View images of fans and the items that they each bought at Vikings legendary Head Coach Bud Grant's annual garage sale.
Tyler Board | St. Paul, MN - "I had to buy the football with his autograph, and then I added some 'regular garage-sale stuff,' too."
Sam Howell | Minneapolis - "This is a bulldog that I won at the State Fair, but I had to have Bud sign it. It's for the wife of a friend of mine. She can't be here. She's going to be squeezing this during pivotal points of games this season, and hopefully that will relieve some stress."
Sam Becker | Eau Claire, WI - "I thought it was really cool, and I already know a spot where it will fit – right above my dresser where all my Vikings stuff is."
Randy and Lola Rieke | New Ulm, MN - "This is the first trip to Bud's sale, but we've been season ticket holders for about 40 years. We watch The American Pickers on the History Channel, and they always go for stuff like this. We got a signed football, too. We're happy just to see Bud … we really do love him."
![Paula Wilson | Excelsior, MN - "I grew up going to training camp, so I actually came to get a couple pictures [signed] of my brother getting Bud's autograph at those training camps. And then I picked up a few things along the way."](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album_2x/t_lazy/f_auto/vikings/mtqheohfn7naxzbqdvnj.jpg)
Paula Wilson | Excelsior, MN - "I grew up going to training camp, so I actually came to get a couple pictures [signed] of my brother getting Bud's autograph at those training camps. And then I picked up a few things along the way."
![Noah Carlson | Rushford, MN - "I got this purple Vikings jacket because I'm [such a big fan], and I got this pole because I love fishing. I really liked it because it looks old, and my grandpa had one of these."](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album_2x/t_lazy/f_auto/vikings/ohs2sjwwty5cbf8nmzww.jpg)
Noah Carlson | Rushford, MN - "I got this purple Vikings jacket because I'm [such a big fan], and I got this pole because I love fishing. I really liked it because it looks old, and my grandpa had one of these."
Dan Sawyer | Owatonna, MN - "I got him to add the 'HOF' to my football, because it was originally signed by him before he was inducted. And then this print just kept catching my eye, so I'm hoping to combine some pictures with this print."
Mitch Elvebak | Waconia, MN - "I collect Tonka toys; it's kind of a passion of mine. Minnesota memorabilia is a passion of mine, so I like Tonka toys and old Vikings stuff, and I thought this would be a perfect combination. I'm going to donate this to the Tonka Toy museum in Mound; I think it will look super cool there."
Cheri Kline, George Kline, Jenna Kline and Chris Winter | Elk River and St. Cloud - "I got one of Bud's bobbleheads last year, and I collect them. This one looks like an older one from maybe the 1960s, and I was impressed when I saw it."
Brandon Rustad | Rushford, MN - "This jacket is perfect for a wet football game, and I'm going to be the talk of the bar when I walk in wearing Bud Grant's flannel shirt."
Alex Kirby | Indianapolis - "My girlfriend actually works for the Parks Department in Indiana, and she wanted to see if they had any outdoorsy stuff – so I had to get a Vikings duck for her."
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. –It's essentially unheard of to see a "FREE" box at Bud Grant's garage sale, but fans Friday evening could walk away with a memento from the legendary coach's residence without spending a cent.
Or should I say, scent?
Plenty of unique items make their way onto tables at Grant's garage sale each spring. The unique item that most drew my attention this year, however, was a cardboard box filled with travel-sized shampoo bottles and individually wrapped bars of soap.
A humorous, handwritten sign marked the box with ideas for the soap.
Asked about the fragrant – and free – assortment, Grant offered his explanation nonchalantly.
"Every time you travel, you go to a hotel and they have the free soap. Well, I usually have my own soap, so when I left I would take the soaps that were in the hotel, the free little bars, and I'd put them in my bag. I'd get home, and I'd put them in another bag," Grant said. "There's probably 30 years of hotel soaps in that bag.
"It still smells good, and it probably still is good, so that's how I acquired them," he added. "I finally decided, it's time to get rid of them. If anybody's interested in soap."
But customers are less concerned about garage-sale prices and more about owning a piece of Vikings history, snapping their photo with the Hall of Fame coach and receiving an autograph – for 25 dollars, of course.
While Grant normally can be found wearing a camouflage or Vikings-themed baseball cap, he appeared to have dressed up for the occasion Wednesday in a black top hat.
"Well I had to wear a hat. I went to walk to out the door, and it was sitting there, so I put it on. It's a celebration hat," Grant said. "I'll be back in natural attire [Thursday]."
Families and individuals travel from all over to shake Grant's hand, including Alex Kirby, who flew in from Indianapolis. Kirby said he had hoped to make it to last year's sale, which was initially labeled "the final sale" by Grant, and couldn't pass up the opportunity when he saw the event recently advertised.
Kirby admitted that he's not specifically a Vikings fan but is a fan of Grant and the legacy he's left on the NFL.
"A guy who's that successful for that long, there's something there. And he did it the right way. You don't ever hear anybody say anything negative about him," Kirby said. "He coached against Bill Walsh, [Vince] Lombardi, Tom Landry, all of them. I just enjoy the game and enjoy reading about the history of the game. And obviously Bud's a huge part of the history of the game."
So will this be the year Grant's final sale? Well, we may never really know.
"You have to remember that I haven't drawn a paycheck in 30 years," Grant quipped with just the hint of a grin. "So I've got to make a living in some way."
