The clock is ticking and as of mid-November, 26% of pro basketball games have been cancelled through December 15th per the NBA.com website. The upcoming holiday season is usually a very busy time for the 30 NBA teams and their venues. In an already troubled economy, the resulting payrolls associated with concessions, local bars and restaurants, as well as merchandise sales could be a disaster for NBA cities. There is still a chance that an agreement can be reached to save the remainder of the season. Whether or not a solution can be had, there is a good chance that your favorite team’s merchandise might go on sale soon.

I’m not sure about you, but the price tags associated with sports merchandise seems to have gone through the roof these days. Living in a town full of sports fanatics, it constantly amazes me how many people wear $100, $200, $300+ jerseys of their favorite team and players. Well, one good thing that might come out of the lockout is the reduced prices on some of that merchandise. Get your prepaid debit cards ready, because according to the NBC Sports ProBasketballTalk website, there could be significant damage to the merchandising industry with sales potentially decreasing as much as 50%. And as our Economics 101 professor taught us, when there is too much supply and demand decreases then prices tend to fall.

Scanning the web or visiting your favorite local sports outlet and purchasing discounted sports paraphernalia is simple with your prepaid Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express card. What’s that…you don’t have a prepaid debit card? Well, you might want to consider getting one. There are several out there to compare, and many come with great benefits like NO credit check to sign up, free monthly fees with direct deposit, fraud protection and easy online account management. In this day and age, mobile technological advances like spending alerts, balance inquiries and even sending money to family or friends is a piece of cake. With plenty of resources available to help you choose the right card, there is no excuse to put it off any longer. And it is a whole lot safer than carrying cash.