The guy's only been dead a month, and already paraphernalia from Ronald Reagan's lying in state and funeral are driving bidders wild on eBay.

On offer are photos, programmes, memorial cards, invitations, seating tickets, even recordings of the eulogies spoken after the 40th president's demise on 5 June 2004.

So far, more than 780 items have been sold, yielding a total of $66,000 for the sellers, Associated Press report. One programme went on sale within hours of the 11 June 2004 funeral. The winning bid was $1,525. Another programme sold the following day for $1,075.

Ghoulish, perhaps, but conducted in a spirit of free enterprise with which Reagan would surely have approved.

"The president believed in economic opportunity and the free market," a Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation spokeswoman told AP.

Buyers keen to own a piece of Reaganalia should hurry: only 52 items remain on eBay's Reagan funeral site, with prices ranging from $8.95 for a photo to $695 for a framed set of snaps and gratitude cards. ®

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