A Tudor Electric Football sales flyer from 1950. Tudor and Electric Football have a six decade legacy that is almost unprecedented in the toy world today.
Electric football and Tudor have a six decade legacy that few toys can match. So we are pleased to announce that The Unforgettable Buzz is now part of the Tudor Games Electric Football Forum.
We were asked if we would be interested in overseeing the history area and our answer was an unqualified “yes.” We all, in our own ways, do what we can to keep the hobby alive. But nobody has more riding on electric football than Tudor. For Doug Strohm and his company, electric football is a livelihood.
That someone is still making and selling electric football after 60+ years is truly amazing, especially when you consider the expectations of the modern toy game. According to Eric Clark, who authored the The Real Toy Story in 2007, Hasbro introduces 50 to 60 new games each year. Yet the company only expects 10 of those games to stay on toy store shelves more than a year, and maybe, just maybe, 2 will survive to a third year. Ten years is considered lifetime.
A six decade legacy puts electric football in rarified toy territory, with LIFE’s recent tribute to Norman Sas offering proof of just how powerful that legacy is. Doug Strohm and Tudor have the lead role in keeping that legacy alive, and it’s vital that Tudor be a part of electric football’s present and future. It’s our pleasure to contribute in whatever small way we can.
A big “thank you” to Doug Strohm. See you on the Forum!
Earl & Roddy
Back in the early 90’s an old fella’ at a flea market had that 1949 game for sale. The game board was pretty much bent in half, and about a third of the 2 D. players were missing. If I remember correctly, he only wanted $1 for it, but I passed on the deal…and have kicked myself several times since that day.
The original No. 500’s are actually pretty common. Tudor sold millions of them. You should be able to find one in pretty good shape for reasonable $$. eBay is the obvious place, of course these days you’ll likely pay as much for shipping as you do for the game. The USPS shipping costs are crazy these days.
That’s the thing, I really didn’t want it that bad. I’m more of a collector from 1967 on. I should have just bought the men and let him keep the crumpled game board.
Back around 1994 my girlfriend bought me the 1959 Tudor version (red and yellow plastic men with attached bases and clear runners, all pieces and in the box with the book…really nice, for $5.
A few years ago I let it go for $10 at the flea market. The guy who bought it knows he got a deal. I still have an extra full set of the old red and yellow men.
Being a discriminating buyer is a GOOD thing!