Soldier Field Items and Postcards

In 2015, I located another stadium figurine that did not have,  Now, it too, has been added.

One of those brilliant ideas of mine...mini collections....For some reason I started collecting Soldier Field postcards.  Initially, I was trying to find just the older ones.  My cards go back to 1922, which was the completion of construction years.  It was not named Soldier Field until 1925.  It was called Grant Park Municipal Stadium, or something like that.  Anyway, post cards were not enough for me, so I went on a rampage to acquire ANY Soldier Field item that I believed to be "interesting".



The renaming of the Stadium happened on Armistice Day, November 11, 1925.  I have obtained the original program from that day, which I deem to be a prize of my entire Chicago Bears collection.

I purchased a trinket box that would seem to date back to the early 1920's.  It is metal on the outside with a wood bottom and a wood lined interior.  It has a made in Germany label. Initially I was concerned that it might have been a generic-type box that someone just inserted a post card of their choice inside, but upon close examination it appears to have a non-removable photo. Update: More information on this box can be found later on in this post.

Chicago was the site of the World's Fair in 1933 and I found a metal souvenir tray, approximately 3"x7".  It has an etching of the stadium.

Now, to the postcards:
Many of the postcards from the 1920's and 1930's were made of linen.  Pictured below you will see that several of the seem to be the same.  They are not.  Each one has a minor difference if you look closely.  Trust me, I saw these cards and had to discern whether I already had one.  I guess this was the early days of variations, a term used widely with today's collectors.

 Here are some more from my collection, including some of the new Stadium that opened in 2001.

I also have a booklet of 15 different postcards, which you can tear off and mail (not going to happen).

As I mentioned earlier, I collect anything Soldier Field related.  As you can see from the very first picture, I have many other items.  These are just things I am adding as an update.  Chicago created a souvenir deck of playing cards that portray scenic locations in the city.  I purchased the Ace of Spades, which was Soldier Field.

Update 2014: added some more post cards

Update 2015....more post cards :)

A few more items are a 1982 Budweiser stein that shows the 3 major Stadiums in Chicago at the time...The White Sox Comiskey Park, the Cubs Wrigley Field and Soldier Field.  I also have a 1989 preview trading card from Action Packed that is a neat little hologram.  I have a few Soldier Field "figurines" that depict the stadium and I found another one (which is of the new Stadium) from the 2005 Sports Collector's Guild. And, a pinback.

Below is an alleged art piece from Ron Edelheiser in 1998.  It measures 9x7x1 inches.  It basically appears to be a photo cut out and mounted on wood.  I like it though.

I got a real bargain on this Jumbo, 19 inch, 3D lighted display with case. It is from a company called Homefields that makes custom replicas of College and Pro Stadiums. This is the old Soldier Field from 1971 to 2001. Homefields sells it for $269.00. I bought it on Ebay for $35.00! Woot Woot!

http://homefields.com/Pro-Football/Chicago-Bears-Soldier-Field-1971-to-2001

Below is another fairly large wall display that I bought at a kiosk in the mall.  These normally retail at $200.00-$300.  It was a half price, after Christmas sale.

Features a 3D stadium reconstruction of Soldier Field, original artwork in the top left hand corner of each 'face plate,' and a brief listing of stadium facts and characteristics. All StadiumView products have been designed by IDNA Brands and are Made in the USA.

·         Unique 3D Stadium Design

·         Original Hand Drawn Artwork

·         White Birch Wood Constructions

·         Coffee Bean MDF Frame

·         Dimensions: 25.5"w x 19.5"h x 3.5"d

1940s linen postcard

while my wife was shopping a major discount retailer called "UFS" (Unclaimed Freight Store) she found me a Chicago Bears Water Globe. I have seen these and they retail at $29.99 to $49.00. This one is a bit cloudy on the inside, but that's no big problem. It doubles as a music box and plays "I Want To Be A Football Hero". She paid only $6.99 for it and it's a great paper weight. I love it!

Wrap Around Collectible Football - small, encased

                                                               Bates and Klinke Pendant

8"x8" Ceramic Tile by Artist Mark McMahon

Danbury Mint Valet Box

Rare vintage eglomise souvenir casket, cigarette box with reverse painted convex glass top, "Entrance Soldiers' Field Chicago", a 1933 world expo souvenir piece! We normally find and offer these old eglomise pieces as Grand Tour souvenirs of Europe, Paris most notably. This one apparently made in Germany, but for the 1933 World Fair held in Chicago and featuring the infamous Soldiers' Field. 

4 3/4 inches by 3 3/8 inches, 2.5 inches tall

Marshall Fields City Lights Collection

Wall Hanging Plaque

I'm not sure of the marketing genius for Lay's Potatoe Chips came up with this idea, or what Collector value there might be, but, of course, I had to buy it.

.  Lay’s Golden Grounds NFL-inspired chips

BRAND NEW SEALED

EXP DATE 03/22

 

LIMITED EDITION 200 BAGS PER TEAM 

 

 

Representing the legacy of 29 beloved NFL teams from coast to coast, Lay's Golden Grounds chips are the same classic Lay's taste that fans have loved for more than 75 years, but this time made with a special salute to their favorite teams. Lay's created the limited-edition line of Lay's Golden Grounds chips by pulling soil directly from NFL stadiums and fields across the country. Under the careful watch of Frito-Lay farmers, they mixed the soil into separate parts of the potato field to make chips infused with the grounds and the glory of each NFL team. The limited-edition bags also feature keepsake packaging decked out with NFL team colors and logos.

According to the person I bought this from, a Lay's spokesperson clarified that the logo on the outside of the bag corresponds to the soil used, so if you're chomping down on the Chicago Bears’ bag, the potatoes used were grown in a patch of soil mixed with dirt from Soldier Field. A mere 200 bags of each team's chip were produced. (Though no explanation was given, the three teams that didn't participate were the Broncos, Bengals, and Browns, meaning they also don't have their own bags.)

                                                 New Postcard find:  1940's Linen

1925 Vintage Key Decor To Chicago Soldiers Field Memorial Fountain Grant Park 8 inchcollage (1)

This vintage key is a unique piece of history from the beautiful city of Chicago. Made in 1925, it was once an advertising thermometer of the Soldiers Field Memorial Fountain in Grant Park, Chicago. Measuring 8 1/2 inches in length. 5.6 ounces. Missing thermometer.  Update-NOT ANY MORE

1940s Bates Klinke OLD SOLDIER FIELD CHICAGO BEARS NFL FOOTBALL STADIUM  FOB COIN TOKEN BADGEcollage

So, I had been wanting this 3d puzzle from FOCO, but I had zero interest in putting it together  (I watched this video and said "No Way" to myself) https://youtu.be/g8JKAsT7nII

I found one on Ebay that had already been put together, so I paid a hefty price and bought it.  The Seller had actually installed some small LED lights throughout and it looked really nice.  When my mail lady delivered the package, she apologized for its less than stellar condition.  She informed me that she had already notified her superior, in case the contents had been damaged.  Guess what?  Here it is!

The puzzle pieces are a very thin (Cheap-like) plastic, and as you can see, quite 'dismembered'.  I was very disappointed.  I contacted the seller and he gave me a generous partial refund.  I decided to keep it and hopefully attempt a reconstruction.  A few month's later I began the project.  I was hoping to find instructions online, but to no avail.  I was forced to rebuild it based only on the picture on the box.  After I finally finished (with 2 extra pieces that I was clueless about), I got out my super glue and made sure that MOFO from FOCO would not fall apart again.  Anyway, it looks fine now.

         Bought another Post Card for my collection, back when it was listed in Burnham Park