KEY POINTS:
Bidding for the blue cast that was wrapped around Prime Minister John Key's broken right arm had reached almost $20,000 last night.
Key broke his arm in two places after falling down stairs at a Chinese New Year event at the ASB Showgrounds on January 17.
Bids were sitting at $18,400 yesterday evening, with 19 hours left before the Trade Me auction was scheduled to close.
Not wanting an opportunity to pass, Key got the famous faces of South Pacific politics - including Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd - to sign the cast at a Pacific Forum Leaders' meeting in Papua New Guinea.
Key had the cast removed yesterday. A spokeswoman said while the right-handed Premier had managed to add his signature, he was still unable to fully straighten the arm.
The proceeds of the auction will go to The Fred Hollows Foundation, which operates blindness prevention programmes in the Pacific.
Key also plans to have morning tea with the bidder who wins the auction.
* View the auction on Trade Me
