Turns out the stuff that caved in on the Metrodome was in the wrong place all along.
OK, not exactly. But a Minnesota company has found a way to make some use yet out of the stadium roof that collapsed in the winter of 2010.
Rather than see the Teflon-coated fiberglass fabric that used to top the home of the Vikings shipped out to a landfill, two local entrepreneurs purchased the material and struck a deal with Duluth Pack, a local luggage and accessory manufacturer. The Duluth-based company is constructing it into a limited line of bags, dubbed the "Domer series," and selling them at the Minnesota State Fair and online.
They're said to be indestructible -- they'd better be, as the line's larger duffel goes for $485, while a purse-like tote can be had for $160.
In addition to their lifetime guarantee, there's a historical draw, too, Duluth Pack marketing specialist Abby Mlinar said.
"All of the bags that we make are guaranteed for life, but the draw for these specific bags would be that people want a piece of the dome," Mlinar said. "That's what the overall feel has been from where I'm sitting."
That's the old dome, of course, the one that couldn't hold a copious amount of snow in December 2010. The facility has since been repaired but will be torn down following football season and replaced by a new, $975 million indoor stadium.
And while Vikings fans can indeed store their personal belongings inside a piece of team history, they can't bring it with them on gameday. The off-white and brown bags are nowhere near compatible with the NFL's new bag policy.
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