Orioles Fanfest 2015

[thomaslynch]

Just curious if anybody got anything good at the Orioles fanfest this year? I managed to pick up a couple of bats from the memorabilia store. They had a bunch of bats where the player model didn't match who they were authenticated to. For instance, they had a Machado game bat that was authenticated to Flaherty. I took a chance on an Erick Aybar bat that had Manny's #13 sticker on the end and an Adam Jones bat that had Schoop's #6 sticker on the end. The Aybar was MLB authenticated to Machado and the Jones was MLB authenticated to Schoop. These were just $100 each. This is my first Machado game used item! Even photo matched it from the game it was authenticated to. My brother picked up some issued jerseys of Wieters, Davis, Cruz (post season). All of these looked new and not used - they were $200 each except Cruz who was $150. He also got 2 Markakis jerseys that were really worn and authenticated as game used for $150 each. I'm going to try and get him to sell me one of the Kakes jerseys.

[Oriolesfan29]

I ended up getting some decent stuff at fan fest this year! I got:

2014 Game Used and Autographed Andrew Miller Jersey w/ 60th Ann Patch
2015 Henry Urrutia Game Used Jersey
2015 Christian Walker Game Used Jersey
2015 Brad Brach Game Used Hat that I got signed with my Schoop autograph voucher

I'll try and post pics later.

Thomas, if you are ever interested in selling the Schoop bat let me know,
I am a huge collector of his. Email is bigp4229@yahoo.com. Thanks!

[ironmanfan]

My son, daughter & myself had a great time and I picked up a few things with the highlights being:

Nick Markakis Max used bat
Chris Davis LS bat authenticated to being used & cracked by Mark Buehrle on 06/20 of this year ($150)

My favorite item was the Orioles dugout lineup card from 09/01/15 game vs Tampa which happened to be the game the Orioles recognized the 20th Anniversary of Cal Ripken Jr. breaking Gehrig's record....I'll have Cal sign & inscribe it and will post pictures then...

Bill

[Chris78]

Did not go this year and it was a very tough decision. I saw that if I attended and bought the two Jim Palmer sessions I would normally buy, Zach Britton must have cancelled because he was scheduled in one of them. For their free promo line, did they give away any bobbleheads this year? It appeared they may have based on a photo I saw on the Orioles Facebook page.

I decided to do the much longer drive to Pittsburgh this year for Piratefest since I wanted to get Bill Mazeroski and Dave Parker. I do not believe Mazeroski has been at Piratefest since 2010 and Jim Palmer seems to be at the Orioles Fanfest every year. The Pirates pricing for game used is too high although I did buy some lineup cards that were marked $25 before tax. It sounded like the Orioles Fanfest would have been better for game used and also for the free promo stuff.

Thanks to anyone who can answer my question in the first paragraph.

Chris

[ironmanfan]

Did not go this year and it was a very tough decision. I saw that if I attended and bought the two Jim Palmer sessions I would normally buy, Zach Britton must have cancelled because he was scheduled in one of them. For their free promo line, did they give away any bobbleheads this year? It appeared they may have based on a photo I saw on the Orioles Facebook page.

I decided to do the much longer drive to Pittsburgh this year for Piratefest since I wanted to get Bill Mazeroski and Dave Parker. I do not believe Mazeroski has been at Piratefest since 2010 and Jim Palmer seems to be at the Orioles Fanfest every year. The Pirates pricing for game used is too high although I did buy some lineup cards that were marked $25 before tax. It sounded like the Orioles Fanfest would have been better for game used and also for the free promo stuff.

Thanks to anyone who can answer my question in the first paragraph.

Chris

Britton did cancel his appearance (wherever he was, he was snowed in)....They did give away a Bobblehead, however I couldn't tell you which one(s) they did however (the line for the giveways was very long)...

[Oriolesfan29]

The bobblehead was a Steve Pearce one. The lines were indeed crazy. My wife waited for 45 minutes to get through

[thomaslynch]

Wish I had seen the Chris Davis bat and the game used Miller jersey. Nice pick ups!!!

Seemed like some better items this year versus last couple. Only limited quantities of the good stuff with the bulk of the jerseys being mediocre at best. They still had a lot left at the end. Did manage to get an Alexi Casilla game used authenticated jersey with Post season patch from ALDS game 1 for $40 at closing. Not a great name, but a cool jersey for the price.

[mr.miracle]

Went to Fan Fest this year with only one goal to get a couple of Brady Anderson game bats signed. Brady did not sign last year so I was able to take advantage of him signing this year. He inspected the bats and asked where I got them. I told them from a buddy who worked for the team while he was playing. He signed both handed one to Nolan Reimold sitting next to him and explained to Nolan how he used to use tape rings on the handles of some of his bats and was showing him the rings on the handle. Reimold actually was getting ready to sign the bat when Brady said no don't sign that it's my bat as I was actually about to jump in to stop him as well. He said jokingly how these folks have all my bats to both Reimold and Dylan Bundy.

The crowd this year was literally half that of recent years probably a combination of moving it back into December this year from late January/early February and I heard a bunch of negative comments about Manny not being there this year as well as the obvious loss of Davis at least to this point. Although that being said, it was very nice to be able to move through the Convention Center and tour the Clubhouses without fighting massive lines at every turn. Last 2 years you could barely breathe in there.

[Chris78]

I was going to ask about attendance. I am not surprised that it was down as both the Nationals and Pirates had their fanfests on Saturday as well. I was someone not at the Orioles one as a result that was there the last two years, and heard a few people in Pittsburgh say about the fanfest conflict.

Based on what you guys are saying, I would have liked to be at two places at once (Orioles/Pirates). For $40, I would have bought the Casilla jersey.....

[mr.miracle]

Attendance was announced at 11,500 roughly. I believe in the two previous years it cleared 20,000 possibly as high as 23,000 last year.