Originally published in the December issue of Robb Report Collection as “Get Ready for the Blitz”
Super Bowl fans will bet on just about anything connected to the game, from the result of the coin toss to how long it will take to sing the national anthem to the color of the head coach’s shirt. The more rarefied Super Bowl collector’s world has a similarly obsessive bent—just about anything connected to the game is coveted memorabilia.
Breakfast of . . .
Collector Glen Christensen has just one item from Super Bowl XXXII, the only one the Packers lost. But it is most unusual: a Wheaties box that congratulates the Packers for winning. Apparently General Mills made boxes in advance congratulating each team for winning, and the wrong one was supposed to never leave the warehouse. Christensen bought it from someone who works for the cereal maker.
The Sideline
Referee Gary Lane worked Super Bowls XXIII and XXXIII. In 2012, Heritage sold both of his uniforms and the ring he received for Super Bowl XXXIII for $5,676. Referee items in general sell well. For example, a referee’s ring from Super Bowl XXV fetched $3,266 in 2006.
The End Zone
Over the years, 10 end-zone pylons have been sold at auctions. They ranged in price from a low of $422 for Super Bowl XXIX, sold in 2001 by Lelands, to a high of $3,910 for Super Bowl XLIII, sold in 2012 by Hunt.
The Coin Toss
Four commemorative coins flipped to determine who gets the ball to start the game have been sold at auction. They ranged in price from the Super Bowl XLVI coin (when the Giants defeated the Patriots in a clutch performance) that fetched $10,925 in 2013 to the coin from Super Bowl XLVII (Ravens over 49ers) that sold for $2,504 in 2014.
The Write Stuff
Before Super Bowl XLVIII, the Fox Sports network asked players to write their Super Bowl promises on a chalkboard by finishing a sentence that started with, “I will.” Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson wrote, “Play the best 60 minutes of my life!” and signed it. The chalkboard—35 feet long—was auctioned by SCP Auctions last August for $6,076.
