Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
A lot of people have hit Rock Bottom.
They've also hit The Butterfly, Mr. Steve's and Colortyme.
In light of Sunday's big event, television sales and rentals are way up all over town.
Super Bowl Sunday "is usually a time to motivate people" to buy new TVs, according to Steve Sahagun, co-owner of The Butterfly on West Market Street in Warsaw.
"A lot of people buy big screens this time of year," Sahagun said. While the Super Bowl draws some people in, Sahagun said that some people just get tired of being shut in because of the weather and opt to buy a new TV to keep them entertained.
Mark Jones of Rock Bottom Warehouse on Ind. 15 in Warsaw estimates the store is selling one to two big screen televisions a day and has rented several to organizations planning Super Bowl parties. A "big screen" is defined as any television with a screen of 31 inches or larger.
"It happens every year," Jones said of the sales increase. He added that the biggest seller seems to be the 52-inch screen. "The 46-inch isn't that big of a big screen anymore," he said.
With an average price of $1,600, Jones said many customers are taking advantage of the store's 12 months "same as cash" program, which allows time to pay for the television without interest. Rock Bottom carries tube-style televisions with up to 36-inch screens, as well as 46-, 48-, 52- and 60-inch big screens.
Most businesses that carry big screens offer same-day delivery and set-up, and Sahagun said that if 25 people come in today and want televisions, he'd have them all set up in time for the big game. The Butterfly also rents big-screen televisions.
Rental companies such as Colortyme Rent-To-Own, Lake City Highway, Warsaw, have also seen a slight increase. However, manager Jason Bogart said he expects to see a jump in rentals today. "It's kind of a last-minute thing," he said.
While big screens usually require a 30-day minimum rental period at $34.99 per week, Bogart said the store will consider a lesser time commitment if someone is looking for a television just to watch the Super Bowl.
Unfortunately, not everyone is benefiting from the Super Bowl craze.
"Everybody's looking for the big screen and we don't have it," said Pat Jones of Mr. Steve's Rent to Own on Frontage Road in Warsaw. The store has seen an overall increase in television rentals recently, but carries only up to 31-inch sets. Rental fees begin at $7.99 per week.
Many places in town still have rentals, and there's plenty of time to get a new set in place: Kickoff is at 6:18 p.m. Sunday and, for those who don't already know, the Green Bay Packers and the New England Patriots are going head to head in the biggest game of the season. The game is being broadcast from New Orleans on the Fox network.
