A man who has acquired many Olympic-themed artifacts is putting some of them up for auction, including one unusual item: 5,000 condoms left over from the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The auction will be on Nov 29 at the China International Exhibition Center.

They will go under the hammer with bidding price from 1 yuan (15 cents) for each condom, said Guo Lei, secretary-general of the Sport Collection of China Collector Association, which is hosting the auction.

The buyer must purchase the entire lot of condoms, Guo said.

"The auction of condoms is the first time in the country," Guo said. "The move is to grab more attention from the public to promote the awareness of safe sex and the prevention of HIV/AIDS."

During the Games in 2008, condoms were placed at clinics for free in the Olympic village for athletes and delegation members.

The 5,000 condoms being auctioned are from the collection of Zhao Xiaokai, a private collector who specializes in Olympic-themed collections.

But the auction organizers worry about the reception of the condoms at the auction table.

"Although anyone married should be interested for their practical use, some people will be too shy to bid for the condoms under the spotlight," Guo said.

Other items to be auctioned this month will include a torch with autograph of Brazilian football player Pele, and a medicine case of the 1936 Olympic Games.

The auction is considered to be the largest-scale sports collection for auction in the country, Guo said.

For more information about the auction, go to www.ticang.com.

China Daily