Bada Bid: The Booth From ‘The Sopranos’ Finale Just Sold on eBay for $82,600

Despite Tony Soprano’s famous admonition that “’remember when’ is the lowest form of conversation,” nostalgia for The Sopranos remains high. The HBO series, which aired from 1999 to 2007, is considered by many to be the peak of peak television. Now, a key piece of the show’s inscrutable final scene is under new ownership.

The restaurant booth in which Tony (James Gandolfini) and family sit down for what might be their final meal together was placed on eBay within the past week by Holsten’s in Bloomfield, New Jersey, the famed ice cream parlor and diner where the scene was shot. The table, upholstered seats, and wall divider were included but not the tabletop jukebox where Tony selected Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” for his listening pleasure. After 238 bids, the winner paid $82,600. (Shipping costs were not included.)

The booth came up for sale as Holsten’s was busy renovating their dining area. Following the show’s conclusion, the eatery had left the booth with a “this booth reserved for the Soprano family” placard to satiate fans of the show and to honor Gandolfini, who died in 2013.

Chris Carley, a co-owner of Holsten’s, told The New York Times he was originally hoping to get $10,000 for the setup, which was intended to cover some of the cost of the renovation. The booth has been at the location for more than 50 years, he said.

In an Instagram post, Holsten’s elaborated on the need for an upgrade. “Please understand that we don’t want to do this. But the integrity of the booths are now compromised. They have been repaired many times and this furniture is over 60 years old. Obviously, we do not want to do this, however it has come to a point where they are structurally not safe anymore as a whole and we need to think about the safety of our patrons first … Customer safety is a priority for us and should be for our patrons as well. Thank you and we hope you understand!”

The attention given to Holsten’s was due in some measure to the controversy surrounding the scene, which Sopranos creator David Chase designed to be ambiguous. After sitting down with wife Carmela (Edie Falco) and son Anthony (Robert Iler), Tony seems to be at peace. The show then cuts to black, signaling to some that Tony was murdered, possibly by a mysterious man in a Members Only jacket seen entering the restaurant just moments prior.

The ending left some viewers thinking their cable had gone out; others were upset Chase had chosen to end the series on a note of uncertainty.

It wasn’t the last time Holsten’s was featured in Chase’s world. The filmmaker returned there in 2019 to shoot scenes for his Sopranos prequel film The Many Saints of Newark, which debuted on HBO in 2021. The location was adorned with vintage ads and automobiles to reflect the 1960s period setting of the feature, which centered around a young Tony Soprano played by Gandolfini’s son, Michael.

If buying a booth was impractical, you can always grab merchandise from Holsten’s, including hats or a T-shirt.

Read More Stories About The Sopranos: