Opinion: Going once, going twice ...

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For all you collectors out there, a prized piece of Fidel Castro memorabilia is going on the auction block: a signed map of the failed battle plan to overthrow Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1953. If you don’t think there’s a market for commie collectables, think again: A lock of Che Guevara’s hair sold for more than $100,000 last October.

Granted, Che had a lot going for him in the cultural-icon market that Fidel lacks -- a romantic cause, a life tragically cut short, latin hottie Gael Garcia Bernal playing him in The Motorcycle Diaries. And a killer marketing campaign. Seriously, who doesn’t own a Che t-shirt?

Still, nothing says bygone like an auction, and the autographed map is an indication that Americans are ready to assign Fidel Castro to his proper place in 20th-century political and cultural history. Judging by his announced retirement today, Fidel is getting there, too -- even if he is holding on to his opinion column in the state newspaper. And while the presidential hopefuls can’t seem to get over their Cuba complex, they’ll get the hint once the Antiques Roadshow hits post-Fidel Florida.