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Hundreds Line Up To Own Piece Of Trump Taj Mahal

By David Madden and Henry Rosoff

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (CBS/AP) --  The former Trump Taj Mahal may be no more, but for those of you who want a piece of the so-called Eighth Wonder of the World, it's up for sale for the next several weeks

Staffers from Ohio-based National Content Liquidators are on hand to sell everything in more than 1,200 guest rooms.

"We're liquidating everything here in the Taj Mahal 1,250 guest rooms, about 300 of those are suites, the poker room, the health club, a lot of the restaurant furnishings, tables and chairs," said Don Hayes of National Content Liquidators, which was conducting the sale.

People hoping for something from the casino, however, will be disappointed. Hayes, who's in charge of this sale, says forget about it.

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"Gaming tables are not for sale. No roulette. No craps. No blackjack tables are for sale. Nothing in the casino," Hayes told KYW Newsradio. "None of the kitchen equipment is for sale. No china, glassware or linens."

But that hasn't stopped hundreds of people from waiting in line for hours just to get in the door. If you want in, relax. They've got two months to clear it out before the Hard Rock starts conversion work.

You can pick up on everything from televisions to bedding to lamps.

One popular lamp was in the shape of a camel. It went for $25 a pop. Bob Maahs of South Philadelphia just couldn't resist.

 

camel lamp
A camel lamp is being sold in the liquidation sale at the Trump Taj Mahal. (credit: David Madden)

"I used to stay in the rooms and I remember those lamps and I wanted to bring one home," he said.

He didn't settle for one, though, as he bought six. Maahs' wife didn't come down here, and she's not home right now. His game plan is to get them in the house, and slowly show them to her when she returns. He's also hoping to avoid a lot of grief.

Inside the lobby people passed beneath $7,500 chandeliers the priciest items we saw for sale.

The three largest chandeliers above the main escalators cost $250,000 apiece when new; they were selling for $35,000 Thursday. And the seven smaller chandeliers in the lobby were already drawing interest at $7,500 apiece, marked down from $40,000.

"We actually have somebody from Texas that's flying in here to take a look at them," said Hayes. "He's gonna put 'em all in his house!"

Also for sale: $5,800 pianos, $175 dollar leopard themed couches and even $35 pictures of the real Taj Mahal that once hung inside.

If you're planning to come down here for the sale, a couple pieces of advice.

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We're told the long lines to get inside usually dissipate after the first few days.

And stay off the boardwalk. You can't get in that way. The only entrance is at the end of Virginia Avenue.

The company purchased the unwanted contents of the casino and hotel from Hard Rock International, which bought the shuttered property in March for $50 million, or about 4 cents on the dollar from the $1.2 billion Trump spent to open it.

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