Sunday, December 11, 2011

The Great Unnecessarily Secretive Fenway Yard Sale

Got my tix online in the morning, then got in the car and drove to Boston. Got my Anna's and went over to Lansdowne Street around noon. At the entrance to the Yard Sale, I was told I needed my winning e-mail to get in, which, of course, I didn't have since I didn't win. So I asked the guy if they planned on opening it to the public. He said, "they haven't yet...." When I asked "they haven't yet," he said, "well, there was some talk, but I don't know if they'll do it."

So I walked around the park for a while, continually checking the tweets from the team, since that's how they announced it last year. I eventually moved my car to Yawkey Way where I could get wifi--and I saw Darnell McDonald. Did the quickest grab/turn on/snap of all time, and got two mildly crappy shots of him getting into his waiting car:
Then after buying something at Twins, I asked another Fenway employee, "Are they gonna open up the Yard Sale to everybody?" He took a look at me, almost like he was determining my TravisBicklish jacket was a thread to "the brand," and said, "no." I did the standard clarification query, and he again said one word, "nope."

As we know, Fenway employees often tell you the exact opposite of the truth, so I wasn't about to give up. Fifteen minutes after being told No, the tweet appeared: Yard Sale now open to the public, come on down! I rushed in.

The jersey boxes were still there. Lots of recent ones, home, road, and red, plus a bunch of spring training ones. Then there were just a handful of 90s ones. Bill Fischer, John Dopson, Danny Darwin, Steve Ellsworth, etc. Some with the black armband. I really wanted one of those, but, at 65-75 bucks each, I knew I'd only be getting one. Also thought about a Manny Delcarmen one. But finally opted for a red Dana Levangie one:

Always liked that old bullpen catcher of ours, so I went with him. Even though there's no year tag, and nothing unique like the armband. But Dana was such a big and underrated part of two championships, and I saw so much of him in the early 2000s, I figured I'd rather have part of his history than a cooler-looking part of somebody's I don't care about as much.

They also had bats (not many left), signed balls, and other assorted junk in the Absolut Clubhouse. Out in the VOMITORIUM was more awesome junk. Instead of buying bricks, then filling a bag with junk, they just put low, low prices on the junk (media guides, etc.)--and the bricks, which were down to $5. That's right, I'm one step closer to building my own Fenway Park:
My third brick! Nice corners, fairly complete, an alphanumeric....wait, I'm critiquing a BRICK! My "joke" at the checkout line fell flat, when I asked the woman what kind of crazy person would buy a brick. She said, "you'd be surprised." Hellooo? I'M buying one. GET IT?

They also had a bunch of signs--hundreds of concession stand food item signs. And then there was the "slightly outdated technology" corner. TV monitors for five bucks, small speakers and electronic parts, etc. Out of that room I ended up with a
one-dollar sign from one of the Duck Boats from the rolling rallies: Russell Nua!
Then I took this pic of the Pru between the House of Blus and Ice Ream.
Anyway, I spent a lot of time in there, and just wished I had unlimited money. I'm just glad I got in this year after last year's fiasco. Ran into Kelly, and we talked about the damn employees and how they always seem to be trained to lie and stuff.

Remember, September tickets go on sale Sunday (today) at 10 a.m. Good luck.

Comments:
That bottom pic is awesome.
 
Thanks!
 
Interesting story. I enjoyed it. Sounds like something I would do if I weren't so damn far away.

Derek
 
Yeah, it's fun if you like that stuff. I've gotten some great stuff over the years, with last year being the exception, when they first started Stealth Mode.
 
Do they just have this stuff stored someplace and bring it back out every year? Are there "name" player things if you go early? Sounds like a cool thing. At $5, I definitely would have bought a brick.
 
There is definitely star stuff and higher-end things. They had a rack of jerseys which were signed by Lowell, Papelbon, for like over $200. Also a bunch of Lowell-signed bats for 200 or 250, among the other player bats (cracked and uncracked). You can buy things like Fenway seats (I think those are 750 a pair), that new Fenway book, autographed balls for 20 each from dozens of players that come in fresh boxes. Then there are the boxes of game-worn jerseys which you rummage through--any really good guys are always gonna go first. Since I've only been to this thing once it opens to the public, I'm sure a lot of good stuff has been found and bought before I arrive by the Xmas @ Fenway winners. But I mean if you're a huge Ron Mahay or Joe Thurston fan or something, you'll be able to get those. There are definitely jerseys in that box that have been there since four years ago when this started, but they keep adding new stuff. The earliest jersey I've seen is '90. Like the player banners that hang on the other side of Yawkey for the starting lineups. I could have gotten an Alex Cora one for like $50. But they are huge. Oh, and old retired player and championship banners go for 300.

As for the bricks--they're always on a huge palette. I think they have them all stored so that anytime they can to the end of a palette, they can forklift a new one out there. You'll get bricks if you go next year.
 
I may have to drive down next year. I want cheap, cool stuff. And a brick.
 
Just don't blame me if you get there and then they don't open it up to the public. That would be a long drive back to Canada.
 
Dana Levangie: The man Kevin Millar was talking to when he said, "Don't let us win tonight."
 
'sright!

One thing I missed somehow was in the 2007 WS, that pickoff of Holliday was supposedly thanks to Dana's advance scouting.
 

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