It’s been a big day for Detroit Lions fans seeking unique team memorabilia. We posted a Lions tailgate bus earlier this afternoon, and adding onto that fun is a urinal from the Pontiac Silverdome autographed by the one and only, Barry Sanders.
As you can see below, it’s currently going for $610 with around nine days left in the auction:
However, this isn’t your ordinary autographed urinal. Once upon a time, Sanders had zero interest in signing old urinals from the Silverdome, but eBay user, mgk086, achieved the impossible — and luckily for us, he chronicled his journey:
Chronology:
Early 2014 – The Pontiac Silverdome & RJM Auctions announced an asset auction of the Pontiac Silverdome3-21-14 – Barry Sanders tweets “FYI – I am not signing urinals…”
3-21-14 – Barry’s comment goes viral and several articles were written stating no collector would be able to obtain a Silverdome urinal with Barry’s autograph (see pictures)
6-19-14 – I won a bid, paying $23.00 for the contents of the home team locker room “2 urinals, 2 sinks, 3 showers, toilet (I didn’t take the toilets), 2 stall partitions in bathroom & shower area (Home Team Locker Room)” See pictures for the lot and invoice from my bid.
6-24-14 – I picked up the items from the Silverdome. I was fortunate enough to be able to walk into the decaying Silverdome and into the locker rooms to see the items being removed. I have included pictures I took of the field, my truck in the tunnel, inside the locker rooms, and my truck with the contents in it.
9-20-14– Barry Sanders held a public signing event with Detroit City Sports at Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights MI. Already having Barry’s autograph on a jersey, football, and hat, I did the logical thing and decided to attach the urinal to a dolly and see if he would sign it. I was quite nervous wheeling in the urinal (which I had bleached and power washed multiple times) to ask my childhood idol to sign it. After a long wait, I reached the table with Barry and I uncovered the urinal telling him it was from his old locker room. He responded “Are you for real?”. I said “Yes, will you sign it?”. Barry said “I refuse” and after a short pause he laughed and said “no problem, where should I sign”. While signing and taking pictures, a man with Barry (I assume his agent) laughed and said “Hey Barry, last time you saw that thing you were taking a p*** in it”. Barry was extremely nice about it and it was a great experience.
That’s some goddamn dedication. Lugging a urinal into a mall for an autograph? That right there is the very definition of memorabilia hustle.
As for the second urinal mkg086 owns, he says he doesn’t plan on selling it — or having Barry autograph it — so if you want a Silverdome urinal, this is it.
[H/T to Deadspin]