Chiefs, Royals fans find ways to celebrate the success of teams on a tight budget

LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs are undefeated and the Royals are in the playoffs.

Both teams will play on Monday at the same time, which aroused the enthusiasm of the fans.

“It’s great to be part of the community of these winning teams now – it’s really exciting,” said Sarah Oliva, owner of Wild Child Upscale Children’s Resale.

Charlie Keegan

Its stores in Lee’s Summit and Liberty are offering buy-one-get-one-free deals on Royals gear this weekend to help fans prepare for the playoffs against the Yankees, which begin Saturday.

Wild Child buys gently used clothing. It will give sellers a 25% bonus if they decide to spend money in the store. This is Sarah Ramirez’s strategy.

“It’s great because we get store credit here so we can shop again,” Ramirez said. “And you don’t actually spend the money, so it’s free money. “It doesn’t count.”

Charlie Keegan

Not everything sold at Wild Child is used. Oliva designs his own Chiefs and Royals jerseys.

“We really try to keep our prices lower than anywhere else in town,” Oliva said. “Our prices are really affordable. I would say 20-30 percent lower than competitive prices.”

Other fans break the bank to see their teams play in person.

Ascendis Travel said Royals fans have been calling looking for flights and hotels in New York for the first two games of the season.

“When I looked at the prices, airfares start at around $700 and can easily go up to $1,100, depending on the flight,” said Brent Blake, president of Ascendis Travel. “And so hotel prices start from $200 to $250. So there is a lot of free space. You just have to be willing to pay that price.”

Tim Hellhake

No matter the budget, fans know how to show their support.

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KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics in Kansas, Missouri and at the local level. Share your story idea with Charlie.