Category: Uncategorized

The Collector’s Dilemma

The Vikings alternate pocket helmet sold out fast. In about an hour in fact. I think this could be a problem.

Four Types of Collectors

There are three types of collectors who buy pocket helmets. There are serious collectors, like myself. Next, there are casual buyers who think the helmets are kind of cool. Maybe they only buy helmets for their favorite teams. And finally, kids. I thought gumball helmets were the best growing up, but I never saw them as collectables. They were toys.

There’s a fourth type who aren’t collectors. They’re hoarders. They purchase as many as they can and sit on them, hoping for a profit in the long run. This isn’t a criticism and I am in no way criticizing what they do. They see an opportunity and jump on it. Hoarders seems like a bad term, but I can’t think of a better one 🙂

The Problem

The 2024 limited edition pocket helmets had a run of 2000, which seemed like a perfect number. It’s just enough to accomodate everyone. And it generally took a few months for them to sell out. That model worked really well and was a lot of fun.

In 2025, however, the run is limited to 525 helmets. Most of the helmets went to the hoarders, with one seller having as many 40 available on ebay. They are going for about $30 (including shipping), a significant markup from buying from Riddell directly ($16 including shipping). If a hoarder sells 20, that’s almost $300 in profit. Not too bad, but not worth the time and hassle for many others.

But if a regular or casual collector has to spend about $30 for each helmet from a hoarder, that’s about $700 in one year. That price point is likely too much for many collectors. I was prepared to spend $375 this year, but not $700. I would probably stop collecting and maybe focus on making my own custom helmets.

Not to mention the logistics of coordinating one’s schedule to fit the narrow 60 minute purchase window. I feel like a run of 525 with nearly unlimited purchase amounts could hurt the market, similar to what happened to baseball cards in the early 1990’s.

Maybe the hoarders will find their strategy didn’t work, that they overestimated the market, and will back off. That will open up things up somewhat. Time will tell.

Solutions

  • One strategy would be to up the production to 2000. Or maybe do two runs of 525. Another option is to limit purchases to 5 or less helmets per order.
  • I think it would be cool if Riddell sold blank shells so individuals could make their own helmets. Or offer 3D print files for free or for sale.
  • Another idea is to sell some of the limited editions in 2, 4, 8 or more sets.
  • A final option is to give up the idea of selling the helmets as limited editions and open the market.

Vikings Pocket Helmet Drop

Here it is: the 2nd drop of the 25 helmet 2025 limited edition series. The Minnesota Vikings 2024 alternate.

This makes a total of 17 limited edition helmets. Since 23 more will produced in 2025, that will make a total of 40 in two years.

There are a lot of options to choose from this year to fill out the other 23. I would definitely anticipate more alternates from the list below.

One issue would be alternates from the last few years that have been discontinued. The Broncos have 2 alternates from before 2024 (one white and the other midnight blue). Or the Lions and Texans 2023 alternates. I will be curious to see how far back Riddell goes. Maybe they could surprise with a throwback or alternate in a 2-bar or traditional style, like the 1994 Bills alternate (traditional) or 1960 Chargers (2-bar).

Potential Alternates and Throwbacks for the Next Drop

  • Bears 1933 throwback (three orange stripes)
  • Browns 2022 alternate white and maybe the 1957-59 throwback (last worn in 2021)
  • Broncos 2016-23 alternate midnight blue; and 2023 and 2024 whites (3 total)
  • Cardinals 2023 alternate black
  • Chargers alternates (2)
  • Chiefs 2023 alternate, grey facemask
  • Colts 2022 alternate black and 1956-57 throwback
  • Commanders 2022 alternate black, 2020 plain burgundy, grey facemask alternate,
  • Cowboys 1976 throwback (last worn in 2022)
  • Giants 1981-99 throwback
  • Jaguars 2024 alternate white and 1995-2012 throwback
  • Jets 2022-23 alternate black, 2024 alternate black, 2015-18 alternate white, and 1965-77 throwback
  • Lions 2023 alternate honolulu blue and 2000s plain silver throwback
  • Packers plain brown throwback (last worn in 2022), plain yellow throwback with green facemask (last worn in 2019) and plain yellow with green stripe and grey facemask (last worn in 2021)
  • Saints 1976-99 throwback
  • Texans 2022-23 alternate battle red; 2024 alternate battle red and alternate stell blue (3 total)
  • Vikings 1961-75 throwback
  • 49ers 1989-95 throwback

2024 Limited Edition Speed Series (1 of 2000)

  1. Atlanta Falcons 1966-69: Red helmet, grey facemask, gold-white-black-white-gold stripes, floating feather lines, V-neck
  2. Baltimore Ravens 2024-present alternate: Purple helmet, front facing Ravens logo, gold tapered stripes, gold facemask
  3. Carolina Panthers 2022-present alternate: Black helmet, black facemask, tapered Carolina blue stripes, Carolina blue panther
  4. Chicago Bears 2022-present alternate: Orange helmet, navy facemask, navy “C” with white outline
  5. Dallas Cowboys 2022-present alternate: White helmet, white facemask, blue star with blue and white outline
  6. Denver Broncos 1993-96 throwback: Royal blue helmet, 93-96 D logo, orange-white-orange stripes, white facemask
  7. Detroit Lions 2024-present alternate: Honolulu blue helmet, modern black lion with white/black outline, black/white/black/white/black/white/black stripes, black facemask
  8. Green Bay Packers 2024-present alternate: White helmet, G logo, white facemask
  9. Miami Dolphins 1966, 69-73 (2015-present throwback): White helmet, dolphin #1 inside ring, aqua-white-orange-white-aqua stripes, grey facemask
  10. New England Patriots 1982-90 (2002, 2010-12, 2022-present throwback): White helmet, Pat Patriot logo, red-white-blue-white-red stripes, white facemask
  11. New Orleans Saints 2022 alternate: Black helmet, black facemask, tapered gold/black stripe, modern fleur de lis logo
  12. New York Giants 2024 throwback: Blue helmet, red stripes and wings, grey facemask
  13. Seattle Seahawks 1983-2011 (2023 – present throwback): Silver helmet, classic Seahawk, blue facemask
  14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1976-96 (2023-present throwback): White helmet, Buccaneer logo, red-orange-red stripes, orange facemask
  15. Tennessee Titans / Houston Oilers 1981-96 (2023-present throwback): White helmet, blue derrick with red outline, red facemask, red-white-blue-white-red stripes

2025 Limited Edition Speed Series (1 of 500)

  1. Minnesota Vikings 2024 alternate: White helmet, off-white horn with purple outline, silver-grey-silver stripes, silver facemask
  2. Philadelphia Eagles 2022-present alternate: Black helmet, modern wing, black facemask

The best NFL franchises to have never won a Super Bowl

In the Super Bowl era (59 years) 12 of the 32 franchises have never won a Super Bowl. Here are my rankings.

In tier 1, I have the Vikings alone. The Vikings are a no brainer for the top spot. They have the 4th best regular season record in history and have more playoff appearances than the 49ers, Chiefs or Patriots. The 1998 team is probably the 2nd best team to not win a Super Bowl. As good as the Vikings consistently are, it’s remarkable they haven’t won a championship.

In tier 2, I have the Bills and Bengals. I was torn between the Bills and Bengals for 2nd place. The Bills get the edge for a few good runs and one more Super Bowl appearance.

In tier 3, the Titans/Oilers, Chargers and Falcons are usually competitive and have been to the super bowl. They only need to get over the hump.

The next tier includes the Panthers, Texans, and Jaguars.

The last three – Browns, Lions and Cardinals – have a long history of not winning in the regular season or playoffs. So they are in tier 5.

The worst franchise to win a Super Bowl is easily the Jets, followed by the Saints, Bears, and Bucs.

  1. Vikings.
  2. Bills.
  3. Bengals.
  4. Titans / Oilers.
  5. Falcons.
  6. Chargers.
  7. Panthers.
  8. Texans.
  9. Jaguars.
  10. Browns.
  11. Lions.
  12. Cardinals.

A new collectable

Riddell introduced a new collectable helmet titled the “midi.” At 7.5 inches, it’s in between a mini and a full size helmet. Riddell generally makes five types of collectables. There are varying alternates and throwbacks in all the styles.

  1. Full size – about 11 inches
  2. Midi (new) – about 7.5 inches
  3. Mini – about 5.5 inches
  4. Helmet of Players – about 4 inches
  5. Pocket – about 2 inches
  6. Trackers – about 1.5 inches

Some may wonder: what was the helmet of players? The helmet of players was a large helmet that included tiny figures, kind of like army men. They were made in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, I guess. They had the same packaging as pocket helmets from the time. I purchased a KC Chiefs one and would like to collect all the teams. They go for about $25 each on eBay, so I will likely stick with my one Chiefs helmet 🙂

NEW Green Bay Packers Riddell Mini Helmet of Players NOS

Helmets not manufactured by Riddell

Another type of helmet is, of course, the classic gumball collectable helmet. However, Riddell does not manufacture gumball helmets. These came in a variety of types.

There’s also a helmet I see a lot of called the “Mighty Mini.” These helmets look a lot like pocket helmets, but are more squat and have the team name on the front (Pocket helmets are usually blank or have the Riddell logo on the front). I speculate these were made in the late 90s through the mid 2000s. I have no idea who manufactured them, however. Maybe it was Riddell?

NFL Plastic MIGHTY Mini Helmets Lot Of 9 - San Francisco, Buffalo, Kansas City.. - Picture 1 of 8

What happened to NFL teams that won 15+ games in a season?

Nine teams have won 15 or more games in a season. It happened twice this year: the Chiefs and the Lions.

What does history say about the other seven teams?

  • 7/7 made it to the playoffs.
  • 6/7 made it to the conference championship game.
  • 4/7 made it to the super bowl.
  • 2/7 won the super bowl.

The teams

All of the teams except the 2007 Patriots, 2024 Chiefs, and 2024 Lions were 15-1.

  1. 2024 Chiefs: Made the playoffs.
  2. 2024 Lions: Made the playoffs.
  3. 2015 Panthers: Lost the Super Bowl to the Broncos.
  4. 2007 Patriots: Lost the Super Bowl to the Giants.
  5. 2011 Packers: Lost in the divisional round to the Giants (who later beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl).
  6. 2004 Steelers: Lost in the AFC championship to the Patriots.
  7. 1998 Vikings: Lost in the NFC championship to the Falcons.
  8. 1985 Bears: Won the Super Bowl.
  9. 1984 49ers: Won the Super Bowl.

Which team was the best?

For my money, that 1985 Bears team is the best in the super bowl era. The best on the list to not win a super bowl was probably the 2007 Patriots. But man o man, that 98 Vikings team was pretty much unstoppable.

Who has the better shot in 2024: the Chiefs or the Lions?

If history is any guides, the Chiefs likely won’t make the super bowl or lose in it. . A threepeat has never happend and is incredibly difficult. They’ll likely have to go through the Bills and Ravens, two teams coming off very strong campaigns. Finally, the Chiefs don’t dominate teams the way the other 8 teams on the list do. Several of their wins were fluky

Still, experience matters. And Mahomes can never be counted out. And Steve Spagnolo’s defense is very strong. You know the old saying about defense…

The Lions have a better shot as they will likely have an easier path. The Lions have dominated teams this year. America is rooting for a Lions – Bills super bowl, which would be amazing. We’ll see…

The greatest franchises in the Super Bowl era

Reasonable fans can agree. The top franchises since 1966 are teams like the Patriots, Cowboys, Steelers, and 49ers. The debate gets interesting in the next tiers.

A data nerd, I thought I would quantify it with five criteria:

  1. Regular season winning percent – 20%
  2. Playoff appearances – 5%
  3. Playoff winning percent – 10%
  4. Super bowl appearances / conference championships – 20%
  5. Super bowl championships – 45%

I adjusted the scores based on the number of eligible years. Most teams have existed for 58 seasons in the Super Bowl era (not including 2024). However, the Ravens (27), Seahawks and Buccaneers (47), Panthers and Jaguars (28), and Texans (21) have played fewer seasons. So I had to weight the data. While the Bucs have 2 super bowl championships, it would be unfair to compare them to the Ravens (who also have 2) as the Bucs have had more opportunities.

The data is up to the 2023 season. I will update my rankings after the 2024 super bowl.

Overall Rankings

With a high weight placed on super bowls, it’s no surprise the Patriots come out as the top franchise in the super bowl era. The Steelers are consistently good year after year. They have had four coaches in the super bowl era. The Cowboys and 49ers rankings should also not be surprising.

Stories

  • Some might be surprised by the Ravens strong showing as the 5th best franchise. But they’ve had a strong run for 27 years.
  • This is a somewhat obscure fact. The Vikings have the 4th best regular season winning percentage in the super bowl era (the last 58 years). Yes, you read that right. Only the Cowboys, Steelers, and Ravens have performed better in the regular season over the last 58 years. The Vikings rank 17th as a francishe due to their lack of postseason success.
  • The Vikings and the Bills are the highest ranked franchises to not win a super bowl, coming in a 17 and 18 in the overall rankings. While they are both 0-4 in the super bowl, the Vikings have a much stronger and consistent regular season record of success.
  • The Giants are the opposite of the Vikings. The Giants rank 21st in regular season winning percentage. In fact, it’s below .500. However, the Giants have had remarkable postseason success. This capapults them to 9th in the rankings.

Tiers

Tier 1: Elite Franchises: 30-26 score.

The Patriots, Steelers, Cowboys and 49ers emerge as the elite franchises. These teams have a consistent record of regular season success and postseason achievements.

The 49ers score is closer to tier 2 than tier 1. I made a judgment call for tier 1 because the 49ers have been in so many NFC championship games. My data does not capture that (although it does cover playoff winning percentage).

Tier 2: Great Franchises: 26-23 score.

The Ravens, Packers, Chiefs, and Broncos are in tier 2. These teams might have some off years, but they are contenders pretty much every year. The Broncos are tied with the Steelers and Cowboys for the 2nd most super bowl appearances (8).

The Chiefs have catapulted to a tier 2 franchise in the Mahomes era. If they get more super bowl appearances and wins under Mahomes, they could catapult to tier 1.

Tier 3: Great Franchises: 22-19 score.

Eight teams make teir 3: the Giants, Raiders, Commanders, Rams, Dolphins, Colts, Eagles, Seahawks, and Vikings. These are usually solid teams who occasionally make the playoffs. Except for the Giants, they all have positive regular season winning percentages. They all have a super bowl win, except for the Vikings.

Tier 4: Middle of the Pack: 18-17 score.

The Bills, Bucs, Panthers and Bears fall in the middle of the pack. The only reason the Bucs fall in this category and not a lower one is their two super bowl wins. Their history is one of balaned win-loss records or years of mediocrity with periodic successful spikes (like the Bills latest run).

Tier 5: Below Average: 16-15 score.

The Saints, Chargers, Jets, Bengals, and Titans/Oilers are in tier 5. They have generally struggled or been consistently mediocre, despite the Bengals three super bowl appearances.

The Chargers and Titans/Oilers kind of stand out in this group. I always feel like these teams can be dangerous and competititve at any moment. The Bengals as of the last few years as well.

Tier 6: Poor: 14 score

The Jaguars, Falcons, and Texans. I really can’t say more.

Tier 7: Bottom Tier: 13 and below score.

These three teams – the Browns, Lions and Cardinals – are known for their lack of success. I’m not telling the fans something they don’t already know.

However, I have always found these teams likeable and root for them. Their fans are incredible and continue to support them. Maybe this will be the year Lions break out?

Divisions

Not surprisingly, the NFC east is the best, led by the Cowboys, Commanders and Giants. The Eagles have also been successful. They are the 15th highest ranked franchise, but lowest in the NFC east.

The AFC west is led by the Chiefs and Broncos with 14 super bowl appearances between them and the 9th and 10th best regular season winning records overall. The Raiders were successful for a long time, particularly in the 60s through the 80s.

The AFC west is led by the Patriots and Dolphins, who were always competitive in the Don Shula era.

The Steelers and Ravens clearly stand out in the AFC north, as do the 49ers, Rams and Seahawks in the NFC west. I was a little surprised by the low NFC north rankings, but the Lions and Bears bring down the average. At 19th overall, the Bucs are the highest ranked team in the NFC south (lower than the lowest NFC east team, the Eagles). The AFC south is led by the Colts, the only divisional team to win a superbowl.

  1. NFC east – 22.6
  2. AFC west – 21.1
  3. AFC east – 20.6
  4. AFC north – 20.4
  5. NFC west – 19.8
  6. NFC north – 18.7
  7. NFC south – 16.4
  8. AFC south – 16.1

Giants Pocket Helmet Drop

I like this one! Riddell will drop at Giants pocket size throwback helmet today. It’s a reference to the 1937-47 leather wing front helmet.

From Riddell Collectables

Pocket helmet trivia. This is only the 2nd factory Riddell pocket helmet that references a leather helmet. The other is the 1948 Rams which was part of the throwback series 1 and throwback 2-bar sets.

Leather helmets as contemporary throwbacks. Six teams have worn leather helmets as throwbacks in modern times:

  • The Bears have wore the 1936-37 leather helmet as a every year since 2019.
  • The Packers wore a throwback of sorts in 2010-11. It might be a reference to their original helmet color in the 1920’s through the 1930’s.
  • The aforementioned Giants 1937-47 helmet worn in 2024.
  • The Eagles wore a throwback to their 1933 leather helmet in 2007.
  • The Steelers wore a plain black throwback in 1994 as a tribute to the 1942 team. The 1942 team only wore the plain black leather helmet for two games. I assume it was easier to just remove the sticker.
  • The Commanders wore a plain brown helmet in 2012 as a throwback to the 1932 helmet when the team was the Boston Braves. In 1994 and 2020 the Commanders wore a plain burgundy helmet with a yellow (1994) and grey (2020) facemask. These could be homages to the burgundy leather helmets the Commanders wore in the 1930’s and 40’s.

Throwback / Alternate / Primary Updates

All factory 2024 primary helmets are up to date. These can be purchased online or in pro shops. Riddell has done a good job staying on top of these.

Since Riddell likes to stick to contemporary alternate helmets in the most recent speed style, I would guess the next factory helmets will be the Broncos, Jaguars (white), Jets (2024 black), Texans, or Vikings alternates. I suspect the alternates from the previous few years for the Broncos, Browns, Cardinals, Colts, Commanders, Eagles and Saints would be a lower priority. In terms of a throwback, I would guess the Patriots or the Dolphins.

Recent *Factory* Throwback and Alternate Helmets

Throwbacks:

  • Buccaneers 1976-96 – released in 2024
  • Eagles 1970s80s – – released in 2023
  • Falcons 1966-69- released in 2024
  • Seahawks 1983-2001- released in 2024
  • Giants 1937-47- released in 2024

Alternates:

  • Bears 2022-present (orange)- released in 2024
  • Bengals 2022-present (white)- released in 2023
  • Cowboys 2022-present (white) – released in 2024
  • Lions 2023 – released in 2024 (very rare)
  • Lions 2024 – present – released in 2024
  • Packers 2024-present (white) – released in 2024
  • Panthers 2022-present (black) – released in 2024
  • Ravens 2024-present (purple) – released in 2024

Gaps in Throwbacks and Alternates:

Throwbacks:

  • Bears 1936-37 (three orange stripes) – worn since 2019.
  • Broncos 1976-78 – starting in 2024.
  • Browns 1957-59 (player numbers on helmet) – worn in 2006-08 and 2021.
  • Chargers 1961-73 (white helmet with player number) – worn in the early 2000s. Factory helmet exist in throwback sets, however.
  • Colts 1956-57 (white helmet with horseshoes on back) – worn in 2004 and since 2021.
  • Cowboys 1976 (red white blue stripes) – worn in 2021-22. Also available as a factory throwback, however.
  • Dolphins 1989-96 – wore in the 2003 Thanksgiving game.
  • Dolphins 1966-73 – wore since 2015 as a throwback.
  • Eagles 1933 – wore in 2007 as a throwback
  • Giants 1981-99 – wore since 2016 as a throwback. Factory traditional style helmets exist.
  • Jaguars 1995-12 (factory helmets exist in other styles, however. Revolution, traditional, and 2-bar) – starting in 2024.
  • Jets 1978-89 – worn in 2023 as an alternate. However, Jets adopted this helmet as their primary in 2024. So factory helmets are around.
  • Lions 1954-56 (plain silver with grey facemask) – worn periodically since 2017.
  • Oilers 1960-63 (columbia blue) – wore in 1994 and 2009 as a throwback. Factory throwback helmets in traditional and 2-bar styles exist.
  • Oilers 1975-96 – wore in 2023 as a throwback by the Titans.
  • Packers 1955-50 (plain yellow with a green stripe) – worn in 2001 and 2021.
  • Packers 1920s helmets (plain brown) – worn in 2010-11 and 2022.
  • Patriots 1961-63 – wore in 2009 as a throwback. Factory helmets exist in throwback sets, however.
  • Patriots 1964-81 – wore in 1994 as a throwback. Factory helmets exist in throwback sets, however.
  • Patriots 1982-90 – wore in 2002, 2010-12 and 2023 as a throwback.
  • Vikings 1961-79 – worn in 2007-11 and 2023 as a throwback

Alternates:

  • Bills 1994 (red)
  • Broncos 2016-2023 – color rush
  • Broncos 2023 (white) – old Broncos logo
  • Broncos 2024-present (white) – current Broncos logo
  • Browns 2022-present (white)
  • Cardinals 2016 color rush
  • Cardinals 2022-present (black)
  • Chargers 2016-18 color rush (white)
  • Chargers 2020 alternate (different bolt colors; Chargers wore three helmets)
  • Chargers 2020 alternate (different bolt colors; Chargers wore three helmets)
  • Colts 2023-present (black)
  • Commanders 2022-present (black)
  • Eagles 2022-present (black)
  • Falcons 2016-present (matte black)
  • Jaguars 2024-present (white)
  • Jets 1993 (green)
  • Jets 1994 (green)
  • Jets 2015-18 color rush
  • Jets 2022-23 (black)
  • Jets 2024-present (black)
  • Lions 1994, 2001-02 (plain silver helmet with blue facemask)
  • Lions 2003-04, 08, 10 (plan silver helmet with black facemask)
  • Packers 1994, 2013-19 (plain yellow helmet with a green facemask)
  • Saints 2022-present (black)
  • Texans 2022-2023 (battle red)
  • Texans 2024-present (steel blue)
  • Texans 2024-present (2024 red)
  • Vikings 2024-present (white)

Lions and Packers pocket helmet drops

The 2024 Packers and Lions pocket helmets dropped. These are the 7th and 8th “limited edition” pocket helmets Riddell has released this year. Five of them are alternates. The other three are throwbacks (Bucs, Falcons and Seahawks).

What recent alternate will be next? The Ravens, Cardinals, Browns, Colts, Saints, Bears (3 stripes), Broncos, Texans (2), Jaguars, Commanders, Vikings, 2023 Jets, or 2024 Jets? Or maybe the 2023 Lions alternate?

Or maybe a 2024 throwback? The Giants, Broncos, Jaguars? Other recent throwbacks from the past few years have been from the Patriots, Bills, Broncos, Cowboys, Oilers, Colts and Dolphins.

Jaguars Throwback Update

The Jaguars introduced a throwback for 2024. It is the helmet they wore in 1995-2012.

This helmet is available as a pocket helmet in the 2-bar, traditional, chrome, and revolution styles. A lot of them are still available on various shopping sites. It is not available as a speed style factory helmet. I would anticipate it’s appearance as a factory speed pocket helmet is unlikely. But who knows?

Image
From Jaguars X site