Astros ‘Minute Maid Park’ auction is fetching big bucks early, but there's a catch

Houston Astros fans were caught off guard this offseason after it was revealed that the team was ending their partnership with Minute Maid and had a new stadium sponsor. Predictably, some Astros fans have been mad ever since. Some people just hate change.

The Astros' new sponsorship deal seems to be working out well. Daikin has been engaged with the team and the city of Houston, and the team's spending hasn't taken a hit. That, in itself, has to be considered a win even if the stadium's new name is unfamiliar to the overwhelming majority of Astros fans.

But the Astros have decided to take advantage of the team's rebranding effort and recently put pieces of the old 'Minute Maid' signage up for auction. The early outlook is good, and it looks like they could bring some big bucks by the time the auctions end.

Astros fans can buy pieces of the old 'Minute Maid' signage

Teams have long sold memorabilia from their ballparks (bases, stadium seats, bricks, etc.) to collectors, but taking advantage of the rebranding by selling the old signs is certain to bring a nice return.

Included in the auction are individual pieces of the large Minute Maid Park sign that was attached to the front of the stadium. Signs from the upper concourse and even the train are available as well. If you want a piece of Astros history, it can be yours — for a price.

The auctions began on April 9 and will run all the way through April 27th, but several of the items (mainly logo signs from the various gates) are already receiving bids in range of thousands of dollars. It's possible to see some some bids in the five-digit range, although it's still too early to predict.

If you are wanting a piece of Astros history, you can bid by using your MLB account. However, one important note — there is no delivery option whatsoever. Even if you were willing to pay extra, you'll have to make a trip to the ballpark to pick up your item.

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