For Aeneas - Walter Payton GI Helmet

[mvandor]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Walter-Payton-Si...QQcmdZViewItem

Your comments? Allegedly emanated from the Bears locker room.

[beantown]

6 7/8 - 7.....that is one small head!!!

[helmets]

Psst...
Helmet is from 1978.
Box is dated 1979.
Mask, with the tiny red dot - looks like helmethut repro.
However, what stands out to me is those modern 2004-2008 era Schutt clips that are spray painted navy blue...

Have contacted the seller with my concerns.

[aeneas01]

this helmet just sold last month at mastro for $1,600 before fees. yet the ebay seller states "this is truly a wonderful part of history which i find hard to part with..." - apparently parting isn't such sweet sorrow given that he's flipping it weeks later.

fwiw, last month's mastro auction was pretty damn impressive - probably the largest collection of vintage (circa '50s and earlier) football helmets, footballs, uniforms, etc. i have ever seen offered at one time - and most (all?) in mint condition. some absolute steals on very rare leather football helmets. a ton of game used bears items were also listed including a payton game used jersey ($9,000+) - as a matter of fact there's quite a few bears items listed in mastro's current auction.

could this actually be payton's "game issued" lid? who knows. one thing is certain, payton was not the only bears player to sport a wilson f2002. in fact the bears and wilson sporting goods, headquartered in chicago, had a decades-long relationship. if wilson had not stopped making football helmets in 1979, many bears players would probably still be sporting wilson football helmets today. but payton was indeed one of the last bears to wear a wilson - he continued to wear one long after wilson had stopped manufacturing football helmets and, of course, he had a big endorsement deal with wilson.

imo this helmet could have simply been one of several remaining wilson lids taken from old bears inventory for the purpose of obtaining payton's sig - this strikes me as more probable than a well-guarded payton backup ready for payton's use at a moment's notice. especially considering that it doesn't sport an authentic bears warning label and has been fitted with what appears to be a contemporary helmet hut reproduction facemask (although if it is a hh repro facemask one has to wonder why hh repro vintage clips were not added as well ...)

if nothing else it's a beautiful, rare, impregnated midnight navy blue wilson f2002 lid fitted with what appear to be authentic team decals - just as payton wore during his playing days with the bears. add to this it sports the sig of one of the greatest running backs of all time. imo this alone is worth the $1,600 clams it sold for at mastro.


late 70s - bears players sporting wilson helmets, including f2002 lids:

[wjonesIII]

Psst...
Helmet is from 1978.
Box is dated 1979.
Mask, with the tiny red dot - looks like helmethut repro.
However, what stands out to me is those modern 2004-2008 era Schutt clips that are spray painted navy blue...

Have contacted the seller with my concerns.

So you are saying Mastro auctioned another modified helmet, like the one they put a new facemask on?