They rummage in rubbish bins to collect souvenir

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Sydney: From Eric The Eel's swimming goggles to Michael Johnson's golden shoes, the race is on to land the ultimate Olympic souvenir.

And memorabilia hunters will stop at nothing to capture a slice of the Games --- they even rummage in rubbish bins to collect Olympic logo beer cups.

Olympic Aid, a charity for refugee children, hopes to raise up to A$500,000 ($275,000) from the sale of items donated by athletes who have been stars of the Millennium Games.

Eric Moussambani became one of Sydney 2000's heroes when swimming one of the slowest races in Olympic history. His goggles reached more than A$4,500 in an online charity auction.

But even the most glamorous athletes cannot compete with the glittering number one attraction -- Fatso the fat-arsed wombat.

The big-bottomed cuddly toy, star of an Australian television satire show, has attracted bids of more than A$35,000.

"You really never know what people will buy," said Ward Supplee, at the auction site eBay. "It is becoming more feverish all the time."

The lucky Sydney jeweller who caught one of Maurice Greene's shoes when he threw it into the crowd after his 100 metre triumph could be sitting on a $100,000 goldmine, experts say.

The International Olympic Committee never ceases to be astounded by the Olympic fever that seizes souvenir hunters.

"Some people will collect anything associated with the Olympics," Mark Beautis, an IOC spokesman for collectables, told the 'Sydney Morning Herald'.

"We've seen lots of people going through the bins, even for old newspapers they want to keep. They're not doing it for money; the true collector's mind is pretty inscrutable."

The 47,000 volunteers who constantly wish Olympic visitors a cheery "G'Day" are being offered up to A$5,000 for their multi-coloured outfits.

Down at Darling Harbour, where 250,000 people pour into the streets every night to enjoy the clubs, pubs and live entertainment, the pin traders lay out their stalls on the sidewalk. Badges from Belize to Zambia are exchanged with fervour.

And the Sydney organisers, eager to balance the budget at the end of the biggest sporting spectacular on earth, have cashed in on the Olympic fervour.

They have launched "Remains of the Games", an online auction that could add up to A$5 million to their coffers.

They have everything on offer from a silver Harley-Davidson motorbike used to accompany the Olympic torch across Australia to a baseball bat that scored a winning home run.

They may even include the ultimate souvenir -- the giant Olympic Rings that have adorned Sydney Harbour Bridge throughout the Games.