Thursday, May 14, 2015 | 5:45 p.m.
Price tags are affixed all over the Riviera now, and crowds poured in to inspect them today as the resort’s liquidation sale opened to the general public.
The sale kicked off this morning after the property let in some people, namely former Riviera staffers, for first dibs yesterday. During the initial four days of the sale, potential buyers must pay $10 for a chance to snag memorabilia, casino equipment, room fixtures and more from the 60-year old property that closed May 4.
After the first four-day period, admission is free. The sale will run from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
As the sale began around 9 a.m. today, a lengthy line stretched all the way around the Riviera convention space. Customers reported waiting hours just to get in.
Larry Fettis arrived around 6:30 a.m. to line up, and he said he was one of the first few dozen inside. He’s a retired police officer who lives in Southern California, but he said he also has a place in Las Vegas, so he was seeking decorations for his local residence.
“It’s like a big scavenger hunt,” he said of the liquidation sale. “But it is what it is — you’ve got to prioritize.”
Local resident Rhenita Quimby also showed up early and gladly secured a hotel phone, which she wanted for her home office. She said she liked the idea of holding onto a piece of the hotel’s history.
“I’m tickled pink,” she said while sitting near her purchases by the hotel registration desk.
Those who swarmed to the Riviera today still had “a lot left” to choose from after the ex-employees swung by Wednesday, said Greg Hall, operations manager of National Content Liquidators, which is handling the sale.
The following 15 items offer a glimpse of the range that was still available Thursday morning.
Riviera neon: $395
Buyers can’t take the hotel’s entire neon signage with them, but they could get a smaller version of the brand. This classic sign was located toward the casino's southern end, near a box office.
Chandelier: $3,500
Hanging over the casino floor, this chandelier wasn’t the only big chandelier up for grabs — the multilayered one in the lobby also had price tags on it. But this one looks like a more manageable acquisition.
‘Crazy Girls’ sign: $475
Although the much-photographed statue that stood outside the Riviera was taken away when the hotel closed last week, other images with the same iconography remained inside.
Gold drape: $4,000
It’s probably not the most practical purchase for the casual buyer, but this 48-foot gold drape hung above a stage behind the casino bar.
Craps table: $3,850
The slot machines are all gone, but on Thursday morning there were some good tables to choose from. People were eyeing them closely.
Room: varying
Samples by the registration desk indicated that king-size beds cost $99 and armchairs with ottomans cost $55. Art prints, meanwhile, cost just $8, according to the sample listing.
Televisions: $89
These 32-inch, flat-screen televisions were in such abundance that an entire room was dedicated to selling them.
Vacuums: $75
Not the most iconic item from the Riviera, to be sure. Practical, though, and widely available.
Armchair: $110
These comfy chairs were clustered by what used to be the sports book.
Ticket redemption machine: $500
This would be one of the quirkier (or cooler?) purchases for the average Joe, since it doesn’t have an entire casino of slot machines to accompany it.
Slot chair: $75
Another widely available option as of Thursday morning.
Portable bar: $345
Below the Riviera logo, the sign on the front says “The Entertainment Center of Las Vegas” and “The Alternative for Grown-Ups.”
Starlite chandelier: $1,750
One of multiple artsy elements for sale by the Starlite Theater.
Theater seats: $675
Buyers were able to get their hands on the Versailles Theater’s red seats.
Piano: $5,500
It’s not every day you find for sale a musical instrument that was once housed in a 60-year-old classic Las Vegas casino famous for the many entertainers who performed there over the years.
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