Business

Sports memorabilia seller to open warehouse for special sale

Posted November 17, 2009 10:00 pm

By Kim Mikus

Bill Gausselin, foreground, and Marty Faierstain, are the founders of SportsLine Distributors that started 20 years ago from their small Buffalo Grove apartment. George LeClaire | Staff Photographer

A growing Buffalo Grove business is behind dozens of grocery store displays stocked with Chicago sports memorabilia - from Cubs key chains to miniature Bears helmets.

SportsLine Distributors sets up displays in a variety of stores, including Jewel, Dominick's, 7-11 and Walgreens, selling licensed team merchandise from various distributors.

The strategy has been a winning formula for 20 years for company founders Marty Faierstain and Bill Gausselin, stocking stores across the country with the professional team products of that region.

Yet, the owners say that a common concern from area residents is how they can more easily find licensed sports paraphernalia for teams other than those based in Chicago. While there are fans for teams like the Yankees and Cardinals locally, it doesn't make economic sense for a local store display to carry all teams.

So, this year, SportsLine is opening its 40,000-square-foot warehouse to the public for the first time, hosting a huge sale beginning on Black Friday, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season.

"The sale is mainly for the transplanted sports fans who can't find the merchandise they're looking for," Gausselin said.

The warehouse contains thousands of items from MLB and NFL teams, as well as from teams in the NHL, NBA and NCAA, he said. Prices will be marked 75 percent off retail costs, he said.

Gausselin said they expect to draw close to 1,000 shoppers over the two-day sale running from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28. Shoppers will find an array of merchandise including aluminum drink bottles with team logos selling for $12 instead of $19.99 and grill covers with a $15 price tag instead of $25, the owners said.

This will be the first chance for customers to see the company's huge inventory. Working with nearly 40 distributors, the company has become a leader and recognized distributor of collectibles and sports products.

The company, with more than $15 million in annual sales and 55 employees, started very small. The founders, 24-year-old roommates at the time, launched the business selling video games from the kitchen table of their small Buffalo Grove apartment.

"We basically had nothing, except our willingness to do whatever it took to get our business off the ground," said Faierstain, 44, a graduate of Glenbrook North High School. "Bill and I sat in that apartment all day and made phone calls to video stores throughout the country," he recalls.

Determination, drive and the ability to foresee hot trends turned the tiny venture into a multimillion dollar company.

When the men saw video sales softening, they added trading cards to their mix and then got into bobbleheads.

"Marty and I were lucky. We were intuitive. We were able to spot new industry trends in advance and locate the products that supported them," said Gausselin, 43, a graduate of Evanston Township High School. "Bobblehead dolls are a prime example of knowing what would become a top selling product and being able to capitalize on it. During the height of the 'bobblehead mania' we were a major distributor, selling thousands of them each week. We were having a great time," said Gausselin, an avid Cubs fan.

Bringing the merchandise into stores and providing display racks to each retailer is the focus of the business now. The owners, each raising families in Northfield, also take the effort to show retailers how the products should be displayed.

The men say they haven't really changed much since working at the kitchen table.

"Our goals and priorities have always remained the same - have fun, provide quality products, be good to our employees and help our customers grow. That's what it's all about," Faierstain said.

Employees at SportsLine Distributors are preparing for two-day warehouse sale that will offer licensed sports merchandise from teams across the country. The company normally sells its products through displays at stories like Jewel and Walgreens. George LeClaire | Staff Photographer

SportsLine Distributors offers licensed sports memorabilia at grocery stores and convenience stores throughout the area. Photo provided by Mobin Ahmed with SportsLine

Black Friday sports sale What: SportsLine Distributors hosts warehouse sale When: 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28 Where: 40,000 square-foot warehouse at 1600 Leider Lane, Buffalo Grove Expect to find: Items from many MLB, NFL teams and select teams from the NHL, NBA and NCAA Prices: Up to 75 percent off retail costs with the store paying sales tax Web site: <a href="http://sportslinewarehousesale.com" target="new">sportslinewarehousesale.com</a>

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