1996 Yankees Championship Ring a Top Draw in Connecticut Auction

Get ready, all you hibernating snowbirds in Connecticut and lower New England. It’s time to shake off the winter snow and make plans for the 20th annual Cabin Fever Auction, to be held Mar. 25 by Tim’s, Inc., in the firm’s gallery facility, located at 1185 Farmington Avenue (Route 6) in Bristol, Conn.

“Our Cabin Fever Auction began in 1992, in the spirit of long New England winters and the desire of folks to get out and get going with the promise of spring,” said Tim Chapulis of Tim’s, Inc. “We’re excited to be hosting the 20th annual event this year, and we feel this is one auction no one will want to miss. There will be 500-600 lots of top-quality items from prominent local estates, private collections, lifetime coin collections and safety deposit boxes. We'll have something for everybody.”

Without a doubt the most exciting item in the auction for sports memorabilia collectors is an actual 1996 New York Yankees World Championship ring, once owned by former major leaguer Rey Quinones. The ring contains a full 1.5 ounces of gold and has 23 brilliant round diamonds (one for each championship year for the Yankees) on top of a man-made sapphire, plus the Yankees' logo.

Rey Quinones was a shortstop who played for three teams from 1986-89 (the Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners and Pittsburgh Pirates). He held an administrative position with the Yankees in the 1996 season, entitling him to a ring. Similar examples have sold for up to $20,000.

For additional information about Tim’s, Inc. and the Sunday, March 25 Cabin Fever Auction, log on to www.timsauction.com.