John Dugan stopped by the 2025 NFL Draft grounds after the three-day event ended in the hopes he could grab a sign for his personal collection of Green Bay- and Brown County-related signage.
But as he watched local nonprofits salvage furnishings and materials, he also saw a lot of wayfinding signs, food menu boards, parts of the draft stage, photographs and much more in, or destined for, the dumpsters outside Lambeau Field.
It gave Dugan, owner of Titletown Auction Co., an idea: Rather than just add to his personal collection, he asked if he could grab as much of the unconventional memorabilia from the NFL draft grounds as he could to auction off and donate the proceeds to the American Red Cross of Wisconsin Northeast Chapter.
When he got the OK from those on-site and officials with the Red Cross, where Dugan volunteers, he went to work looking for as much “cool stuff” as he could.
“Keeping all of this stuff out of a landfill is a priority for me,” Dugan said. “Trying to find alternate uses for stuff is right up my alley.”
‘It’s my auction of the year’
He ended up with a huge haul, in more ways than one.
The auction went live May 8 and includes a whopping 480-plus lots of NFL draft signage, banners, photographs and various parts of the draft stage. The items up for bid range from wayfinding signs no bigger than a sheet of paper to the massive “NFL DRAFT 2025” sign that hung above the stage as every pick in the three-day draft was made.
He has worked 10-hour days since the salvage operation ended photographing and cataloging the items to get ready to launch the auction.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s so much fun,” Dugan said. “It’s my auction of the year.”
Dugan found a lot of items that mention ‘Green Bay’ or ‘Packers,’ but most NFL teams are represented in the auction
Dugan would spend three days around Lambeau Field grabbing anything he could for the auction. He recalled being “ankle-deep” in dumpster water as he fished out banner after banner and loading up a golf cart with anything he could find.
“This was so much fun,” Dugan said.
He knows his auction audience is largely local, so of course he grabbed anything that said NFL draft, Green Bay or the Packers on it. He also grabbed anything tied to the local community, like the food court signs that listed local restaurants and wayfinding signs with local street names on them.
He snagged many of the food menus, too, in case anyone wants to remember their $13 bratwurst, $6 bottle of water or $14 walking taco.
He also grabbed plenty of stuff referencing other NFL teams, too, which he hopes expands the pool of bidders and potential buyers beyond northeastern Wisconsin. Miami Dolphins fans might want the sign that proclaims “The iconic aqua and orange ignite my soul.” But they could face some competition from Buffalo Bills fans since the sign also proclaims “Being a Bills fan is not just about football, it’s about pride, passion and the heart of Buffalo.”
There are 10 more signs like it, highlighting fandom for 22 NFL teams in total.
You can bid on parts of the 2025 NFL Draft stage, if you’ve got the space
Dugan isn’t sure how much interest there will be in all the items, but he’s a little surprised at just how much of the draft stage he was able to salvage.
The biggest piece, the massive stage sign, required a Titletown Auction customer’s help to haul to the shop. It’s so big, that even broken down into three pieces, it doesn’t fit in the company’s warehouse. The sign did sustain some damage before Dugan salvaged it: The white “2” and “5” covers had fallen off and will be sold separately as individual lots.
“It’s huge,” Dugan said. “At least it’s not going to waste.”
A motivated bidder could go a long way toward recreating their own draft stage if they wanted to bid on sections of wood painted to look like crimson bricks or deep green sheet metal. There’s a tall, green panel with a Bud Light logo. He even brought a couple of sets of steps from the stage to Titletown Auction’s warehouse.
Can I take a look at the NFL draft items I want to bid on?
Yes.
Interested bidders can stop by Titletown Auction Co., 3049 Ramada Way, Suite 400, from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. May 14 or May 21 to get a closer look at the items. You can also call the auction house at 920-632-4125 to schedule an appointment.
How can I bid on these items?
Visit the Titletown Auctions website to bid. You will have to create an account on the site to bid.
All items start with an opening bid of $2. There is no reserve on any of the lots, so the high bidder takes it home.
When does the auction end?
The first item in the auction will close at 6 p.m. May 21. Every 20 seconds after that, another item will close.
What if I win an auction item/items?
Winning bidders will have to pay for their items, plus a 15% buyer’s service fee, also called a buyer’s premium.
You’ll be expected pick up your item(s) on May 22, the day after the auction ends, or May 28, a week after the auction ends.
Since interest in the items could stretch beyond northeastern Wisconsin, Dugan said small items, noted by an icon on the lot listing, can be shipped, but that any large items will need to be picked up.
Contact business reporter Jeff Bollier at (920) 431-8387 or jbollier@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JeffBollier.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Want a unique piece of the NFL draft in Green Bay? 480-plus item auction benefits Red Cross
Reporting by Jeff Bollier, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
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