BEVERLY - Dave and Cindy Antonuk were on the edge of their seats rooting for the Red Sox to win Game 4 of the World Series on Sunday night.
But Dave's tension was driven by the possibility of a free five-piece living room sectional, instead of a desire to see the Sox champs again.
The Antonuks wound up taking advantage of a sweet bargain, a rebate on their furniture, thanks to the so-called "Monster Deal." The Antonuks had bought the sectional at Jordan's Furniture before opening day.
"This time, I was happy about winning the free furniture," said Antonuk, when asked which made him happier, the Red Sox 2007 win or the $2,787 rebate. "Because they just won it in 2004."
The Antonuks and about 30,000 others took advantage of the deal: If the Red Sox won a World Championship in 2007, customers who bought sofas, dining tables, beds and mattresses between March 7 and April 16 would get rebates.
While it's not known how much the rebates will total, Jordan's Chief Executive Eliot Tatelman bought an insurance policy just in case lightning struck twice, according to the company's ads and The Associated Press.
As for Antonuk, he walked into Jordan's on March 25 without the promotion in mind. He and his wife had bought their previous living-room furniture there, then a rescue puppy they had sheltered ruined it.
"We needed new furniture," Antonuk said, "so I said why not buy it now and take the chance."
After receiving a bonus at work, he and his wife were shopping around when a Jordan's salesperson said the sectional they were eyeing was included in the Monster Deal.
The Monster Deal tipped the scales to a sale, but the couple was also sold on the quality and look of the furniture, Antonuk said.
"When we did the deal, my wife looked at me and said: 'How realistic is this?'" he said.
But with Theo Epstein's personnel maneuvers and Japanese pitching sensation Daisuke Matsuzaka in the fold, Antonuk felt the Sox had a chance. When the Red Sox got in the playoffs, and the chance at free furniture was at hand, Antonuk's wife became a fast fan.
They will not get the furniture completely free. They will pay $428, after plunking down $3,215. They still have to pay for delivery, setup, sales tax and stain protector for the next wayward puppy. But that hasn't diminished their happiness over their living-room windfall.
But Dave's tension was driven by the possibility of a free five-piece living room sectional, instead of a desire to see the Sox champs again.
The Antonuks wound up taking advantage of a sweet bargain, a rebate on their furniture, thanks to the so-called "Monster Deal." The Antonuks had bought the sectional at Jordan's Furniture before opening day.
"This time, I was happy about winning the free furniture," said Antonuk, when asked which made him happier, the Red Sox 2007 win or the $2,787 rebate. "Because they just won it in 2004."
The Antonuks and about 30,000 others took advantage of the deal: If the Red Sox won a World Championship in 2007, customers who bought sofas, dining tables, beds and mattresses between March 7 and April 16 would get rebates.
While it's not known how much the rebates will total, Jordan's Chief Executive Eliot Tatelman bought an insurance policy just in case lightning struck twice, according to the company's ads and The Associated Press.
As for Antonuk, he walked into Jordan's on March 25 without the promotion in mind. He and his wife had bought their previous living-room furniture there, then a rescue puppy they had sheltered ruined it.
"We needed new furniture," Antonuk said, "so I said why not buy it now and take the chance."
After receiving a bonus at work, he and his wife were shopping around when a Jordan's salesperson said the sectional they were eyeing was included in the Monster Deal.
The Monster Deal tipped the scales to a sale, but the couple was also sold on the quality and look of the furniture, Antonuk said.
"When we did the deal, my wife looked at me and said: 'How realistic is this?'" he said.
But with Theo Epstein's personnel maneuvers and Japanese pitching sensation Daisuke Matsuzaka in the fold, Antonuk felt the Sox had a chance. When the Red Sox got in the playoffs, and the chance at free furniture was at hand, Antonuk's wife became a fast fan.
They will not get the furniture completely free. They will pay $428, after plunking down $3,215. They still have to pay for delivery, setup, sales tax and stain protector for the next wayward puppy. But that hasn't diminished their happiness over their living-room windfall.
Antonuk was not the only resident on the North Shore to cash in.
"I'm enjoying my Tempur-Pedic mattress even more now that it's free," Geoffrey Millar of Becket Street in Salem said in an e-mail.
And Beverly Ward 2 City Council candidate Wes Slate, who is running for an open seat against Sean Devlin, also found himself at the edge of his soon-to-be-free sectional Sunday night waiting for Jonathan Papelbon to seal the deal against the Rockies. The couch was not far from his mind as the Red Sox grew closer to victory.
"I was thinking of the couch for the last couple of days," Slate said, "since I managed to find all the paperwork and the rebate form."
Slate, whose son Richard is a sportswriter for The Salem News' sister paper the Gloucester Daily Times, bought the sectional, a chair and ottoman. The latter two pieces of furniture are not covered by the Monster Deal's terms. With a coupon, Slate expects to get $2,600 back.
Slate said the chance to win free furniture was an added incentive to buy, and they did so on the last day they were eligible - Patriots Day.
While Slate had been thinking about his free sectional for a while, his wife had forgotten all about the Monster Deal.
"A few minutes after the game, I said we got the couch," Slate said, and his wife smiled.
"It was a nice distraction to watch the ball game and have a real incentive along with 30,000 others who took advantage of the deal," said Slate, who is glad he is no longer losing sleep staying up late watching the Red Sox - and wondering if his seat will be free.
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