Fans of late singer Anita Mui hijack auction of her belongings
Anita Mui devotees outbid all-comers at sale of late Canto-pop singer's personal items
Die-hard fans of the late Canto-pop diva Anita Mui Yim-fong seized control of the auction room floor in an attempt to thwart other bidders cashing in on her fame yesterday.
Dozens of fan club members, poised with their bidding cards and deep pockets, triggered one bidding war after another at the Paidegao auction house in Central yesterday.
Members were easily identified as they corralled one another to bid to beat off rival suitors. Each successful bid was met with piercing screams and applause from a large section of the 200-strong audience.
Hard Rock Cafe's director of Asia Pacific franchise operations and development David Martin was constantly outbid by fan club members.
"It was the fan club trying to keep things for themselves and it was pushing all the prices up," Martin said. "That was what all the cheering was. You could tell when the fans were actually buying an item, everyone was cheering and happy."