Old School Design: Sears Catalog NFL Action Figures

As we approach the Christmas season, it is always good to remember all of those great presents you got as a kid. Being a crazy sports fan as a kid, I was always looking through the old Sears catalog to see what the newest sports gifts were for that Christmas. I've written before about the classic Sears catalog and all of the great stuff it had in it each season.

As I was searching through some old things I came across something that was one of my all-time favorite Christmas gifts. I got these classic NFL action figures for Christmas in probably 1979 or 1980. The figures were from my two favorite teams at the time, the Bengals and the Vikings. Each figure came with a set of stick-on numbers so you could personalize them with your favorite NFL player's number. The Vikings figure wears the number of my favorite Viking of all-time, Fran Tarkenton. The Bengals figure currently has the #80 on it. Originally I had decorated the figure with the number 14, of Ken Anderson fame. I remember switching the numbers over to 80 during the Bengals Super Bowl season to celebrate Cris Collinsworth. Obviously I wasn't a real uniform detail junkie back then, because Collinsworth never wore the Bengals' simple classic uniform and helmet set.

I also remember another great Sears catalog gift I got at the same time. That Christmas I also received a set of NFL player figures of the Vikings, Bears, Packers and Saints to go along with my Bengals/Browns set for my old electric football game. Ahhh, good times. There is nothing better than looking back on some of those great sports gifts from Christmases past!

Jon over at the Fleer Sticker Project passed along this image of these classic pieces of NFL childhood gold that shows them as they appeared in the Sears catalog. There is a great article over there about the Sears catalog and all of the great things that were available. Check it out here.

Comments

[Erik Davila]

Wow! I've never seen these (probably because I wasn't born until '82)...but I love this stuff. I grew up with the Starting Lineups figures, of which I still hoard several hundred in my closet. Those were always tops on the Christmas list when I was a kid.

[Hoolie67]

Awesome find and column! I can't believe I missed these when I was growing up. Too bad they are all wearing white cleats though! Love the old school unis though.

[Jeff E.]

Wow! Thanks for the memories. I had a couple of those figures when I was a kid too(early 80s). I know I had the Cowboys, but I can't remember the other team. Maybe the Eagles since I always like the "wings" on their helmet. The Sears Christmas catalog arriving in the mail was one of the highlights each year when I was a kid.

[Tom G.]

Mine was a Buffalo Bills, that I numbered "12" for Joe Ferguson.

I think that the NFL's rise to dominance over MLB is directly related to their licensing efforts during the 70's. As you point out, NFL merchandise was everywhere in the Sears Wishbook. (Seemed like every kid I knew had the NFL bedspread with the team logos from every team). MLB was nowhere to be found though. A whole generation of us grew up wearing NFL Jammies, playing NFL Eletric Football, and sleeping in NFL bed sheets. Any wonder football became America's game?

[Eric B in KC]

YES! My grandma, living in Minneapolis, bought me a Vikings and a Raiders figure. I loved those guys. My Viking was #9 for Tommy Kramer and the Raider alternated between #12 for Kenny Stabler and #21 for Cliff Branch. My dog chewed up my Raider, which just made him look even tougher. I'd love to find some more online...without paying $100+ a piece for them.

[Todd]

Thanks for the trip down Memory Lane! I had a Roger Staubach, a Walter Payton, and... a Rocky Bleier! Hadn't thought about those in ages, but now will be all day.

[Rob]

Ha! Totally forgot about those. I used to agonize over which guys to put on my X-mas list. I remember having a guy from the Jets, Chargers, Falcons, Rams and Bills. Wish I still had 'em as those old school unis would be sweet to display.

[Daniel J Leonard]

Jim,
Your article reminded me how out-of-touch NFL marketing was back in the day.
No player, other than a kicker, wore those old, two-bar facemasks even in the late 70s or early 80s, yet those were all you ever saw in most print media.
Now, thanks in part to people like you trying to bring about awareness, even the little plastic helmets found in the super-market vending machines sport full-cage facemasks like the players actually wear.