Sports Cards & Game Used Jerseys

[SavedbyGrace]

I'm not sure if this is the forum for this question, so I apologize in advance if this is the wrong place. But does anyone know where these big-time card companies get their game used jerseys? Are they actually game used? If they truly are game used, I have a huge problem with them actually taking game used jerseys and essentially cutting them up to make cards. Imagine how many more opportunities for us to get our hands on gamers if these jerseys weren't just cut up. It's something that has been on my mind for awhile and I'm hoping someone can shed some light on the subject. Thanks!

[skyking26]

I think they've covered this before here; but I myself never have been a fan of the practice. The card companies theorize that while so many people could never fathom the idea of owning a "so and so" jersey, that owning a "piece" would be somehow exciting.

Never got the excitement and it is so sad. Makes one feel a bit queezy.

RK

[3arod13]

Does anyone know where these big-time card companies get their game used jerseys? Are they actually game used? If they truly are game used, I have a huge problem with them actually taking game used jerseys and essentially cutting them up to make cards. Imagine how many more opportunities for us to get our hands on gamers if these jerseys weren't just cut up. It's something that has been on my mind for awhile and I'm hoping someone can shed some light on the subject. Thanks!

My concern has always been are they actually pieces from a game used jersey. This is the only one that I have seen that actually shows game use. If anyone else has a game used jersey cards that shows game use on the piece, I would love to see it.

[sox83cubs84]

I think they've covered this before here; but I myself never have been a fan of the practice. The card companies theorize that while so many people could never fathom the idea of owning a "so and so" jersey, that owning a "piece" would be somehow exciting.

Never got the excitement and it is so sad. Makes one feel a bit queezy.

RK

So much unique history has been destroyed by the companies. And yet, I see kids in hobby shops all the time exhibiting the same level of excitement when they pull a game-used card from a pack as we do picking up a whole, intact, game-used item. It sucks.

Dave Miedema

[Jags Fan Dan]

My concern has always been are they actually pieces from a game used jersey. This is the only one that I have seen that actually shows game use. If anyone else has a game used jersey cards that shows game use on the piece, I would love to see it.
I do have one Brunell card where the jersey has some light red staining on it, not blood, but more like either field paint or Gatorade.

The issue with the jersey cards is there is absolutely no motivation for any of the card companies to distinguish between issued vs. used, and for that matter, there is little to no reason to be concerned with the authenticity of a piece that is going to be cut up into indistinguishable little squares of mostly white mesh.

[3arod13]

I do have one Brunell card where the jersey has some light red staining on it, not blood, but more like either field paint or Gatorade.

The issue with the jersey cards is there is absolutely no motivation for any of the card companies to distinguish between issued vs. used, and for that matter, there is little to no reason to be concerned with the authenticity of a piece that is going to be cut up into indistinguishable little squares of mostly white mesh.

+1

[gobills123]

You need to read the fine print on the back.
Sometimes (most of the time now, unless its high end cards) it says EVENT WORN. This is simply the company purchasing a bunch of knockoffs or "custom" jerseys and having the player put it on and then take it off. So, it briefly was worn by the player before being given to a company rep and cut up.
Event worn can also be the rookie premiere. They have one jersey they wear for that, and then they do the above mentioned but with Nike jerseys, usually not premier ones, but the game ones.
High end lines for each brands do boast actually game used, however it was found this year that that may even be misleading for two big reasons. First, the numbers on the Seahawks jerseys have a different cut to them from the "game" retail version to the onfield gamer version. It was discovered that on a prime patch the number had the retail cut, which, shouldnt be the case if its actually a game worn jersey.
The second blunder was a T Davis Broncos patch card that had the new style with screened numbers. Now, when they changed in the mid to late 90s from the orange crush they were sewn everything so when the card surfaced with a screened number piece, that raised a lot of questions... The company at least admitted it was a mistake and last I heard was finding a way tomake it better.
There was also the issue of a company buying supposed yankee gamers for a great deal under market value to try and cut a corner, didnt ask questions, and it was later all found to be fake.
When this trend started Im sure a lot of great jerseys were cut up. Now, if a player has an exclusive contract they will save a gamer and give it to the company to chop to bits, but for the most part everything is just event worn now.

[Jags Fan Dan]

Here is a new one on me: While I do not buy game used jersey cards, this one popped up on a search I did and I had to stop and look. I'm guessing this would have to be a Louisville Bats jersey piece? Not sure. Upon looking into it further, I read the fine print on the back of the card, the wording of which I had never seen before "The relic contained in this card is not from any specific game, event or season". What??? And some of the swatches do show dirt on them.

[jbean023]

There's MLB holograms on some cards now, check out topps strata and topps mint I believe, and card companies won a boatload of nice items on mlb auctions throughout last season. I used to think there was some issued items on cards but after looking deeper the last couple seasons I think topps and panini relics are all 100% game used items and legit. You can also watch YouTube videos of items getting put into cards.

[shermdawurm]

Like gobills123 stated, there have been some recent controveries regarding non-game worn/used pieces being advertised as game worn/used. I've seen Panini win some rare historical jerseys in big auction houses and then cut them up for cards. I believe they did this with a Pete Maravich Boston Celtics gamer (won for $18,000) and an 1962 Ernie Davis college all-star jersey (won for $29,000). I think I remember there being some controvery as to whether the Ernie Davis was actually game worn as he may not have played in that college all-star game. Go figure.

[LarryWalkerFan]

Brad Wells, who used to supply game used stuff through ASI to UD, Topps, DonRuss, etc, admitted to selling non-game used stuff to those card companies as game used. That's why the companies now buy the items at auction or directly from the league/team.

[grandeleague]

So much unique history has been destroyed by the companies. And yet, I see kids in hobby shops all the time exhibiting the same level of excitement when they pull a game-used card from a pack as we do picking up a whole, intact, game-used item. It sucks.

Dave Miedema

Correct. There is a 1999 pedro martinez red sox home, a rare 1999 chipper jones home jersey from his mvp season that was cut up for cards. I talked to the dude that sold them to the card company. This was back in 2000 or 2001. Those are two historical jerseys from fantastic seasons lost to history.