Rookie sports jerseys hot items this season
A pair of Chicago rookie athletes are making their way to the top of many children's holiday wish lists.
Sports stores are having a tough time keeping the jerseys of Chicago Bears Matt Forte and Bulls Derrick Rose in stock. And parents are finding it difficult to nail down the jerseys of the superstar rookies.
"The Forte jerseys sell fast. We're sold out," said Jim Strachan, a manager at Dick's Sporting Goods in Schaumburg.
Retailers throughout the suburbs are seeing brisk sales of the top players' shirts and are awaiting more merchandise. The youth size jerseys, averaging $55, are in greatest demand and are the hardest for shoppers to find.
"I have 72 red Rose jerseys coming in this week. I was able to pounce on one more shipment before the holidays," said Jon Rubenstein, owner of Campus Colors retail stores. He has waiting lists for the coveted jerseys at his Deer Park and Highland Park stores.
Which player is in greater demand?
"That's a tough call. They're on the same level," Rubenstein says with a laugh.
Ray Lansing, owner of Sports Fanatic stores in Palatine and West Dundee, says Forte is a hotter seller. He receives about 50 calls a week from parents requesting the running back's jersey. That number will increase as the holidays approach.
Leaning says he's running low on the Forte shirts and is completely out of the point guard's No. 1 jersey.
Looking back, Lansing wishes he would have ordered more Rose merchandise as soon as the No. 1 draft pick went to the Bulls. Now that the demand is so high for the young athlete, he can't get it in his stores.
Adidas, the official supplier of the NBA, is making the shirts as quickly as they receive orders from retailers. But it takes time to catch up when a player gets hot.
Keeping up with demand can be tricky, said Larry Weindruch, director of Communiations for the National Sporting Goods Association in Mount Prospect. The retailer doesn't want to be stuck with excess stock if a player is traded or injured and loses fan appeal.
This could be even more relevant this season as retailers are suffering with the economy and selling less inventory.
"But I kind of think Derrick Rose would have some shelf life," Weindruch said.
Retailers may have been caught by surprise at how fast the popularity for the rookies grew.
And they know demand can change almost overnight. Just look at Devin Hester, who saw explosive numbers both on the field and at the cash register last season. "Now I can't get rid of my Hester stuff," Lansing said.
Demand for top players is always changing.
"Right now, Rose and Forte are the hot spots in Chicago sports," Rubenstein said.