Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Acquires Rare Olympic Torch Collection

Ripley’s torch collection marks a historic moment in the world of collecting and offers a glimpse into the rich heritage and evolving design of one of the most iconic symbols of the Olympic spirit.

Ripley’s newly added-to collection of Olympic torches stands as one of the largest and most valuable private collections in the world. The collection showcases a remarkable 116 torches, with a combined value of more than $10 million!

Gold Medal in Torch Collecting

Ripley’s most recent and significant purchase of 45 torches from a Southern California private collector has further enhanced the collection’s prestige.

Believe It or Not!, Ripley’s torch collection is second only to the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, and includes 40 of the 41 historically significant torches. John Corcoran, Ripley’s Director of Exhibits, noted:

“The Ripley collection of authentic Olympic Torches rivals any in the world. The Olympic Museum (founded by the International Olympic Committee) in Switzerland and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado feature ‘complete’ collections, including authorized replicas of Innsbruck 1964. Many of the earlier Games produced very small numbers of torches, most of which are in museums, making a complete private collection a challenging feat.”

Passing the Torch

The collection at Ripley‘s remains unmatched, with highlights including:

1936 berlin games torch — The torch from the 1936 Berlin Games, the first time the torch relay was introduced, making it highly coveted due to its historical significance.

1960 squaw valley winter olympics torch — The 1960 Squaw Valley Winter Olympics torch, signifying the first time the Games were held in the U.S. and a new standard for Olympic presentations thanks to pageantry committee chairman Walt Disney.

1968 mexico city summer olympics torch — There were seven variants of the 1968 Mexico City Summer Olympics torch. The creation of different versions of this torch was due to it being fraught with design flaws that even caused burns on torch bearers’ hands.

1952 helsinki olympics torch — A torch from the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, which marked the first time the Soviet Union participated in the Games. This is the most valuable torch in the collecting world.

Ripley’s collection is only missing the 1964 Innsbruck torch, of which only two were made. One known torch is held by the family of the last athlete to carry it, while the other resides in an Austrian museum.

A Collection Worth Seeing

Ripley’s has also recently acquired a 2024 Paris Olympic torch, becoming one of the first private collectors to obtain this treasure.

Keep on the lookout for this collection of Olympic torches, along with other Olympic and Paralympic items, including a torch signed by Muhammad Ali, at a Ripley’s Believe It or Not! attraction in 2025.