Auction of items from Silverdome nets $500,000

Copper wiring was the hot item during the nine-day auction of more than 3,000 leftovers from the dilapidated Pontiac Silverdome.

The sale ended Thursday and brought in about $500,000, The Detroit News reported Sunday. Items up for grabs from the former home of the Detroit Lions and Detroit Pistons included end-zone turf, pretzel warmers, a boxing ring, flat-screen televisions and scoreboards.

Interest was intense for rights to the stadium's wiring and saw 44 bidders. The final sale topped $77,500.

''We consider it a success,'' said Jim Passeno, facilities manager for Plymouth-based RJM Auctioneers. ''We had a huge response nationwide.''

Large amps and electrical switches were sold for at least $42,500. Signs for seating and scoreboards were sold for about $5,300. The boxing ring fetched $350, while soccer posts were bought for $700.

Turf that still featured the Lions' logo from both end zones was auctioned for $1,600 each.

The NFL team moved to Ford Field in Detroit in 2002, and the Silverdome fell into disrepair. Michigan's sometimes harsh weather shredded the old stadium's Teflon-covered roof.

Triple Investment Properties bought the Silverdome in 2009 for $583,000. The company has not said what its plans are for the 80,000-seat venue north of Detroit.

Plans to turn the Silverdome into a soccer stadium never materialized.

''They had a half-a-million-dollar soccer field they bought that was put in there as well as paying for maintenance of $1.5 million a year up until the roof caved in,'' Passeno said.