A little help

[Daryl Collins]

I’m out of pocket but have a question nagging me. The 70s Tudor set with the Patriots and 49ers was always such a unique pairing of teams and, even though I was not a fan of either team, I really wanted that set! I need the info on that set please. 
Thank you!

Journey On!

[Greg F]

That really is an odd combo.  My first game wad dark Cowboys and white Redskins.

My second was the SuperBowl 12 boards.  White Cowboys and Dark Broncos (I got the rare red Broncos.

[nefgm.org]

On 4/11/2024 at 10:13 AM, Daryl Collins said:

I’m out of pocket but have a question nagging me. The 70s Tudor set with the Patriots and 49ers was always such a unique pairing of teams and, even though I was not a fan of either team, I really wanted that set! I need the info on that set please. 
Thank you!

Journey On!

1971 and 1972 Model 635. Patriots and 49ers was the default team pairings. Specific team pairings or regional team parings could be requested by retailers. Check out the 1972 Toy Fair Catalog in the NEFGM Library. https://nefgm.org/tudor-games-toy-fair-products-catalogs/

[Greg F]

41 minutes ago, nefgm.org said:

1971 and 1972 Model 635. Patriots and 49ers was the default team pairings. Specific team pairings or regional team parings could be requested by retailers. Check out the 1972 Toy Fair Catalog in the NEFGM Library. https://nefgm.org/tudor-games-toy-fair-products-catalogs/

We used to order from Service Merchandise

[nefgm.org]

Patriots did play the 49ers in week 7 of the 1971 season, in San Francisco. It may also simply be that Tudor had an inventory overstock of those teams. 

[Greg F]

4 minutes ago, nefgm.org said:

Patriots did play the 49ers in week 7 of the 1971 season, in San Francisco. It may also simply be that Tudor had an inventory overstock of those teams. 

I’m betting on overstock lol

[Daryl Collins]

Awesome Possum! I knew someone would come through! I used to be so enamored with this set because it just seemed odd in all the right places. 
A quirky thing about me that continues to this day is, I have my favorite teams, but when I order, I tend to choose teams off the slippery side of my mind. When I order custom painted teams, I always tend towards a team or teams that are not in any way my favorites. For whatever reason, I have a lot of fun that way.

Journey On!

[Terry43]

I found it dude! On eBay.

Do you still want it?

Item description from the seller

Up for sale is a classic Electric Board Game - Tudor Electric Football Game NFL MODEL 635 (1973) 49ers Vs Patriots With Box. Perfect for football fans of all ages, this game includes all the necessary components for a fun-filled gaming experience. The game is in excellent working condition and comes with its original box. 

The game features two iconic NFL teams, the 49ers and the Patriots, and is sure to provide hours of entertainment. This is a great opportunity to own a piece of gaming history. Don't miss out on the chance to add this rare item to your collection!

Enjoy the Journey     T43.    ⚡🏈♾️

[Coach Shawn]

On 4/30/2024 at 1:56 PM, Terry43 said:

I found it dude! On eBay.

Wow that is a cool looking gameset

[Daryl Collins]

I’ve asked for more pictures.

Journey On!

[Greg F]

This is my original board from 1977.  NEFGM says it’s a hybrid.  Came with White Redskins and Dark Cowboys.  My parents ordered it from Service Merchandise.  

[Daryl Collins]

That is a piece of art!

Journey On!

[Long island EFL]

On 4/12/2024 at 9:36 PM, nefgm.org said:

1971 and 1972 Model 635. Patriots and 49ers was the default team pairings. Specific team pairings or regional team parings could be requested by retailers. Check out the 1972 Toy Fair Catalog in the NEFGM Library. https://nefgm.org/tudor-games-toy-fair-products-catalogs/

Amazing catalogs--never saw that before and loved the history!

[Terry43]

I decided I wanted the game. 

The box and the game are printed Model 615, not 635.

In the book, Full Color Electric Football, page 105, this game is pictured.

The 1971 NFL Model 615 with the 49ers and Patriots.

In 1971 Lee Payne was working on the concept of Total Team Control. In the Unforgettable Buzz, page 420, Shores and Garcia write, "Why couldn't you control the direction of all the players? ... So at the Toy Fair in 1972, Tudor introduced Total Team Control bases. The new TTC bases were just like Tudor's regular green bases, except they didn't have a pair of front legs. Instead, a separate set of (red) front legs could be snapped into the base... As usual, Lee only had prototype TTC bases for the Fair... Production of the actual bases was under way in Hong Kong." Right there is the answer to my question, where were the single-clip bases produced?

The 184 single-clip bases in my recent expansion draft look exactly like the bases in the Model 615 I just purchased. Using the Hog-leg, Chicken leg naming convention for bases is probably inaccurate because both were produced in Hong Kong and most likely by the same company.

It is also inaccurate to say that Tudor changed from Hog legs to Chicken legs on their player molds. There was a change, but Tudor didn't make it. On page 276 of the Unforgettable Buzz, Shores and Garcia write, "New molds needed to be made because under Standard Far East production agreements of the time, Tudor did not own the player injection molds - the company in Hong Kong making the players* owned them. These companies did not have the space or the ambition to store hundreds of different injection molds from American toy makers, so instead of making a set of master molds in 1967, and then using this master year after year, the company melted down and recycled the old player molds as soon as a production run was finished. This is why Tudors' NFL 1967 players are larger and more detailed than any other Tudor players. It would also lead to other player variations over time."

*Note that Shores and Garcia never identify the company doing the injection molding. 🤔

Anyhow, back to the Model 615. "Only three Tudor games were going to have the Total Team Control feature (in 1972)... They were numbered the 635, the 640, and the 650. The non-TTC equivalent of these games were the 615, the American Conference 610, and the National Conference 620."

Tudor might have persevered with the red-peg TTC, but a competitor, Munro introduced IPP (Individual Player Programming) bases in April of 1972. Shores and Garcia write, "... Munro had taken Tudor's Total Team Control player base and given it a spin of its own. Actually it was more of a twist as the IPP bases came with a small dial that was adjusted to control the direction of the men. Turn it to the left, and the players went left; to the right and they went right — theoretically at least. But the adjustments were easier on the Munro's bases than on Tudor's." Page 423. There's a picture on page 429.

I intend to cut the 49ers vs. Patriots square off the 615 box and put it on my 635 box.

Now won't that mess up future electric football historians? 🤣🤣🤣

Enjoy the Journey    T43.    ⚡🏈♾️