Apparently even the sewage has a certain flair in Vail, where the town is selling manhole covers for $65 to $295.

As part of a truly unique merchandising program, town officials are marketing manhole covers stamped with a "V" logo and the words "Elev. 8150" and "Founded 1962."

The 2-foot diameter, 75-pound, cast-iron covers sell for $295 apiece, while smaller, 8-inch utility covers cost $65. They are available in black or nickel finish. According to the Associated Press, the move is the brainchild of Town Manager Bob McLaurin.

The sale of the manhole covers comes after a series of thefts of those in use."We didn't have a problem with people stealing them until we started using customized ones about a year ago," Police Commander Joe Russell told the AP. "At that point, they seemed to become collector's items."

In the past year, two of the full-size covers and eight of the smaller versions were swiped before public-works crews began gluing them down with a sealant.

[Source: Ski Press]

Mail this page to a friend
What do you think? Tell us on the Message Boards