Harrisburg has chosen New York City's Guernsey's auction house to market and auction the city's Wild West artifact collection in New York City, Harrisburg and on the Internet, Mayor Linda Thompson's office said.



Wild West artifacts to head to New York auction house 5 Gallery: Wild West artifacts to head to New York auction house

The firm was one of three finalists reviewed and chosen by a committee appointed by Thompson.

Guernsey’s will begin auctioning the more than 8,000 artifacts this spring. Former Mayor Stephen R. Reed spent more than $8.3 million in tax dollars on the items for a failed Wild West museum in the city.

The items include a poker table once owned by deputy U.S. Marshal Wyatt Earp; a vampire hunting kit; and a dental kit and chair used by Earp's sidekick Doc Holiday, who was a dentist when he wasn't tied up in a gunfight.

Artifacts, including guns, blankets, pottery, furniture and photos have sat in storage for years.

It’s unclear how much Guernsey’s will be paid to auction the artifacts or when individual auctions will take place.

Thompson plans to hold a press conference in the near future to review the marketing process, said Robert Philbin, her spokesman.