CHAMPS!
University Daily Kansan/April 8, 1988
11B
Busy retailers hawk 'Hawk wares to fans
By Stacy Foster
Kansan staff writer
People in Lawrence can't seem to get enough of the Jayhawks. They are buying up Jayhawk memorabilia as fast as stores can get it unpacked.
Tom Wilkerson, owner of Jayhawk Spirit Balfour House, 935 Massachusetts St., said that after the championship game, people were buying shirts until 3:30 a.m. Tuesday.
"It was by far the biggest day I can remember," Wilkerson said. "There were still people around then, but we had to close. We stayed on Tuesday until 9 p.m. Everybody has been working overtime."
Wilkerson said that he did not know how long the demand would last but that new Jayhawk championship items were coming in every day. He expects the store to have pennants,umper stickers, buttons, stickers and commemorative cards for the Jayhawks and the national championship.
"We're unpacking a shirt with Danny Manning slam dunking the basketball, and it says national
champions." Wilkerson said.
Wednesday morning, people swarmed into the Kansas Union Bookstore for national champion shirts, sweatshirts and ball caps.
Donna Weigel, merchandise clerk at the bookstore, said Wednesday that other souvenirs, such as penny coins, were expected to arrive any day.
"Everybody stands around to see what is coming out next," Weigel said.
Bridget Jones, office assistant in textbooks, said she was helping out where she could.
Jones said the most popular shirt had the saying. "The hawks spread their wings as the fat lady sings." Another popular shirt has orange puff-prints of basketball with the scores of the Jayhawks' tournament victories.
People were waiting outside the Jayhawk Bookstore, 1420 Cresent Rd., when the doors opened at 8 a.m. Wednesday.
Elizabeth Hinkle, sales clerk at the Jayhawk Bookstore, said shirts and sweatshirts with new designs arrived
every day.
Fan packs, complete with buttons and pennants, were expected to arrive Wednesday with the United Parcel Service delivery. The packs also had coffee mugs and ceramic beer steins with the season and tournament scores embosed on the side.
People from all parts of the country came to Kansas to jump on the Javhawk bandwagon.
One man, Kevin Kelly, Fort Wayne, Ind., set up a stand in front of the Kwik Shop at Ninth and Indiana streets to sell T-shirts, sweatshirts and ball caps.
Kelly works for Dynamic Productions of Fort Wayne and started selling Jayhawk clothing in Lawrence on Wednesday afternoon.
Kelly said he sold about 15 shirts in the first 15 minutes he was open.
"I didn't even get set up, and people were coming up and wanting shirts," he said.
Kelly also had been in the Kansas City area over the weekend selling at hotels. He said he would sell shirts at his stand for about two weeks.
Gary Moore, left, an employee of Launay Enterprises, sells NCAA Final Four souvenirs to Jeff Bowles Colorado Springs, Co., senior, and Michael States, St. Louis senior.
Ruth Jacobson/KANSAN to Jeff Bowles
CONGRATULATIONS! To the KU Basketball Team
You have made Lawrence Proud!
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