When John Dugan and his team at Titletown Auctions Co. decided to put up for auction 483 pieces rescued from the 2025 NFL Draft grounds, they were unsure of the extent to which the bidding would go. Their mere hope was that these unusual, stand-alone items linked to the 2025 NFL Draft could collect around $10,000, money which would go to the Northeast Chapter of the American Red Cross in Wisconsin. However, by the final day of the auction on May 21st, that figure had been pleasantly surpassed, with frantic final bids still incoming.
The turnout for the auction was impressive, with close to 450 different participants actively bidding. Each of the 483 artefacts that Dugan had acquired from the NFL Draft site, situated outside Lambeau Field, managed to find a buyer. Items fetched a range of prices, from a mere $2 to a staggering $2,155. As a result of this successful auction, Dugan along with his colleagues, Michell Devroy and Ben Staudenmaier, were able to present the Red Cross chapter leaders with a substantial donation of $33,931 on July 2.
The undertaking turned out to be extremely satisfying for Dugan. His words expressed his contentment, `This whole endeavor has been immensely fulfilling for us`. As a volunteer for the Red Cross, Dugan has the privilege to witness first-hand the impact the organization has in Northeast Wisconsin. Therefore, the opportunity to further aid their cause holds a special place in his heart.
Dugan was deeply touched by the wholehearted response from the bidders and purchasers. He said, `This is a genuine manifestation of what can be achieved when individuals join forces for a noble cause`. Let’s delve deeper into the auction and its subsequent impact on the region.
So, how will the Red Cross utilize these funds? Rebecca Rockhill, the Executive Director, provided clarity on the matter. According to Rockhill, the monies will stay within the Northeast Chapter of the American Red Cross of Wisconsin and would bolster their emergency disaster and home fire relief services at the local level.
Rockhill voiced her gratitude for the substantial endowment to their disaster relief fund. In her words, `Such a contribution to the disaster relief fund propels our mission, and ensures that the Red Cross’s helping hand reaches out to people in need, anytime, anywhere a disaster occurs`. The local chapter delivers its services across 13 counties in northeastern Wisconsin and three counties in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Among the auction items, the most expensive was a handsome sum exceeding $2,100. Interestingly, the five most pricey objects auctioned were all 2025 NFL Draft banners. A 10-foot by 20-foot canvas banner adorned with the NFL Draft logo sold for $2,155, the highest price attained by any item in the auction.
Items of larger dimensions, in fact, garnered the most interest. All of the five most expensive items, and nine out of top 10, were large-scale banners. The top five items collectively raised a significant amount of $6,245. These items comprised of a 10-foot-by-20-foot Green Bay NFL Draft banner, a 71-inch by 47-inch banner reading `The Pick is In`, a banner made out of jersey material featuring the map of Wisconsin, an NFL Draft banner displaying event dates, and an NFL Draft fabric banner listing team names.
Notably, the only item among the top ten that was not a banner, was a replicated support beam used on the NFL Draft stage, attracting a winning bid of $510. Dugan shed light on the considerable effort poured into organizing the auction and the extent of the interest it garnered. He listed out the impressive statistics: 168 hours of work, 483 lots, 449 bidders, participation from 26 states and 4 countries, with 156 successful buyers, and a total of 9,000 bids.
As a collector of local signs, Dugan initially visited the NFL Draft site with the intention of expanding his own collection. But while he observed the crews deconstruct the venue and local nonprofits salvage usable materials, he noticed a lot of miscellaneous items destined for trash. Seeing potential, he took permission and gathered as many signs, menus, stage parts, screens, photographs, and banners as he could, with a plan to auction them.
What made this endeavour even more rewarding for Dugan was the eco-friendly aspect of it. Most of the items he spared from being dumped would otherwise have concluded in a landfill site. `Ensuring that all this stuff did not end up as waste was an aim very close to my heart`, said Dugan. `I’m always seeking to look for alternative uses for things`.
One of such salvaged items, ironically fished out while he was knee-deep into dumpster water, ended up being the highest fetching piece in the auction. Winning bidders were also quite enthusiastic about their new acquisitions, readily sharing their individual stories: why they bid, what they planned to do with these segments of the stage, and what led them to create a bond with the items they pursued.
The post Thrilling Auction of 2025 NFL Draft Artifacts Exceeds Expectations appeared first on Real News Now.
About Author
