First Steiner Sports Auction of Old Yankee Stadium Memorabilia Ends This Week
The big business of breaking up old Yankee Stadium into smaller pieces and getting it into the hands of collectors has fallen to Steiner Sports, one of the most recognizable names in the sports memorabilia industry. The company's first auction of artifacts large and small ends this Sunday, and even in a down economy, fans of the Bronx Bombers are showing their willingness to buy all kinds of keepsakes from the House That Ruth Built.
Just about anything that once was part of the old ballpark can be found in the Steiner auction. The list of goodies includes signs of all kinds - like the ones pointing the way to Monument Park and others alerting visitors that the bleachers are alcohol free - storage bins, trash cans and clubhouse chairs.
According to founder and CEO Brandon Steiner, even with bidding slower than hoped for on some items, the company is pleased with the response from fans so far and is in it for the long haul.
"This will be a 12- to 18-month business, and there are still smart buys out there," said Steiner recently to Forbes.com.
With three days to go in the initial auction, a number of items have yet to see any bids. These pieces range in minimum bid from $375 for a Yankees lamp stand from the traveling secretary's office to a cool 25 grand for the clubhouse locker once used by Alex Rodriguez. Other things looking to find new homes are turnstiles, the wooden batting helmet holder from the Yanks dugout and glass doors to the luxury suites.
To help drum up interest in some of the pieces that aren't getting much action, Steiner is turning to someone who made some of his own history in the old Yankee Stadium, Reggie Jackson. Himself an avid collector of baseball memorabilia, Jackson is helping promote the sale in return for securing a portion of the proceeds for his charitable foundation, though he told Forbes he had to pay to obtain his own locker.
For those hoping for a more affordable piece of Yankees history, Steiner has small sections of freeze-dried grass from the old field available for $80 each. The company also has plans on selling off pieces of the dark section of the stadium past the outfield wall that gave hitters a dark background for tracking incoming pitches.
The initial Yankee Stadium auction items close on Sunday, June 26. To get in on the bidding or simply gawk at a wide selection of Yankees relics, visit auction.steinersports.com.
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