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Minnesota News
Andrew Krueger
St. Paul

Sold! Winning bid revealed for giant Paul Bunyan statue at Minnesota State Fair

A Paul Bunyan statue at the Minnesota State Fair
A Paul Bunyan statue, made of cardboard, styrofoam and other materials, stands inside the Eco Experience Building at the Minnesota State Fair on Tuesday. The statue was auctioned off by the state of Minnesota.
Andrew Krueger | MPR News

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An online auction that wrapped up Friday morning answered an unlikely question: Just how much is a 17-foot-tall statue of Paul Bunyan worth?

The answer: $650.

The state of Minnesota auctioned off the cardboard and styrofoam creation that's been part of a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency display at the State Fair.

Bidding was open for about two weeks, and picked up with a flurry of bids just before the auction closed at 10 a.m. Friday.

The identity of the winning bidder — known only as "No. 51514" on the state auction website — was not immediately clear.

Once the fair closes, it'll take some effort to disassemble and move Paul to his new home.

"A scissor lift and fork lift is used to move parts of the statute for assembly and disassembly," the state auction listing noted. "It is broken down into six pieces — head, two arms, two legs and the body. Wire is used to support much of the exhibit."

The statue came with an ax made from a 17-foot-long tree sapling stripped of its bark, with a wooden blade that weighs about a hundred pounds. But this Paul Bunyan did not have its own Babe the Blue Ox.