A box of bison bones sold for $235. A rickshaw fetched $485. Those are just some of the strange and fascinating treasures the Minnesota State Fair auctioned off earlier this month from its overflowing storage spaces.
Officials put up nearly 400 listings. The items they auctioned off included everything from surplus office equipment to decommissioned rollercoaster carts and arcade games. Thirteen individual items sold for $1,000 or more, including a bright red, two-seat "Kiddy Kar" that doesn't even run.
State Fair officials don't yet have a tally for the total sale and may not for some time. Here are the 10 biggest sellers from the 11-day auction:
"State Fair" children's pinball machine: $1,050
This ancient pinball machine just barely edged out the three items that sold for exactly $1,000 to snag the No. 10 spot on this list. Among those less-valuable lots: The enormous 3D aerial map of the entire fairgrounds that we featured last week.
Trapeze flyers costume: $1,100
This costume was donated by one of the Zacchini brothers, the daredevils who shot themselves out of cannons and signed a piece of one that also made it to auction. If you look closely at this photo, you might also catch sight of the most expensive item on the list. It's like a Marvel movie Easter egg, but Minnesotan!
Wooden Minnesota State Fair artwork sign: $1,100
If you catch sight of this sign in your buddy's rumpus room, you'll know exactly how much he paid for it.
Coin-operated crane game: $1,220
Crane games are difficult to win as it is. Just imagine Woody and Buzz trying to worm their way out of this one.
Three-door refrigerator on wheels: $1,350
A number of the items up for auction were simply excess old equipment that State Fair officials didn't know how to get rid of. This wasn't the only industrial refrigerator on sale. There were also pallets upon pallets of styrofoam cups up for auction.
Five stock car racing photos: $1,600
There was apparently quite an appetite for photos of old stock car races during the state fair auction. (You'll see what I mean in a second.)
A set of two framed photos: $1,625
Yes, you did that math right. Vintage stock car racing photos fetched more than $3,200 combined at the Minnesota State Fair auction.
Kristy's "Kiddy Kar:" $2,550
Someone has obviously been working at a convenience store and managed to save up a whole lotta money.
Carousel display in a wooden box: $2,600
The buyer can recreate some of the best carousel-themed scenes we've seen on movies and TV shows lately, from the sweet and playful date at a dilapidated mall in "The Last of Us" to the introspective dialogue on the diaspora and what could have been in "Past Lives."
Metal "Jefferson Highway" sign: $2,600
Eagle-eyed readers could catch a glimpse of this sign as it was hidden among some of the trapeze costumes listed above. The Jefferson Highway once stretched from New Orleans to Winnipeg. You can still find a part of the old route in Osseo.
