Coney Island on the Block

With Astroland making way for Thor Equities' development of Coney Island, the amusement park is selling off its rides in an auction. Amusement ride broker Ital International is handling the sale of about two dozen rides. The Daily News is reporting that while many rides are expected to garner bids in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, rides like bumper cars or little boats could be had for under $15,000. The rides are low-priced because apparently it's a buyers' market in carnival rides right now, with a surplus of available amusements. The attractions, ranging from the Astro-Tower to the kiddie-boats, are all on sale now, but will remain at Coney Island until the end of the summer.

Perhaps Coney Island's most famous attraction, which is no longer in use but protected with landmark status, is also a secondhand attraction. The Parachute Jump was first opened at the 1939 World's Fair in Queens. It proved popular enough that it was eventually moved to Coney Island after being purchased by the owners of Steeplechase Park for $150,000.

(Astroland, by lornagrl at flickr)