Sports Figure kits from the '60's??

Modeling Subjects Figures and Misc.
1

I am back into modeling after a 25 year break and was having deja vu about these cool sports diorama kits i built as a kid. I think they were 1/16" and i remember a Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Johnny Unites, Jimmy Brown and Jack Dempsey kit. They each had 1-3 figures in them on a good sized base. Aurora comes to mind as a manufacturer but I could be making that up. Any historians out there???

2

Don’t know about those, but Airfix used to have (a looooong time ago) a set of (English) soccer players, and they recently released another, larger scale set that has not done too well given the fairly lackustre performances of the National team at the latest major international tournament…

3

Aurora had 6 “Great Moments in Sport” figure/diorama kits, all issued in 1965. You remembered them pretty well: they were Willie Mays (1 figure), “Jimmy” Brown (3 figures), Johnny Unitas (3 figures), Dempsey vs. Firpo (3 figures), Jerry West (2 figures), and Babe Ruth (3 figures). According to my copy of Bill Bruegman’s “Aurora History and Price Guide,” they were a pretty resounding failure sales-wise, and were never reissued.
I thought they were pretty neat when I saw them in the book, because, though I seem to remember almost everything else Aurora ever produced, I don’t remember ever seeing any of those (and I was 9 at the time, so I’m sure the trademark Aurora colorful box art would have made an impression).
I have no idea if they’d be available on e-bay, but the price guide gives (1992, pre-ebay) prices from 60-350 dollars unbuilt, 30-125 built up; I shudder to think what they’d go for these days.
Good luck and good hunting.

4

The show up once in a while on ebay. Don’t really know what they sell for as I usually don’t watch them. Just have to watch ebay and maybe get lucky.
Rob

5

Thanks for the great feedback! Wow, I was that close. I must have been no older than 8 when I first got my hands on one. It was then I learned the power of paint thinner when i put willy’s glove in a thinner bath to remove bad paint and poof, glove disappears.
Anyways, If anybody’s got one or two…

6

Hey Bergy
Check out ebay, there is a Johnny Unitas kit (built up) and Jim Brown Kit on there right now. Just search in models for the names or aurora. Good Luck.
Rob