FROM: Vinylmation 360 Published Mondays

Sports Team Series

Football season is in full swing, baseball playoffs have just started and Kelly takes a look at the well made Vinylmation Sports Team Series.

- by Kelly Firth, Oct 8, 2011

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If you have been collecting Vinylmation for a while, you know that in 2010 Disney released an open window boxed series based on sports icons. Each 3” vinyl featured something like a baseball, a football, a soccer ball, etc., and it was paired with a mystery sports Junior (ex. a baseball Home Plate). These were really popular with sports fans and were still available for sale when I last went to Walt Disney World in May. In fact, the Team Mickey store in Downtown Disney had an entire display of them front and center for all to see.

If you liked that series, more good things are coming your way in VinylLand! Did you know that a new team sports open window boxed series is due to be released in the coming months?

Vinylmation fans in attendance at D23 learned that Disney would be creating a National Basketball Association vinyl series, while attendees of the Florida Project Vinylmation event learned Major League Baseball and National Football League team vinyls would be produced as well. Also at Florida Project, the vinyl team previewed a bunch of these new designs, sure to excite dual Disney and sports fans! I was not lucky enough to attend Florida Project, so I do not have pictures to share with you. My descriptions (or a quick Google image search) will have to do!

First up, there is the MLB line. Previewed were vinyl versions of the Atlanta Braves, the Boston Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs, and the New York Yankees. The head of each vinyl is designed to look like a team hat, with a baseball painted on Mickey’s right ear. The body features a team jersey, while the feet are painted to look like cleats. For me personally, the MLB vinyls look the best in this series.

For the NBA, the Boston Celtics, the Chicago Bulls, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Miami Heat, and the Orlando Magic were represented in vinyl form. Each vinyl features a basketball-patterned head in one predominant team color, while the body features an interpretation of a NBA jersey. The feet are supposed to look like sneakers, but without laces painted on, the intent of the effect is lost.

The NFL preview consisted of four teams: Miami Dolphins; New York Giants; Pittsburgh Steelers; and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The design pattern is similar to the MLB and NBA series, except the heads are decorated to look like football helmets.

Retail price for each vinyl is expected to be $14.95, but if there is one thing we vinyl collectors know, it is that Disney is fickle on pricing! It could end up being a bit less or a bit more than that. All vinyls appear to be made with the new mold, but pictures seem to make these designs look anywhere from okay to great on it. More teams in each series are expected to be produced later on down the road.

What do you think of this series? Which vinyls do you want to get? Share your thoughts in the comments section below! As for me? Epic end-of-season collapse or not, I can’t wait for the Braves vinyl!

On the last Monday of every month, I'll devote this column to your questions and my answers. You can leave questions here as comments or else send them directly to me.

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