NewsTwins faithful line up to purchase memories
Everything from foul poles to bobbleheads gets snapped up
Fans line up to purchase baseballs and other collectibles at the Twins' "moving sale." (Minnesota Twins)
By Kelly Thesier / MLB.com
11/07/09 4:02 PM EST
MINNEAPOLIS -- Vicki Wagner's husband was headed off for the first day of deer hunting on Saturday, but he made one request to her before he left. He wanted his wife to go to the Metrodome to take part in a "moving sale" that the Twins were holding. So Wagner left her home near Brainerd, Minn., at around 7:30 a.m. on Saturday morning to drive to downtown Minneapolis for the sale, and she was far from alone in taking part in the event. Neither the start of deer hunting season nor the University of Minnesota's football game across town could keep diehard Twins fans from the unique opportunity to purchase some of their club's memorabilia during Saturday's moving sale at the Metrodome. In preparation for their move across downtown Minneapolis to their new ballpark, Target Field, the Twins held a massive garage sale to unload items that have accumulated in closets and storage rooms during their 28-year tenure in the dome. Thousands of fans were on hand for the event, and when the doors for the sale opened at 10 a.m., the line to enter almost entirely circled the dome. The first fan got in line for the moving sale on 9 a.m. on Friday. There were only a few fans camped out Friday evening, but the line really started to grow in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Wagner arrived around 9:30 a.m. on Saturday and said that she was amazed at the crowd that was already there. "My sister called me. She got here before me at 9 a.m., and she said that the line was just unbelievable," Wagner said. "It ranks right up there with the first bobblehead days, where you used to stand there forever to get those. We were there on those days, too." As fans crowded inside, they found the concourse was filled with tables, featuring items that ranged from $1 all the way to the high end of $400 for a bobblehead set of the 1965 American League champion Twins. Ball caps and straw hats went from $3 to $8, Wiffle bats were $2 and Major League baseball media guides sold for $1. T-shirts went for $5, and framed newspaper pages were priced at $50. The sale spread across 15 sections of the Metrodome's concourse, and even an hour into the sale, the pickings had gotten pretty slim. Some of the most popular items appeared to be the framed art from inside the dome and the bats from previous giveaways, which were priced at $5, as those were sold out a half-hour after the doors opened. Dave Lafond of Albertville, Minn., came to the sale hoping to find a unique item to add to his collection. He found one, too, as he purchased the right-field foul pole, which was broken down into many pieces and stuffed into a bag that Lafond carried through the checkout line. "The foul pole is not something everybody is going to have," Lafond said. "I'm going to replace the existing flag pole I have in my yard with this one." Lafond also purchased the Mets banner that used to hang inside the Metrodome to join a memorabilia collection that he says already features chairs from the old Metropolitan Stadium. He said it was one of only five team banners left by the time he reached the table toward the end of the concourse, after having gotten in line at 8 a.m. For other fans, including Mike Hauschildt of Prescott, Wis., the excitement came in seeing so many bobbleheads for sale. "My girlfriend and I are both big Twins fans," Hauschildt said. "This was a neat opportunity for us to come here and get some of the giveaway items that we weren't able to get in the past." Twins vice president of marketing Patrick Klinger said that employees had been setting aside items for the sale in recent months as they packed up their offices for the move. But over the past two weeks, they realized just how many items they would have to sell. "We're really treating the move to Target Field almost as if we're an expansion team, and we have to go over there and start fresh," Klinger said. "After 28 seasons, we really did store things wherever we could find a spare closet or nook or cranny. Over the course of almost three decades, things really piled up. I think it surprised even us when we started opening up the doors and finding how many things were tucked away. It's really been phenomenal, and now, for fans to have an opportunity to come in and get a piece of memorabilia, it's a unique opportunity as well." The Twins were hoping for a good crowd for the sale, but even they were left flabbergasted by the turnout they had on Saturday. "It's November, and to have this outpouring speaks to the overwhelming interest in this organization," said Kevin Smith, the Twins' executive director of public affairs. "I don't think any of us could have imagined a phenomenal turnout like this." For Wagner, the hope was to find some more collectibles to add to her family's "Twins shrine" inside their home. She certainly seemed to be successful as she pushed two large boxes full of memorabilia through the checkout line. Wagner said her long trip to take part in the sale was worth it. "We just love the Twins, and I was able to get quite a few things," Wagner said. "Now, we just can't wait until the Twins start playing baseball again."Kelly Thesier is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
