The Toomer’s Oaks have been souvenir-bound for more than a year. They’ve arrived in vials and frames.
While we’re still waiting to hear whether wood from the oaks will be turned into the pens or gavels that were on the table a year or so back (it’s looking less and less likely), Auburn today officially announced it’s offering fans the opportunity to buy small “hand-numbered and officially licensed” pieces of the oaks made by licensed NFL, MLB, NCAA collectibles Highland Mint and Mounted Memories. The products will be sold through Fanatics.com. (Someone tell Brittany Howard.)
$19.95 gets you a “high-quality photo of the Auburn Oaks and an authentic piece of one of the famous oaks from Toomer’s Corner.”
$49.94 gets you a limited edition (5,000) “engraved Auburn Oaks graphics and a cherry wood stand with an engraved nameplate” with “a minted 39mm Auburn Oaks commemorative 24kt gold-flashed coin and a piece of Authentic Oak from Toomer’s Corner protected in a vial.”
And for $99.95 you can have a limited edition (1,000) “6” x 9″ acrylic desktop display from the Highland Mint” with an “engraved Auburn Oaks graphics with school wordmarks, an engraved nameplate and a cherry wood stand” that comes with “one minted 39mm Auburn Oaks commemorative 24kt gold-flashed coin, one Auburn Univeristy commemorative 24kt gold-flashed coin and a piece of one of the famous oaks from Toomer’s Corner protected in a vial.”
Big spenders can have this for $299:
There will even be a Toomer’s Oaks sawdust encrusted key chain.
“They’ve done this before with the Boston Fenway Park when they had their big celebration last year,” says Jennifer Blackmon, AU’s Manager of Trademark Marketing and Promotion. “They did a key chain that had dirt from the infield on it.”
Wood used in the products currently available comes from branches removed during the initial pruning of the oaks last year.
The Fanatics purchase page says the items available for pre-order “will be held and shipped no later than Tuesday, April 30.”
Blackmon says more products (likely including framed rhizomic shoots) will roll out throughout the summer and fall.
“We want to make sure that when we make a decision what a product is going to to be it’s the right decision and the right product,” Blackmon says. “We are moving very slowly to make those decisions.”
All of the university’s proceeds will go toward student scholarships.
Whole pieces of the trees will also eventually be on display around Auburn’s campus.
…
More on the the Toomer’s Oaks:
* That tree in the old picture of Toomer’s Corner is not one of the Toomer’s Oaks
* Toomer’s Corner rollings didn’t start with Punt, Bama, Punt, says History
* Did Auburn students celebrate Bear Bryant’s death by rolling Toomer’s Corner?
* Auburn unveils new plans for Toomer’s Corner
* Incredible video of the final rolling of the Toomer’s Oaks shot from a drone
* What Auburn thought about Toomer’s toilet paper removal in 1979
* Auburn Creed written on toilet paper hanging from Toomer’s Oaks after final rolling
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Ahh, so now we understand why Toomer’s Oaks became ‘Auburn Oaks’ recently…
Weagle99, I get where you’re coming from. I guess I rationalize it all by reminding myself that the university paid for the upkeep all these years and spent tens of thousands trying to save them, so I’m OK with them making some of that back through “official” licensing.
Please send me a link to where I can purchase the engraved one. I have already ordered the non-engraved. Having difficulty locating the other though
found it. $149 though.