2012 Clubhouse Sale (November 30-December 1)

[hawing]

Let's use this thread for information and questions about the Brewers' 2012 clubhouse sale, since the Off Topic forum gets a little more traffic than the Trading Post.

 

Bernie Brewer has tweeted to several fans this year's dates: Friday, November 30 and Saturday, December 1. More details will probably be available by this time next week.

 

It's pretty much my Black Friday (Blue Friday?), just without the getting up at dawn (or staying up super late) and throwing elbows.

[hawing]

Or maybe details will be available on November 20: Press Release

 

Interesting twist:

Every 25th customer to make a purchase during the Clubhouse Sale will receive a free authenticated champagne bottle from a 2011 Brewers Postseason celebration (one per customer while supplies last).

[Baldkin]

It's pretty much my Black Friday (Blue Friday?), just without the getting up at dawn (or staying up super late) and throwing elbows.

 

I saw you go after that game-worn Sharpie jersey....

[trwi7]

It's pretty much my Black Friday (Blue Friday?), just without the getting up at dawn (or staying up super late) and throwing elbows.

 

I saw you go after that game-worn Sharpie jersey....

 

To be fair, she sent a relish tray as an apology.

[hawing]

I suppose there are worse components to one's bf.net legacy than a relish tray. Actually, when I think back on some of the dudes we've banned from these parts, there are definitely worse components.

 

Anyhoo, the John and Cait blog tonight posted its annual sale preview.

[chadomac]

Attended my first clubhouse sale yesterday. Based on the line I waited in I'm guessing they were letting people in before the 5pm time they put on my voucher to get in early.

 

I guess I should've expected it, but the service level of the building sure does smell like sweat! Anyone get any great deals they'd like to share?

[Patrick425]

I think I'd be more apt to go if they held it some place like the exhibit hall at State Fair Park. I understand the uniqueness of having it in the clubhouse, but I have absolutely no tolerance for big crowds in small places. Last time I went (2 or 3 years ago), all I could think of is how fast I wanted to get out of there. I'd see something a few racks away that I wanted to check out, but there was no easy way to get there, so I just didn't. I basically just took the path of least resistance through the clubhouse.

[chadomac]

Yeah - it was crowded and annoying. Probably won't go back myself. I almost didn't buy anything, I just wanted to check it out because it was in the clubhouse.

[hawing]

We're on our way as I post this, and zachlaka passed us near Lake Mills...so see you soon, Zach, I guess. :-)

[panthernick]

The Brewers FINALLY got realistic with game used items. Bought a gamer Rogers jersey for 100. Got some miscellaneous tshirts and hats for around 10 each. Was very happy with the prices this year over previous years.

[Bikeage77]

I usually look at the bats and game worn hats, but I was in a hurry and didn't have the budget I usually have there so I didn't even go look at the game used stuff much so I wasn't tempted. I saw a KRod gamer for 200 looking through the jerseys though. I woulda probably gone for a Morgan jersey, but I think they'll hold off on those a bit, or what they had was gone by the time I got there at 4:45 last night.

 

Grabbed a fitted black/white ball and glove hat, and a womens short brimmed hat for my wife.

 

On the way out I saw they had the authentic numbers and letters, so for 5 bucks plus the pressing cost (he said 10-20) I will be turning my blank BP jersey into an Aoki one.

 

Will any of you be hanging up the Bill Hall stadium banner from the side of your home? They had him, Kendall, Counsell, and a few other ones.

 

Anyone come up with anything they'd like to share?

[Vgmastr]

I was lucky enough to be the 575th person to checkout, so I got a champagne bottle. That was worth the trip alone. I thought the clothes selections were much better than in previous years. As someone who loves the 90s uniforms, I got a green 90s style Braun number tee, along with another green shirt and green hat with the 90s logo on it.

[Bikeage77]

Were they handing out the bottles at the register, or could you buy them? I didn't see any on the floor when I was there last night....

[Vgmastr]

They were handing them out at the register. Every 25th person to checkout got a free one. Pretty sure that was the only way to get one. I just got lucky, which I'm usually not.

[hawing]

I'm glad someone from Brewerfan scored a champagne bottle.

 

We arrived at the clubhouse shortly before noon, as is our usual M.O. It was crowded in the sense that you might have to wait a moment to view all sides of a clothing rack, but it wasn't crowded enough to overwhelm me. There were no lines for entering or checking out.

 

The biggest ticket item I had in mind was a 2011 jersey, and I found a George Kottaras navy that fit the bill. It also has the Gary Vanden Berg memorial patch, which means it was in use during the NLCS. That was $200. Bigger names were predictably more expensive (I think I saw $700 for a gray Hoffman). There were gamer jerseys as "low" as $100 (navy '11 Stetter, retro Dillard). There were a bunch of replica Greinke jerseys for either $75 or $50 - I didn't pay much attention to those, so I don't remember.

Bikeage77, there was a white Morgan jersey at noon today, also with the GV patch, for $275.

 

$5 shirseys were plentiful. If you want to belatedly and inexpensively rep Marcum, Veras, Ishikawa, Loe, Parra, Gonzalez, Greinke or Braddock, is this ever the sale for you. With most of those names you could outfit your whole adult-sized family. There were also some K-Rod and Morgan shirseys, and an odd (to me) camoflage T-Plush shirsey. I imagine I picked up a Parra shirsey just as he was being non-tendered. I also like to think I balanced out the diminished relevance of the Parra shirt with a Narveson (as long as he doesn't change uniform numbers). For fans who are either in long-term denial or insist on being extra hipster, there were still some Fielder shirseys.

 

I thought the selection of non-player Brewers tops (t-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, etc.) was broader than usual, though as in past years it really helps if you wear size S, M, or XXL. Still, I found items for myself, the SO, and most of the adult relatives for whom we're getting Christmas gifts.

 

I also thought the cap selection was relatively good. No black lace stripper caps - though there were some bizarrely ugly purses that would probably go with the black lace stripper caps - and several styles I would wear, were I more in the market for yet another cap.

 

There were only two game-used bats when we arrived, and I didn't look them over. The locker nameplates were pretty picked over, though there were a handful with the 90s-style Motre Bame logo, and even more with a Coca-Cola ad I remember from about the mid-90s at County Stadium. From the latter I scored a Cal Eldred (who I thought was dreamy, for a ballplayer at least, when he was a Brewer) and a David Hulse (my lone Brewers birthday buddy to date).

 

There was strange signage from the stadium - think advertising for Father's Day gifts or the "dress your dog in Brewers gear" contest. There were also large banners that in the early years of MP would have hung in the club concourse or some such. I laughed at the Doug Davis banner because he was pictured holding a bat. Why on earth would you do that with a pitcher? I really thought about digging in the banner pile for the $50 5' x 6' Russell Branyan, but I'll get more use out of the GK jersey.

 

Hilariously sad "overheard at the clubhouse sale" quote:

Shopper Woman 1 (said to Shopper Woman 2): "What number is Braun's?"

Shopper Woman 2 shrugs - despite the fact that Shopper Woman 1 is holding in her hand a BRAUN 8 shirsey, with the 8 facing both me and SW 2.

Hawing: "Ryan wears number 8, like it says on the shirt you have there."

Shopper Woman 1 responded with a wry smile, because I was so polite in pointing out the glaringly obvious.

 

Then they asked me, while holding up 8x10 photos of Alex Gonzalez and K-Rod: "Are these guys still on the team?" I said the chances were slim and none. Oh well. At least they didn't go on to pretend that they knew anything about the Brewers.

 

I'm really not a major shopper, but the clubhouse sale is one of less-than-a-handful of exceptions I make every year - so I enjoyed myself today.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

When I was checking out one of the women cashiers was saying how disappointed she was that she didn't get a Kottaras jersey. She said she had to checkout someone with the jersey and she was envious of it. Probably was you hawing.

[Bikeage77]

When I was checking out one of the women cashiers was saying how disappointed she was that she didn't get a Kottaras jersey. She said she had to checkout someone with the jersey and she was envious of it. Probably was you hawing.

 

@Hawing: BOOM!!!!

[hawing]

Oh, yeah, that was the person who checked me out. She was pretty vocal throughout my transaction about having missed out on it - not hostile, but she didn't stop talking about it. Then she kept saying things like "but it would have cost me all the money I'm earning working at this sale anyway." Since I was also buying items for kalle8 at this sale, my checkout total was the highest sum I've ever spent at this thing - so the checker probably thinks I'm not only the robber of her Kottaras jersey, but in the 1% to boot. (Not the case.)

 

What time did you check out, BSC? I'm wondering how long she was still emoting about it. We left the service level at 1:15.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

7:20 pm

[hawing]

Six hours seems like a while to be holding on to that disappointment.

[Bikeage77]

I'm still kicking myself for not getting an Auerbach #19 jersey from On Deck 5 or 6 years ago for 20 bucks....

[madgrad]

By the time we re-visited the sale (my first, my wife's second run) the jersey numbers were down to a buck a piece. They also had $1 sunflower seeds, but to my dismay, they werent game used ;( My wife got one of those "lace stripper caps," hopefully will be put to good use. They had an abundance of Sausage vinyl figures...they didn't sell them at $10 a pop during the season, so why would they think they'd sell at that price in the sale? Seriously, they had 2-300 of each. Would've picked up two sets for the kids, but dropping $100 on vinyl figures is absurd! I only spend that kind of cash on bobbles They also had a few champagne bottles left for $10-20, but I don't see the allure of these items. Full, maybe, but empty you're really only paying for the MLB authentic sticker. Overall a good assortment of clothes and the banners were unique (although outdated.)

[pepsimax23]

anybody see the "dollar discount" table? we came upon this on saturday morning. this must be part of it where they are dumping "slightly damaged" or "major damaged" stuff. there was a "BIACHI" jersey i picked up for a dollar. it was missing the "N". i dont intend to wear it but i thought that was hilarious. many other things damaged by adhesive, broken forever mini bobbles,

 

maybe i got there too late when others might have had more interesting items cherrypicked. i know i wanted one of those "bernie mascot caps" i'd seen 6-10 ppl got into those. other things i saw passed around i didnt get: backpacks, pelouches, blankets. holler for a dollar. i got a dog jersey and i dont have a dog. so that will go to good use.