HOUSTON – As voters get ready to decide the fate of the Astrodome in Tuesday's election, some fans are selling highly sought-after souvenirs.
Thousands of people waited for hours and hours on Saturday to get a piece of history from the "eighth wonder of the world" auction. Local 2 consumer expert Amy Davis found some people making big bucks off the memorabilia.
The doors to the Astrodome auction opened at about 9 a.m. Saturday morning. Organizers say the last item sold about 7:30 Saturday night. Mindy Dlouhy woke up bright and early to snag a 12x12 piece of AstroTurf.
"I got there at six in the morning and by the time I got in the Hall door, it was 11 o'clock," Dlouhy told Davis. "And they proceeded to tell us there's no more AstroTurf. It's gone."
Local 2 found about a dozen offerings for the turf on EBay; one listed at $300. The same square was only $20 on Saturday. Stadium seats that sold for $200 a pair are now posted for $735.
"We were expecting about 2,000 people; and we actually got something like 10,000 people," said Edgar Colon of the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation.Â
Colon said he hopes the interest at the auction translates into high voter turnout on Tuesday.
"If you're this passionate that you're willing to stand for 12 hours to get a piece of history, couldn't you invest 30 minutes to go vote?" asked Colon.Â
If passed, Proposition 2 on the ballot would increase taxes in Harris County to save the dome and turn it into a convention and visitors space in time for the 2017 Super Bowl in Houston.
The Sports & Convention Corporation raised more than $700,000 Saturday. They say if the Astrodome proposition doesn't pass on Tuesday, it's money they'll still use for things like asbestos remediation inside the Dome.