Eternal Image Inc (fka ETNLQ)

[al44]

yankees and mets:

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2008/12/10/2008-12-10_an_eternity_with_mets_or_yankees.html



Barcelo for News

Now you can literally live and die with the Yankees and Mets.

Officially licensed Major League Baseball caskets will be available at funeral homes throughout the country later this month, giving diehard fans a chance to rest a little easier in peace knowing they can be with their favorite ballclubs throughout eternity.

The first Yankees and Mets caskets are already on display at the Branch Funeral Home in Smithtown, L.I., about an hour's drive from the city.

"Many times people are buried with a ball they caught at a game, or a ball they had signed by their favorite player," said John Vigliante, the fourth-generation manager of the family-owned Branch Funeral Home.

"Now they're able to be buried in a casket backed by their team. It's very unique."

Made of 18-gauge steel, the MLB caskets are numbered sequentially and come with a certificate of authenticity. They feature team logos inside and out, and are designed to reflect team uniforms, with pinstripes lining the inside of the Yankee model.

The caskets are manufactured by Eternal Image of Farmington Hills, Mich., which specializes in branded funeral products, including MLB urns.

"We've never had anyone accuse us of being a novelty or distasteful," said Eternal Image CEO Clint Mytych, who also has licensing deals with the Vatican, the American Kennel Club, Star Trek and colleges. "We're hoping to add two more sports organizations by the end of 2009."

Mytych, a car enthusiast, founded Eternal Image in 2002 after he searched the Internet for a '67 Mustang casket and found "absolutely nothing."

"I was just looking for different Mustang products," the 27-year-old CEO said. "I don't know why that popped into my mind."

There was little risk adding baseball to the lineup, according to Howard Smith, senior vice president of MLB licensing.

"A couple times a year, we'd get a call from a team about a season-ticket holder whose last wish was to be buried in a casket with their team's logo on it," Smith said. "We always granted that wish....This wasn't really a big surprise."

The Yankees and Mets caskets on display at the Branch Funeral Home - both No. 0001 in their respective series - cost $5,900, about $1,000 more than similar non-licensed models.

Steven Galante, the 43-year-old owner of a trucking company in Smithtown, has already prepaid for a Mets casket. He will receive whatever number is available in the series whenever his number is called.

"I hate to say a casket's beautiful, but it's beautiful," Galante said. "Instead of buying something dark and gloomy, I paid for something I want.

"The Mets aren't dark and gloomy, but close to it," he added. "To watch them lose every year, it's good to have it as a backup, because they're going to drive me to my grave."

Vigliante, whose family business has Brooklyn roots, is looking to buy infield dirt from the recently closed Yankee and Shea Stadiums and offer it as part of a burial package.

"This takes personalization to another level," said Vigliante, a 32-year-old Mets fan who sat along the first-base line when the ball snuck through Bill Buckner's legs. "Families are able to fulfill their loved one's passion one last time."