(Harrisburg) -- Three finalists have been selected by the city of Harrisburg to auction off more than 8,000 Wild West items purchased by former Mayor Steven Reed. The collection was intended to be a part of a Wild West Museum that never materialized and cost about $7.8 million to assemble. The winning firm will appraise, market and auction off items like Wyatt Earp's pistol, rifles and a stuffed buffalo. They are Freeman's Auction House in Philadelphia, the Potomack Company in Virginia and New York-based Guernsey's. "These are three leading firms selected from the nine excellent proposals the city received," city spokesman Robert Philbin says. The three finalists were selected by a city review committee appointed by Mayor Linda Thompson. The finalists will be contacted and further negotiations discussed before a final firm is selected. A final decision is expected in early February. Governor Corbett appointed a financial custodian last year to oversee the city's finances, amid a financial crisis stemming from $300 million in debt tied to a trash incinerator project.