$ales soar with $aban

[JohnDeere 0]

HSV rag

$ales soar with $aban

(just a note, the $ were not inserted by me, that is the way it appears on al.com)

Sunday, July 08, 2007By BOB LOWRYTimes Staff Writer bob.lowry@htimes.com

Alabama merchandise, vehicle tags popular since coach's hiring

MONTGOMERY - Nick Saban mania has boosted the sales of University of Alabama collegiate tags and caused the sale of licensed Crimson Tide souvenirs to skyrocket.

Brendan Beard, manager of Bama Fever in Huntsville's Madison Square Mall, likened the sales frenzy of Bama items to the "Tickle Me Elmo" must-have toy that many parents literally fought over when it was introduced in 1996.

The state Department of Revenue says since Saban was hired as Alabama's new football coach on Jan. 3, sales of Alabama vehicle tags during the first quarter of 2007 rose by 15.1 percent over the same period a year ago. Auburn University tag sales increased by 12.1 percent over the same period.

And Pat Whetstone, director of alumni affairs at Alabama, said most of the growth in Alabama tag sales likely occurred in just two months.

"You can probably throw out January because the hiring occurred in January and people had already renewed by mail," he said.

During January, February and March, Alabama counties sold 1,761 University of Alabama specialty tags.

"We're tracking above last year," said Whetstone. "I would say Coach Saban's hiring may be expanding the interest in the tags. Plus, we have a lot more students, and students may be purchasing tags, as well."

But the sales of licensed trademark merchandise have also shot up, says Beard.

Traditionally, first quarter sales for his store are slow, but Beard said, "We're up a lot. The first quarter this year, we're up probably 50 percent."

"Without a doubt, the merchandise we got in sold immediately," he said. "We had people standing in line waiting for us to open boxes to get 'Got Nick' and 'Saban Nation' T-shirts. Merchandise just starting flying off the shelves.

"People were freaking out. I had a few ladies who came in and purchased more than a hundred each of those 'S The Coach' stickers, and those were $4.99 each."

Around Christmas, when Saban's hiring was just speculation, Beard said a shopper at the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover "bought a houndstooth baseball cap off my head for $80."

The caps were not available to the public then, although Nike has since manufactured them for sale at retail stores for $20, said Beard.

He said Alabama fans are excited about Saban "because even Bear Bryant didn't have a national championship when he came" to Tuscaloosa in 1958.

David M. Jones, who owns two Alabama Book Stores in Tuscaloosa that sell university textbooks and souvenirs; Alabama Express, a Tide souvenir shop; and a Web site for souvenir orders, says his sales also soared between 40 and 50 percent during the first quarter.

"It was a huge jump that first month," he said. "It's been a huge increase ever since the day he was announced." After a month, sales have been about 20 percent more than last year.

Jones said Tide fans are "buying anything Alabama across the board," and his Web site is attracting buyers from across the globe.

Cathy Andreen, director of university relations at UA, said sales by the campus Supply Store, where textbooks and souvenirs are sold, "were about double."

Andreen said straw hats like those Saban wears during football practices, called the "Natural Gambler," were hot-sellers at A-Day. She said the Supply Store sold about 100 of the $25 hats.

Alabama is already among the top-selling universities nationally for licensed trademark souvenirs, such as T-shirts, caps, decals, cups, pins, etc.

But the school dropped from No. 6 nationally to No. 7 for royalties for the first quarter of 2007, according to Atlanta-based Collegiate Licensing Company. From Oct. 1, 2006-Dec. 31, 2006, Alabama was No. 6 nationally. Heath Price, CLC's director of university services for the SEC, said the slippage by Alabama was "no reflection" on Tide sales.

"More than likely, it simply has to do with a school jumping in front of them - in this case North Carolina - based on the impact of royalties reflective of basketball season coming in and counting toward their total," he said.

"It's just the standard impact of royalties when they are reported on a quarterly basis."

Alabama receives a royalty rate of 8 percent, which is collected by CLC.

[AU alum 2]

Well, just think - the sales have to increase every 3 or 4 years. When they get a new coach, that means new hats/tshirts/any other merchandise with the coach's name. The increase in sales won't really mean much until NEXT year.

[BamaGrad03 0]

So you guys are slamming a fan base for supporting their program?

Good call!

[JohnDeere 0]

So you guys are slamming a fan base for supporting their program?

Good call!

So the 15.1% that purchased UAT tags did support the 'team' prior to Jan 3rd? Or they were just waiting till after a pathetic showing in a meanless bowl game to buy a UAT tag? I'm confused....

[AUChizad 0]

So you guys are slamming a fan base for supporting their program?

Good call!

Sigh...

We're slamming them for being rabidly fanatical over this false sense of hope newly instilled in them after wearing their desperation on their sleeve by unprecedentedly splurging on a coach that is now hailed as a demi-God.

"I know we've sucked for a long time (although never would admit it in present tense), but now baby we got the miracle worker at the helm! All's well! I'ma go out and buy me $500 worth of Saban stickers! I want me one of them hats he wears at practice to go with my hat like the Bahr wore!"

Also, we're slamming them for the multiple references to, guess who, The Bahr.

And finally, we're slamming you for the article mentioning that houndstooth hats could absolutely not stay in stock, and that a customer even bought one from the store clerk's head, despite your claim that no one ever has worn one ever.

[autiger518 1]

So you guys are slamming a fan base for supporting their program?

Good call!

Sigh...

We're slamming them for being rabidly fanatical over this false sense of hope newly instilled in them after wearing their desperation on their sleeve by unprecedentedly splurging on a coach that is now hailed as a demi-God.

"I know we've sucked for a long time (although never would admit it in present tense), but now baby we got the miracle worker at the helm! All's well! I'ma go out and buy me $500 worth of Saban stickers! I want me one of them hats he wears at practice to go with my hat like the Bahr wore!"

Also, we're slamming them for the multiple references to, guess who, The Bahr.

And finally, we're slamming you for the article mentioning that houndstooth hats could absolutely not stay in stock, and that a customer even bought one from the store clerk's head, despite your claim that no one ever has worn one ever.

Yeah what he said...and you suck at paintball too

[BamaGrad03 0]

Yeah what he said...and you suck at paintball too

Yeah, I didn't see you signing up to come play against me...

Sigh...

We're slamming them for being rabidly fanatical over this false sense of hope newly instilled in them after wearing their desperation on their sleeve by unprecedentedly splurging on a coach that is now hailed as a demi-God.

"I know we've sucked for a long time (although never would admit it in present tense), but now baby we got the miracle worker at the helm! All's well! I'ma go out and buy me $500 worth of Saban stickers! I want me one of them hats he wears at practice to go with my hat like the Bahr wore!"

Also, we're slamming them for the multiple references to, guess who, The Bahr.

And finally, we're slamming you for the article mentioning that houndstooth hats could absolutely not stay in stock, and that a customer even bought one from the store clerk's head, despite your claim that no one ever has worn one ever.

So you don't think it's normal for merchandise sales to increase with a new coach?..for any school?

[AU alum 2]

Yeah what he said...and you suck at paintball too

Yeah, I didn't see you signing up to come play against me...

Sigh...

We're slamming them for being rabidly fanatical over this false sense of hope newly instilled in them after wearing their desperation on their sleeve by unprecedentedly splurging on a coach that is now hailed as a demi-God.

"I know we've sucked for a long time (although never would admit it in present tense), but now baby we got the miracle worker at the helm! All's well! I'ma go out and buy me $500 worth of Saban stickers! I want me one of them hats he wears at practice to go with my hat like the Bahr wore!"

Also, we're slamming them for the multiple references to, guess who, The Bahr.

And finally, we're slamming you for the article mentioning that houndstooth hats could absolutely not stay in stock, and that a customer even bought one from the store clerk's head, despite your claim that no one ever has worn one ever.

So you don't think it's normal for merchandise sales to increase with a new coach?..for any school?

If YOU had any reading comprehension, like you say everyone else here doesn't, that is EXACTLY what I said. Sure it's normal for the first year, but you need to wait until said coach's second year (if there is a second year) to see if they keep increasing.

[BamaGrad03 0]

If YOU had any reading comprehension, like you say everyone else here doesn't, that is EXACTLY what I said. Sure it's normal for the first year, but you need to wait until said coach's second year (if there is a second year) to see if they keep increasing.

If we keep winning, I'm sure sales will increase.

[SupperClub 0]

If YOU had any reading comprehension, like you say everyone else here doesn't, that is EXACTLY what I said. Sure it's normal for the first year, but you need to wait until said coach's second year (if there is a second year) to see if they keep increasing.

If we keep start winning, I'm sure sales will increase.

Fixed that for you.

[Tiger1992 999]

Face it BG, it's a slow sports week. We needed SOMETHING to slam Bama over. This seemed as good as anything else.

[BamaGrad03 0]

Face it BG, it's a slow sports week. We needed SOMETHING to slam Bama over. This seemed as good as anything else.

Man, it's been a slow sports "couple of months"

[tufftiger 0]

I wonder how long before we get the "natural gambler"hats in houndstooth. If you don't find 90,000 for a scrimage funny you prob wouldn't understand why this is funny either, fanatacism at it's finest

[Legionfield 0]

I wonder how long before we get the "natural gambler"hats in houndstooth. If you don't find 90,000 for a scrimage funny you prob wouldn't understand why this is funny either, fanatacism at it's finest

You guys are funny......

[BamaGrad03 0]

If YOU had any reading comprehension, like you say everyone else here doesn't, that is EXACTLY what I said. Sure it's normal for the first year, but you need to wait until said coach's second year (if there is a second year) to see if they keep increasing.

If we keep start winning, I'm sure sales will increase.

Fixed that for you.

Whatever dude, I have it on good authority that we won A-Day this year.

[AUmattyD 0]

If YOU had any reading comprehension, like you say everyone else here doesn't, that is EXACTLY what I said. Sure it's normal for the first year, but you need to wait until said coach's second year (if there is a second year) to see if they keep increasing.

If we keep start winning, I'm sure sales will increase.

Fixed that for you.

Whatever dude, I have it on good authority that we won A-Day this year.

I heard this nasty rumor that the A-day win was tarnished by a possible A-day loss from the other half the team. Pure speculation at this point, since no one knows what a true UAT victory looks like. After you cry wolf 183 times and proclaim everything a win, people start to get confused and can't separate the true win from the fake wins.