Replica jerseys - then and now

[Slater]

The below replica was purchased back in 1987 or 1988 (when Brian Bosworth was a hot ticket). Has heat-pressed numbers and logos, and no nameplate on the back. The numbers and logos almost seem like they were applied with a paint roller, and I guess this was typical for many jerseys of the time. Even though this thing is a "moldy oldie" the quality seems a bit better than many replicas today (and head and shoulders above some I've seen). I guess screened numbers are cheaper and faster and many folks don't care anyway. Was the overall quality indeed any better "back in the day" or is it just perception?

[Sodboy13]

That actually looks like an authentic, or the retail equivalent of an authentic, to me. Player names weren't found on NFL replica jerseys (unless custom-ordered) until around 1993, when presumably the league and players' union came to some sort of agreement. The thick screenprinting on the jerseys was also the standard for most teams through the '80s and early '90s - once again, tackle-twill didn't make a comeback until the merchandising explosion in '93/'94. I think the Raiders, and maybe the Steelers, were the only teams to stick with sewn numbers through that period, while everyone else went to the lighter and cheaper screenprinting.

I remember Champion as having the first mass-market NFL replica jerseys that were actual jerseys - not T-shirts. They were $35-$40 in most places, solid single-layer mesh - no dazzle shoulders or sleeves. The collar was an overlapping V-neck. There were no sleeve or shoulder numbers, and unless you were buying a Bears jersey, the numbers were in the standard Champion block font. Starter, Logo Athletic, and Wilson got into the market a couple years later, and the increase in quality was dramatic.

[Gothamite]

Heat-pressed numbers, or screened?