New Jersey diner auctions off booth from 'The Sopranos' finale: 'The time has come'
Holsten's says the 'Sopranos' booth is over 60 years old
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The New Jersey diner that was featured in the final episode of "The Sopranos" is now auctioning off the iconic booth that was used in the last scene.
Holsten's, an ice cream parlor in Bloomfield, New Jersey, announced that it was selling the booth on Wednesday.
"The time has come," the business wrote in an Instagram post. "All good things sometimes need an upgrade."
"The famous Sporanos [sic] booth is getting a much needed face-lift."
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Holsten's, the diner where the final scene of "The Sopranos" was shot, is selling its iconic booth. (Getty Images / Getty Images)
The business encouraged its followers to check out its eBay listing and take "this once in a lifetime chance to personally own 'the booth.'" As of Sunday evening, the eBay posting has 232 bids and the price is now up to $82,000.
According to Holsten's, the business is selling off the booth because its integrity is "compromised." Holsten's says the booths are over 60 years old and can no longer be repaired.
"Obviously, we do not want to do this, however it has come to a point where they are structurally not safe anymore as a whole and we need to think about the safety of our patrons first," the ice cream parlor said.
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The booth at which the final scene of the final episode of the HBO show, "The Sopranos," was filmed, is seen at Holsten's restaurant on June 20, 2013, in Bloomfield, New Jersey. (Andrew Burton/Getty Images / Getty Images)
"Customer safety is a priority for us and should be for our patrons as well."
The final scene of the hit HBO show was controversial when it premiered in 2007 because of its ambiguity – Tony Soprano's fate was not revealed.
Since then, Holsten's has been a pilgrimage site for fans of "The Sopranos" – many of whom try to snag the seat where James Gandolfini sat.
The decision to auction off the historic furniture was met with hostility from Holsten's Instagram followers.
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Actors from left: Tony Sirico, Steven Van Zandt, James Gandolfini, Michael Imperioli & Vincent Pastore in a publicity still for TV series 'The Sopranos', circa 1999. (Anthony Neste/Getty Images / Getty Images)
"Not a fan of this idea," one Instagram user wrote.
"That is such a bad idea! Keep it as it is. It should be preserved," another user chimed in.
However, a minority of social media users understood where the business was coming from.
"Imagine if a company could make a logical, necessary business decision and not get jumped all over by keyboard warriors," a commentator wrote.
Fans of "The Sopranos" often flock to Holsten's to see the booth used in the iconic final scene. (Andrew Burton/Getty Images / Getty Images)
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Fox Business reached out to Holsten's for comment.
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