HW123 Team

Got this team off ebay, arrived today.









My thoughts so far:

1. The reference sticker is genuine

2. The team has not been overpainted (i.e. Hibs green covered over with purple - the purple is the only colour in the kit)

3. The bases are consistent - in terms of type, glueing, etc - with a late 70s production

4. It looks, feels, and smells (!) like a genuine original .......

....... but, 5. what's going on what that colour?!

It's far removed from the HW123 I already own (with mauve shorts) ... and
isn't a match of any of the three shades of purple I have on my HW55s!!

BTW, the HW320 in slipcase box that I bought from the same seller is bolt-on genuine.

Any thoughts .... ???

Looks perfect to me mate. Nothing wrong with it at all.



I saw the thread on the green forum about it. The picture by the seller made it look darker, but even from the photo, you could tell it was bang on genuine.



Re the ref sticker on the wrong end of the box, i've probably had 5/6 like this. Rare, but it did happen. Just human error.



As for the Colour...again imho, nothing wrong with it. It looks like the 'darker' version of the light version if that makes sense. All my 55's and 122's and 123's have had slightly different shades. Which makes me think, these teams were painted in batches and the paint colour mixed by the outworker. I've seen another ref 123 like this, but not owned by me. It was in the same box trype, same font ref number, and same paint colour. I reckon from around 1978.



Here you go... I've just picked up 3 random 'lilac' teams from what is to hand. All 3 are different shades. I've got a few more boxed up somewhere, and i know they are all slightly different. But all original.







Top rare team mate...well worth the punt imho.

Thanks, Ian.

Personally, I'm convinced it's 100% - it ticks all the 'key inspection boxes.'

It's already nestled nicely on my HW shelves.

It got me wondering (in the light of Ralph's graphic of the Hibs Away kit at the time), if some of these were 'imported' to Scotland as a close representation of this kit.

Maybe Ian...who know's.



From my experience in collecting, Scotland does seem to come up with the most 'Unique' kits. It seems there were a lot of shop orders rather than individual orders, but i've seen quiet a few of both.



I've got a 'unique' St Etienne and Wacker Innsbruck (labelled) from Scotland and with a little research i found both teams had European games against Scotish teams ( Celtic and Glasgow Rangers) in the 70's.



New Hearts, Motherwell etc,etc,etc.



It wouldn't suprise me if some shop asked for some teams to represent Hibs second. The box having Hibs written on it by the owner also gives it some provenance.



The only other thing, is that the owner spotted this ref 123 and used it as Hibs 2nd. All possible.



Tbh...I think many of us have become a little too structured in our way of thinking how Subbuteo was sold.



As children we often bought teams that were close to the kit of the team we wanted it to represent, regardless of what it said on the Catalogue.



A really nice team for your collection Ian...well done mate.

I forgot to say... that Hibs 2nd kit was from 1977, so the team and box fits8)

spudski wrote:

As children we often bought teams that were close to the kit of the team we wanted it to represent, regardless of what it said on the Catalogue.

Apart from buying my Leeds teams - and the leading English league sides in order to oppose them - I generally bought kits I liked the look of, and sometimes had little real interest in who they were meant to represent.

Received the following info from the seller today when I asked about the history of the team:

"Hi Ian,

Shop - bought from John Menzies! (Now taken over WH Smiths)

Bought in 1978 if I recall correctly. In 1978/9 or so, Hibs had a purple away
top, so as a young Scottish boy, I thought of the Subbuteo team as being
Hibs, plus my uncle who bought it for me - said it was Hibs! No mention
of Austria Salzburg.

I think it was the first British shirt with a sponsor's logo on it, Butka
(which George Best sported when he played for Hibs).

With regards to playing with it - never actually used it during a Subbuteo
game - always kept it as my favourite team. Tended to play mostly with
second favourite team, West Germany (which doubled as my home town team -
Ayr United).

Glad to hear it has gone to a good home.

Thanks again for buying it.

Regards ..."

Great result Ian...love that kind of provenance.

Most of my recent posts have consisted of 'nice find Ian' or 'well done Ian',so....................

Well well done Ian,nice find!!!!

I had a look at that one too,but just out of my reach price wise,but it looks a corker to me.

i think its ok too ian.

never been convinced with the argument that subbuteo only used on shade of this colour or that colour. green is a good example too.



here the 123 i got from chris recently which is 100% genuine