ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WBEN).....Yankee Stadium and its "Bleacher Creature" fan base has got nothing on the Bills Mafia when it comes to buying items harvested from the respective, old stadiums.
When Collectible Exchange was hired to remove seats and other items from "Old" Yankee Stadium in 2009, it was able to recover 20,000 pieces of memorabilia. Much of which was then put on sale and some items remain unsold 17 years later.
But, that is not the case with "Old" Highmark Stadium, where Collectible Exchange was able to garner more than 25,000 items, with most sold or under contract to be sold.
The Bills Mafia response has set a new benchmark for the harvesting and sale of items from sports venues.
To date, they have beat the Yankees' 'Bleacher Creatures' by 25% - and counting.
"The love the Bills Mafia has for anything connected to the team is second to none," said Brandon Steiner, Collectible Exchange CEO. "I knew they were loyal, but not to this extent. It is beyond anything I have seen."
Collectibles Exchange began removing items from the stadium in early February. By May 1, they were done to make way for the beginning of Highmark Stadium's demolition.
"We knew we had a tight window," Steiner said.
Pulled from the stadium was everything from seats, the metal bleacher seats, signs, turf and 38 troughs from various men's bathrooms.
Some signs went for $69. The troughs went for $5,000 - and, most were sold, Steiner said.
Besides seats, getting the most buzz from buyers are sections of the stadium's turf.
An 18-inch by 30-inch doormat, made from a section of the turf is going for $100 while a six-foot by six-foot section can be had for $400 and if you want a specific yard line marker, be prepared to spend $4,000.
Items, which can be found at Highmark Stadium Collectibles.com, are going fast.
"If you think you can wait until Father's Day, or the start of the season, you may be disappointed," Steiner said.
Sale of items from Highmark Stadium setting a new record
Sale of items from Highmark Stadium setting a new record
