The auction of the millennium

George Euripides and wife Maria, with a giant hamster

By CNN's Paul Sussman

LONDON, England (CNN) -- George Euripides is agonising over whether to buy a hamster. His problem is that because the hamster is 6ft tall he's not quite sure where to put it.

"I suppose it could go in the garden," he muses. "Although we've only got a small garden so I'd have to move my gnomes."

Mr. Euripides is one of several hundred people examining the lots in what promises to be one of the biggest, not to mention oddest auctions ever held in Britain.

Starting on February 27, and continuing for four days, the entire contents of London's controversial Millennium Dome are due to go under the auctioneer's hammer.

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More than 15,000 items are up for sale, with experts predicting a total revenue of £3-5 million ($4.3-7.2 million).

"The reason the estimate is so wide is that at the end of the day it is very hard to make a judgement on how much people will pay for a snowman," explains Derek Sadler, Director of Henry Butcher, the company handling the auction.

Among the more eclectic items up for grabs are the aforementioned hamster (complete with wheelbarrow-sized lump of cheese), a rubber chicken, five Lambretta motor-scooters and four central nervous systems.

The public will also be able to bid for a forest of fibreglass trees, some fake pubic lice, a prayer room and a giant eyeball.

"It's an extraordinary collection," says Andy Holt, 50, who has come to view the lots with his 80-year-old mother. "Very diverse, very odd.

"Everything will go, no doubt about it, and for much higher prices than anyone thinks."

Brains and bird cages

Preparations for the auction, which will take place inside the Dome, have been under way since the attraction closed for business on December 31, 2000.

A mannequin, one of more than 15,000 objects that will be auctioned next week

"It's been a massive logistical operation getting it all together," says Sadler. "We've had to work a lot of long hours."

Items that are considered essential to the Dome's future as a public attraction -- turnstiles, fencing, security equipment etc. -- are not included in the auction.

Neither are the contents of two of the Dome's zones -- the Journey Zone and the Talk Zone -- which are being kept by their respective sponsors, Ford and British Telecom.

Otherwise everything is up for sale, from coffee machines and dishwashers to artificial grass matting and conference room furniture.

Prices for almost everything will be decided at the auction itself, with only 30 of the lots having a reserve price attached to them.

"There's no point putting a reserve on a rubber brain," says Sadler. "It could raise £10 or £1,000.

"The only things that do have basic prices are the objects that will be expensive to get out of the Dome, like the giant heart, which has a reserve of £5,000 ($7,200)."

Viewing of the objects began on Wednesday, with entrance costing £5 for two people.

Some have turned up out of simple curiosity. "We heard about it on the radio and thought it might be fun to come down and look at the stuff," says Kate Kelly, 30, who is here with boyfriend Steve.

"We never visited the Dome when it was open, and thought this would be a cheap way of getting in to look at the structure."

Others, however, have a clearer idea of what they want.

"I'm looking to buy a number of the costumes," says Colin Slade, 55. "I run a quirky clothing store in West Hampstead and think there could be some good stuff here."

Elizabeth Brophy, 24, is likewise on a mission. "I run a company that does catering at rock festivals, and want to bid for some of the fridges and freezers."

The Millennium Dome

The auction itself is expected to attract 5,000 people over its four days, with the public also able to bid online via the Henry Butcher Web site, www.henrybutcher.com.

"It's by far the highest profile sale we have ever done," says Sadler. "It's going to be very exciting."

George Euripides certainly thinks so. "I know I'm going to buy something," he enthuses, "Although in the end I don't think it will be the hamster. Maybe I'll get one of the brains instead, or a couple of bird cages for my canaries."

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Henry Butcher

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