Not-so-cool Runnings
Helmet from 1988 Jamaican bobsled team fails to sell at auction.
By Bigoa Machar
In what was seen as a huge step for international winter sports in 1988, the first Jamaican bobsled team in the Winter Olympics in Calgary made waves across the world. In spite of global success and the semi-biographical movie Cool Runnings, a part of this historic team didn’t receive enough interest to meet the minimum reserve price at a Boston auction this past week.
“Some of the Calgary Olympic items didn’t meet their reserves and were passed. They didn’t achieve the price that we had received earlier this year. The Dudley Stokes helmet was sold after the auction,” said Robert Livingston of RR Auction in Boston.
The helmet, which had an asking price of $3,500 USD, had no bids, while other items from the team, such as a pair of orange-and-pink ski goggles previously owned by Jamaican bobsled pilot Dudley Stokes, also garnered very little interest at the auction.
“Many times after an auction, when we don’t achieve the price that the consigner was expecting, people will either contact us or the consigner will lower their expectations and ask us to make the after-auction sale, which was the case at this time.”
The item was eventually scooped up by a collector in the United States, but for much lower than the initial cost.
“Talk about undervalued. I have to tell you that Cool Runnings helmet to me was the real hidden gem of the auction and I’m very surprised that it didn’t go for more. It’s something that in the future will go for a lot more,” Livingston said.
