Electric Football groundwork was laid 74 years ago this month, when Tudor Metal Products moved from Manhattan to a brand new factory in Brooklyn. This six-story building at 176 Johnson Street would gain iconic stature in the 1960’s and 1970’s, as millions of hard earned pennies, nickels, and dimes were sent to that address for NFL Electric Football teams and accessories.

But in December of 1945 Tudor was not yet making Electric Football. Running the company at the time were Elmer Sas (Norman Sas’ father) and Gene Levay. Both men were in good spirits after finishing a profitable period of making items for the Department of Defense, and they placed a cheery full-page ad in the toy industry journal Playthings announcing Tudor move to the new building.

Things didn’t work out quite the way Sas and Levay hoped over the next several years, but the move to Brooklyn did ultimately prove to be a positive for the company. And this ad, with the drawing of the iconic Tudor factory, is one of those fantastic “finds” that helped us put together the story of Electric Football. It’s a great piece of toy history from a time when New York City was at the center of the toy making universe.

Wishing everyone a great Holiday Season — and let’s all be thankful that Tudor Games and Electric Football are still alive and well in 2019!

Earl & Roddy

176 Johnson Street today.