Las Vegas Strip, downtown casinos pay homage to the Tropicana on closing day
By Ryan Ketcham
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LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Celebrations for the closure of the Tropicana Hotel & Casino extended further than just in front of the historic hotel Tuesday.
Hotels and casinos along the Las Vegas Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas celebrated the Tropicana’s closure through their marquees.
“It shows that there’s a lot of love left in the city for the old Las Vegas, which there has to be a flame of that always living,” said Joe Stanfa who was one of the last people inside the Tropicana before it closed Tuesday at noon.
That love was shown on decorated marquees across the valley. Many casinos offered a fairly unified message, all thanking the Tropicana for its 67 years of spectacle. A message Stanfa stands behind.
He says he had to be there for its last day to celebrate his family’s connection with the hotel and the beautiful ceiling.
“My family, my own, a little bit of a tribute to the people that I knew who worked on the glass ceiling,” said Stanfa. “It was just important and I’m glad we made the trip.”
Even though the Tropicana is now fully closed, its legacy will live on through photos, memories and all its 67 years of merchandise.
“It’s a very interesting piece of history and a place that I loved going to and it could be interesting to have something,” said Brad Alexander who gambled at the Tropicana until the casino closed at 3 a.m. Tuesday.
The memorabilia already popping up online on sites like eBay. Chips, sculptures and even a bottle of water are going for more than $1,000.
On Facebook Marketplace, the hotel’s theater seats were being offered for $900 and the theater’s main entrance doors for $25,000.
Plus, companies like International Content Liquidators are expected to list thousands of Tropicana items like furniture, chandeliers and even kitchen equipment for auction. The only question stands, are people willing to pay the price for a piece of Las Vegas history?
“Maybe $1,000 or less, somewhere in there,” said Alexander.
“I don’t think I’d spend that much because it’s not really memorabilia unless you shared it, when you’re buying somebody else’s memories, they’re not really your own,” said Stanfa.
Casino merchandise collectors tell Channel 13, you’ll want to purchase your memorabilia now as they expect the prices to only rise.
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