Counterfeit Scavenger Hunt

[ElwoodCuse]

Yeah those are all fakes but you're right, hard to justify spending big money on a jersey that won't fit for very long.

[Ryoma]

Just found this on Craigslist:

[charger77]

Fan jersey.

Those were all over detroit in the late 1990s.

-Dan

[ElwoodCuse]

Wasn't there also a powder blue Red Wings fan jersey? Ugh, Starter had so many bad ideas.

[Eye]

Wasn't there also a powder blue Red Wings fan jersey? Ugh, Starter had so many bad ideas.

If they're just fashion jerseys and properly marketed and sold as such, then I don't have a problem with it, ugliness aside.

[Frenchie]

Here's one more Pens' blue:

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?VISuperSize&item=400115990451

NHL website has the Youth's Premier with laces and nameplate sewn on, but I was at HHOF las week (I work across the street) and am pretty sure they had iron-on numbers

[tohasbo]

Here is one I see all the time....

BUT with the colors switched.... Annoys the hell out of me....

[Pettymania]

Check out this site! A site obviously FULL of counterfeit jerseys from all sports. The price of everything alone gives it away immediately. As the saying goes, if something looks too good to be true, it probably is.

I decided to look around a little further on the site and found more obvious signs of counterfeitting. There are many pictures on the site where the twill numbering is bulging a tiny bit. As the Canadiens pointed out in their counterfeit crackdown FAQ, this is an obvious sign. There were some instances where the name and/or number font is a little too thick. A few times where the accent color on the number is in the incorrect position. Then there is atleast one time where the number font isn't correct at all, which is a blatant giveaway.

Anyways, wanted to add the site to the list.

http://www.b2bjersey.com/

[Frenchie]

Alright, so I took a gamble and decided t go for the cheap option form me and here is what I got.

(Sorry for the poor quality of pictures, I need a new camera, It only takes goo pictures in broad daylight...)

Can we play "spot the differences" here?

Let me tell you some of the features that give it away for me (unless proven otherwise by you experts...)

-CCM logo on Made in Canada tag;

-Different font for Reebok on the inside neck tape;

- Can't see very well here, but the grey embroided note that says "Official Licensed Jersey" is missing the "accent aigu" (É)in French, which both my other jerseys (Premier) spell properly.

- Black stitching on gold areas;

-Different shades and textures for the arm Gold panel, and the underarm beige shape (not sure at all about this one, but pictures of pros (NHL action shots) seem to have matching colour and texture.

If you guys think it's good enough quality, I'll tell you how much I paid, if you think it's bad quality, maybe I'll tell you the name of the ebay seller...

[BlueSky]

So how good is good enough? Someone I know in New Orleans told me about a mass jersey order they were doing at like $30 each for 'authentics.' Well, come on...knockoffs from Vietnam or somewhere, right? Right. I've seen the jerseys and they're not close to field quality. But...they're actually pretty good, a lot better than expected. In fact, the numbers, NOB, and even the SB patch are damn good. The problem is in the sleeve FDLs, some good and some not so good:

An authentic would be over $200 more, so the choices come down to 1) live with a crappy FDL, 2) pay big bucks for an authentic authentic, or 3) go without.

Quality aside, are there ethical implications of buying the knockoff? Enabling sweatshops? Robbing Reebok? Taking food from the NFL's table and those of its players? Taking advantage of the fact that most people will never notice the difference between your $30 knockoff and the $250 real thing? Okay, that last one is a weak attempt at humor but you get my drift.

Thoughts?

[Frenchie]

So how good is good enough? Someone I know in New Orleans told me about a mass jersey order they were doing at like $30 each for 'authentics.' Well, come on...knockoffs from Vietnam or somewhere, right? Right. I've seen the jerseys and they're not close to field quality.

...

An authentic would be over $200 more, so the choices come down to 1) live with a crappy FDL, 2) pay big bucks for an authentic authentic, or 3) go without.

Quality aside, are there ethical implications of buying the knockoff? Enabling sweatshops? Robbing Reebok? Taking food from the NFL's table and those of its players? Taking advantage of the fact that most people will never notice the difference between your $30 knockoff and the $250 real thing? Okay, that last one is a weak attempt at humor but you get my drift.

Thoughts?

That's a good point, and that's sort of my question too with my Pens' jersey above.

mind you teh guy on ebay never made any claim to it being an "Authentic" jersey nor evne on quality of the thing. all it said was:

New with Tags

Marc Andre Fleury #29

Pittsburgh Penguins Jersey

No Reserve!

So I can't say he was dishonest.

My ethical issue is not really with the people selling them, if they don't make claims that they are authentic, it's the people making them. Not for taking money off the players' tables, although I think it's fair they get revenue from sell of jerseys, we can't let Reebok pocket it all. And as long as Reebok has no ETHICAL issues with taking $300+ from fans, I won't feel sorry for them missing out on the revenue.

In a way, the counterfeit problem is a by-product of the greed of the manufacturers and the professional leagues, the same way Contraband increases each time the governments levee new taxes on products like cigarettes...

I still will feel a bad knowing I'm wearing a knock-off...

[Brass]

These jerseys look good now, but wait a year and then see what happens.

[Frenchie]

These jerseys look good now, but wait a year and then see what happens.

that's why I usually try to buy DARKs, to avoid having to wahs them too much. beer stains hide well, but beware of chicken wings sauce, unless the shirt is bright red....

[BlueSky]

Would love to know what it costs Reebok to make an authentic jersey. Of course, if the NFL would stop giving the Reeboks and EA Sports and DirecTVs of the world exclusive deals, the prices wouldn't be so ridiculous. They'll find out one day the same thing airlines did with exorbitant business fares: screw people long enough and they'll find alternatives.

Take Sunday Ticket, which I had before concluding that DirecTV's DVR equipment and "customer service" were so horrendous that even seeing the Saints in my living room every week wasn't worth it. The NFL could make even more money if they'd make the games available on PPV through Dish and cable systems, and IMO they'd do even better by offering a choice of a full package, a reduced rate to watch one team's games for the season, and a single-game PPV option. Instead we have one choice: put up with DirecTV and pay them $300 for the chance to watch a crapload of games we may or may not care about.

Say they offered one team for $129 and a PPV option at $20 a game. I'd buy the Saints package and a good guesstimate is that I'd buy maybe two more games at $20 a crack. So they'd get $169 from me instead of $0. I'd be happy and they'd have some of my money - a win win. (And yes, I did the math and realize $300 for all the games is cheaper per game but that's not the point.)

Still, it's hard for me to justify the knockoff thing with the high cost of real merchandise. Someone I know regularly buys a movie ticket, watches the film, then sneaks into one and sometimes two more movies, justifying it by complaining about the cost of tickets. Well, a Mercedes costs a lot too, doesn't mean it's ok to steal one.

[Frenchie]

Still, it's hard for me to justify the knockoff thing with the high cost of real merchandise. Someone I know regularly buys a movie ticket, watches the film, then sneaks into one and sometimes two more movies, justifying it by complaining about the cost of tickets. Well, a Mercedes costs a lot too, doesn't mean it's ok to steal one.

How about getting a Hyundai and replacing the crests on it???

[OMMF]

Of course, if the NFL would stop giving the Reeboks and EA Sports and DirecTVs of the world exclusive deals

All providers had a chance to have Sunday Ticket at the beginning as long as they took NFL Network along with it. Everyone except DirecTV passed. Only after that did the contract become exclusive. The other cable and satellite companies have no one to blame but themselves.

[Frenchie]

A friend of mine who I just told about my new purchase sent me the following ARTICLE.

I think the NHL as a whole should do that...

[ElwoodCuse]

All providers had a chance to have Sunday Ticket at the beginning as long as they took NFL Network along with it. Everyone except DirecTV passed. Only after that did the contract become exclusive. The other cable and satellite companies have no one to blame but themselves.

No, the NFL said anyone could BID on Sunday Ticket if they also agreed to take the NFL Network with it. DirecTV just bid the most.

[Frenchie]

Anyone on Facebook a member of the "Authentic Jerseys For Great Prices!!" group?

Irony is he calls it AUTHENTIC.

The "Premier" jerseys he sells don't have the label on the front, how's that???

So what's the call? Fake or real

[BupsJones]

Anyone familiar or has used this company to make a purchase? http://www.customthrowbackjerseys.com/products/ED-BELFOUR-Chicago-Blackhawks-1992-CCM-Throwback-Away-Hockey-Jersey.html I think they list items on eBay too: http://cgi.ebay.com/ED-BELFOUR-Chicago-Blackhawks-1992-Vintage-Jersey-XXL-/230418688390?cmd=ViewItem&pt=U_Hockey_Fan_Shop&hash=item35a6062986#ht_3635wt_939

Thinking of making a purchase, but was just curious as to the authenticity, if anyone knew.