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Shea Seats Set for Sale by Seashore |
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Tuesday, 05 August 2008 |
 ...sorry, we couldn't resist.
The first big announcement from the Mets and Yanks about the sale of stadium memorabilia is here.
Old ballparks never die--they just get turned into baseball memorabilia and furniture.
In the first announcement regarding the fate of the two New York ballparks slated for closure, the New York Mets say they will begin taking orders for Shea Stadium seat pairs Monday, Aug. 25 at 9 a.m.
Fans and collectors will be able to purchase orange, blue, green, and red seats for $869 per pair. At least 16,000 pairs will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Each seat pair will be authenticated by Major League Baseball's Authentication Program and affixed with a tamper-proof hologram displaying a unique identification number. The sale will take place exclusively at Mets.com/Shea.
The seat pricing will be a new record, easily surpassing the prices for seats sold from Tiger and Busch Stadiums when those old parks were dismantled. The price is a nod to the Mets' two World Series titles in 1969 and 1986.
"Citi Field will serve as a fantastic new home for the Mets for decades to come, but fans will always remember Shea Stadium and its magical moments - from the Amazins' World Series triumph in 1969 to Game 6 in '86 to, hopefully, a long, sweet October in 2008," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg in a news release. "The Beatles played the first concert at Shea in 1965 and what better way to close it out than with Billy Joel and Paul McCartney on stage together 43 years later? The seat sale and subsequent memorabilia sale will provide fans a chance to own a part of that Shea Stadium lore."
Shea Stadium seats are owned by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation; other stadium memorabilia is owned by the Mets, including clubhouse items such as player lockers. Through an agreement between the City and the team, the City will receive a majority of the proceeds of the sale of the entire collection of memorabilia. The Mets will donate their portion of proceeds to the Mets Foundation, which will distribute the funds to various charities. The City's proceeds from the sale will be deposited into the City's general fund.
The removal of Shea Stadium seating will take place within weeks of the Mets' final home game, with the demolition of the stadium soon to follow. The metal seat frames date back to Shea's opening season in 1964. The original 55,300 wooden seats and seat backs were removed prior to the 1980 season, when they were replaced with the seats in use today.
Mets season ticket holders will have the opportunity to purchase their particular seats before the Aug. 25 general public sale. The sale of other Shea memorabilia will expand to include seat backs and 45-inch sections of bench seating from Shea's Left Field Picnic Area. Details regarding the sale of additional memorabilia will be announced later this season.
Mets on eBay |
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