Sign from disastrous Willy Wonka Experience auctioned off for over £1,000

06 March 2024 , 13:23

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The 'cancelled' cardboard sign from the doomed Willy Wonka Experience in Glasgow (Image: Jam Press/Box Hub)

The sign that told furious visitors the doomed Willy Wonka Experience in Glasgow had been cancelled is being auctioned off - and it has raised over £1,000 for charity so far.

Despite being nothing more than a piece of crumpled card, this piece of internet viral history has sparked a bidding war. The current highest bid sits at £1,180, and there have been a total of 46 bids so far. But with the auction not ending until Monday (March 11), there's every possibility that this could be one of the most expensive pieces of cardboard ever sold.

The cardboard is described as "A Very Good Sign" and the profits will benefit a worthy cause - Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity. The description reads: "Genuine sign displayed during the globally famous House of Illuminati Chocolate Experience Event." The sign itself reads: "EVENT CANCELLED by House of Illuminati contact houseofilluminati@gmail Sorry" written scruffily in black marker.

The sign has sparked an eBay bidding frenzy (Jam Press/Box Hub)

It is being sold by Box Hub, the company that owns the warehouse where the event was held. They wrote on Instagram: "We're sure many of you have seen this excellent piece of signage, either in person or from the numerous sources covering the resulting global comedy of the chocolate experience event hosted within our Warehouse Venue last week.

"All comedy aside, we understand that many children and families were left disappointed after travelling from across the country for this event. We'd like to see some good come from this. You can find this sign for sale on eBay, we'll be donating all the profits from this to 'Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity'."

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Now, on the off chance that you've been living under a rock for the past week or so, the February 2024 event became one of the biggest accidental viral stories of the year so far. It saw hundreds of people turn up at the Glasgow warehouse in the hopes of a magical Willy Wonka Immersive Experience.

The 'cancelled cardboard sign from the doomed Willy Wonka Experience (Jam Press/Box Hub)

They were promised delights including a "twilight tunnel" and an "imagination lab" where "the boundaries between reality and fantasy harmoniously merge." Sadly, the reality of the £35-a-head event was extremely disappointing. Visitors entered a sparsely decorated space where children were given a single jellybean and a quarter cup of lemonade.

The disaster soon became a viral hit, partially thanks to the efforts of the actors, who did their best to make it fun for the otherwise disappointed children. The sign is unsurprisingly described as "used" on eBay and no returns are accepted.

Emma Guinness