OLYMPICS /
Newsmaker
Phelps' mom gets good price
China Daily/The Olympian Staff Writer
Updated: 2008-08-22 10:13
US swimmer Michael Phelps kisses his mother Debbie after the medal ceremony for the men's 4 x 200m freestyle relay swimming final at the Beijing Olympic Games in this photo taken August 13, 2008. [Agencies] |
Michael Phelps' mom has been getting goods cheap using her son's fame as a bargaining chip.
Debbie Phelps was in Xiushui Street hunting for calligraphy, reported Beijing Evening News, and the sales assistant insisted on selling a calligraphy scroll for 600 yuan ($88).
Phelps' mom offered the sales assistant her name card and told her who she was, after which she got the scroll for 380 yuan ($55). She also bought two fans with calligraphy on them.
Signing on fee
An online store called "People Yuan" is selling a signature of legendary swimmer Michael Phelps for 12,000 yuan ($1,750).
When a Jiefang Daily reporter queried the online store owner if this was a bit much he said it was cheap and would only become more expensive.