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New Year’s Eve Ball Lights to Be Ebayed

If you’ve ever wanted to own one of the light bulbs which traditionally light the New Year’s Eve Ball in New York’s Time Square, now is your chance. Philips, the company behind the bulbs, is auctioning the bulbs off on eBay between Dec. 30 and Jan. 6 as a American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund fundraiser.

The ball lit by several colors of Philips bulbs, including clear, red, blue, green and yellow, along with high-intensity strobe lights. All listed bulbs will be authenticated with a production number etched in the bulb and will be shipped to the winning bidders with an accompanying letter of certification.

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This also marks the last year Philips will be using standard bulbs to light the ball. They plan to switch to more advanced and environmentally friendly solid-state LED lights in 2006.

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