The famous booth from the final episode of The Sopranos has been sold for a staggering £64,000 ($82,600).
An eBay auction for the booth, located in Holsten’s in Bloomfield, New Jersey, ended with an anonymous bidder claiming victory. The legendary HBO drama used a real-life ice cream parlour for the scene, and fans have been flocking to get their photos taken in the same spot ever since the series ended in 2007.
In the iconic scene, the Soprano family – including mob boss Tony, played by the late James Gandolfini – dine at the booth as the series ends to the tune of Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believin’. As he waits for his wife Carmela and their two children to join him, the show’s writers and producers hinted that Tony and his family could be in danger at any moment.
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Holsten’s co-owner had hoped to raise £7,800 ($10,000) from the sale to help cover the estimated £47,000 ($60,000) cost of replacing the booth, according to the New York Times.
(Image: holstensicecream/Instagram)
The ice cream parlour announced the auction on its official Instagram page last week, stating that ‘the time has come’ to part ways with the table and seats.
Co-owner Carley said: “It’s just time to do it,” adding that they didn’t take the decision lightly. He hopes the new booth will look similar to the old one, saying: “We want to put back exactly what we took out.
“When people come into the store, they’ll have a hard time noticing the difference.”
(Image: holstensicecream/Instagram)
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Holsten’s explained that this was a necessary improvement in the eBay description, where the booth received over 230 bids.
The popular eatery shared on social media: “All good things sometimes need an upgrade,” along with pictures of the famous booth from the Sopranos and a snap of Gandolfini grinning while seated there.
They announced: “The famous [Sopranos] booth is getting a much needed face-lift. We are auctioning off the well-endeared booth on eBay starting today.”
(Image: holstensicecream/Instagram)
They reassured fans that they aren’t changing the nostalgia of their beloved parlour, just sprucing it up. The owners explained in the post that they didn’t want to do this, but the booths’ integrity was now compromised.
They said: “They have been repaired many times and this furniture is over 60 years old.” On Saturday evening, they even reminded snap happy fans on Instagram that it was the last weekend for photos in the booth.
(Image: holstensicecream/Instagram)
“The last chance to get your pictures is this weekend,” the caption read, alongside another snap of Gandolfini at the booth and two more of customers.
The Sopranos, which aired on HBO for six seasons from 1999 to 2007, is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential TV series of all time.
It’s also been praised for helping to kickstart the Second Golden Age of Television.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
