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brovani
12-13-2014, 07:38 PM
Hey guys..... I've been going round and round with some other collectors of game worn NFL jerseys about the value (or lack of value) of GAME ISSUE jerseys. Really interested in hearing a broader perspective of what other jersey collectors think about game issue jerseys and what kind of value they hold. Any input would be appreciated.

Phil316
12-13-2014, 08:09 PM
In my opinion a true game issued jersey holds a good value if it can be proven it was actually game issued to that specific player. When I speak of game issued I do not mean these Reebok/Nike game cut jerseys made into players. I mean an actual jersey issued to a specific player by the team to wear in a game.

paul457
12-13-2014, 08:09 PM
Lots of variables (IMHO) to consider - does it come with provenance? Are GU jerseys of the player readily available? What do his GU jerseys usually sell for?

Most "issued" jerseys I've seen for sale have no provenance, and are the wrong cut / size /etc, or missing patches, have the wrong tags... If I see any of those red flags I'm skeptical of origin and how accurate the piece is, and I won't touch it. They're merely pro cut jerseys that went out the back door somewhere.

So are we talking a true issued jersey with provenance, or the typical eBay "issued" jersey which is not accurate to the player's true GU jersey with no paperwork?

IMHO a truely accurate issued jersey with proper provenance is just a good as GU, but costs far less money. I feel they're the best bargain in the hobby, but if you're in it for the history and dirt / sweat stains, an issued jeresy won't really float your boat.

Jags Fan Dan
12-13-2014, 08:16 PM
Obviously it's just my opinion, I don't think much of issued jerseys. If it wasn't worn, it's not much better than a retail authentic to me.

brovani
12-13-2014, 09:46 PM
Paul457..... I understand what your saying, but how can what your saying be verified. Ebay is loaded with game issue jerseys that look great and match the size and cut of the player, but still very difficult to tell if its a true player issued jersey or a "copy" of the jersey that player is currently wearing. What do you think of the game issue jerseys offered on nfl auctions?

paul457
12-14-2014, 10:15 AM
Paul457..... I understand what your saying, but how can what your saying be verified. Ebay is loaded with game issue jerseys that look great and match the size and cut of the player, but still very difficult to tell if its a true player issued jersey or a "copy" of the jersey that player is currently wearing. What do you think of the game issue jerseys offered on nfl auctions?

In my opinion, those eBay jerseys with no paperwork are not truly 'issued' jerseys. To me, an issued jersey is a very specific piece of equipment, and the only way to verify it being issued is when there is ironclad paperwork that says so. It's a lot different than a game used item, where a photo match can trump a piece of paper (or lack of paper altogether). If you can't prove what it is, then what is it??

I've bought issued jerseys from NFL Auctions and I've paid a decent amount for a couple of them. These are jerseys where the PSA auth states it's an issued jersey, and the jersey is cut, patched, tagged exactly as a true GU jersey. No questions on the paperwork, no questions on the cut / patch / wash tags... it's 100% verifiable. A buddy of mine had a good rule that I now (more or less) live by - an issued jersey price tag should be ~10-20% of what their game used jersey goes for.

Now... there's a new trend on NFL Auctions - they list signed 'authentic' jerseys that people are paying stupid amounts of money for, the PSA / DNA auth states it's an authentic signed jersey... which it is. It's made by Nike, the signature was verified... most of them are even cut like real jerseys (L-BK, QB, SKILL). But now eBay is flooded with them and their all now magically 'issued' jerseys with even more exorbitant price tags. Here's a perfect example:

http://www.nflauction.nfl.com/iSynApp/auctionDisplay.action?auctionId=452334

It's not an issued jersey, it's not being sold as such... but some dirtbag flipper will get a hold of it and screw someone with it. Looking further into the future (because I have a crystal ball), someone will eventually roll around in some grass and dirt with it, and it will be showing up at Grey Flannel as a GU jersey...

Sorry for the rant... but that's where I've landed after many years of collecting this stuff - if there's no paperwork saying it's an issued jersey, it's not issued. If it's a 100% match to what the player wore on the field and there's no paperwork, it's a pro-cut jersey and hey - maybe it was issued to the team, but you'll never be able to prove it (so I personally will not pay for it like it's an issued jersey).

BarryMeisel
12-14-2014, 05:17 PM
Hi everybody,

As a company that authenticates, it is possible for a professional authenticator to eliminate or lessen the potential fraud that could be committed with authentic vs. game issued jerseys.

To our knowledge, based on our relationships with San Diego and Washington, the Nike jerseys actually produced for the teams are individually serial numbered by Nike.

If a jersey has a unique serial number, that number should be recorded and publicized when a jersey is first authenticated/distributed/sold.

If a company fails to do that, it fails to properly protect the integrity of how that specific jersey is initially marketed.

Also, most (if not all) jerseys prepared by NFL equipment staffs for their players are customized for the individual player (tails trimmed and elasticized, for example).

Hope this helps,

Barry at MeiGray

brovani
12-14-2014, 09:32 PM
Paul447,

Thanks what your saying makes a lot of sense. What do you think about what Barry said? In your mind and through your experiences does the serial number verify to you if the jersey is a genuine game issue (exactly like the player worn jersey) and not a pro cut jersey? All of the "game issue" jerseys on NFL auctions have them. Interested in your thoughts. Thanks

Barry,

Thanks for your comments. Any more info would be appreciated.

BarryMeisel
12-15-2014, 09:43 AM
Hi Brovani,

What other information are you asking for?

I can tell you that this morning I checked the 10 Pro-Cuts we have received from the Chargers in 2012 and 2013, none of which were game-issued for the player.

Each had an individual serial number, which means the jerseys originated from Nike's stock sent to the teams.

Hope this helps,

Barry

brovani
12-15-2014, 08:41 PM
Barry,

I think you just cleared it up. Most "game issued" jerseys listed on ebay and nfl auctions are probably "pro cut" jersey. Not necessarily player issued. Right? Is there any specific indicator that you know if that would determine a true game issued? I thought the serial number,bee was the determining factor, until I read what you just wrote.

Thanks,
Brian

paul457
12-16-2014, 12:20 PM
Barry,

I think you just cleared it up. Most "game issued" jerseys listed on ebay and nfl auctions are probably "pro cut" jersey. Not necessarily player issued. Right? Is there any specific indicator that you know if that would determine a true game issued? I thought the serial number,bee was the determining factor, until I read what you just wrote.

Thanks,
Brian

I don't believe that the Nike serial # has any significance to us mere mortals, it's more of an indicator to say that the jeresy was truly made by Nike.

But unless the public can reference or decode those serial numbers (is there a website?), there's no way for us to know what those numbers mean. What's to stop someone from switching wash tags, or what's to stop a bootlegger from making up a fake serial number?