What Makes A Helmet A Collectible?
All the helmets
In today’s market, collectibles are all the rage, especially in sports! At Green Gridiron we supply both field-use and collectible helmets. What’s the difference?
What makes it field-use?
Field-use helmets are safety-certified helmets meant to be worn by football players on the field. These helmets are available for players of any age. Players 14 and under fit in youth helmets. Anyone 14 and older is advised to wear an adult helmet. Field-use helmets can be used for up to 10 years.
Collectibles in all forms
We offer several different types of collectible helmets. Riddell and Schutt are the 2 leading brands in the industry that offer various team collectible models. Our store has Minis, Replicas, Authentics and SpeedFlex collectible helmets. Riddell has licensing permissions to sell both NFL and NCAA collectibles. Schutt only has authorization to distribute NCAA collectibles. This means you’ll never see a Schutt NFL collectible. Both companies offer several different special edition, throwback, and alternate team helmets in addition to each team’s standard look.
Different types of collectibles
A mini helmet is one of the most common and cheapest collectibles on the market. They look just like their full scale counterpart, just minimized to a 3 ⅝ scale. Minis are made of entirely plastic and weigh around 3 oz. Riddell minis also feature a plastic face mask. Schutt Minis, however, have a metal mask.
A replica helmet is a full-sized helmet that includes several modifications to ensure that collectors cannot use it on the field. Replica collectibles have fake, foam padding and a black, plastic panel called a no-wear plate, which prevents the owner from wearing the helmet on their head. These helmets are budget-friendly and work best as display pieces. They are light in weight, coming in around 3 lbs. Replica helmets have the same decals, paint, and hardware as its authentic counterpart.
Authentic helmets are going to look and feel as close to the real deal as possible. They have authentic padding, identical team decals and paint. There are 3 authentic collectible helmet models: Riddell Speed, Riddell SpeedFlex, and Schutt XP Authentic. Authentic collectible helmets most closely resemble the real deal and can be worn on your head as an accessory. These helmets are not certified or safe for game play.
How do I know if it’s a real collectible?
Real NFL collectibles will feature an iridescent decal with the NFL logo on the packaging and on the inside of full-sized collectibles. If this sticker is not included on the helmet or box, it is not a real, licensed collectible.
The NFL and NCAA do not allow the distribution of their team design decals. Any sets that are found online are not real. We make custom decals (check out some of our work here), but we are not allowed to use the likeness of any pro or college team logos. We are allowed to sell official NFL and NCAA helmets because we pay licensing fees and the team decals are already applied on the helmet.
Check in with Steve to hear about the difference between every collectible model!
