Ripley’s seeking to buy the odd and strange

PHOENIX — Ripley’s Believe It or Not is touring the country seeking new items to add to their collection and will be in Phoenix Friday and Saturday.

The entertainment company that specializes in the weird and bizarre is hosting an “odd appraisal” opportunity called the “Bizarre Buying Bazaar” at the Phoenix Convention Center.

Edward Meyers, vice president of exhibits and archives for Ripley’s Entertainment, said people can come to the convention center with oddities and possibly turn them into cash.

“If you’ve got something weird or strange (or) bizarre that you think belongs in the Ripley’s collection, we are going to give what we call ‘odd appraisals,'” he said. “If we really like what you’ve got, we’re going to make you a financial offer on the spot.”

Meyers said people can bring down almost anything.

“It can be history, it can be science, it can be geography, it can be art, which is one of the things we typically find,” Meyers said, citing examples such as dresses made from coffee filters or boats made from matchsticks.

Phoenix is the fifth stop in the nationwide search by Ripley’s, and Meyers said so far one of the strangest items he’s seen has been three motorcycles made mostly from animal parts.

“Full-sized motorcycles — three of them — built from cow bones…(and) some other parts, such as an alligator skull for a fender and a turtle shell for a headlamp,” he said.

People can come to the Phoenix Convention Center between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. both days to get items appraised.