Calgary 1988 Winter Olympic torch could fetch $60K US in auction

A 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics torch that has never been lit is expected to fetch thousands at auction next week.

A Boston-based auction house estimates the top bid for the pristine Olympic icon will be between $50,000 to $60,000US.

"This is a marvellous example of the utmost rarity," Robert Livingston, Executive VP at RR Auction said a media release.

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"Calgary, unlike a lot of the other countries when they had the their torch relays people shared them as they went across country," said Dale Oviatt, a spokesman for WinSport.

"Other countries essentially everyone got one [torch] when they had their turn and then their sponsors and all those other folks. So there are thousands for Sochi [out there], but for the Calgary games there's only about 100."

Winsport houses one of the '88 torches in its Calgary office. There are another five on permanent display in the city at Canada's Sports Hall of Fame including the one that lit the cauldron at McMahon Stadium during the opening ceremonies.

"Over the years fewer and fewer of them seem to be around as they get scratched or broken or tossed out eventually. People don't understand the value of them," said Oviatt.

The torch that's going on the auction block Jan. 14 still has all of its original, unused wicks.

It's owned by an American woman who collects Olympic memorabilia.