Iconic ‘Sopranos’ final scene booth sold for a whopping $82.6K – but new owners have clammed up on revealing their names
Like the iconic scene that made the film famous, bidding for the booth where the cast of The Sopranos was present for the final episode has abruptly ended, with the winning bid standing at $82,600.
The eBay listing for the Holsten’s stand in Bloomfield – a real New Jersey venue where several scenes from the legendary HBO drama were filmed – wrapped up a win from a bidder whose identity has not been revealed.
The Soprano family β mob boss Tony (James Gandolfini), Carmela (Edie Falco), AJ (Robert Iler) and Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) β eat at the restaurant as the series’ famous ending takes place to the tune of Journey’s ‘Don ‘. ‘Do not stop believing.’
It’s an absolute score for Holsten’s, whose co-owner was hoping for $10,000 to help cover the estimated $60,000 it would cost to replace the stand, according to the New York Times.
The ice cream parlor announced the auction last week on its official Instagram page, telling customers that “the time has come” to say goodbye to the table and chairs.
Like the iconic scene that made the film famous, bidding for the booth where the cast of The Sopranos was present for the final episode has abruptly ended, with the winning bid standing at $82,600.
The Soprano family β mob boss Tony (James Gandolfini), Carmela (Edie Falco), AJ (Robert Iler) and Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) β eat at the restaurant as the series’ famous ending takes place to the tune of Journey’s ‘Don ‘. Don’t stop believing
βIt’s just time to do it,β Carley said. “It’s not something we took lightly.”
He said the new stand will hopefully look the same as the old one.
βWe want to put back exactly what we took out,β he added. “When people come into the store, it’s hard for them to tell the difference.”
Holsten’s made it clear that this was a necessary improvement in an eBay description, where the stand received more than 230 bids.
βAll good things need an upgrade sometimes,β Holsten’s wrote in a caption, alongside a few photos of the booth as it looks today and an image of Gandolfini smiling as he sits at the booth.
‘The famous (Sopranos) stand is getting a much-needed facelift. We are auctioning the beloved stand on eBay starting today,β the Wednesday post read.
‘Place your bid for this unique opportunity to become the personal owner of ‘the stand’. View our list here. Of course we are not going to change the nostalgia of our beloved store… we are not crazy! Just cleaning things up!’
The social media post announcing the auction also included a note from Holsten’s owners, explaining that they “don’t want to do this,” but ultimately “the integrity of the stands is now at risk.”
It’s an absolute score for Holsten’s, whose co-owner was hoping for $10,000 to help cover the estimated $60,000 it would cost to replace the stand
The owners of Holsten’s in Bloomfield, New Jersey, announced that it’s “time” to say goodbye to the famous Sopranos booth, as the restaurant and ice cream shop needs a “face-lift” due to deteriorating furniture
The final scene, featuring Gandolfini, was full of drama and tension as the New Jersey crime boss went to Holsten’s and sat down at the booth.
βThey have been repaired many times and this furniture is over 60 years old,β the owners continued. ‘Obviously we don’t want to do this, but it has gotten to a point where they as a whole are no longer structurally safe and we have to think about the safety of our customers first.
They concluded the caption: “Customer safety is a priority for us and should be for our customers as well.”
On Saturday evening, Holsten’s owners returned to their Instagram page to remind customers and fans that this is the last weekend they can come in for a photo while sitting in the booth.
βThis weekend is the last chance to get your photos,β the caption reads, next to another image of Gandolfini sitting in the booth and two other photos of customers. ‘Tonight we close at 10 o’clock and on Sunday we are open from 12 to 10 o’clock. Come down!’
The final scene was full of drama and tension as the New Jersey crime boss went to Holsten’s and sat down at the booth.
While waiting for Carmela and their two children to arrive, show writers and producers made it seem like Tony and his family could take a hit at any moment.
One by one, several people enter the restaurant, with some potential customers looking more and more like suspects who could pull a gun at any moment.
On Saturday evening, Holsten’s owners took to their Instagram page to remind customers and fans that the stand would soon no longer exist
Customers at Holsten’s have been having photos taken at the booth since The Sopranos finale aired on June 10, 2007
Fans can have their photos taken at the stand all weekend long
The Sopranos, which aired for six seasons on HBO from 1999 to 2007, is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential television series of all time.
The Sopranos are also credited with helping kick off the Second Golden Age of Television
While this was going on, Meadow tried to park her car outside parallel to Holsten’s, which took her at least three attempts to finally get between two other cars.
Just as Meadow was about to walk into the restaurant and ice cream shop, the screen goes black, leaving viewers wondering if the Sopranos were attacked or if they were able to eat in peace.
The Sopranos, which aired for six seasons on HBO from 1999 to 2007, is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential television series of all time.
It is also credited with helping kick off the Second Golden Age of Television.