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Shea Stadium memorabilia available - for a price

Neil Best

September 28, 2008

'Can I interest you in a foul pole?" Barry Meisel said.

Umm. How much? "$25,000," he said.

Umm. For the pair?

"Each."

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OK, so it will take both a very big backyard and a very big checkbook to secure two of the most unusual prizes in the biggest yard sale in Queens.

But there are many other options for those inclined to take pieces of Shea Stadium home when the Mets no longer have use for the place.

Meisel, president of the MeiGray Group, which is handling sales, said the $35 Shea napkin holders are sold out. But as of Thursday, the $150 neon Bud Light signs were not.

Nor was the sign from loge sections 12-14, for $1,000.

The door to the Bob Murphy radio booth was spoken for at $4,000, but not the one to the visitors' booth at $750.

The Mets' dugout is available for $100,000 - yes, they think they can get it out of there - but bargain hunters can land the visitors' dugout for $50,000.

And about that $2,500 Press Entry Gate sign ... Memo to wife: My birthday is this week.

"We have four or five phone lines going constantly," said Meisel, who covered hockey and football for the Daily News for 12 years before leaving 11 years ago to start MeiGray. "It's been a ton of work, and a ton of headaches, but yes, it's fun."

(The city and Shea are expected to share the proceeds 70-30, with the team's portion bound for the Mets Foundation. The Yankees have not revealed specifics of their Yankee Stadium memorabilia sale.)

MeiGray began with deals with the Giants and Rangers to market authenticated items, specializing in game-worn jerseys, and has grown to nine full-time employees based in Branchburg, N.J.

The Giants left in 2002, but MeiGray runs authentication programs for the NHL and NBA and now is an MLB licensee, what with getting the gig to market and cart off whatever is sellable at Shea.

(The Mets are handling sales of seats - at $869 per pair - themselves. The blues and oranges are gone; the greens and reds are not.)

There are limits. The city will reuse toilets, urinals and other plumbing for other, um, facilities. "I did not really want to sell urinals," Meisel said.

The demolition sale began with a "Premiere Club," in which up to 100 people were allowed to pay non-refundable deposits ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 that were applied toward purchases.

They toured the building Sept. 17-19 and got first crack at some of the more pricey souvenirs.

The 1986 championship flag went for $50,000, the circle bearing Tom Seaver's retired No. 41 for $25,000. (The '69 flag still is available.)