A Boston sports landmark has closed its doors and the memorabilia inside is up for sale.
The Fours, located just steps from the TD Garden, has permanently closed after 44 years of operation. Its famed sports memorabilia collection, which once adorned the walls of the two-story location on Canal Street is now up for auction.
More than 1,000 items will be on the market—some of them handed over or autographed by famous athletes over the years during visits to the bar.
The sale is heavy on photos and autographs from Boston legends including Bobby Orr, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Ted Williams, and Tom Brady as well as pieces from the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox but other pieces feature national athletes like Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Wayne Gretzky, Muhammed Ali, Joe Frazier and dozens of other professional and collegiate teams and players.
Memorabilia comes in the form of balls, bats, pennants, pucks, gloves, robes, jerseys, photos, posters, carvings, signage and more. There are artifacts from the old Boston Garden that are expected to bring significant attention from locals.
The signed items and game-used jerseys generally do not have traditional certificates of authenticity. However, The Fours was a popular gathering place for athletes, coaches and referees. Many have a story behind them, but you might have to ask. The collection began not long after the bar opened in 1976.
Massachusetts auction firm Paul E. Saperstein Co. will conduct the online sale using the online auction platform Bidspotter.com.
“The closing of The Fours is a sad day for Boston and for Boston sports fans alike. We know The Fours is a special place for Bostonians, and we invite its many long-time patrons to join us remotely for this online public auction,” said Michael Saperstein, Executive Vice President of Paul E. Saperstein Co. “We want to give everyone a chance to own a little piece of this legendary Boston landmark.”
The Fours’ two other locations in Quincy and Norwell will remain open.
There are so many items, the auction is being spread out over two days, starting at 10 AM each day on December 3 and 4. A public inspection of these items will be held onsite at 166 Canal Street on Tuesday, December 1, 2020 from 10 AM – 4 PM and Wednesday, December 2, 2020 from Noon – 8PM.
You can check out the auction here.
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