# Do Olympic Medals Wind Up On EBAY? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 1, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-olympic-medals-wind-up-on-ebay/530867 "2010-03-01T16:13:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-olympic-medals-wind-up-on-ebay/530867/1 "2010-03-01T16:13:04Z")
I understand that the Academy of Motion Picture Artists doesn’t like for Oscars to wind up on the market (it knocks down the prestige of the award). Does the OC frown on atletes selling their medals? I can imagine a once-famous athlete, now doen on his luck, hawking a medal or two. Are these medals collector’s items? Where do they wind up (once the owners die off)? ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-olympic-medals-wind-up-on-ebay/530867/2 "2010-03-01T17:03:31Z")
I know that medals of all kinds wind up in Pawn Shops. I wonder what the going rate is? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-olympic-medals-wind-up-on-ebay/530867/3 "2010-03-01T17:30:37Z")
Everything I’m reading seems to indicate you can. Unlike the Oscar, which is owned by the Academy, the medals are really yours. However, I have no high quality cite at this point. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-olympic-medals-wind-up-on-ebay/530867/4 "2010-03-01T17:37:34Z")
I don’t understand why anyone who didn’t earn it would want an Olympic medal. Would they wear it, pretending they had extreme athletic ability? Just stare at it? Same with a an Oscar. These are achievement awards. Would you want someone else’s diploma? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-olympic-medals-wind-up-on-ebay/530867/5 "2010-03-01T18:09:49Z")
[Apparently, yes.](http://shop.ebay.ca/i.html?_kw=olympic%20medal&_fcid=2&_localstpos=m8y3m3&_sc=1&_sop=16&_sticky=1&_stpos=m8y3m3&gbr=1) Among all the ‘souvenir medals’ and ‘volunteer participation medals’ and commemorative coins and whatnot, it looks like there are one or two [real ones](http://cgi.ebay.ca/1924-Paris-Summer-Olympic-Silver-Winners-Medal_W0QQitemZ230442881246QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Olympics_Fan_Shop?hash=item35a77750de). ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-olympic-medals-wind-up-on-ebay/530867/6 "2010-03-01T19:31:24Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > I don’t understand why anyone who didn’t earn it would want an Olympic medal. > Would they wear it, pretending they had extreme athletic ability? Just stare at it? > Same with a an Oscar. These are achievement awards. Would you want someone else’s diploma? It’s a piece of sports memoriabilia, like a Super Bowl ring or a home run baseball. It’s something you would put on display in your home, or at your establishment if you are a sports bar. ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-olympic-medals-wind-up-on-ebay/530867/7 "2010-03-02T11:23:08Z")
Ebay? I never thought about Ebay! I sold all of mine on Craigslist. ---
**Author:** ![Random\_Design](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58f4c7/32.png) [@Random\_Design](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random_Design)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-olympic-medals-wind-up-on-ebay/530867/8 "2010-03-02T11:33:41Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > I don’t understand why anyone who didn’t earn it would want an Olympic medal. > Would they wear it, pretending they had extreme athletic ability? Just stare at it? Melt it down? Re-cast? Re-sell? ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-olympic-medals-wind-up-on-ebay/530867/9 "2010-03-02T11:43:28Z")
Collectible, conversation piece… why do people buy anything that isn’t a tool or useable piece of furniture? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-olympic-medals-wind-up-on-ebay/530867/10 "2010-03-03T15:16:58Z")
John Woodruff donated his gold medal from the 800-meter run of the 1936 Olympics to the University of Pittsburgh. I used to walk by it at least once a week. I hope you aren’t suggesting that Pitt should have turned down his generous request. The medals belong to the athletes and their estate. They can do with them what they see fit. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-olympic-medals-wind-up-on-ebay/530867/11 "2010-03-03T16:17:42Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > I don’t understand why anyone who didn’t earn it would want an Olympic medal. > Would they wear it, pretending they had extreme athletic ability? Just stare at it? > Same with a an Oscar. These are achievement awards. Would you want someone else’s diploma? I’ll bet Einsteins diploma is worth some money. It certainly isn’t worth anything to him. Most likely it stays in the family for a time, but after a while even that gets diluted enough to be pretty meaningless. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-olympic-medals-wind-up-on-ebay/530867/12 "2010-03-03T16:26:04Z")
Are Olympic medals differentiated in any way? I believe (though now I’m not able to find any photos) that Oscars eventually end up having engravings indicating at least what it was won for and so if you get one you can know exactly which one you’re getting (I’m guessing Best Picture 1939 would be worth more than Sound Editing 1976). Can you tell that whether the gold medal you’re buying on eBay is the one Women’s Figure Skating gold medal as opposed to one of the 162 (or however many there are) hockey gold medals? ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-olympic-medals-wind-up-on-ebay/530867/13 "2010-03-03T16:39:53Z")
> [@obfusciatrist](#): > > Are Olympic medals differentiated in any way? I believe (though now I’m not able to find any photos) that Oscars eventually end up having engravings indicating at least what it was won for and so if you get one you can know exactly which one you’re getting (I’m guessing Best Picture 1939 would be worth more than Sound Editing 1976). > > Can you tell that whether the gold medal you’re buying on eBay is the one Women’s Figure Skating gold medal as opposed to one of the 162 (or however many there are) hockey gold medals? “Each medal will be engraved with the name of the sport and the event.” From here: [http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-features/news/newsid=423899.html](http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-features/news/newsid=423899.html) ---
**Author:** ![\_cc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/e19b73/32.png) [@\_cc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_cc)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-olympic-medals-wind-up-on-ebay/530867/14 "2010-03-06T18:29:58Z")
A gold medal in curling would be a great gift for a hairstylist. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2010, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-olympic-medals-wind-up-on-ebay/530867/15 "2010-03-06T19:15:29Z")
> [@'\[cc](#): > > ;12195097’]A gold medal in curling would be a great gift for a hairstylist. _golf clap_ ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2010, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-olympic-medals-wind-up-on-ebay/530867/16 "2010-03-06T23:34:49Z")
Random story: my uncle’s dad (or possibly grandad) won a gold medal way back in the day. That night, he also won the silver and broze medals off his opponents in a card game. (I’m not clear on the details because this uncle was by marriage and died fairly young.)