The 2015 CU Garage Sale

Ah, the garage sale.  A biennial smorgasbord of surplus CU gear for the cost-conscious shopper.  Want the swag without the hefty price tag? Well, then here's the event for you.  Honestly, one of my top three days on the athletics calendar (1: opening day for basketball, 2:  all other basketball games, 3: the garage sale).

New for this year: a long ass line!  I showed up a good 45 minutes early, but was still behind about 50-75 people.

Somewhere near the front: @RyanKoenignberg

What's not pictured are the hundreds still behind me.  By the time the gates opened at high noon, the line stretched around the ticket line stanchions at the entrance to the plaza, south down Colorado, and out of view by the Folsom Field ticket office.  I'm lucky I arrived when I did, as were friends of the blog @CUGoose and @BupsJones,who joined me in line a little later.  Even though I wasn't among the first group to get in, there was still plenty of stuff to peruse once inside the gates.  For those farther back in line... not so much.

The garage sale - a free-for-all of grabbing - is one of the few instances that it pays to be a *cough* larger gentleman.  As athletics staffers get early access, 'normal' sizes like medium and large are almost entirely picked over before the public even gets a shot.  Happily for my XXL frame, there's still plenty around in larger sizes if you're in the first few groups in the door.  Accordingly, I scooped up a nice haul.  Maybe not as much basketball-specific stuff as previous years, but still more than worth the extended lunch break I had to take in order to get in line when I did.

Without further adieu, what I was able to score:

That's right, a damn football helmet.  You had your choice between game/practice used and replica.  I went replica, 'cause I thought it looked better.  Either way, one of these would've set you back a cool $100.  This is going in the man cave.

First up on the clothes end is this sweet weather repellant track jacket.  This is the kind of stuff the garage sale is great at.  Outdated styles, but who really cares if you're wearing 2013's jacket in 2015?  Either way, you're staying dry and reppin' CU.  The current version sells for $65 on CU's website; this one was mine for $15.

 

Another stellar garage sale pickup: last year's team polo.  What are these, usually $50-60 bucks at the store?  Today only you could get them for $10.  I'll be wearing this for years!

Always got to grab up the t-shirts.  $5 each.  I'm especially excited about the one on the right, if you couldn't guess.

Here's a nice example of Burks-era basketball shorts. According to the tag on the inside, they may or may not have belonged at one point to Trent Beckley.  At the garage sale, sometimes you have to size-up, and this is certainly a case of that.  Fine at the waist, but +4 length.  Still though, they'll make for great loungin' wear.  I can't remember the cost, but I think it was $5.

Here's some workout wear.  Or, more precisely, softball wear.  Can never get enough of this stuff, and, at $5 each, you can't beat the price.

More than top wear, the garage sale is also a great opportunity to pick up some work pants.  I got these golf shorts and pants (no logos) for $10 each.  The pants are made for someone seven-feet tall, but that's why they invented hemming.

Turtle-neck thermal?  Absolutely, for $10.  This'll be great for those October/November football games I eventually decide to attend.

I also scooped up a track jacket and polo emblazoned with '2001 Big 12 Champions.'  I assume these were for the players reunion in 2011.  I already have a version of the track jacket from the 2012 Pac-12 basketball championship, but that style of jacket is really nice, so what the hell?  The polo is just fine, and will be great on the golf course ('cause I apparently golf now?)  $10 each. (BTW, My camera was so impressed by the throwback style, that it decided on its own to use a filter. Whatever you want, dude.)

If you're keeping track, I got all those clothes for $100.  Are you kidding me?!  Bargains galore!  But even on top of that, there's more.  At the checkout line, they had the usual cavalcade of media guides for free (if you wanted it, you could get the '93-'94 women's hoops guide).  Going further, there were some other surprises in the freebie bin:

I ended up grabbing four 1990 football media guides for eventual gifts, a '94 football guide for me, and... is that what I think it is?  Yes, BOTH the 2001 Big XII champions video and the 62-36 commemorative film on VHS.  VHS!  HAHA, you just can't beat the hilarity that will ensue at the next white elephant party I'm invited to.

All told, I spent $200 today.  A lot, but if you take out the cost of the football helmet, I made out like a bandit.  I can't wait for 2017 when I get to go around again!