Another McGwire Thread... Jersey This Time!!!

[gobills123]

Hey Guys!!
Just looking for some help. This will seem remedial to most of the Vets here. I'm big into Bills (specifically Kelly) game used jerseys - but thats always taken most of my $$.
I have however ALWAYS been a huge mcgwire fan. As a 5yr old in 1991 my parents took me to an O's game and they were hosting the A's that day. Mach hit a HR and he was my favorite player from there on out. I played ball through college and I always played 1b, wore #25, and even wore white franklins and a CHMBCB Rawlings glove. The early 90s were tough years getting up in the am to watch sports center at breakfast to see if he hit a HR and more often than not Id see he got injured. The patience payed off srating in 96/97 though! now those $3 85 Topps rookies Id been stashing turned into big $$... and of course a few years later turned back into $3 cards :) It really was neat to have your favorite player go from mid-bottom level star to the face of the game!!! But, I digress....

Game used stuff has been too $$ with other hobbies so Ive been happy with game issued batting gloves, game issued bat, and game issued glove - all identical to what he used... just not used.

I found this jersey on ebay. I KNOW it isnt game issued as just from minor research Ive seen he had special length tagging and it has no year/set tag.

The seller on ebay only had a pic of the auto/back of the jersey so I requested pics from the front and he told me he inherited a collection of CA greats bc a relative owned a gym they all frequented ( and implied help provide steroids) and he was given quite a collection for the walls from these guys. He was more than happy to send pics of the front upon request.

My question is, most McGwire 'authentics' I've been able to find on ebay dont have name plates (I assume these were added after a certain year for game used,) so did retail authentic ones follow the same pattern? The 2nd question is the retail authentic ones I could find all tag tags, which this one is void of.
So, is this just a retail authentic from a time where no neck tags were added and a name plate was used, or is this more of a team issue?

For example, (bc i know the Bills well) if someone from the Bills gives a jersey as a gift or charity they'll take a random unmade up jersey and number and letter it in house. It looks close to what the player wears, and has the TV numbers (thicker outlines than retail NFL.com numbering) rather than the normal retail authentic stuff... but it is just a 'team issued' authentic jersey of that player rather than a 'game issued' jersey that was specifically made up for that player to use. Often these are really big or really small sizes too.
The Bonds and Griffey he had were the same....
Could this be that? or is this strictly a plated tagless retail authentic anyone could buy from the store??

I dont care, and for $100 I cant go wrong as I like the jersey very much. I just am not as well versed in baseball jerseys from the early to mid 90s.

Thanks!!!

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/ag112/andrewhasseler/Mobile%20Uploads/Resized_20170412_203321_zpsfwsc4exp.jpg~original (http://s1301.photobucket.com/user/andrewhasseler/media/Mobile%20Uploads/Resized_20170412_203321_zpsfwsc4exp.jpg.html)

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/ag112/andrewhasseler/Mobile%20Uploads/Resized_20170412_203326_zpsw0wxrhv1.jpg~original (http://s1301.photobucket.com/user/andrewhasseler/media/Mobile%20Uploads/Resized_20170412_203326_zpsw0wxrhv1.jpg.html)

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/ag112/andrewhasseler/Mobile%20Uploads/Resized_20170412_203345_zpsz9qj7xvw.jpg~original (http://s1301.photobucket.com/user/andrewhasseler/media/Mobile%20Uploads/Resized_20170412_203345_zpsz9qj7xvw.jpg.html)

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/ag112/andrewhasseler/Mobile%20Uploads/Resized_20170412_203354_zpsfbxpgyl0.jpg~original (http://s1301.photobucket.com/user/andrewhasseler/media/Mobile%20Uploads/Resized_20170412_203354_zpsfbxpgyl0.jpg.html)

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/ag112/andrewhasseler/Mobile%20Uploads/Screenshot_20170426-115334_zpsylfxr7rs.png~original (http://s1301.photobucket.com/user/andrewhasseler/media/Mobile%20Uploads/Screenshot_20170426-115334_zpsylfxr7rs.png.html)

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/ag112/andrewhasseler/Mobile%20Uploads/Screenshot_20170426-115329_zpszfv9dhwq.png~original (http://s1301.photobucket.com/user/andrewhasseler/media/Mobile%20Uploads/Screenshot_20170426-115329_zpszfv9dhwq.png.html)

[sox83cubs84]

It's worth $100, no question, but it looks like a retail authentic.

Size 52 is a size sold by Russell in retail outlets, and I don't think Big Mac was up to a 52 just yet. The lack of a fabric content tag (100% Polyester, 100% Nylon or Intera) is the norm for a retail authentic.

The Russell tag design is from 1992, although the tag was carried over for a few years afterwards. If it were a 1992 gamer, it would have a 25th Anniversary of the Oakland A's patch on the right sleeve. Also, I believe the NOB should be green, not green with yellow trim like this has.

Check the stitching in the back of the collar, as retail jerseys normally have a size tag there. I don't see one in the photo, but I'm not sure if this was made without one or if the tag was removed.

Still, for what you're paying, your doing OK...you're just not in ownership of a GU/GI item.

I hope this helps.

Dave Miedema

[LarryWalkerFan]

My biggest issue with the signature is the lack of the "a" ("ar") in "Mark" on that sig.

BTW, did the seller ship with with the frame? It looks nicely framed on eBay.

Edit: Looking at the other items the seller sold, the Bonds jersey that sold looks very questionable for the signature. I'd be hesitant given the combination of the Bonds and McGwire.

[LarryWalkerFan]

Oddly enough... the Dallas Stars jersey looks passable on the Modano, Kennedy & Gagner signatures, so who knows?

[gobills123]

Thanks for the info bud!
Ya, like I mentioned, I knew and could tell at the very least it wasnt issued to/worn by McGwire - I just dont know if its that step up to team authentic from retail authentic... or if you were to go into a store in 1993 or 1995 (i found you guys chatting about what years this patch was on the sleeve but forget) and buy an authentic, theyd be void of neck tags like ive seen on some and had name plates.

The auto, well, Ive got a bunch and Im not selling it or anything so im pretty indifferent on it regardless. I would have wanted the jersey signed or unsigned and most times you get what you pay for so it is what it is.
IMO, the sig looks very close to others I have and a few of the swirls in his signature just look different when its faked and I didnt think that about this one... but im not an expert so Ive just dont some basic research of good and bad sigs for him and just went with my gut. If its wrong, opps lol. Its not going anywhere so it wont be passed along as legit at the very least.
I was just simply looking to get an As jersey that was as close as to what they wore and no idea if it was actually legit on the auction site BUT i had found 'gamers' sold from what looked like the same year (same jock tag and arm patch) that was void of the neck tag but obviously had the extra length tag popping out from under the jock tag. So to me, save the small details that make it a 'gamer' this looked pretty close - which was good enough for me:)

At the very least the sellers Bonds, Griffey, and Mac all looked like nice jerseys and I thgt the 94 patch on the Jr looked pretty neat. He did well and got $350 for that one so someone else must have thought so too. He put it the frame for pictures. IMO he might have hurt himself a bit by doing that and not including pics of the front of the jersey..... but what do I know?!

Thanks again!!

[LarryWalkerFan]

I have found a known McGwire sig without the "a" ("ar"). In light of that, I think you picked up a legit signed jersey at a good price.

[ironmanfan]

I agree that the McGwire autograph looks good

[STLHAMMER32]

My initial opinion of the Mac signature is not good. Maybe a Mac expert could weigh in on it as well. It's a full signature style and that "G" is just not right.

[LarryWalkerFan]

My initial opinion of the Mac signature is not good. Maybe a Mac expert could weigh in on it as well. It's a full signature style and that "G" is just not right.

That was my first thought, but then I saw one that looked similar on Randall's site. If you think it's no good, then it's probably no good, since the Bonds sig looks simply awful.

[gobills123]

Thanks again! You guys are the experts so youd know!
Im glad I didnt go for it for the signature then and it makes it a bit less cool to me, but again - i was all about the jersey. It just happened to be autod. The loops looked pretty consistant to ones i own and have seen so i didnt really even 2nd guess it. The guy said his uncle would have obtained it before mcgwire blew up and was in the midst of his injury seasons of that makes a difference. I dunno if his signature changed over time or if he had as much faked stuff then.. but at the same time if its not real then i guess ya cant really believe anything dude says. It looks better to me than fakes i have seen that were obvious fakes but Im not the best judge lol. I guess he found the perfect buyer then bc id assume most ppl buying it would be getting it for the sig. I just wanted a jersey that was as close as to what the As were wearing on field at the time w/o paying a lot of $.
Thanks again for all the input, you guys are the best!

[panthrotc]

That McGwire Auto is bad. STAY AWAY