Mama Mia! ABBA is an auction hit

Dolls of the members of the legendary Swedish pop group ABBA are some of the memorabilia  auctioned off at Stockholm's auktionsverk (AFP / SCANPIX SWEDEN / JONAS EKSTROEMER)

STOCKHOLM: A rare ABBA recording has been sold for nearly 5,000 euros (US$ 6,600), in an online auction of a vast collection of the Swedish pop group's memorabilia.

Thomas Nordin, a collector of all things related to the Swedish group famous for hits including "Dancing Queen", "Fernando" and "Mamma Mia", had put up some 25,000 items for sale.

A limited edition maxi single produced in 1981 by the group for the 50th birthday of their manager Stig Anderson's  was sold for 42,000 kronor (4,800 euros, US$6,400), almost twice the list price. Only 200 copies of the single had been produced.

"It's fantastic, I'm stunned!" Nordin told AFP.

The collection -- the largest dedicated to the iconic disco group to be sold at auction -- comprises objects collected by Nordin since 1974 when ABBA burst onto the international scene winning the Eurovision contest with their song "Waterloo".

Nordin, an ABBA fan who was nine at the time, has since then picked up rare items and unusual merchandise from around the world, such as ABBA clogs made exclusively for the American market, rare ABBA soaps and dolls, a large collection of clippings and books, and original posters.

Among items which have found buyers was a purple vest bearing the name of the group, which went for 31,500 kronor, more than seven times the list price.

"We never imagined that," said Beata af Donner, the spokeswoman for the auction house Stockholms Auktionsverk, which organised the sale.

A rare soap went for 4,000 kronor while a small red bag was sold at 13,000 kronor.

Buyers were less interested by press cuttings.

"Obviously there are certain things that did not sell. It's very varied, but I'm very very happy," said Nordin.

Nordin himself, was keeping just three souvenirs "which do not take up much space".

This includes a postcard signed by all four members of the group: Agnetha Faeltskog, Bjoern Ulvaeus, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Benny Andersson.

Items which did not find buyers will be sold at another auction with lower list prices but the auction house is confident of fetching up to 95,000 euros (US$126,000).

ABBA dominated the 1970s disco scene with their glitzy costumes, kitsch dance routines and catchy tunes such as "Winner takes it all", "Money, Money, Money" and "Take a Chance on Me".

They split in 1983 and have vowed they will never reunite to sing together again.