Bell's Roller Coaster Hits The Auction Block

Emory Bryan, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- It was the marquee ride at the former Bell's Amusement Park. Now Zingo is for sale on eBay.

It's listed as lumber, but the fact that it's for sale as salvage - doesn't mean Zingo is gone for good.

Robby Bell remains optimistic that soon he'll be able to announce a new home for Bell's, but for now he's not saying much.

"Until the deal is finalized and done, we can't discuss it with the press," Bell said.

At the same time, he's put Zingo up for sale on eBay. It's listed at $400,000, for both the wood structure and mechanics.

The wood is also listed separately.

"The Zingo train can fit on a number of roller coasters throughout the world. And those trains are very expensive. And it's number one yellow pine, it's about the best wood you can buy," Bell said.

Bell says he decided to sell Zingo because he needs the money to help open a new Bell's. And he says he's only selling what could be easily replaced, unlike some of the other rides at Bell's.

"So certain pieces we don't want to turn loose of, but Zingo is just a matter of lumber and bolts. And we have the trains and the chain, but even if we sold that, that could be replaced," he said.

Zingo was dismantled four years ago when Bell's lost its lease at the fairgrounds. Robby Bell says a new Bell's will open, but he's not sure if it will or will not include Zingo.

"What we're going to do, we want to keep the ability to put Zingo back up and that's why there are certain parts of it we're not going to sell," he said.

So even though every piece of Zingo is for sale, Bell says the plans for how to rebuild it - are not.

"They would have to have our permission to build a roller coaster that is identical to Zingo. Zingo is trademarked, and we're not selling that," Bell said.

The listing opened Monday on eBay, and it's a best offer auction that runs for a month.

It was almost 60 years ago now that Bell's opened, and more than 40 years ago the Bell family built Zingo, by hand, at the fairgrounds.

 08/30/2007 Related Story: What Really Happened To Bell's Amusement Park?