I'm going to backtrack here for a moment and describe my collecting since Thanksgiving, and my last post. Well, waiting for Christmas is always a difficult time for many. My wife claims that Ebay brings me Christmas way too often as it is, and she may have a point there. I have, however, become more "picky" on what I choose to add to my already massive collection. I am quite interested in older stuff now (probably because I own quite a bit of the newer items). I acquired another older bobblehead from the 60s. Collector's refer to this edition as the 1965-67"Realistic Face" nodder. The one I purchased is a tad bit distressed on the back of the head and has a small crack in his jaw, but he displays well regardless. The item was actually listed on Ebay twice. the first guy bought it for $59.00 and immediately went for a profitable resale. I then bought it from him for $19.00, AND HE THANKED ME GRACIOUSLY FOR MY BUSINESS! LOL! In near mint condition this doll would be worth $200-$250.
'Tis the season to start gift shopping for friends and loved ones, so I figured that I ought to have some decent shoes....(smile). I got a great price on these Reebok Recline shoes at a Nike Outlet store (I know, doesn't make sense) in Effingham, Illinois.
So, the first real day of shopping with my wife, she said I was a "trooper" and I was able to purchase a nice reward. I chose the new die cast car from Upper Deck, the 2007 Chrysler 300cc. This updates my 1:24 collection of cars/trucks made for the Chicago Bears and approved by the NFL. Correction - I am still missing the 2006 Corvette made by Upper Deck, and there is also a 1:24 Ertl Toyota Supra in 2006.
My wife and I parted ways for one shopping trip. My job was to find some superman and batman action figures that we were to donate to some needy children. Naturally I went to Toys R Us and found exactly what I needed for the kids. Of course, being the big kid THAT I AM, I just so happened to run across the new 2007 Offensive Players Team set, offered by McFarlane Sports Figures. They have the Bears' starters (except Benson is included, and not Jones) from Super Bowl XLI. The figures are 2 inches tall and come packaged in a nice display...
And, while my wife was shopping a major discount retailer called "UFS" (Unclaimed Freight Store) she found me a Chicago Bears Water Globe. I have seen these and they retail at $29.99 to $49.00. This one is a bit cloudy on the inside, but that's no big problem. It doubles as a music box and plays "I Want To Be A Football Hero". She paid only $6.99 for it and it's a great paper weight. I love it!
With my daily surfing of Ebay, I found a couple of more neat items that were quite unique. The first is a retired Enesco Christmas ornament...a 1978 Garfield The Cat that is wearing a Bears helmet! THAT ornament is almost 30 years old! The second item was a set of salt and pepper shakers made by Warner Brothers in 1994. They are represented by the Tasmanian Devil. I had to have them! Both items are old stock, but new in box.
