Would you Buy a Mears A-7 jersey?

[encinorick]

Would a true collector buy a Mears A-7 jersey? In their last auction, Vintage offered a Magic Johnson 1995 Laker GU jersey rated A-7, which, as I understand, indicates that with regard to a 1987 or later jersey, the tagging is correct and there appears to be game-use, but Mears will not say that it is definitely game-used by the particular player unless there is written authentication from the team or the player. As I rememeber, the jersey went for about $1,700 is is very reasonable. Good deal or not?

[earlywynnfan]

I thought that was the description of an A-5 jersey; it would take some sort of provenance to make it higher than A5.

Of course, MEARS has said that the highest grade for a bat would be A8 unless there was provenance, yet I'm seeing bats grade higher without. (In fact, a Rickey Henderson Bat just sold via Vintage that was A8.5, and there was no provenance; in fact, it was mine!)

[kingjammy24]

rick,

with all due respect, i don't think a "true collector" would care much
about mears' ratings. it's almost impossible to say if the a-7 magic johnson jersey was a good deal based solely on the a-7 grade because the grade is nothing more than mears' opinion which may be completely incorrect.
if mears' gave the johnson jersey an a-7 and upon examining the jersey
your own research found beyond a shadow of a doubt that the tagging was incorrect, then was the $1700 a good deal?
at the end of the day, the grades are almost worthless as you have to do your own due diligence regardless if the jersey is an a-10 or a-3.
an a-10 could turn out to be a complete fake. there is no relationship between a mears' grade and the true value or the authenticity of a jersey. a mears grade is merely the opinion of a group of people who, in my opinion, have made errors they shouldn't have made. the johnson jersey is no better or no worse a deal than if i would've given it a grade of Rudy-8. mears can say its legit and it could turn out to be fake or mears could say its fake and it could turn out to be legit. the value of the jersey is up to you to decide.


rudy.