Bringing Things Up To Date - A Year Of Collecting

So, this autographed gem above was available via silent auction at our local mall. Some man was telling his son that this thing was worth $900 (I thought more like $500). He writes down $90 and walks away. So, just for the heck of it, I bump him and raise it to $100. He sneaks back and puts $150. I'm on my way out of the mall and run into a couple of friends. They ask me if I had seen that Butkus, Payton,Sayers, autographed collage? They thought since I AM the fanatical one that I should have it. I buckled under the pressure and went back and bid $200. Needless to say, my wife was NOT happy when I told her. This was a Friday. The auction was to end Saturday at 7:00 P.M. . My daughters went to the Mall on Saturday and called me to inform me that I was still the high bidder. Oops. An hour later they called again and said the SAME guy had apparently returned to override me and bid $225. Although somewhat disappointed, there was a somewhat of a "sigh" of relief. My marriage had been saved. I was off the hook.

The phone rings at 8:30 P.M.. It's the auction people. The winner did not answer his phone to redeem his winning bid, and asked me if I was still interested. Mall closes at 9:00 P.M. Pressure's on! Well, my bride agrees that we can go talk to him, plus she forgot to buy some socks, or something when we were there the previous day. So, off we go.

"Well", says the Auctioneer, "do you want it. You MUST or you would not have rushed over here".

"Um" said I, "But I did not bid $225 and I don't want to pay THAT amount".
"You DID bid $200, however, so I will let you have it for that".

However, I felt, at this point that I was under no legal obligation to buy anything, for I was NOT the winner. He was anxious to pack up and leave town so I offered him $150. He took a deep breath and replied: $175. I hesitated briefly and...and...and...said......Okay. Deal. I spent the next week convincing my wife of the AMAZING bargain. :)

It appears that I have not updated my blog's inventory for quite some time, so that should explain this entry plus the next few. That does not mean I haven't bought anything. lol. Upon examination of my records, I have hundreds of other items that I have serendipitously obtained via the online magic of Ebay. None of these items are shown in the pictures above. I will have to correct that one of these days.

I'll start with some rare and unique objects. You know there really aren't a lot of early year novelty items for football besides the well known Bobblehead Dolls. There are a lot more trading cards or memorabilia-type items available than the somewhat "oddball" stuff that I like. First, I came across a 1934 sterling silver football charm, approximately an inch long. It is engraved with the name ..... My research does not find any players on the team with that name, so it could have been a coach, or other employee. It is engraved "19LT34" which I have determined to describe the year that Lane Tech opened in Chicago, and the site where the Bears held training camp. It might be a trinket presented to a Lane Tech staff member. I just don't know for sure.
I have no idea where or when this Bears tie clasp came into play, but I am assuming it also was some sort of team gift at some point. The maker is listed as Jamisan. It is certainly from the 40s or 50s.


Bronko Nagurski...

Bronko Nagurski was the greatest football player in the history of the game. In 1929, he was voted All-American at both fullback and defensive tackle - and on many ballots he was listed at end, as well!
With the Chicago Bears of the NFL, Bronko played all sixty minutes of nearly every game of his career! For all his outstanding ability and undying dedication to the game, George Halas rewarded Nagurski with the league’s top salary - $5,000 a season!
Bronko is the only gridiron player anywhere with a museum dedicated exclusively to his memory. His life was so varied, so interesting, that he was even the subject of a stage play!
This gorgeous postcard was issued in the autumn of 1980 to promote the play "Bronko." It measures 5 ¼ x 7 ½," with wonderful artwork printed in 3 colors. The back features dates and ticket information. This is a very rare item honoring the life of an amazing man.



I also purchased a few ash trays that seem quite rare. One is relatively small at 3 inches and is made of copper. In the middle is an etched picture of Soldier Field. I almost think that this could have been an ashtray used by fans in the stadium back in the early days. It has a nice layer of patina, which would allow an expert to date the item. In very nice condition I bought a 1950's ashtray that measures 8x8 and has some serious weight to it. In the middle is the Bear's helmet with the old "white C".

Another one I found is a 1960s Weico Stadium ashtray; one that I have only seen a few times for sale in the last 10-15 years. I paid some money for it but nowhere near it's $125 to $300 value. Mine is in super shape, so I would put it at the higher range in value. I really don't know anything about the piece except that it was produced for several NFL teams. The stadium portions of the ashtrays are all similar in design but there is a unique difference on the raised portion that is unique to each team. Mine, of course, represents a "bear", with a ribbon below it that says "Chicago Bears". The seller of my ashtray relates that it was never used, and I tend to agree. It's really pretty nice...might have a spot or two, but I think that was a product of the original glazing. It appears to be a ceramic of sorts and has a fired, what appears to be hand scribed label on the back of the football stand that says: "WEICO CO. INC CHICAGO 22 USA (copyright)1950 NFL ENTERPRISES. I have seen similar ashtrays from other NFL teams of the period.


Let me regress back to the 1940's where I recently purchased a 1940's celluloid football player doll that comes with a ribbon-attached, 1 1/4 inch Chicago Bears pinback. This player is in Bear's colors and in good condition, besides the very loose arm strings. There are versions of these dolls made for various NFL and college teams. Some are marked "Made in Japan" while more popular ones (like this one) are marked "Made in Occupied Japan". Items from Japan were NOT popular for Americans after WWII. Items made from 1945-1952 were thusly changed to reflect "occupied" Japan which helped promote certain items in the U.S. until a treaty was signed in 1952. These dolls are 6 inches tall and I always figured that they were stadium or giveaway dolls. I have seen low (lucky) prices on these of $15, with the high end of $250-$300. I would tend to believe that the average value would lean more toward the high end value. I have been trying for years to find one of these that I was 100% sure was a Chicago Bear piece. The pinback and ribbon guarantee that, based on my research.


The following are an iron on transfer of Chicag Bears #5, which very well could represent Hall of Famer George MacAfee and the small 1948 Bowman rookie card of Sid Luckman. I paid very little for the card and got screwed on it anyway. The card has very noticeable folds and creases. Oh well, it happens.


I also possess a 1949 Pabst Blue Ribbon magazine ad with Sid Luckman and a felt-type fishing hat made by STA-WELL that, at least, seems to reflect the era. I have no more info on the hat.


The next item is rare and I have only seen one of these. It is a Mike Ditka rectangular candy dish of some sort. It has a nice depiction of Ditka as a player and I assume that it was some sort of a reward acknowldeging fan support for the Bears' 1963 World Championship. It says "Mike Ditka's Bowl - In Sincere Appreciation Of Your Support" and measures about 5 inches by 7 inches. Certainly, it has become one of my all time favorites of my collection.



Here's another 60s collectible - a Sid Luckman 1963 Stancraft card. Stancraft cards were issued in conjunction with the 1963 opening of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Stancraft cards are a regular deck of playing cards, but over the years the individual cards have become valued in their own right. In fact, in all my years of collecting, I have yet to see this deck sold as a whole. Sid Luckman's($7) 7 of Spades completes my 4 card Chicago Bears team set of Stancraft. The others that I already have are a 7 of Clubs Bulldog Turner ($6) , a Jack of Hearts George Halas ($10), and the most valued Mike Ditka's ($25.00) 5 of Diamonds.

Another item that I have been trying for years to obtain- The 1964 NFL Championship lunchbox. It is a rare and sought after commodity even for the serious lunchbox collector. Of course it is metal and in fairly good shape. There was some edge rust that I tried to clean up on the inside, but overall, I would give it my amateur rating of C7 or C8.




Excellent (C8) - These lunchboxes have some wear, perhaps a little rust staining (not holes) or wear to the image. However, they still display nicely and are nice starter pieces for collectors.

Fine (C7) - C7 lunchboxes look like they have been used. The surface wear is visible and maybe rusting along the edges. They still have life in them, but are a far cry from pristine.

The best part of the lunchbox is that it depicts REAL players from the era, and that the lid reflects the Bears vs. Packers. The Bears won the overall NFL title in 1963 and this box came out the next year. I also have the thermos, which is in good shape too which adds greater value. The two are approximately worth $200-$400.

Pictured for the Bears are #9 Bill Wade, #35 Rick Casares (University of Florida), Ronnie Bull, Rudy Bukich, LeClerk & T Karras. Pictured for the Packers: Dave Hanner, Forest Gregg (SMU), #64 Jerry Kramer (Univ of Idaho), & on the perimeter Jim Taylor (LSU). On the second side is game action of Cleveland Browns vs. New York Football Giants. Pictured for Browns is Lou Groza (Ohio State), #24 Bobby Franklin (University of Mississippi), Clark, and on the perimeter Wiggen. For the NY Giants we have Erich Barnes, Lovetere, Katcavage, Sam Huff (University of West Virginia), and Shofner on the perimeter. One player from every other NFL team also depicted on the perimeter. And they are: Rip Hawkins Minnesota Vikings, Bobby Mitchell Washington Redskins (University of Illinois), Bobby Whitlow Detroit Lions, John Brodie San Francisco 49ers, Lou Michaels Pittsburgh Steelers (University of Kentucky), John David Crow St Louis Cardinals, Jim Smith (who?) Dallas Cowboys, Ted Dean Philadelphia Eagles, Roman Gabriel Los Angeles Rams, and Jim Parker Baltimore Colts.

Dave Boss



I could hardly pass up this next gem when it became available via auction...a 1965 Johnny Hero dressed in a Chicago Bears uniform. I already had the uniform, new in package and proudly displayed in a shadow box, but NOW I HAVE JOHNNY, TOO!



The Johnny Hero "doll" was probably the best available boy toy for the sports minded child. Sure, before Johnny there was the Ken doll, but he was really more of an accessory for Barbie, and hence manufactured for girls. There was also GI Joe prior to Johnny, but he was more of a soldier and war hero. Johnny was the doll that played sports...he could switch from track star to baseball player to football player, etc. He was originally available from Sears, I believe, in 1965. He was packaged in the track outfit with gold shorts. In 1968 he was repackaged as Johnny Hero, "Olympic Hero" to take advantage of an Olympic year. He was dressed in a red jogging suit, but numerous other sports uniforms were now available.



Johnny Hero was 13 inches tall, which was an inch taller than GI Joe and was made from some sort of foam rubber material with bendable wire inside. Experts will tell you that the Johnny Hero doll was the beginning of what would be years and years of action figures to come...Starting line-up figures in the 80s and 90s...McFarlane's in current times.

I have read complaints and I can verify them 40 years later...the dang doll was hard to dress. The clothes on the 1968 version were cheap and it was hard to get them on and off without damaging the doll. Specifically, the helmet on my Bear's player was way, way too tight. I worked it out though, because I did my research.
A couple of super rare dolls that I was able to locate are the 1967 Horseman and the
the 1967 Gund. The Horseman is valued at over $200. (Actually, I just bought my 2nd one of these because the price was too cheap for me to pass on). The Horseman has is known as the "Scrambling Quarterback". He has a turn key on the back which makes him scramble, well, more like shimmy. He wears #7 which might represent QB Bob Avellini. The Gund doll is 20 inches tall, rubber head and very soft "fur" on his cloth-stuffed body. The doll is similar to the Roko doll, which I also own.

Ah, 1965. Hormel meats started packaging it's ham slices in unique NFL containers, well trays, actually. I have a tray in very good condition, which are hard to come by. I am showing a picture of the lid, but I don't have that.


Here's another item from 1969 that I obtained. It's a 1969 "album" called The Bears Sing Holiday Halftime and it contains Christmas songs that are sung by actual players on that year's team. LOL! I have yet to play it because, well, who the heck has a record player or turntable nowadays! I think other teams recorded similar albums, too.


Old, new stickers are fun too.

Okay, I like this format, for now...listing by decade. Let's move on to the 70s.
1970, International Cress Brass medallion, new in package, 1971 Gatorade lid, 1974 Scott Products NJ metal bottle opener (some scratches, but a NICE rare collectible)Dairy Queen ice cream helmets (I have 3), Gumball machine helmets (I have a bunch, new in containers), LIL Paint a Pro (I have 2, kids were to paint them team colors), 1971 wind up alarm clock - works great!

Also in the 1970's, there were helmet buggy toys made that were supposed to be used in those old Electric Football games to haul away the injured just like the one's used at actual NFL games.. Many of these have been lost, abused, or destroyed because you don't see many. The decals on the helmets resemble the decals on the gumball machine helmets. I have seen these little plastic cars sell for an average of $70.00 out of package. I own 2 out of package and ONE new in package, which is EXTREMELY rare...value of THAT one is about $125.


I found a couple 8x10 inch posters that came in packs of Tops gum in 1970. They were folded into quarters but they are still nice. Of course I have Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus. I also have the one's from 1971 that I have posted way back when. Those were smaller, however, at 5 inches by 7.


Anybody remember going to any Illinois International House of Pancakes in 1970. The placemats had pictures of the Chicago Bears...some great names on here: Butkus, Sayers,Piccolo, Concannon, Bobby Douglas


And the Bears always had a traveling basketball team. Here's a program from 1978 autographed by 14 players...Avellini, Doug Plank, Virgil Livers, Bob Thomas. Thomas was the placekicker in the 70s and later on in life became a high level Judge.

I saw a nice sketched drawing on Ebay that was of Dick Butkus. It had to be from the late 60s or early 70s. It was by a guy named Gary Thomas and distributed by Wilson Sports. It looked very similar to 1981 drawings by Shell Oil (will talk about later) and I figured it would look nice framed with them. It looked like a nice 8x10 inch reproduced picture, so I bid on it. I did not realize that it was 20inches by 40 inches...HUGE! I don't have a frame for it yet. The largest I can affordably find is only 36 inches long and I don't want to fold or cut this "poster".


There's not a lot of Dick Butkus items out there, so even the simplest things are nice to find, like this 1973 7-11 Slurpee Cup of Mr. Butkus. Who would have thought that this would be worth $25.00 today.



I might as well interject at this point with some Butkus/Sayers stuff that I own.
There were the 1970 Topps Big Cards...

and, In 1971 Mattel released a battery operated, handheld device that would play mini records, including the one up for auction here. These black plastic mini records measure roughly 2 1/2" in diameter with a sticker adhered to the front depicting the subject while the back is blank and includes the etched recording itself. These came originally packaged on a card with 4 athletes on each card.


I found a tightly sealed deck of cards with Gale Sayers image on the backs. These must certainly
be from the 1960's.



Sayers had a lightweight metal coin in 1971.

I have a 4x4 inch wood plaque of Dick Butkus that came from a woodburning kit in 1971.

I don't have the actual kit, but it looked like this:


I also added a Butkus autographg to my 3x5 notecard autograph collection.


Here's a nice pinback of the two.
I also have started a collection of 1991 and 1992 Pro Line autographs, one of the first on card autographed offerings from the Trading card industry. More on these later.



Gale Sayers was a Bear rookie in 1965 and burst onto the scene with an incredible season. In regular season, he scored four touchdowns, including a 96-yard game breaking kickoff return, against the Minnesota Vikings. And, in the next-to-last game, playing on a muddy field that would have stalled most runners, Gale scored a record-tying six touchdowns against the San Francisco 49ers. Included in his sensational spree were an 80-yard pass-run play, a 50-yard rush and a 65-yard punt return. For the entire season, Gale scored 22 touchdowns and 132 points, both then-rookie records. Bradford Exchange created a collectible plate to honor Sayers in a Great Moments in NFL game series. This plate reflects the 6 touchdown game.


I was able to obtain a rare 1977 Bowmar reading card of Gale Sayers, as well. These Bowmar cards measure approximately 8.5 by 14 inches, and were distributed as a 50 card set in 1977, to assist children in schools with reading comprehension by getting them to read about something they might find interesting, in this case NFL football.

Each card front contains a color photo and a short story about a player or NFL topic of interest. The card back contains a number of multiple choice questions, and a black and white photo.



I recently acquired a 9 inch 1992 Sports Impressions figure of Gale Sayers IN A WHITE UNIFORM! I did NOT know that THESE existed. I already had the blue jersey one. These were limited to 975 made and is autographed.

I also like to collect interesting newspaper articles, program guides, magazines etc. I have a 1988 Mackey Awards program with Walter Payton on the cover and signed by Gale Sayers. I believe the Mackey awards were to announce offensive and defensive players of the year.


And oh, I forgot. The Mackey Program was autographed by Gale Sayers!










Here is a very rare 1968 poster. I believe it is known as The Sports Illustrated poster.









1973 AND 1974 Big Sign cards by Fleer....5x8", I believe...got them too!







RARE, HTF, UNIQUE, ONE OF A KIND
copyright 1976
NFL Properties
Aviva
Football
Lil Pro
Trophyette
This item was a prototype/sample and the team colors on it are handpainted and detailed/decalled.
Each one of these in this collection is unique and one of a kind!
These are plastic, with weighted bases and have red felt on the bottom.
I have included a picture of the 1977 NFL Merchandise Catalog, pg 97, where these were listed and a picture of the back of one of the heads.
The back is marked:
(c) 1976 NFL Properties, Inc
Made in HongKong
By Aviva

I also have a lapel pin and this ring.








Aviva actually made Snoopy Trophies very similar to this in the 70's-80's. This is more of a trinket box, however. I have never seen one like it and mine comes with the original box.
















In 1975, 1976 if you wrote to the Bears for pictures or autographs they would send you some promo pics with what appears to be a copied signature. I like the Walter Payton photo because I believe it to be his rookie year picture that all the media used. Plus I grew up with the infamous Bob Avellini at QB, and Wally Chambers was to be the Bears' newest defensive terror. Oh yeah, bottom left is Coach Jack Pardee!

In 1976 Coke came out with player discs that had "handles" that looped over coke bottles. I thought I had bought a Bears set of these a long time ago, but what I had compiled was only 2/3 of the complete set. This auction had the remaining third, so NOW I do have a complete set. A couple of the players came in 2 different colored backgrounds, but I will not lose sleep if I don't get the 2nd colored ones. What is unique about this set is they include what is considered to be another Walter Payton rookie year card. The Payton "Coke" disc is valued at around $60.
HMMMM. Pepsi followed suit.


Here is a nice BIG teddy bear named Windy (as in Windy City). It was a 1978 give away from Chicago National Bank for opening accounts, I guess. This teddy bear has been well protected throughout the years and i still have her wrapped in plastic. I'm afraid to get her out to display and get all dusty!


You know, 1978 brought back an attempt at bobbleheads, only they were plastic and cheap. This is a rare one with the belly exposed. I have the regular one too.


Slinky - 70's? Bears or Cincinnati Reds (baseball)?



1979 DAMAC Poster:


AND, I AM THE BEARFANATIC....had to have THIS (made in 1978)!


1979 represented the 70th anniversary of the Chicago Bears and here is a pin from that year with a nifty depiction of founder George Halas.


Okay, let's move ahead to some 80s items. In 1981 Shell Oil Co. put out some 11x14 inch posters with major cities distributing drawings of their local team members. I have a full set of Chicago Bears: Brian baschnagle,Vince Evans, Gary Fencik, Roland Harper, Alan Page and Walter Payton. The artist who designed the drawings was named Tanenbawm. The values range from 4$-$12, with Payton being the highest.


Here's a couple of 1980's 12x17 prints...the second one by Robert Tinney.





In 1983 Tonka came out with small posable action figures for each of the 28 teams, at the time. They were non specific players but the toy provided numerical decals.
I was able to locate one that was still new in the package. The package shows signs of wear, but overall it is pretty good. The figure itself is only about 3-4 inches tall and has a current value of $50-$60.

The following is is small figurine that I consider one of the gems of my collection. It was part of Tudor's 1983 Quarterbacks of the NFL collection. All teams and their starting quarterbacks were to have been represented. Even though the figure is only 3 inches tall, it has a value of $20.00, and being that it is still in the package, that value doubles to $40. I made a bargain with an auction price of $10.50. The package lists Jim McMahon as the Bears starting quarterback that year, which was true. But, his uniform number was #9. The figure shows #8, which was Vince Evans' number that year. Bob Avellini was #7. All three QBs played during the season. My guess is that the figures for all teams had #8 on them, but I am not sure.


I also just bought a 1983 Huddles mascot pin (about an inch tall). EVERYTHING was "Huddles" in 1983. I have a few other Huddles items too, including the 7 inch Teddy Bear, new in the box. I have the small pvc bear in the package, a lamp, a garbage can, a crosstich pattern and a completed crosstich, a child t-shirt and the 30 inch wall hanging.









Dakin was a major player in the stuffed toy market and were known for their great quality. I purchased 1981 and 1989 Chicago Bears bears.
















I've own a small 80's Bopper in an airplane, a 1984 hard rubber troll made by Ace and a 1988 Beanball Man. I also have a Russ Berrie stick up or ornament with Jim McMahon's jersey #.



Here is some more small stuff. The Russ Trolls and the dog window cling are from the 80's. The small bendie is dated 1993, Mickey is 2000, don't know about the rubber stamp, but it is fairly recent. The tie dyed bear is not that old either and the "Lil Teammates" came out in 2010.



The Russ "pull back pig" is only an inch, inch and half, but when you pull him back on his wheels, he really darts and scoots when you let go!




For 1984 I have a November Sports Illustrated magazine that contains a Walter Payton ad for Roos. I will display this with my Payton Roos shoes, Roos shoe tag(new) and Roos post card picture that I already own.


Of course you know what happens in 1985 and 1986...you get Super Bowl items. I found a brand new 45RPM record of The Super Bowl Shuffle, still new in the package. I've got a 1985 Bear figurine that is an official NFL item holding a NFL football, but there is no mention of Chicago on it, and it has no "C" on the helmet. The jersey has Bear colors, however. I has some good weight to it and it looks like someone glued a piece of brown vinyl on the bottom so it wouldn't scratch any furniture during display. The more I look at the date on this piece it could very well be 1983, not 1985, and it sure does resemble that infamous "Huddles" bear....Hmmmmm.

I also found a couple of nifty book marks made out of a pliable plastic/rubber material. I have a team set of special Super Bowl cards from Pro Set in 1986...they are interesting because they show cards duplicating the Super Bowl Program, ticket and ring. And I had to buy a Super Bowl lapel pin, of course.



One of my new favorite 1985 Super Bowl collectible items is this 24.5 inch Nylint brand truck. It was specifically made for the Metropolitan Chicago Corp Moving & Storage Company. I don't know why they had them made or what they used them for - probably some sort of promotional item. Nylint trucks are known to be large and sturdy with steel construction. What makes this Truck so rare is that it has the 1985 Chicago Bears theme. The Trailer has a picture of George Halas(founder of NFL/1st Bears owner) up in a cloud in Heaven looking down at William "the Fridge" Perry. It has the lines from the super bowl shuffle song on the trailor..."we're not here to start no trouble~we-re just here to do the superbowl shuffle"...On the truck, it has Walter Paytons #34 with his Nick-Name "Sweetness"! The graphics on this are truck are wonderful.The truck is in Excellent condition.Only a few small chip marks. Displays Awesome!!!





I recently bought another picture, like I have any wall space to hang it. It's 11x14 and is a reprint of a sketch of the imaginary Grabowski bar. Ditka always called the Bear team a bunch of Grabowski's meaning they were tough blue collar kind of men.


For 1987-1988 I bought a couple of unused coloring books that were supplied to little Bear Fans by Burger King. It brings back memories of players from that era.


1986 brought out the tear apart "stress" doll. I originally owned the "referee" version and I ripped and tore him to pieces. He finally ended up in the toilet, well, his head did. I don't play with my Bear's doll. He is for show.








I have also obtained the very collectible "Budweiser" serving tray from 1988, as well as a store countertop display of a Camel cigarette/Chicago Bears key chain.










I added a 1991 Bears yearbook to my collection. It is autographed by 1. DOUG BUFFONE (Cover)
2. JIM HARBAUGH #9
3. MARK BORTZ #62
4. GLEN kOZLOWSKI #88
5. KEITH VAN HORNE #78
6. TRACE ARMSTRONG #93
7. MARK CARRIER #20
8. RON RIVERA #59

I've got newspapers pertaining to the deaths of George Halas and Walter Payton...A 1986 Super Bowl papaer, plus many, many more. I also buy T.V. guides if a Bears player frequents the cover.

I had the opportunity to buy a 1989 Mike Ditka can....yeah, a can...with a lid. It might have had popcorn it in, I don't know. So, now I have a Ditka can. Do you?



Speaking of Ditka....maybe I should have put this in the 1986 section. Iron Mike made some cologne that year and I have found an empty bottle and original box. I guess cologne was big that year. Michael Jordan had some too, I believe.


I have also added some Ditka restaurant items to my existing collection of wine, steak knives and cigars. I now have a restaurant plate, a table cloth, some coasters and a supply of Ditka sauces. The pork chop sauce is pretty darn good.




MORE DITKA! You can never have enough Ditka. Here's a grille glass from his restaurant and a carry out "Ditka Dogs" bag.

How about a homemade bottle and logo. For some reason I thought it was a real collectible, but basically, it's junk.

I FINALLY found a Ditka rookie card that looked GOOd online. However, when it was delivered to me, it just didn't feel right. It felt lightweight. The corners were sharp which is rare for a 1962 Topps.
So, I went out and bought some cheaper cards so I could compare.
My concerns were answered when I noticed MY card was not a long as the others....just a miniscule amount. Then I thought that the card had been trimmed. Then I thought "what the heck do I know". I kept the card anyway and will probably send it off to Beckett or PSA to find out the truth.

Well, that tragedy was more than made up for when I came across this Mike Ditka cardboard "circle" card. I could find no history on it, but it's oddness intrigued me. I bought it for $4.95.  There were other "disc" cards around that were considered rare, so I figured that this might be one too.

LOW and FREAKIN' behold, the card (which is in GREAT condition) was a 1967 Pro's Pizza card!..Pro's Pizza was owned by former Cub and recently deceased, Ron Santo. Local sport's heroes (Gale Sayers, Ernie Banks, etc) images were printed on the pizza box lids and perforated to cut/tear out. Because the were on pizza boxes, most of these cards got thrown away. The value. you ask? $850.00!!!!!!!

After his playing days, Ditka bought a bowling alley and I have procured an empty matchbook from there. Willowbrook Lanes in Bolinbrook, Il.


Do YOU have a lifesize Ditka in your home? I DO!!!! I hide him in closets and bath showers to scare people.



I have a few "on card" autographs of Mike Ditka. One is 1991 Pro-line, which is a set that I collect Bears players. It was one of the first autographed sets available. More on that later. I also have cards of Ditka wearing my favorite coat and sweater, both of which I myself own. The coat is used and abused but the sweater is brand new in the package!..I have seen the new sweater go for over $200. I also have the infamous "finger" autograph on an 8x10 (obtained in person) and this 4x6 Photo. "You're # 1" Mike Ditka.

1992 - Well I bought a Jim Harbaugh Sports Impressions mini plate for 4 bucks.


The NFL/NFL Players Association is constantly entering in to merchandising agreements and the early 90's brought deals with Warner Brothers and Russ. Here's a Tazmanian Devil coffee cup:







I've got some Yabba Dabba Doo for you...a 1993 Flintstone cassette player, NEW IN PACKAGE and a worn out Fred and Barney Beach towel. Flintstones, meet the Flinstones!






Here are some banks that have made it into my collection. The helmet with the gray facemask is from 1978. The large cardboard one was from a 1987 Monday Night Football game between the Bears and Broncos. It doubles as a lunchbox. The orange based "TimTee" bank is a highly sought collectible.



I added 3 different puppets to my collection. These are from the 80's, 1990 and 2000's. The last creature is not a puppet. I believe he is called a "Dancing Halfback". He is battery operated and dances to some song.



I like to find unique cups and glassware. The following are 1978 Vienna Beef plastic cups of Walter payton, Alana Page, Mike Phipps and James Scott.



I have a nice set of Libbey glasses from the 60's. They are the red ones with the images of different position players. I have heard people compare the artwork to the works of Dave Boss, who did many projects during this era. The 2nd glass is a very collectible piece made by Hedy. I purchased it for$10-$15 and was not familiar with Hedy glassware. Research has shown me that these NFL pieces came in 2 different sizes as well as a couple of small serving dishes. I have the larger glass and a recent Ebay sale of a Packer glass netted $198.00! Wow!! Next is a 1967factory signed team glass, followed by two 1979 Burger Chef glasses, mug, a 70's era thermos and an 80's pewter mug.








I bid on a decanter set made by Anna Hutte Bleikristall and was quite surprised that I won. I think I got it for about 10% of it's value. Here's the scoop on the set: Bleikristall Germany crystal decanter set with the Chicago Bears logo. This is a heavy, quality, polished crystal decanter with a 1" thick base. This set is accented with silver on the lip of the decanter and rim of each glass. This unique set is etched with a "C" for Chicago and "BEARS" with field markings etched around each glass. The decanter has a frosted, ground football-shaped stopper. This set has not been used, and it is in excellent condition. The decanter measures 10 ½" tall to the top of the stopper, and 4" X 4" square. The cocktail glasses measure 3 ¾" tall, with a diameter of 3 ½".





Beer, Wine, coke and beer dispensor. My dispensor is an X-mas gift from Prago. Notice the autographed Ditka bottle and my Dick Butkus wine...oh, and Bobby Douglass.











Another one of the few trading card sets that interests me is the 1997 Leaf Signature cards that were 8x10 autographed cards. I have the 4 Bears from the set. Curtis Conway, Bobby Engram, Rashaan Salaam and Dennis Autry.



Since I showed you those cards, I might as well display some of my others. There are way too many cards and sets out there nowadays, so I have really limited what I will go after. I posted the 1991-92 Pro-Line autographs previously. I also go for the oddball cards that just appeal to me because they are weird. LOl. The following shows a Spanish Telepop card with the Bear player and the Incredible Hulk, a Cinderella Hampton card, Zorich as Zorro, Garfield and the Flintstones...among others. The Jack Concannon card is a fold out/stand up card...just something different.




I love the footballs that have machine stamped signatures with famous Bear players. I have a Payton, Sayers, McMahon (new in box), Sid Luckman...The Butkus is from a 1995 football, but it is only a front panel. I have never seen the actual ball. The white sided football was an Ebay steal! The description on the auction was "football signed by old Bears players". There was George Connor and Doug Atkins, and I thought, HEY, those guys are Hall of Famers. Then I looked further and saw that the ball was also signed by WALTER PAYTON, Mike Singletary and had faded auto's of Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus...pretty good bargain at $60. I also am showing a decorative wooden carved football, a nifty desktop decoration.



The Danbury Mint is a highly respected creator of superior sports figurines and collectibles. I have a LOT of their stuff from die cast to figurines. Here's a 2002 Mickey Mouse, a 2003 Super Bowl Greats figurine, a Walter Payton clock, 4 out of the 6 Fan Series plates and an incredible Walter Payton Stein. The replica 1966 1:24die cast Mustang is phenominal.




Chicago Bears Team Car
1966 Ford Mustang Convertible


An amazingly realistic, meticulously detailed 1:24 scale model car celebrating a great team.
America's favorite "pony car," the 1966 Ford Mustang Convertible, is decked out in full Chicago Bears regalia. This expertly reproduced die-cast metal model is adorned from front to rear with Bears team graphics and colors.
Officially licensed by the Chicago Bears and the National Football League™, this superb collectible is expertly handcrafted in large 1:24 scale from more than 115 individual parts.
From the perfectly replicated V-8 engine, exhaust systems and undercarriage to the realistic steering wheel, dials and gauges, this authentic model is loaded with fascinating details.
Actual size approximately 7 1/2" long; scale 1:24. This model is no longer available from the Danbury Mint and had an original retil price of $116, which naturally, I did NOT pay.




Danbury Mint also makes NFL Stadium figurines. I have the old Soldier Field. I also own 2 different Sport's Collector's Guild Soldier Field pieces. I also have the old stadium and new stadiums musical snow globes that play "I want to be a football hero..."










Here's an update on my fixation with Bobbleheads: 2008 Devin Hester, 2009 Big Heads of Urlcaher, Matt Forte and Jay Cutler. 2009 Helmet Base brings Urlacher, Cutler, Hester and Forte and the new 2010 EndZone editions of Forte and Urlacher.



OOPS....I forgot the 2009 Player Sport dolls in the alternate orange jerseys: Cutler, Urlacher and Forte.




My McFarlane collection is now up to date with the Series 21 Jay Cutler (blue and white variant), Series 22 Matt Forte and variant, Dick Butkus regular and white variant (white is pictured)frfom the Legends 6 collection, a bronze series Robbie Gould, #'d to 1,000 and both Series 25 Julius Peppers.







That's the update on Bobble heads and McFarlane's. I have a couple more Urlacher additions. One is a 2002 10 inch Nesting Doll set. This contains 15 different Bear players.













I also have a similar set from a six inch doll with 5 players.



I have a couple of gay friends in Chicago that are big Bear Fans, so I could not pass by on purchasing these custom Bratz Urlacher "lesbian" dolls that I found on Ebay. I think the jerseys came from a Burger King promotion one year.

Picked up an urlacher "UNO" card game and a 2005 Upper Deck mini Jersey.