Heathrow's money for old rope

Amid the trinkets and tat being sold off in Heathrow Airport's auction of Terminal 1 items, one buyer reportedly spent £900 on a length of red velvet rope used for cordoning off a VIP area within the airport – proving that you literally can make money for old rope.

Among the items on sale from the defunct Terminal 1 were complete baggage reclaim systems, seating, clocks, security cameras, iconic airport signage and vintage advertising.

According to The Independent, a clock that previously hung in the departures area sold for a whopping £4,750 and a row of black leather seats found in the departures area, which many readers may be familiar with, sold for £800.

“A sale such as this, comprising the entire contents and infrastructure of an entire major airport terminal is unprecedented, to say the least,” says Daniel Gray, Managing Partner of auctioneers CA Global Partners Europe.

“Not only does this represent a rare opportunity for a young airport to fully equip a new terminal, but many of the items in this sale could be refurbished or repurposed for a variety of uses in other industries – let alone some of the historical value to many of the items.”