’Tis better to purchase than to receive?
By Dionne Searcey
Staff Reporter
The University of Nebraska-Lin
coln’s spring graduates may have a
hard time holding on to extra cash if
they take advantage of loan plans
designed for them at local businesses.
Recent graduates tend to “pop in”
to local car dealerships and check out
the merchandise, said Bruce Greger
son, sales manager at Dean Bros.
Lincoln, Mercury.
And if new grads can show their
diploma and proof of employment,
they can look into special finance
plans, Gregerson said.
Ford offers finance programs that
could give the qualifying graduate a
$400 rebate or 120 days of deferred
payment on a new car.
Patrick Combs, general sales
manager at Rhoden Nissan/Volvo, said
Nissan offers a similar 90-day de
ferred payment program or special
prices on new cars.
He said college graduates like to
start careers with new cars.
Gregerson agreed and said most
grads won’t settle for their undepend
able used cars that barely lasted through
college.
“Graduates are starting out on a
new job and need reliable transporta
tion,” he said. “They have a load of
things to worry about. They have to
relocate. They don’t need headaches.”
New grads like sporty, two-doored
cars, Gregerson said, and tend to pay
about $10,000 for a new one.
But if graduates can’t stretch their
money far enough to make a major
purchase, they can invest in jewelry.
Watches are popular items that
grads reward themselves with, said
Todd White, assistant manager at
Brodkey’s.
And the new grad can buy a $200
gold chain or diamond ring as a re
minder of past college achievements,
White said.
“Graduation is once in a lifetime.
Graduates want something that will
be around 40 years from now,” he
said. “A diamond lasts a lifetime—
It’s the most durable and most pre
cious stone. It’s a symbol of a gradu
ate’s new-found status.”
White said grads also treat them
selves to popular stones such as sap
phires, topaz and rubies because of
their durability.
Along the more practical lines,
some recent graduates check into
buying a stereo system, Jim Krysl,
manager of Stereo West, said.
Graduates tend to buy entire stereo
systems, he said, ranging in price
from $2,000 to $3,000.
Tradition lasts in hard times
By Wendy Navratil
Staff Reporter
Despite the recession, tradition
continues to prevail over cost in
dictating the selection of gifts for
graduates, according to Lincoln
businesses.
“I don’t think the economy has
affected (gift-buying) at all,” said
R.J. Lucas, assistant manager of
Gateway Sartor Hamann.Most re
tailers as well as the CRC Com
puter Center in the Nebraska Un
ion agreed that this May’s gradu
ates would fare as well as past
graduates in terms of the gifts they
received.
Pen sets, small ornamental
clocks, gold chains for both men
and women and strings of pearls
were among the items Lucas said
were being purchased by parents
and friends of May graduates.
‘‘Watches are probably our best
seller — they’re very traditional;
and a lot of times colored stone
jewelry is a big seller. A lot of
(graduates) don’t go with ‘class
rings,”’ Lucas said.
A newer tradition in graduate
gift-buying may be forming in the
purchase of computers for gradu
ates.
Becky Kalinski, manager of the
CRC shop, said sales of both IBM
and Macintosh computers increase
at this time of year.
“Our biggest time is the end of
April, first of May. We get a lot of
phone calls from parents who say
they’ll be coming in with their
students,” she said.
CRC can sell computers only to
faculty members, degree-seeking
students and staff members of the
university, Kalinski said. For this
reason, parents wishing to purchase
a computer for their son or daugh
ter must bring the student and his
or her valid university identifica
tion card with them when they go
to the shop.
“People are looking to spend
from about $1,000 to $2,000. That’s
what they (IBM and Macintosh)
are trying to get the prices down to.
Because all the prices are drop
ping, we’ve seen increased sales,”
Kalinski said.
If tradition holds, however, many
parents and students will opt to do
their graduate gift-buying at the
bookstores rather than spending
hundreds or thousands of dollars
on a gift.
Karen Manning, a University
Bookstore sales clerk, said that it
was still loo early to tell what stu
dents would buy their iriends for
graduation.
“Students are still worrying about
their homework and finals,” Man
ning said. “But usually, little tiny
figurines, cards and stuffed ani
mals do well. Russell Stover can
dies also usually go well.”
Jan Roth, floor supervisor of the
gift department at Nebraska Book
store, said any type of memora
bilia, as well as gag-type gifts and
mugs, were popular gifts for gradu
ates.
Melody Audc, supervisor of the
Big Red department at Nebraska
Bookstore, said parents and stu
dents were buying everything from
glassware sets and class rings to
boxer shorts and T-shirts.
“It surprises me... parents have
been coming in and saying their
child hasn’t ever gotten a sweat
shirt or T-shirt, so they have to get
them now, before they graduate.”
♦Any graduate will receive 1/2 price off lunch or dinner.
♦Accepting reservations for graduation parties.
♦Full menu at affordable prices.
♦The Jimmy Mack Show, live music from the 50's & 60's.
♦Dancing under the stars in our beer garden.
I 71RTC/IRVED
\ CLASS RINGS
Doth miss this
opportunity to pet
ArtCarved style and
quality at an unheal- Deposit $25.00
able price’
Thru Graduation
at University Bookstore
University Bookstore,
April 25th and 26th. 1991 9:00A.M.- 3:00P.M. Nebraska Union
£•» Time **r /OP,
C i»hm un.,,41U.. «,■■«>_ Depot.! Oequ'fd —
'* ATCHLEY ’' "
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