Recording of the First Super Bowl

Troy Haupt has something that no one else in the world has. He owns the only known recording of the very first Super Bowl. When it aired live back in 1967, the NFL forgot to record the event. With the Super Bowl growing into the biggest event of the year, you’d think the only copy of the very first one would be worth millions. According to the NFL, however, the tape isn’t worth much of anything.

Haupt asked the league for $1 million in exchange for the tape. For a league that racks in billions of dollars a year, one million is a small sum to hand over for a piece of NFL history. So what did the league do? The saw Haupt’s request of $1 million, and haggled down to $30,000.

Haupt’s father was working during the game, and he was the only known person with the foresight to pop a tape in and record while the cameras were broadcasting. He kept the tape for years before leaving it with Haupt’s mother in the hope that it could be used to gain them money in the future. There’s no flaw in that logic, especially when you factor in that this recording is the only known one in the entire world.

The recording itself is quite valuable, but unless Haupt accepts the NFL’s offer of $30,000, he won’t receive any money from the treasure. The NFL has stated he is not allowed to sell the footage to any other interested parties or else they’ll take legal action. Haupt owns the video itself, but the NFL owns the footage shown on that video. In short, Haupt has the only record of the first ever Super Bowl, but the only people he’s even allowed to sell it to do not want to pay a fair price for it.

For a little perspective, here are other stories about rare finds that turn out to be more lucrative than originally assumed.

$3 Chinese Bowl

A family in New York went to a garage sale one day. Thinking they’d pick up a few odds and ends, they came across a bowl for $3. It’s a deal most people wouldn’t pass up if they were at a garage sale and wanted a new bowl. After closer inspection it was revealed that the small ceramic bowl is a Chinese antique from the Northern Song Dynasty. The bowl is worth up to $2.2 million!

This bowl isn’t even the only one of its kind. Another known bowl of a similar size and shape has been in The British Museum. Comparatively, the only known recording of the NFL’s very first Super Bowl is only worth $30,000.

Rare Warhol Drawing

Garage sales seem to be the best places to make a fortune. Andy Fields bought a collection of five paintings in Las Vegas. He spent a whopping $5 on the set. When he took one of the paintings out of its frame, he found an original drawing by Andy Warhol on the back of it.

The Warhol drawing is said to be worth upwards of $2 million.

Super Bowl 1

Sean McEvoy’s Lucky Find

Lombardi’s Coat

As for an antique with a Super Bowl connection, look no further than this Ripley’s story about Sean McEvoy finding a coat belonging to the first coach to win a Super Bowl.

Sean McEvoy bought the coat for 58-cents at Goodwill. When it was discovered it previously belonged to Green Bay Packers Coach, Vince Lombardi, the value quickly rose to $20,000!

Troy Haupt must be kicking himself for not finding a painting or a bowl at a garage sale. Instead, he has to settle for owning the only recording of what might be the most important game in NFL history.