Nesting Dolls

As you can see, I have started a nice collection of Russian Nesting Dolls. They are all hand painted and no two are alike.

A few of the sets I had to research the dates. For example, the 1997 date can only be 1997 because that is the only year that Dennis Autry played. I find it humorous that the earliest one's that I have contain errors.If you notice, Autry's name is spelled wrong - "Autay". Edgar Bennett ( a Green Bay reject) only played in 1997 and 1998 and I am quite sure that he NEVER wore #34 because Walter Payton's jersey was retired in 1987. Bennett wore #32. The players were: Erik Kramer, Edgar Bennett, Dennis Autry, Curtis Conway and    

The 1998 set is odd because of the player selection. #47 was a safety named Chris Hudson who was only a Bear for one season,

and I don't recall him being a star. He was fairly good, however. We might have lost him to free agency. Clyde Simmons was an aging player that the Bears Signed and was then determined to be past his peak...one year and out. The players were: Chris Hudson, Todd Saurbrun ( a freakin' punter who wined a lot), Shane Matthews, the wonderful untalented quarterback, Clyde Simmons and James Williams. Note that they forgot to paint the jersey numbers on the back.    

Here is a 5 inch set with the infamous '85 Bears:  Payton, McMahon, The Fridge, Singletary and a tiny, tiny Richard Dent.

The following is a large 10 inch set that contains 10 players.

I also have the shorter version with only 5 smaller figures.

Above is a 2003 set with Urlacher, Anthony Thomas, Marty Booker, Mike Brown and Rex Grossman.

I have 2 sets from 2004.  The first one is a Matryoska set, which is a popular creator of Russian nesting dolls.  I have the last player listed wrong.  It is not Grossman.  It is #9, Chad Hutchinson, who the Bears thought could be a good starter.  I believe he was replaced in the line-up by Grossman.

The players in the next group of dolls are : Urlacher, Cedric Benson, Rex Grossman, Bernard Berrian and Thomas Jones.

I have another nice set of Matryoshka Dolls that I can't place a date on.  My guess it was also around the Super Bowl XX era, because it contains star players up to that point.  Walter Payton, Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary, William Perry and Gale Sayers.

and finally, for now, a small 3 man group of Urlacher, Olin Kreutz and Mike Brown.

Here are a couple more additions to my Nesting doll collection: First is a 9 piece set from 2002, made in Russia by Lipetskie Usory ...the players are Brian Urlacher54, Jim Miller15, Mike Brown30, Anthony Thomas35, Oliz Kreutz57, David Terrell83, R.W. McQuarters21, James "Big Cat" Williams71 and #94, whoever he is...lol

Followed by a 2007 -2008 set (that is not well painted) with Kyle Orton, Cedric Benson, Devin Hester, Bernard Berrian and Jason McKie

Added 2 more sets to my collection: Cutler, Forte, Jeffery, Bennett, and Mundy

Plus, those darn 85 Bears again

2018 - Mitchell Trubisky, KHalil Mack, Taylor Gabriel (one season?), Tarik Cohen and the "Dunk and Doinker" Kicker, the infamous Cody Parkey

                         Above - Kramer, Salaam, Spellman, Flanigon.....I'm guessing 1996-97

                                             2002 Nesting Dolls - Variant with Player Names

                                                                                  1980s

2010

2004 Russian Nesting Dolls.....I love it when the Russians are clueless on their spelling....David TERRELL, Olin Kreutz, Dallas Clark, Bobby Wade and Thomas JONES.