Collector’s “Delight” – Sears’ 1967 NFL No. 613 model with large Cardinal vs. Bears
(This is part of post we wrote for the Sports Collector’s Daily web site.)
The 1949 Tudor Tru-Action No. 500.
Older is not automatically better in Electric Football collecting. The first Electric Football games were made by Tudor in 1949, and although yes, the early Tru-Action No. 500’s are very cool pieces, millions were made between 1949-61. They are not that hard to find and, owing to their very basic design, not overly prized. But…they usually do work, which is more than can be said about most 60-year-old toys.
The 1954 Gotham G-880 All-Star Electric Football Game.
Things got a little more interesting in 1954 when Gotham Pressed Steel began making Electric Football games to compete with Tudor. Gotham models are not as common, in part because fewer were sold, but also because they were not made as well as the Tudor games. The field/playing surface on Gotham models tend to bubble and warp over time (this tendency applies to every football game Gotham ever made.) Gotham games from the 1950’s also have a very rudimentary design, and as a result, not a lot of demand from collectors.
1961 Gotham NFL G-1500 model. It was the first NFL-licensed Electric Football game.
There are some special Gotham models. The Gotham NFL G-1500 and the NFL G-1503 Big Bowl hold a significant place in Electric Football history as the first “big” games with elaborate grandstands. But despite their scarcity – in addition to warped fields, large Gotham games have an issue with broken corners – the collecting interest in these models is surprising light. If there are any bargains left in Electric Football, it’s large Gotham games in playable condition. A nearly complete 1961 G-1500 recently sold on eBay for just $47!!
The heart of Electric Football collecting lies in the NFL line that Tudor began producing in 1967. That year saw the introduction of three Tudor NFL Electric Football games, as well as the introduction of Tudor’s miniature mail order NFL and AFL team figures. These games, which Tudor made from 1967-69, are Electric Football classics. They are the small 26” x 16” NFL No. 510 with the Packers-Colts; the mid-size 31” x 18” Sears exclusive NFL No. 613 with the Bears-Cardinals (this was also made as a Montgomery Ward-exclusive No. 619 with the 49ers-Rams); and the large 36” x 21” NFL No. 620 game with the Browns-Giants.
The Tudor NFL 620 – the gold-standard for Electric Football Collecting.
It’s the Tudor NFL No. 620 which seems to be the gold-standard for Electric Football collecting. There are other Tudor NFL games that are harder to find, but this is the game that made the biggest impact on boys of the time. Maybe it was the realistic NFL Gold single-posted goal posts, or how perfect the Giants and Browns looked on the giant “grass” field, but this is the game, more than any other, that men of a certain age want to reclaim. For so many people, their lifelong devotion to the NFL started on a living room floor with a Tudor No. 620.
620’s aren’t exactly scarce but the demand is high. And like most collectibles, condition is everything. A complete game in excellent condition – no frame or field dents, all 22 NFL players, no broken players, and all the little parts like corner flags, team scoreboard names, player bases etc. – can easily exceed the $200 mark on eBay. Throw in some extra NFL teams that a kid actually ordered from Tudor, and a No. 620 can cross the $300 mark.
We’re really just scratching the surface here. Of course, there’s much more about Electric Football history in our book The Unforgettable Buzz. And we’ll be talking more about Electric Football collecting over the coming weeks.
Earl & Roddy