WIMBLEDON’S gift stores have flogged two giant tennis racquets for £600 each — after shops got into a race to sell them first.
The four-and-a-half-foot bit of sports gear has drawn the attention of thousands of punters since the start of last week.
Selling the prop, which is more than three-and-a-half foot tall, has become one of the toughest challenges for temporary workers in SW19’s merchandise stores.
It even sparked a race between three of the gift shops, in the club’s museum, Centre Court and Court No1, to be the first to get rid of one this year.
It is understood that a Canadian couple bought one of the mega-racquets last week and are in the process of trying to get it back across the pond.
Another was sold over the weekend at full price.
The racquets, a replica of Babolat’s official tournament model, are very fragile and can’t be used on court.
They have a light metal frame and use actual string instead of carbon fibre or nylon, making it impossible to hit with.
One worker told The Sun: “We have some very good salespeople, but this has proven difficult to shift so far.
“Every year, we have a race to see who can get rid of it first. It’s a decoration, and for the right person, it is probably worth the money.
“A lot of people are interested and walk by and say, ‘That’s amazing’.
“But then they see it’s £600 and that kills it pretty quickly.
“If you tried to play with it, it would just fall apart.”
Even for staff who pull off the Wolf of Wall Street-style sales pitch, do not get a bounty or any commission for any items they personally flog.
Another employee said: “We’ve spent lots of time trying to find the best spot for it.
“Nobody could really believe we had actually sold one.
“I suppose, if you have the money, and you love tennis, maybe it’s a worthwhile investment for a big house, but I wouldn’t want it in a tiny flat.”
For fans who can’t quite stretch to the £600 price tag, a tiny desk version, which is just seven inches tall, is also on sale for £20.
Read the full article here