Auction Block: Net Contribution

Shear genius: Buy the Roy Williams-signed net-cutting clippers.

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Yeah, you can buy 'em.

Suzanne Fanning has watched college basketball coaches and players struggle to cut down nets at the Final Four for a while now.

"They use those tiny medical scissors that don't do a very good job" she said.

Fortunately, Suzanne was in a position to help the NCAA with their twine-snipping problem. As Communications Director for Fiskars, Inc. she just happened to have a line on some serious blades.

"We created some special scissors for them, with a gold-titanium blade. Then, we were able to etch them with the Final Four logo." says Fanning "It's a very nice coating for any kind of heavy-duty job. The blades are serrated, so it goes through twine like butter."

The blades might be one-of-a-kind, but the orange handles with the ergonomic design should be familiar to anyone who has ever purchased back to school supplies. Fiskars -- named for the small Finnish village where the company began in the 17th century -- began making orange-handled scissors with plastic left over from a fruit-juicing machine on a lark in 1967. The company still uses other colors, but orange-handled shears have sold very well, to the tune of 900 million units moved over the past 40-plus years. The hue has become so identifiable that Fiskars Orange is now an officially registered color.

The NCAA was happy to use the golden pinking shears in the official net-cutting ceremonies for both men's and women's basketball in 2009, but Fiskars wanted to go one step farther. They wanted to auction the scissors off and donate the money to Special Olympics.

"We thought it would be great if superstar athletes could help out special athletes," says Fanning. "I wanted to do an eBay auction, but the NCAA told us we could use their site directly."

The NCAA's Gail Dent confirmed that Fiskars' Final Four scissors are the first items ever to grace the page. The unique collaboration between a charity, a rule-making body and a multinational corporation might just be the start of a beautiful friendship.

It didn't hurt that this year's championship teams are loaded with tradition. The piece de resistance came when winning coaches Roy Williams of North Carolina, and Geno Auriemma of UConn signed their respective clippers for that special touch.

Since these orange-and-gold keepsakes are the first of their kind, autographed and guaranteed conversation-starters, all three organizations hope to establish a vigorous market via the auction process, with the goal of generating thousands of dollars for Special Olympics programs. The bidding ends tonight at 7pm, so let the last-minute bidding frenzy begin!

There's no telling where this could go in the future. Golden goalposts in the BCS? Official Frozen Four titanium skate blades? What on earth could a scantily-clad NCAA diving champion expect to donate?

We'll gild that bridge when we come to it. For now, check out the auction and consider bidding on a piece of history for a good cause:

NCAA Auction site: We'll be keeping our eyes on this. It's only a matter of time before someone decides to auction off some team naming rights. We're dying to rename one of the 50-odd "Wildcats" with an uncommon moniker. Something like "The Mags."

The Fiskars story: The site is a handicrafter's haven. It's kind of comforting to know that you can cut strands of twine with your Final Four scissors and then give a nice decorative border to your scrapbooking project later (hint: buy plenty of blue and white backing paper).

Special Olympics: The best part? NCAA athletes already make a habit of volunteering their time to practice skills with Special Olympians. You can do your part just by typing a number and clicking "confirm bid."

Got a rare sports item for sale? Let us know at collectespn@gmail.com

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