Nassau Business Fills Citi Field With Mets Fan Cutouts

NEW HYDE PARK, NY — The New York Mets kicked off their season at Citi Field last week with thousands of excited fans packed into the best seats in the house. But these weren't the typical fans — these were cardboard cutouts.

Since fans can no longer attend games in person due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Mets partnered with Printstation NY in New Hyde Park to launch the Fan Cutouts Program. For a cool $86, fans can have a photo of themselves printed out and seated in Citi Field for the duration of the Mets season. All net proceeds are donated to the Mets Foundation.

Jimmy Kimmel, Chipper Jones and Chris Russo are just a few of the faces lining the seats of Citi Field in cutout form, along with a 100-year-old supporter and thousands of other fans, including children and dogs.

Gary Pincus, owner of Printstation NY, and his team work 15-hour days to crank out the faces. So far, they're on their way to creating more than 5,000 cardboard cutouts.

“Going through each (photo), we always have our favorite in a day,” Pincus told Patch in a phone interview Monday. “We love seeing people's reactions and you see they're really happy. Everyone's really into it and everybody's really creative. So it's been really fun.”

The effort is a recent project for Printstation NY, which has partnered with the Mets in the past. Like hundreds of other Long Island businesses, it took a hit during the pandemic.

Pincus began Printstation NY around 10 years ago to create banners for children’s parties. He later expanded to make step and repeat banners, screen printed T-shirts, signs and more. Pincus also catered to parties and events through his associated company, Send In The Clowns Entertainment, which has supplied inflatables, DJs, gift bags and other party materials for Family Sundays with the Mets for more than two decades.

But with the pandemic came a pause on parties. Printstation NY lost most of its T-shirt and step-and-repeat business, some of its main sources of revenue. So Pincus and the members of his team whom he was able to keep employed began printing and delivering lawn signs, especially for high school graduations.

Printstation NY has also adapted by partnering with local businesses and hospitals to create signs promoting proper coronavirus health practices, such as social distancing and wearing masks. The company has been providing coronavirus-related signs for free to local businesses, Pincus said.

Moving forward, Pincus said he hopes he can partner with the U.S. Open to offer a similar fan cutout program.

“At the end of the day, the fans love it,” he said. “When you set these (cutouts) there, you feel they’re coming to life.”