The pre-auction exhibition of Olympics-related collectibles opens in Beijing on Saturday, July 31, 2010. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]
by Zhang Zhang
The 2008 Olympics succeeded in convincing the Chinese people of the spirit and influence of humanity's greatest sporting event.
Now, the Olympic legacy's commercial value is on display at a pre-auction show at the Panjiayuan Antiques Market in Beijing.
More than 200 collections related to past Olympiads spanning more than 100 years will be auctioned on August 8, two years after the Games opened in this city.
Medals from the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896, a torch used in the first-ever Olympic torch relay for the 1936 Berlin Games and souvenirs from the Beijing Olympic Games are expected to draw high bids.
Li Xiang, who heads the sports-related business of the Chinese Association of Collectors, hoped the auction can lend a big hand to popularizing sports memorabilia collecting in China, where investors still concentrate on antiques and art.
Total bidding is predicted to reach 10 million yuan, or 1.5 million U.S. dollars.
The torches and a lantern used to carry the flame for the Beijing Olympic Games are up for auction. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]
The Beijing Games souvenirs are expected to take center stage at the auction. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]
Wang Liping, winner of the women's walking race at the 2004 Olympic Games, attends the opening ceremony of the pre-auction show on Saturday, July 31, 2010. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]