The New York Yankees are hawking every little piece of the Old Yankee Stadium. They are hoping that fans will scoop up as much memorabilia as possible for big bucks.
The question I have is whether some of the items being sold should be considered true Yankee valued merchandise, or worthless snake oil from a carnival huckster.
Exhibit number one: Dirt. Actually, it's a laser engraved crystal paper weight with a coin holder filled with a few tablespoons of dirt from Yankee Stadium. Cost- $79.99
Verdict - snake oil in the worst of ways and worth nothing. Then again from a marketing standpoint, the crystal engraved choice is very smart. There will be a lot of takers on this one.
Exhibit number two: A 4 x 35 strip of infield grass taken between home plate and the pitcher's mound. Cost - $2,500.
Verdict - absolute snake oil. Are you kidding me? This grass is changed or partially removed/enhanced every year. The sucker who buys this could be the new owner of freshly made sod. Flip the coin though, and you'll see a marketer's dream. Where else can one sell ungodly amounts of something for real currency worth absolutely nothing at all?
Exhibit number three: Commemorative seat with authentic seat back and bottom and new arms. Cost - $749.99 a piece.
Verdict - uh... commemorative means fake, not real. For $750 bucks a person can buy one hell of a comfortable, real chair to actually sit in. Oh. Excuse me. The seat back is authentic. This is a serious rip off. Beyond snake oil. Too slick for a marketing ploy even. My guess, they probably won't sell many.
Of course, there are lots of real memorable items that true Yankee fans would die to purchase. Parts of Monument Park, the original stadium facade and home plate could all be considered pretty cool. I just wonder if this organization is acting a little too desperate for the times we are presently in. Fans have to be shaking their heads wondering how this family run business will try to take advantage of them next.
Recent Comments