Rochester, N.Y. (WHAM) — Sunday’s matchup between the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets will likely be the last game held at the stadium the Bills have called home since 1973.
A New York company is preparing to salvage highly sought-after artifacts of stadium history for sale.
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“Some people want an entire row of seats,” said Brandon Steiner, founder and CEO of CollectibleXchange. “Some people want the entire long bench of bleachers, things like that.”
When Steiner, a sports marketer founded CollectibleXchange six years ago, heard of the new Highmark Stadium’s construction, he saw an opportunity.
“I took down Yankee Stadium and Giants Stadium and the Cowboys,” Steiner said. “(It’s) definitely a specialization of mine, personally. Not many people take down a stadium the way I do, and take it as seriously as I do.”
In a partnership with Erie County, Steiner’s team will salvage the stadium’s artifacts, authenticate them and sell them to fans who want to buy pieces of Bills history.
The proceeds will be split with the county to fund municipal projects. When asked about the scale of the project, Steiner called it “daunting.”
“The seats are bolted into concrete,” Steiner explained. “They don’t really come with legs, most of them, so that’s that’s more difficult project that I’d love fans to understand. It’s not just removing the seats. They’re bolted into concrete. You’ve got to build and fabricate legs for them.”
In addition to seats, Steiner said fans will also have opportunities to purchase signs, sections of turf or even individual lockers.
“I know if I was in Section 103, I’d want my section sign,” Steiner said. “Just to substantiate the 20 years I sat in that section, in that row.”
The prices will vary. Steiner said more limited items could sell for thousands of dollars in special auctions. A seat back, he said, will go for about $99. Season ticket holders will get priority.
“We’re talking with some local companies about doing some special exclusive products that will only be for sale for them,” Steiner added. “A company like Wegmans that’s very dominant upstate there, that have been supporters of the Bills.”
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