High-end kicks to go up for auction

ALBANY — Christmas is coming early for New York’s sneakerheads.

The Empire State will be auctioning off 188 pairs of highly sought-after sneakers and 14 pieces of sports memorabilia seized by State Police as part of a drug bust on Long Island.

The kicks will be sold alongside the typical office furniture, filing cabinets and other government surplus items usually found on the eBay-based store run by the Office of General Services.

Bidding will begin on four pair of kicks being offered on the site Wednesday, with more postings added in the coming days and weeks.

On Thursday, collectors can make an offer on an Air Jordan 7⁄6 Retro “Golden Moments Pack,” featuring two pairs of Michael

Jordan-inspired basketball shoes that typically sells for over $500.

Also up for grabs will be a pair of Nike Jordan Ultimate Gift of Flight, size 10.5, that are still in the original box. The shoes often sell for upwards of $650 online.

The items have been in the state’s possession since 2017, when State Police executed four search warrants in Suffolk County as part of a long term drug investigation into Richard Figueroa, 46, and his wife Joann, 51, who allegedly sold cocaine from their home and auto repair shop in Bohemia.

Four other people were also arrested in connection with the operation.

State police say in addition to the shoes, they seized crack, cocaine, Oxycodone, Xanax and marijuana, as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash during the

These Nike Michael Jordan sneakers will go up for auction by New York State on eBay after being seized during a Long Island drug raid.

busts.

Along with the Air Jordans and LeBron James shoes, there will be artwork, photographs, balls and jerseys, both signed and unsigned up for auction.

Some of the memorabilia comes with verified certificates of authenticity, including Upper Deck-authenticated Jordan jerseys from his time with the Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, and the University of North Carolina.

Items related to a slew of sports stars including Derek Jeter, Joe Torre, Stephon Marbury, Jason Kidd, Alex Rodriguez, Mike Schmidt, Mark McGwire, and Vinny Testaverde will be made available on the NYSStore.com eBay site as new items get posted each

week.

New York launched the current iteration of its e-commerce site for surplus items in collaboration with eBay back in 2012, when 500 used state cars were sold off.

In 2018, the site offered a 14-karat, white gold diamond engagement ring for sale.

While scrap metal and disused office items are the most common products offered, there are currently vacuum cleaners, tools and even exercise equipment up for grabs on the site.

Typically, winning bidders must pick up items in Albany, but the agency is making an exception for the seized sneakers, suspending its no shipping policy and offering to mail out the fancy footwear.