March 21, 2019: Sports & Americana Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/21/2019
This is an extraordinary near-complete set (missing one slide) offering of the color slides that the National Football League provided to its member stations for use in their broadcasts and thus boasts an extremely limited distribution. Typically offered at auction one of two at a time with star players featured, this amazing near-complete set includes 309 of the color 2-by-2-inch-square color slides, almost all in sterling Near-Mint condition. The roster includes a veritable Who’s Who from the National Football League nearly four decades ago: Walter Payton, Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, Bart Starr (Coach), Lawrence Taylor and Steve Largent, to name a few, plus slides of Commissioner Rozelle and the Lombardi Trophy. The slides appear in a cardboard frame with serial number, team name, player name and position on the front; backs are blank. Produced by the National Football League, the slides were issued over a two-decade span from 1968-88. The slides come in the original 5-by-9-inch presentation box, found here in largely Ex-Mt condition, jostled only by a bit of staining across the top that only marginally detracts from the presentation. Included in the set is an 8-by-10-inch checklist printed on both sides, presenting in near-Ex condition but with some unobtrusive pen and pencil check marks. The missing slide is No. 90 from the Miami Dolphins subset. Truly an amazing artifact from the National Football League and the cultural phenomenon of television that enabled its remarkable growth and expansion.
1982 NFL Television Color Slides Near-Complete Set (309/310)
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