Props from a botched Willy Wonka event in Glasgow that went viral after frustrated attenders called the police have raised more than £2,000 at auction for a Palestinian aid charity.
Fabric backdrops from the “immersive experience”, which was cancelled midway, were found in a bin outside the warehouse where it took place.
Monorail Music, a record shop in the city, auctioned the remains on eBay after they were passed on by the finder. The listing said: “Don’t miss out on this rare opportunity to own a piece of history.”
The Wonka event gained online notoriety after images of the sparsely decorated warehouse in Glasgow, staffed by actors dressed as Oompa Loompas and other characters, spread worldwide. On Thursday, the listing had a total of 57 bids and the items were sold for £2,250. Michael Kasparis, online manager of Monorail, described the outcome as “amazing”.
“We are all watching it like you’d watch the end of a football game,” he said. “It was £900 and then jumped to £1,050, then, one second before it closed, it was £2,050, and it came through at £2,250.
“We’d thought if it goes into four figures we’d be very happy, so it was a pretty amazing result.”
He said the buyer of the backdrops is not from Glasgow but lives elsewhere in the UK. “I was slightly worried that the joke had gone, but it doesn’t look like it’s going away any time soon,” he said.
The money raised is being donated to Medical Aid for Palestinians, a charity helping to provide shelter, food and urgent medical aid in Gaza. Kasparis continued: “I personally was a little bit worried that the auction was a bit silly for the cause, but we thought, if it raises money, that’s the most important thing.
“It’s a charity we’ve all donated to and that we all care deeply about, and it was kind of a no-brainer when we thought to auction it for charity.”
