Fans just mad about collectibles

Looking for a sweet ride to the Big 12 or NCAA tournaments?

Brad Miller has a deal for you.

The Topekan is looking to sell his Jayhawk-mobile — a 2001 electric blue Volkswagen Beetle that has the Kansas University mascot painted on the hood, with side and tail feathers and “KU” decals. He put it up for sale on the online auction house eBay this week.

“I’ve never had so many compliments about a car in my life,” Miller said. “I drive along and get a lot of honks and thumbs-up. It sure is a darling car.”

At a starting bid of $11,995, the Hawk Bug is by far the most expensive Jayhawk-related item on eBay. But there are more than 1,000 items — ranging from belly rings to oil cans — waiting for purchase for fans wanting to bulk up their KU collections for March Madness.

“It’s crazy the stuff they have out there,” said Mark Trompeter, a gift and clothing buyer for the KU Bookstores. “People just love to buy it. We have a unique mascot.”

No bids

As of late Friday, no one had bid on Miller’s car. Miller said he expected bids to come in late — the auction ends at 9:45 p.m. Thursday.

The car, which has been driven 28,750 miles, has plenty of extras, like alloy wheels and spoiler. Miller, a retired banker and avid KU fan, bought it new in 2001 and paid a company for the decal and paint work.

Miller loves the car, but he’s found it’s not practical for him.

Brad Miller is selling his Jayhawk-mobile on eBay.

“I’m 6-foot-7,” he explained. “I can’t get people in the backseat.”

Jayhawk variety

A search for “Jayhawk” turned up nearly 1,100 hits on eBay Friday. Take away the 67 items referring to the rock band named the Jayhawks, and there are still more than 1,000 KU-related items on the site.

Among the variety of items:

Salt and pepper shakers.
A bird house.
A bowling ball.
A trailer hitch cover.

A search for “Missouri Tiger” resulted in 295 hits. “Nebraska Cornhusker” turned up 506 items. “Kansas State Wildcat” had just 22 hits.

Tom Christie is well aware of the variety of KU merchandise and collectibles out there. Many of them are in his Jayhawk Room.

Christie dedicated the basement room to his alma mater — he has three degrees from KU — about four years ago. It’s a crimson and blue haven that includes dozens, if not hundreds, of KU collectibles.

Tom Christie, director of educational programming and curriculum for Lawrence public schools, has dedicated a whole room in his house to Jayhawk collectibles, including everything from banners and basketballs to autographs, dolls and a Jayhawk quilt.

“It’s pretty eclectic,” said Christie, director of educational programming and curriculum for Lawrence public schools. “I have as much KU stuff as I can get my hands on.”

The room includes banners from the 1994 Big 8 Tournament, the last year before the conference became the Big 12, and the 2004 Final Four in New Orleans; dozens of autographs, including Roy Williams, Danny Manning and Darnell Valentine; a Jayhawk version of the traditional “rubber ducky”; and a quilt made out of old KU T-shirts.

He figures, in some small way, the room must be helping the Jayhawks.

“There’s got to be some good mojo flowing from here,” he said.

Christie’s preferred method of acquiring KU merchandise isn’t eBay. It’s more varied than that.

For instance, he had to ask a hotel desk clerk four or five times for the New Orleans Final Four banner.

“I was pretty pesky,” he said.

Tom Christie, a public school administrator, has a whole room dedicated to his KU memorabilia collection.

New items

Paul Vander Tuig, licensing administrator for KU, estimates there are 1,200 to 1,500 items officially licensed by the university. KU earns an 8 percent commission on every officially licensed item sold.

Among the newer items KU has approved trademarks for:

A cell phone antenna-topper featuring a Jayhawk.
A tape measure, again with a Jayhawk.
An engraving of a Jayhawk in concrete, for people wanting to show their school spirit on their sidewalks or patios.
A 3-dimensional Jayhawk to be etched on glass or crystal.

“You kind of think you’ve seen it all,” Vander Tuig said, “and somebody comes in wanting to explore technology or look at some other item you wouldn’t necessarily think of.”

And sometimes, something as simple as a date opens up a new market for Jayhawk merchandise.

Trompeter, from the KU Bookstore, said collectibles featuring the 50th anniversary of Allen Fieldhouse, celebrated March 3, have been hot sellers recently.

“It’s one of those things, down the line, they’ll stop producing them,” he said. “Then they’ll become a collectible, and you’ll start seeing them down the road in antique shops and garage sales.”