CollegiateLuggage.com: Where complex financial issues are dealt with in five paragraphs or less.

This May the U.S. Government will begin sending out $600 Economic Stimulus Rebate checks (or $300, depending on the circumstance) to taxpayers everywhere in our Nation. From extensive reading and interviews we have been able to determine that "The rebate that will be sent out in May 2008 is a credit to the taxes you'll owe on 2008 income, but it is a new credit, so you don't have to 'pay it back'." In other words, this $600 is an "advance" on a new credit that will be presented on 2008 tax returns when you are filing your taxes in 2009 for the fiscal year 2008. Got that?

Setting aside the warm, fuzzy "Pay it forward" nature of this rebate, we citizens have been given the fiduciary responsibility of spending these monies in such a way as to do the most good for ourselves and our Great Nation. Rather than just letting the money burn a hole in your pocket, we at CollegiateLuggage.com strongly urge you to invest at least a portion of the rebate in Swiss Army Brand™ travel and business gear.

First of all, our products represent a good investment because they don't depreciate like most luggage items. Each item we sell comes with a Lifetime Guarantee. Second, with airlines now charging $25 per bag to check more than one piece of luggage aboard the aircraft, our WT-22 Deluxe Wheeled Bag earns back nearly 10% of the purchase price of $275 every time you travel because it carries the most stuff of any item of luggage that may be wheeled aboard domestic aircraft. None of our competitors can make this claim. Carry it with you on 6 round trip flights and it will have paid for itself!

So, when your rebate arrives, proudly convert it into Swiss Army collegiate luggage, knowing that your actions have, in a small-but-meaningful way, been helpful to yourself, your family, your community and your grateful Nation. It's what the Swiss would do.

CollegiateLuggage.com - Where every now and then we wave our own flag.

This particular post concerns the way we decorate each item of Victorinox® Swiss Army luggage before it is sent to our customers.

Each of the deluxe travel bags, backpacks, duffel bags and cases in our line is made of ballistic nylon which is a very tough but flexible fabric designed to withstand the rigors of airline travel and especially airline baggage handlers. You could say that Victorinox® has deliberately over-engineered the product in anticipation of the world of mistreatment that awaits it.

When the time comes to embroider your favorite school logo on the luggage, we use a specially designed embroidery table to hold the product in place while a computer program moves it along a pre-designated set of horizontal and vertical coordinates beneath the embroidery sewing "head". This is done while the actual embroidery head remains stationary, giving us the tightest-possible weave and the best-looking logo reproduction with no pinching or buckling of the design.

Our process of embroidering one item at a time means that your Swiss Army purchase is decorated individually, to order. By contrast, regular embroidery equipment is intended to decorate "thin" fabrics used in polo shirts, caps, sweaters or jackets, and makes use of 12-head embroidery tables to simultaneously run up to a dozen items at one time.

We use all-polyester non-reactive-dyed thread along with a special backing substrate for our embroidery so there is no pull-through, no color bleed and no color fade. Our embroidery designs are intended to last as long as the luggage items they adorn.

Take a moment to examine the close-ups of the various school logos shown on these web pages. You will see that our embroidery coverage is solid, with no gaps or loose stitches. We take enormous pride in the work we do on our luggage and on our luggage decoration. For this reason, when you carry Swiss Army's collegiate luggage products you "Carry With Confidence™".

CollegiateLuggage.com

Disaster... you've lost your bag!

Not to worry. With select Victorinox® Travel Gear by Swiss Army Brands luggage items you receive the benefit of the free Swiss Tracker™ Bag Tracking Program. With Victorinox®'s bag tracking program, we help to reunite you with your lost bag anywhere in the world for free.

Here's how the Swiss Tracker™ program works:

Each bag bears a unique tracking ID number on the bag's ID tray and a 24-hour a day, 365 days a year phone number. If someone finds your lost Victorinox® Travel Gear bag, they call our the worldwide customer service hotline number and Using your unique ID number, we will work with them to reunite you with your bag. We will notify you, arrange pickup, and then arrange for delivery of your bag -- at no cost to you!

The program is activated via a registration form in the bag.

The Swiss Tracker™ Program is available for the following travel gear products:

• Mobilizer® 24 - 30340201 / 30340203 / 30340208 models
• Deluxe Garment Mobilizer® - 30341701 /30341703 / 30341708 models
• Paratrooper - 30341801 / 30341803 / 30341808 models
• Collapsible Gear Mobilizer® - 30340401 /30340403 / 30340408 models
• Louvre 17 - 30322001 model
• Wainwright - 30321901/30323101 models
• Empire 17 - 30322101 model
• Big Ben - 30322601 model
• Parliament 17 - 30322901 model

Look for the Swiss Tracker™ Globe icon on our travel gear product pages to indicate which items offer this unique and free additional feature.

CollegiateLuggage.com: Where science is more than just a seven-letter word.

I read a fascinating article in my April 25th issue of THE WEEK magazine, regarding the remarkable health of alligators - they almost never get sick. They have super immune systems that ward off virtually every virus and bacteria, and scientists are now trying to figure out their secret, to create treatments that could be used by humans.

Researchers found that when they exposed alligator and human blood samples to 23 types of bacteria, the gator blood killed them all, while the human samples destroyed just eight. "Alligators tend to get into tussles and fights", Lancia Darville, a researcher at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge told USA Today. "They have torn limbs and scratches that are exposed to all of this bacteria in the water, yet they are never infected."

It appears that gators do not rely on customized antibodies to destroy micro-invaders, but have proteins in their blood that kill off everything that seems remotely alien to their system. "They don’t need to be exposed to any microorganism such as bacteria, viruses, fungi [bulldogs, war eagles, blue tick hounds, elephants, wildcats, gamecocks or commodores] for their bodies to respond against them," Darville says. As soon as the chemical structures of these key proteins are understood, she says, they can be examined for their potential as human cures.

Here at CollegiateLuggage.com we believe that gators love the taste of our travel gear. Is it a factor in their amazing immune systems? Try our business and travel gear for yourself and you be the judge.

CollegiateLuggage.com - If it's about college stuff, we're game.

Speaking of game - I imagine that by now everyone has had plenty of time to discuss last Monday's amazing NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Game. I already have one article in my weblog about the Game focusing on the importance of little things (i.e. free throws and the making thereof) but today I have another: The meaning of "Rock Chalk Jayhawk" and the accompanying chant.

I should fully disclose that as of my writing this blog entry our program does not have Kansas University as a member school. But I have been so taken with their school chant (not to mention their amazing performance during the Tournament) that I have decided to go after KU for our Swiss Army Brand Collegiate Luggage program. Just keep your eyes on this website to see if we get 'em.

Back to the subject at hand: The world famous Rock Chalk Chant evolved from a cheer that a chemistry professor, E.H.S. Bailey, created for the KU science club in 1886. Bailey's version was "Rah, Rah, Jayhawk, KU" repeated three times. The rahs were later replaced by "Rock Chalk," a transposition of chalk rock, the name for the limestone outcropping found on Mount Oread, site of the Lawrence campus.

I had never heard this chant before last week. Now, I can't get it out of my head. The wording is not really that big of a deal, but the way it is chanted is almost magical. I get chills. Listen [MP3] for yourself and see if you don't agree.

Again, CollegiateLuggage.com congratulates the Jayhawks of Kansas University on their 2008 National Basketball Championship and reminds their students, alumni and fans to stay tuned to this space - blue Swiss Army luggage is just a heartbeat away.

CollegiateLuggage.com - Where painful memories and happy times take turns.

Like many fans of collegiate sports I spent the past few weeks avidly watching the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, savoring the March Madness and marveling at the levels of pure athleticism evident in each game. This was, in fact, the first time that all four of the #1 seed teams at the beginning of the Tournament all made their way to the Final Four contest in San Antonio. So it promised to be yet-another fun ride. I didn't have a particular stake in the contests so I watched for fun as Kansas and Memphis played for the National Championship.

In the end, Memphis was undone not by a better team or better coaching, but by a bunch of missed free-throws during the final seconds of regulation play. This absolutely made me crazy. To fully understand my frustration, I must tell you an anecdote from my high school years (we are talking the 1960's) in a time before there was Gatorade.

I was the manager of our high school's basketball team. This meant that I took care of towels and equipment, made sure that the basketballs were all properly inflated, helped tape the player's ankles, got things ready before practice and cleaned up afterwards. All of the little stuff that helps make the team go. We had a great coach and a team that had won the New Jersey State Championship just one year earlier (prior to my starting high school).

So, imagine my dismay when our regular season record in my first year with the team was 12-8. And we lost all eight of these games by a combined total of 21 points. (That averages to less than 3 points per game). If a game went into overtime, we lost. If we had the lead going into the last 90 seconds, we lost. If we were making a legitimate comeback during the last 90 seconds, we lost. And the source of this awful, sad, frustrating, dispiriting sequence of disappointments was missed free-throws.

That's right, free-throws that weren't made were the difference between victory and defeat for one whole season. Our players easily shot 100 practice free-throws (also known as 'foul shots') each, every day. Most of them had been playing basketball and shooting free throws for 6 or more years by the time they stepped on the court in our team uniform. We didn't have any 'bad' free-throw shooters - just good and better.

Do the math with me: At least 100 practice foul shots per day times at least 300 days per year = 30,000+ practice shots per year. Multiply by an average of six years = 180,000 practice free-throws during their young lifetimes. I know they did the work because I was often the one spotting for them and keeping count. Every starter on our team could sink 10 for 10 with his eyes closed. But when the clutch moment came and we needed those couple of points to tie or (heaven help us) win, we got zilch, zip, nada, nathan. I used up every wish I had earned, I prayed to everyone and everything I could think of including the patron saint of comfortable sneakers and still we lost.

So, of course, watching the final couple minutes of the NCAA Championship Game last Monday evening I couldn't help but notice that the Memphis players were apparently having the same problem that my high school team did a scant 40 years earlier. As I mentioned before, I had no real stake in this game but by the end of regulation my heart was racing and my mouth was dry and for a short-but-seemingly-endless moment I was back in time watching the wheels come off. I was in basketball fan hell.

So, my condolences to the Memphis team and fans, my congratulations to the "Rock Chalk Jayhawks" and my fair warning to all of you: When life presents you with a free-throw, you had better make it count.

CollegiateLuggage.com - Victorinox® by Swiss Army Brands College Decorated Luggage


Register your CARRY WITH CONFIDENCE™ GUARANTEE!


Carry With Confidence™ Guarantee

The Carry With Confidence™ Guarantee covers repairs of a functional nature for damage caused by common carriers. Additionally, this guarantee ensures that your product will be free from manufacturing defects in materials and workmanship for the life of the bag. We will cover damage to your product caused by a defect in the workmanship or materials. This guarantee does not cover cosmetic damage or damage to contents. As with any travel gear product, component parts - particularly moving parts - will show wear over time, and may eventually need to be refurbished or replaced. If such wear and tear occurs, we can provide you with generous options for repairing or refurbishing your product. The Carry With Confidence™ Guarantee applies to versions 3.0 and later of E-Motion® 360° and Mobilizer NXT®, version 2.0 and later of Werks Traveler™, and all versions of Architecture® and Navigator CS™.

Please direct any questions to our Customer Service Department:
TRG Group, 2047 Westport Center Drive, St. Louis, MO 63146. 1-888-658-0717




Carry With Confidence™ Plus Guarantee

Every Tourbach™ product is guaranteed to be free from manufacturing defects in materials and workmanship for the life of the bag. The Carry With Confidence™ Plus Guarantee also covers repairs of a functional nature if the damage is caused from abuse or mishandling by a common carrier. If necessary, we will provide a bag to you in an expedited manner for use until your bag can be repaired or replaced. This guarantee does not cover the contents of your bag or damage from ordinary wear and tear. As with any travel gear product, component parts, particularly moving parts, will show wear over time, and eventually may need to be refurbished or replaced. If such wear and tear occurs, we can provide you with generous options for repairing or refurbishing your product.

Please direct any questions to our Customer Service Department:
TRG Group, 2047 Westport Center Drive, St. Louis, MO63146. 1-888-658-0717




Lifetime Warranty

Victorinox® Lifestyle Accessories 2.0, Lingo™ and University products, and all versions of Ground Force™ are guaranteed for the life of the product to be free from any and all manufacturing defects in material and workmanship. We will cover any damage to your product caused by a defect in the workmanship or quality of the materials. We have the right, at our option, to repair or replace the merchandise. The guarantee does not cover damage resulting from abuse, neglect, improper handling or common carrier damage. The guarantee does not cover ordinary wear and tear. As with any travel gear product, component parts, particularly moving parts, will show wear over time, and eventually may need to be refurbished or replaced. If such wear and tear occurs, we can provide you with generous options for repairing or refurbishing your product.


Please direct any questions to our Customer Service Department:
TRG Group, 2047 Westport Center Drive, St. Louis, MO 63146. 1-888-658-0717

CollegiateLuggage.com - Where facts and opinions share equal time

It's official. Delta Airlines has joined American Airlines in what will likely become a new, industry-wide policy of charging $25 to check your second bag (and your third bag and so on, ad nauseum) on all flights.

This past February 5th we reported in this weblog that American Airlines was the first airline to charge a $25 fee for checking more than one bag and speculated (correctly) that other airlines were going to wait just long enough to see how things went before they followed suit. Less than 2 months later the writing comes off the wall and onto your credit card statement if you happen to travel heavy.

Which brings me to the same advice that we gave everyone in our February 5th blog entry: If you travel by air, why not use one of our WT-22 Deluxe Expandable Wheeled Travel Bags? Available in your choice of four colors (Solid Black, red with black trim, sapphire blue with black trim and emerald green with black trim), these bags are strong, lightweight, ergonomically-designed and approved for carry-on with all domestic U.S. airlines. They look great with your college logo on the front, and they are Swiss-engineered to hold more stuff in more places than any other comparable bag. Dimensions: 14" W x 22" H x 10.5" D (expands to 13" D).

Each bag comes with the Swiss Army Brand "Carry With Confidence" lifetime manufacturer's guarantee. Though moderately costly, you will realize significant savings traveling with this bag. By our calculations, after six round trips the bag will have more than paid for itself in full (12 trips @ $25.00 that you didn't pay for a second checked bag = $300 savings. The bag costs $275.00). Do the math - you'll see what we mean.

As for the new fee to check a second bag, my prediction, based upon nothing more than my luggage-seller's intuition, is that more airlines will join American and Delta in their quest to increase revenues. Now is the time to face the music and get out ahead of the inevitable increase: Order a Swiss Army WT-22 and laugh all the way to the checkout counter.

CollegiateLuggage.com - Where facts, opinions and adverbs share equal time.

Our Swiss Army collegiate luggage program is just over 2 years old as of my writing this blog entry. The first three schools to join our program in February of 2006 were Georgia, Georgia Tech and Florida. In a wonderful get-acquainted gesture, we were invited by Florida's Alumni Association to join them in Atlanta in March of that year for the SEC Tournament Game Day "Gator Gathering" to display all of our blue Gator-logo Swiss Army luggage products for the fans to see.

With headquarters in Sandy Springs (a northern suburb of Atlanta) most of my prior experiences with the Gator Nation before adding them to our program were limited. But the invitation was irresistible and we went. And it was at this pre-game celebration that their fans introduced me to "The Chomp".

HOW TO CHOMP
For those not familiar with "The Gator Chomp", it is a sign of support and recognition shown by Gator fans everywhere to encourage their teams. No special equipment is required. First, extend both arms directly in front of you, at shoulder height with palms facing. Then, open both arms wide and quickly bring them back together so the palms clap. You have successfully "chomped".

I was quite taken with this gesture. And from that day forward, when I would complete an e-mail message to any of the Florida Alumni office folks or their Gator Clubs or to my Gator friends (including but not limited to my company's bookkeeper Peggy) I would sign off with: "Chompingly Yours". Apparently, nobody could remember an instance when the word "chomp" had been used as an adverb because it immediately generated lots of keen interest and positive feedback.

Being the generous fellow that I am, I released the newly-coined expression for general use to my Gator friends and business associates and bade them good fortune. Now that you've read this article, you too are hereby granted full, free and complete permission to use "chompingly" as an adverb any old time it suits you. Who am I to deny the Gator Nation their chompness?

CollegiateLuggage.com - Where facts, opinions & laughter share equal time.

One day a housework-challenged husband decided to wash his sweatshirt. Seconds after he stepped into the laundry room, he shouted to his wife, "What setting do I use on the washing machine?"

"It depends," she replied, "What does it say on your shirt?"

He yelled back, "University of Oklahoma."