A's Fanfest 500 GU Jerseys For Sale

[Eric]

MLB: ATHLETICS: FanFest 2006 set for Saturday, January 28
A's individual and opening night tickets go on sale
/noticias.info/ OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland Athletics will get an early start on the 2006 season on Saturday, January 28 as the club hosts Oakland A's FanFest 2006 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at McAfee Coliseum.

Oakland A's FanFest 2006 admission tickets are priced at $10 and are available in advance until January 27 at the A's Ticket Services Office and online at oaklandathletics.com and tickets.com. On the day of the event, admission tickets will be available beginning at 9:00 am at the Gate D kiosk. Autograph session tickets will be available for purchase beginning at 9:00 am at the McAfee Coliseum will call windows. Proceeds will benefit the Oakland A's Community Fund and the Cure Autism Now Foundation.

Oakland A's FanFest 2006 will be the first opportunity for fans to purchase individual game tickets for the upcoming season, including the A's home opener against the New York Yankees on April 3. Tickets for all A's home games can also be purchased beginning at 9:00 am at all usual ticket outlets, including McAfee Coliseum Box Office, on-line at oaklandathletics.com and all Tickets.com outlets or over the phone by calling (877) 493-BALL. Season, group and luxury suite tickets can be purchased by calling (510) 638-GoA's (4627). Individual game tickets for the 2006 season are priced at $40 (plaza club), $38 (MVP), $30 (field level), $30 (Plaza Infield), $20 (Plaza Level), $14 (Plaza Outfield) and $10 (Bleachers and Plaza Reserved).

Oakland A's FanFest 2006 activities include autograph sessions; question and answer sessions with A's players, coaches and front office staff; "Baseball: 101", a clinic hosted by A's management, coaches and players that will teach fans the fundamentals of the game; a behind the scenes tour of the A's clubhouse, weight room, umpire's room and home dugout; the sale of over 500 game worn jerseys from current and former players; music, food and interactive games for children. Over 35 A's players and coaches are expected to be in attendance including Manager Ken Macha, Bob Geren, Rene Lachemann, Gerald Perry, Ron Washington and Curt Young along with players Huston Street, Bobby Crosby, Mark Kotsay, Rich Harden, Jason Kendall, Esteban Loaiza, Milton Bradley, Nick Swisher, Joe Blanton, Justin Duchscherer, Mark Ellis, Dan Haren, Dan Johnson, Bobby Kielty, Adam Melhuse and Dan Meyer among others. In addition, former A's players Dennis Eckersley, Ray Fosse and Billy North will be in attendance.

Oakland A's FanFest 2006, the largest A's charitable event, will benefit the Oakland A's Community Fund and the Cure Autism Now Foundation. A's players and coaches will be wearing "Athletes Against Autism" caps in support of the cause. Cure Autism Now is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and funding autism research and accelerating the pace of scientific progress toward effective treatments and a cure. The organization is one of the largest private funders of biomedical research in autism, providing more than $20 million for research grants, outreach and scientific resources since its inception in 1995.

[pietraynor]

Anyone make it to this? If so, how about a report? Thanks in advance.

[hippo916]

Harold Joseph,

As usual, there was a huge turn-out with collectors and dealers lining-up before dawn for a chance to purchase game-used equipment; the A's will no longer allow overnight campers. The selection seemed better and the prices were more reasonable than in the recent past; no $2,000 jerseys. For example, at $1,000 each, the Hudson, Mulder and Street jerseys were the most expensive. The Hudsons and Mulders moved slowly but the two of three Streets that exhibited good use were sold immediately. Similarly, well used jerseys of Chavez, Crosby, Harden, Haren, Swisher and Zito sold to buyers at or near the front of the line. Based on the inventory that remained at the close of Fanfest, it appeared buyers were very sophisticated about use, and ignored jerseys, even those of stars and hot rookies, that showed no use. More so than in any other year -- I have attended every Fanfest sale since 1997 -- there were numerous jerseys that appeared merely game-issued.

The absence of year tags on many of the 2005 jerseys was surprising considering the A's reinstituted the use of flag-style year tags in 2002. Also, there were many year-tagged player jerseys that were clearly made from leftover blanks from prior years. For example, a home Ramon Castro with good use that was tagged 2003 although Castro made his A's debut in 2004; according to Equipment Manager Steve Vucinich, the A's regularly use leftover blanks. There were also some interesting variations: misnumbered Kendall; Yabu with oversized nameplate; Ramon Hernandez alternate in very light, almost lime, green; two Kotsays with name applied directly onto the jersey. The Yabu and Kotsays showed good game use. Finally, there were numerous game-used caps for sale but only a few helmets, and there were no game-used bats.

Significantly, the COAs that accompanied the game-used items contain a typographical error. They state the date of purchase as January 28, 2005, instead of the correct date of January 28, 2006.

Again, this was a great event because the A's organization is first class and very fan friendly. And Steve Vucinich and his staff are helpful, knowledgeable, and some of the best people a collector could ever meet. Consequently, it is worth lining-up in the dark, and standing there for 3-to-4 hours one Saturday morning a year.

[kingjammy24]

I was contemplating making my way to this one, mainly due to visions of 1990 Steinbachs' and Weiss' dancing in my head.

Were there any late 80's/early 90's game-used jerseys, or was it all 2000+ era stuff? At 500 jerseys, it must have been more than just stuff from 2003-05?

For other California-area collectors, the Padres fest is coming up I believe,
and the Angels have cancelled theirs for this year. No idea about the Dodgers.

Rudy.

[pietraynor]

Thanks for the report! Much appreciated & great info!

[hippo916]

Rudy,

The jerseys were all 2000+ era. Regarding the earlier jerseys, for a couple years in the early-1990s, the late Dick Dobbins handled the A's jerseys, and received some 1980s era jerseys, including the yellow, green, and white pull-over style, and the current style. After Dick quit handling the jerseys, BPH, I believe, handled them for a few years. Then, in about 1997, the A's started selling the jerseys at Fanfest. During those early Fanfests, Reggies, Rickeys, Stews, Cobras, Pigpens, BigMacs, Steinbachs, Ecks, were about $100 to $200.

Do the Padres sell equipment at Fanfest? If they do, how is it run?

Thanks.

[Kid4hof03]

Were there any Ron Gant items seen at the A's fanfest?

If anyone is going to the Padres I'd be interested in a Gant jersey, or anything other than bats for that matter if it can be found. Please e-mail me at Kulynychfamily@verizon.net if anyone would like to take a look for me.

Thanks,
Abe

[pietraynor]

Padres Fanfest order: If anyone goes & spots a G/U Jay Payton Jersey or Helmet I'd pay a finders fee (he's the hometown hero)..Thanks in advance, Jay 740-982-9838

[kellsox]

How much were Kotsay jerseys going for? I'm looking for 1.

[chrisolds]

Anybody know the whereabouts of any Jeremy Brown A's jerseys?