)"

I bet Ebay ain't complaining with all those fees

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

i would have loved to be a torch bearer and i would have kept mine. That experience & souviner is not something money can buy.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Oh though it said £153. Not £153k. If someone offering over 100k for it you'll be pretty silly not to sell.

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By *oviemakerMan
over a year ago

swansea

One antique expert on TV has valued the torches as around £2,000 - £3,000. So anyone paying more is losing out big time. Apparently torches sold from previous Olympics have been worth far less than their owners thought.

I do think the ebay listings for photos of torches should be pulled though, I'm sure they're designed to con people into thinking they're buying real torches.

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By *am sampsonMan
over a year ago

cwmbran

"I think if you have be chosen to carry the torch then rules should be set. As in sell if you want BUT you MUST give the proceeds to charity

After recovering the cost of purchasing them, yes, I'd agree with that.

I hope these torch sellers declare the VAT and pay up.

You only have to pay vat if you are registered

Above a certain threshold and you're expected to register for VAT. If you don't it is considered tax evasion.

Wishy you suprise me you seem to everything about the uk economy - but don't understand how VAT works

If an item is resold as second hand that would be subject to VAT had it been new then it is subject to VAT but only on the profit gained bewteen the price paid and the price recieved."

No it isnt because it's their personal item and it's not a business sale

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By *abioMan
over a year ago

Newcastle and Gateshead

it is an interesting question.....

1 of the people who did it has said it was the charity that nominated him to do it, so he is giving the money raised back to the charity as a thank you... and I absolutely commend and support that... and i hope that one raises a lot of money!!!!

I think it is the making money for your own means which a lot more of an "ethical" question.... do I understand why people would do it in these tough economic times... absolutely... is it something I would feel comfortable with.. not really.....

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By *lubPartyPeepsCouple
over a year ago

London

I think its a really poor state of affairs that the carriers have to pay for them in the first place, a fact that was noticeably absent from the campaign ad about it. As far as I am aware we are the first country to have charged a fee for them to the actual carriers, which is typical unfortunately. So because of that, great, sell it and make a profit. If they hadn't been charged in the first place, I would be totally against the idea.

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By *oviemakerMan
over a year ago

swansea

I think the sponsor's runners get them free while the other runners pay. And the torches are decommissioned before they're allowed to keep them - all internal workings are taken out so they can't actually be used as torches.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I remember from the age of 5 I started doing judo. I was obessed in working very hard to one day may be oneday I could compete in the olympics unfortuanetly my country had sanctions against it and therefore we could not compete with the rest of the world. The closest I got to the olympic was watching this amazing flame passing through my town. I wonder if some of these torch beares ever had a dream of competing in the most prestige event and the obesseion it comes with it the sacrafise you make. I would never sell my torch as it would be my legacy to pass on for my generations to come. I cried on the day, now the idea of making money of something so great is sadness to me. Well this how I feel

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By *am sampsonMan
over a year ago

cwmbran

All the big corporations are making money out of it so why not individuals if they get the opportunity

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