How to Spot a Fake, Part 2

If you read yesterday's post, you should have an idea what a genuine jersey for each sport should look like. As I said then, I'm now going to go over some tell-tale signs of counterfeit jerseys.

One thing you need to know right away is that counterfeiters are very good at they do. If you don't know what you are looking for, in many cases, you'd never be able to tell the differences between a counterfeit and the real deal. Counterfeiters are still not perfect though and many counterfeit jerseys are very easy to spot if you do know what you are looking for. That is what I am trying to help you with now.

Even though most counterfeit jerseys look pretty good by themselves, it's usually extremely easy to tell the difference between a counterfeit and the real thing if you see them side by side.

Color
The first thing you will notice about a counterfeit jersey is that the color is not as sharp as the real deal. Here's a few different pictures, using a Chargers alternate jersey, that prove my point (Example 1, Example 2, Example 3). I'll also use an example created by the Montreal Canadiens, that also demonstrate the color difference between a real jersey and a counterfeit.

Also, know your teams colors. The Pittsburgh Penguins for example have "Vegas gold" as one of their team colors. Many knockoffs may not have the team colors correct. Some look more yellow than gold and others just use the incorrect shade of gold. Incorrect team colors is an obvious sign of a counterfeit.

Manufacturer Logo
Like I mentioned yesterday, when describing NHL jerseys, all Reebok logos on NHL jerseys are patches, not just stitching. The Reebok logo on most counterfeit jerseys is not a patch, just stitching of the logo. If you can see the jersey material in the middle of the outline of the Reebok logo, then you have a counterfeit. Keep in mind that this just refers to NHL jerseys. Also remember about the Reebok logo on the sleeve of replica jerseys, this isn't on authentics. If you see an authentic with a Reebok logo on the sleeve, it's a fake. Don't forget about the Majestic logo on MLB jerseys. Replica jerseys have the word "Majestic" under the manufacturer logo on the sleeve, authentics just have the logo. If you see an authentic jersey with the word "Majestic" under the manufacturer logo on the sleeve, you have a counterfeit.

Price
The easiest way to tell the difference between a counterfeit and the real thing is the price. The old rule applies here. If something is too good to be true, it probably is. That's the bottom line here. Here are the prices of jerseys from each leagues official online store.

NFL: Replica ($79.99), EQT ($109.99), Authentic ($274.99)
MLB: Blank Replica ($79.99), Personalized Replica ($99.99), Blank Authentic Cool Base ($189.99), Personalized Authentic Cool Base ($249.99)
NHL: Blank Replica ($114.99), Personalized Replica ($149.99), Blank Authentic ($299.99), Personalized Authentic ($379.99)
NBA: Replica ($44.99), Swingman ($79.99), Authentic ($249.99)

If you see a seller selling jerseys for prices way below those listed above, you know they're selling counterfeits. I've seen personalized "authentic" NHL jerseys selling for $99.99. I've also seen personalized "authentic" MLB jerseys selling for $54.99. In both cases, those prices are cheaper than the cost of blank replicas. Again, if something is too good to be true, it probably is. If the leagues and individual teams cannot sell a jersey for that price, and they buy them in bulk, how can this seller afford to? It just isn't possible.

Does the style fit the player?
Most leagues today will not allow people to customize current jerseys with the names and numbers of former players. So if you see a jersey with a players name and number on it that they never wore, it's a counterfeit. For this example, I'll use this Wayne Gretzky jersey, which is wrong on more than one front. The first strike against it is that it is a Reebok Edge jersey, which Gretzky never wore in his career. Wayne Gretzky retired after the 1998-99 NHL season, and the Reebok Edge wasn't introduced until 07-08 NHL season. That right there screams counterfeit. Also, check out the style of this jersey. This Rangers alternate made its debut this season (10-11) and was not worn while Gretzky was with the Rangers. If you see situations like that, you know right away that you are looking at a fake.

Attention to Detail
As a fan, you should have an idea of the specifics of your teams jerseys, especially if you want to purchase one. You need to be sure all of the details match that specific jersey.

I'll use an example I saw when I was on vacation last summer. We saw a guy wearing a new Minnesota Twins Joe Mauer home jersey. You could tell it was new because it featured the Twins anniversary patch, as well as the inauguaral season patch for Target Field. Both of which were worn by the Twins during the 2010 season. The thing that gave it away as a counterfeit however was the nameplate behind Mauer's last name on the jersey. Before the 2010 season, on that style of jersey, all player names were attatched to the jerseys using a white nameplate. However for the 2010 season and the future, the Twins decided to sew the individual letters in the players name directly to the jersey, without using a nameplate. So the details on this particular jersey did not match up. The nameplate was also about 2 inches too long at the beginning and end of Mauer's last name on the back of the jersey, which is an obvious lack of attention to detail. Nameplates are the same size as the player's name, not 4 inches longer.

Another thing to look at are the league logos. Here's an example of a neck tag on an NFL jersey. Compare the footballs and stars on both tags. Looking at the jersey on the left, you can easily make out the football and the stars. If you look at the jersey on the right, that logo doesn't look like a football or stars. However most people, including NFL fans probably wouldn't know the difference if they weren't looking specifically for that. Most fans would just give it a quick glance and assume it's right because it looks close. Even many team logos and patches are missing a lot of detail if you look close at them and compare them to the real thing.

The next thing to consider are the extra patches. For this example, I'll use a few more examples created by the Montreal Canadiens (Example 1, Example 2, Example 3). Each example describes the flaw below. Many counterfeit jerseys will have a lot of extra space around patches that they didn't bother to cut out. I believe example 2 above points that out. Also check out the fonts in example 3. If they do not match, that is also a blantant counterfeit. Again, as a fan, that is where you need to know the specifics and look of your teams jersey.

Sometimes you may not be able to pinpoint what is exactly wrong with a jersey, but it just doesn't look right. If that is the case, you are probably right. If you have that feeling about a jersey...avoid, avoid, avoid.

Materials
Another thing to look at is the jersey materials. The easiest way is to look at the name, number and logos on the jersey. I'll use another example from the Canadiens to prove this point. Any time you see a jersey with bubbly looking numbers, it's obviously a counterfeit. All genuine products are perfectly matted and should appear flat at all times. Also look at the material used to create the numbers. If it looks overly shiny, that is another clear cut sign that the jersey is a fake. The last thing to notice is the stitching around the various layers of fabric. You should not be able to see the stitches in a jersey unless you are looking closely at it. Many fakes have an obvious border around the the edge of the fabric indicating where the seams are at. The picture on the left is the counterfeit and the one on the right is the real thing. Notice the obvious color differnce, as mentioned before. Also look at the outer border of the lightning bolt on both jerseys. You should not be able to tell where the fabric changes layers, but you obviously can when you look at the one on the left. Most jersey numbers on counterfeits have this same puffy border around the outside indicating where the seams are. On genuine products, you should not be able to see the seams.

Extras
On their jerseys, the NFL does not sell captain patches. Not on replicas, not on EQTs, not on authentics, and it is not possible to add one on when purchasing through the NFL or Reebok. If you want to go down to a monogram shop and have one made and added to a jersey, that's one thing, but you cannot buy jerseys from stores (online or otherwise) with these already on. If you see an NFL jersey with a captain patch already on it, you know right away that it is counterfeit. Before making a purchase, do your homework and know what can be added and what cannot be. If you see a jersey for sale with something on it that you cannot add, you know immediately that it is fake.

Also, the NFL does not see authentic Pro Bowl jerseys. The only Pro Bowl jerseys they sell are replicas. So if you see a seller selling an Authentic Pro Bowl jersey, you should know right away that it is counterfeit because those do not exist.

What to do to avoid buying a counterfeit
The first thing to do to avoid buying a counterfeit is to buy from a respected dealer. This includes chain stores, such as Dick's Sporting Goods, Sports Authority, etc. You can also buy directly from the team or the league. There are also several respected sites online that sell jerseys. Individual (non-chain) sporting goods stores may not be the best place to purchase from. Most comparnies require dealers (stores) to have "X" amount of merchandise in their store at all times. Many non-chain stores to not sell enough to make this worth their while, so they will not carry products like this. Sometimes they tend to cut corners and sell counterfeit merchandise because they can get it much cheaper and are not required to have "X" amount on hand at all times. This is my personal opinion, but I feel as though most of these dealers don't even know that they are selling counterfeit goods. Most counterfeiting sites and dealers make things look legitimate enough and trick people into thinking that they have the real thing. It's also a good idea to avoid places like Ebay or Craigslist. Many items on there are counterfeit. Also watch where the product is coming from. Anything that comes over directly from Asia is a counterfeit.

What to do if you accidentally buy a counterfeit
The first thing you want to do is try to get in touch with the person you purchased the counterfeit jersey from. Make sure they know that you know it is counterfeit. It's a good idea to provide specific examples here because this will give you a great deal of leverage when trying to get your money back. Also, document those examples. That way you can proove without a doubt that what you purchased is a counterfeit. If you purchased the counterfeit item through a site such as Ebay, Amazon, or Craigslist, file a complaint with the site to let them know that you were sold a counterfeit item. You can do the same thing with Paypal, if that is how you paid for your item. I do have it on good authority though that it is a pain filing a counterfeit claim with Paypal, even though I've never done it myself.

If you cannot get in touch with the seller, DO NOT TURN AROUND AND TRY TO SELL THE JERSEY AS THE REAL DEAL! Don't make your problem worse. If you do that, you are no better than the person(s) that ripped you off. Instead of correcting the problem, you will just be adding to it. Your best bet here is to chalk it up as a lesson learned and "eat it." If you do try to re-sell the jersey, make sure you make it clear that it is not the real deal. Failure to do so could easily place you in hot water for selling counterfeit goods.

I hope this helps you to know the difference between a genuine jersey and a knockoff. Always look for the obvious signs when making a jersey purchase. Also use yesterdays guide to know what should and should not be on a jersey. And if something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't.