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.
Riddell NFL Pocket Pro Helmets 
