Diner Booth from Final Scene of “The Sopranos” Up for Auction: 'The Time Has Come'
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The Holsten’s ice cream parlor in New Jersey has listed the booth — a memorable piece of TV history — on eBay
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From left: James Gandolfini, Edie Falco and Robert Iler appear in the series finale of 'The Sopranos'Fans have a chance to own an iconic piece of TV history!
Holsten’s in Bloomfield, New Jersey, is auctioning off the original booth that character Tony Soprano and his family sat at during the final scene of the HBO series The Sopranos. The eBay listing has already earned a top bid of more than $76,000 as of Saturday evening — with two days still remaining for potential bidders.
The ice cream parlor announced the auction on its official Instagram page on Wednesday, letting customers know that "the time has come" to part ways with the seats that actors Edie Falco, Robert Iler and the late James Gandolfini once sat in during the dramatic conclusion of the series.
"All good things sometimes need an upgrade," Holsten's wrote in a caption, alongside an image of Gandolfini smiling in the seat and a pair of photos of the empty booth as it looks today. "The famous Sporanos booth is getting a much needed face-lift. We are auctioning off the well-endeared booth on eBay starting today."
"Obviously, we aren't going to change the nostalgia of our beloved shoppe... we aren't crazy! Just polishing up the place!" Holsten's added.
Related: Everything the 'Sopranos' Cast and David Chase Have Said About the Series Finale
Courtesy of HBO
James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Robert Iler and Jamie-Lynn Sigler on set of 'The Sopranos'The post also included a note from Holsten’s owners explaining that they "don't want to do this," but that ultimately, "the integrity of the booths [is] now compromised."
"They have been repaired many times and this furniture is over 60 years old. Obviously, we do not want to do this, however it has come to a point where they are structurally not safe anymore as a whole and we need to think about the safety of our patrons first," they wrote. "Customer safety is a priority for us and should be for our patrons as well."
The listing itself includes both iconic red seats, the wooden table, the divider wall and a plaque reading "Reserved for the Sopranos Family." The jukebox on the table is not included in the sale.
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Co-owner Chris Carley also said in an interview with NJ Advance Media on Thursday that "it’s hard for me to change this," referring to the booth, which was installed back in 1973.
But now, as tourists continue to flock to the filming location, the location is looking to make the new booth that's put in its place look as much like the original as possible.
“People will either get used to it, or they won’t get used to it. But I think they will... hopefully, the response will be when the new one is in that everybody likes it," Carley said. "They’ll see that it’s really not that much of a difference.”
The eBay auction closes on Monday at 10 p.m., and customers will have a final chance to experience the original Sopranos booth either Sunday or Monday, per the outlet.
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