Jim Kelly Gamer Collection

[gobills123]

Thanks all for the kind words!! There is a local store that has a few more, but at $500 a piece, there they will stay!

[gobills123]

I guess this has turned more into a Bills gamer thread so Ill post another.
This one is an oddball. The spacing and tagging is pre-1986 and is probably from between Foley and Smith. I've found a pic of bruce holding this old style jersey - so they were around still BUT a simply check of his rookie card shows at that point he was wearing the new style sand knits with more space inbetween the numbers. Name plate marks could go either way as well as it was a short plate... 5 letters max. Both those players have a short name. This does have repairs and marks.... but its not HAMMERED as youd think a Foley or Smith would be. Im not familiar with the older sand knit to make an educated guess other than I assume its a player who briefly wore 78 between the 2. Id guess this is still white helmet era, but again... old sand knits arent my focus so I dont know its origin yr. If anyone can help or has any guesses, PLEASE feel free and lmk!

Thanks!!

[gobills123]

1991 Kelly Gamer walked through the door yesterday. One of the ones given away after his weekly show. Eventually in later yrs these were just retail authentics. At this point however, still real deal

[gobills123]

New addition thanks to a fellow boardie. Ive been after this one for a while!!

[gobills123]

Been kinda quiet with Bills things that have interested me as of late until the last month or so. Crossed a few wants off the list.
Kelso Sand Knit rookie jersey, late 70's Early 80s Sand Knit (Bills tagged) #16 that was plated Solomon and then was plated over but never issued again...
Biscuit ProBowl thats photomatched and a Hull from the 1st set of 87 Champion jerseys with the port hole mesh that ended up being the only Bills Champion jerseys with sewn numbers and screened TV#s and name plate, just like my Norwood. Best part is, Bennett was the most expensive at $169

[sixburgh]

Is your Pro Bowl Bennett game worn, issue, or just authentic. Not sure if 93 Pro Bowl jerseys were available to fans for sale yet?

They weren't available to the public but in '93 each player was issued 2 jerseys.

It matches a pic of him wearing it with other Bills players, but i couldnt find a decent pic of him playing so im not sure if they had 2 and 1 was worn the day before and 1 in tue game or if it was all the same.

The off center red inner portion of the '7' matches the jersey he was wearing for the members of the Bills team photo.
I have seen instances where the player wore the same jersey for both the photo and in game and times when 2 different ones were worn.
Thurman even wore #32, John L Williams number, for the Bills photo in '91 but #34 in the game.
I have the game on DVD (I'm obsessed with that era of PB games) and could take a look and try to get a definitive answer for you if you would like.
I also collect '89-'94 Pro Bowl jerseys would also be interested in purchasing the jersey if you ever decide to part with it.

eminenjerseys@yahoo.com

[gobills123]

Love me some Reich!!!
Figured this didnt need its own thread as he WAS Kelly's backup...


I will say its interesting. When I 1st started I might have passed on this. I, like many Bills guys, got SO hung up on that exclusive Bills year tag as well as the short plate and you just cant rely on that 100% of the time.
After really digging and photomatching etc, I started to see occurrences on other players besides Kelly ( HE was consistent... after the 87 Sand Knit it seems the man always had a short plate NOT like some of these fake gamers that are just retail authentics at some auction sites that people are paying 3k for...) where they actually did have a name plate that extended the back. Also, with recycled jerseys and late season orders there really are quite a few pieces that wont have that 2nd jock tag. In fact, people seem to look at that as being a tell tale sign of a gamer but I've got a Shane Conlan with that tag that is a retail jersey. SSOO much weird stuff went on with these shirts and no concern was put on making everything uniform like now a days. The best thing I like to look for is the pilling under the shoulders on the inside and HoJo's writing on the inside tag denoting a number or sometimes a letter as well. I started doing much better when I realized the #1 rule to old Bills gamers is there are no rules

[gobills123]

Back to Kelly though...
Here are a couple of my favorites. 2 1987 Bills Kellys.
I may have shared the White one before. Kelly had a white and a blue champion thick handwarmer jersey. The Blue one was used in 87 and had the sleeves cut but for whatever reason when they played away at the Jets that year Kelly busted out his old Sandknit white hand warmer jersey... leaving the Champion one unused. Sleeves are folded up in this pic, but both are intact making me think this was never used in a game. After that, he went to the good ol'muff. Still, its the only Kelly handwarmer I've ever seen and between the sandknit and Champion there cant be more than a couple that exist.
The blue one here is pretty cool because I think this era is the hardest to find jerseys for. The post 91 ones are all over but one like this with good wear, trimmed bottom, 2nd stripe cut off, and jersey style name plate is so imperfect its perfect. A fav for sure



Wish I had the dough for this but its rough coming up w/jersey $$ this time of year as its time to buy for others.
http://www.dacardworld.com/sports-ca...re#moredetails
I've seen and owned a lot of Jimbos but only once or twice have i seen an apex. I checked, and the only pics i cld find of him wearing apex is the SB. I wonder why he did it just for that game? maybe the insisted if they did have a deal that he wear them, on the big stage? looks like Reich and Christie wore apex on the reg and was all over the comeback game. There does not seem to be much info on apex and the bills at all sadly I wonder why some guys changed for a yr or 2 and if it was on propose, or if thats just what they found in their lockers

[Phil316]

Very cool collection

[gobills123]

Thanks Phil
Wish I had the resources to compete with the big boys - but I guess i've managed to do pretty well through some unconventional channels!